The Flickering Flames event in ARC Raiders, part of the Cold Snap update, runs from December 16, 2025, to January 13, 2026, blending raid progression with festive cosmetics and community challenges. Players earn Merit points by looting caches, defeating ARCs like Bastions and Bombardiers, taking down rival raiders, and completing objectives. Every 100 XP converts automatically into 1 Merit when extracting back to Speranza. The free track has 25 tiers of rewards, including Hi-Tech Hiker outfit variations, Raider Tokens, and the capstone Space Wrench tool skin at 15,000 Merit, making it accessible even for casual squads without any battle pass pressure ARC Raiders Coins.
Tiers unlock every 600 Merit. Early rewards include Event Supplies like 10 Candleberries at 6,600 Merit, face styles such as Sprayed Eyes Red at 7,200, and 50 Raider Tokens at 7,800. Mid-track milestones give Orange Hi-Tech Hiker outfit colors at 8,400, more Candleberries at 9,000, and mask variants at 9,600, keeping players motivated through visual rewards. Higher tiers continue with additional tokens and supplies, culminating in the full cosmetic set.
A key part of the event is the Candleberry Banquet Project, a community milestone with five stages. Players donate items for exclusive rewards like backpack charms and weapon mods. Stage 1, for example, requires 20 Candleberries, 5 Durable Cloth, 25 Plastic Parts, and 1 Empty Wine Bottle, rewarding 5 Winter Crackers, 1,000 Creds, and 50 Raider Tokens. Donations are submitted in Speranza, and bonus Merit feeds back into the main track, cutting grind time by an estimated 1,000–2,000 Merit.
Candleberries, the event's main resource, appear across maps in glowing bushes. They are especially plentiful in Hydroponic Dome Complex on Dam Battlegrounds, Marano Park in Buried City, and forests near Container Storage on Spaceport. Collect them during raids for 5–10 per hot zone, ideally before extraction, and combine with quick ARC hunts nearby to double XP. Stages build cumulatively: Stage 2 requires 50 Candleberries, 3 Candle Holders, 1 Industrial Battery, and 3 Light Bulbs; Stage 3 adds 10 Duct Tape, 1 Film Reel, 2 Coffee Pots, and 10 Fireball Burners; by Stage 5, players need 70 Candleberries, 7 Mushrooms, 2 Frying Pans, and 2 Music Albums to earn the Snowglobe trinket, Bettina III barrel, and Kinetic Converter.
Cold Snap conditions make farming trickier, as frostbite damage forces players to seek shelter in buildings, tunnels, or roofed areas to avoid constant health loss. Dam Battlegrounds' power complex sees heavy traffic, while Buried City's central facility offers a balance between risk and loot. Recommended loadouts favor close-quarters combat: Vulcano shotguns for indoor fights, Stitcher SMGs for mobility during berry collection, and Rattler rifles for transitions between zones. After five raids—wins or losses count—plan routes to shelters strategically to chain kills without freezing.
Efficient farming routes help maximize Merit gains. On Dam Battlegrounds, loop power plant ARCs and berry domes before southern extraction points. In Buried City, central facility clears through tunnels are best, while Spaceport's terminal-parking area offers versatile density. Squad play helps with shared revives and splitting objectives, allowing 600 Merit per hour on strong runs. Weekly goals, like reaching 3,750 Merit by December 22, help track progress. The event ends at 9:30 AM PT on January 13, so players should pace sessions to avoid missing rewards.
Survival tips are straightforward: stock healing items rather than heavy gear, retreat to shelters when necessary, and check Merit trackers daily buy ARC Raiders Boosting. The Candleberry Project rewards berry-focused raids, turning routine drops into valuable event progression. Overall, Flickering Flames mixes ARC Raiders' high-stakes extraction gameplay with winter-themed fun, offering cosmetics, tools, and community challenges that leave Speranza looking lively long after the event ends.