Flickering Flames was a limited-time event in ARC Raiders’ Cold Snap update, running from December 16, 2025, through January 13, 2026. It is no longer active, so these event rewards can’t be claimed through Flickering Flames now. During the event, players progressed along two separate paths: a 25-tier Merit track and a five-stage project that required Candleberries and other loot.
How the two Flickering Flames reward paths worked
The Merit track and the project were connected, but they were not the same progression system. Raid XP advanced the track, while depositing the listed Candleberries and materials completed project stages. Each project stage also awarded Merit, helping players advance the track.
| Path | How it progressed | What it rewarded |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering Candleberries Merit track | Earn Merit from raid XP | Outfit pieces and colors, an emote, face style, Candleberries, Raider Tokens, and the Space Wrench Raider Tool |
| Flickering Flames project | Deposit Candleberries and other listed loot across five stages | Stage-specific items or blueprint, plus 1,000 Merit and 50 Raider Tokens per stage; a guide also reports a completion bonus bundle |
The official Cold Snap announcement described earning Merit through ordinary topside play and redeeming Candleberries and special items for rewards. Its reminder for the update was: “Remember, this cold is no joke.”
All 25 Merit track rewards
Beebom’s contemporary event guide lists 25 reward tiers, with the final reward at 15,000 Merit. The track included six 10-Candleberry rewards, for 60 Candleberries in total according to this tier list.
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| Merit threshold | Reward |
|---|---|
| 600 | Hi-Tech Hiker outfit |
| 1,200 | 10 Candleberries |
| 1,800 | Scanner (Hi-Tech Hiker outfit variant) |
| 2,400 | 10 Candleberries |
| 3,000 | Check Compass emote |
| 3,600 | 10 Candleberries |
| 4,200 | 50 Raider Tokens |
| 4,800 | Blue Camo (Hi-Tech Hiker color) |
| 5,400 | 10 Candleberries |
| 6,000 | Field Phone (Hi-Tech Hiker variant) |
| 6,600 | 10 Candleberries |
| 7,200 | Sprayed Eyes Red face style |
| 7,800 | 50 Raider Tokens |
| 8,400 | Orange (Hi-Tech Hiker color) |
| 9,000 | 10 Candleberries |
| 9,600 | Mask (Hi-Tech Hiker variant) |
| 10,200 | 50 Raider Tokens |
| 10,800 | Yellow Camo (Hi-Tech Hiker color) |
| 11,400 | 10 Candleberries |
| 12,000 | Headgear (Hi-Tech Hiker variant) |
| 12,600 | 50 Raider Tokens |
| 13,200 | White (Hi-Tech Hiker color) |
| 13,800 | Goggles (Hi-Tech Hiker variant) |
| 14,400 | 50 Raider Tokens |
| 15,000 | Space Wrench Raider Tool |
How players earned Merit
Beebom reported that the event awarded 10 Merit for every 1,000 raid XP. Its guide says XP from looting, defeating ARC enemies, and defeating other Raiders counted on any map, and that players needed to have played five matches to participate. These are reported mechanics for the 2025–2026 event, not current progression rules.
All five project stages, turn-ins, and rewards
The five-stage project required 260 Candleberries in total: 20 for stage one, 50 for stage two, 60 each for stages three and four, and 70 for stage five. The ARC Raiders Hub guide lists 1,000 Merit and 50 Raider Tokens as part of every stage’s reward, in addition to the item or blueprint shown below.
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| Stage | Required turn-ins | Stage reward |
|---|---|---|
| 1 — Candles | 1 Empty Bottle; 25 Plastic Parts; 5 Durable Fabric; 20 Candleberries | 5 Firecrackers; 1,000 Merit; 50 Raider Tokens |
| 2 — Decorations | 3 Candlesticks; 3 Lightbulbs; 1 Industrial Battery; 50 Candleberries | Red Glow Stick blueprint; 1,000 Merit; 50 Raider Tokens |
| 3 — Presents | 5 Explosive Grenades; 10 Duct Tape; 1 Film Reel; 60 Candleberries | 3 Trailblazers; 1,000 Merit; 50 Raider Tokens |
| 4 — Drinks | 2 Coffee Pots; 10 Fireball Flamers; 2 Water Filters; 60 Candleberries | 1 Vita Spray; 1,000 Merit; 50 Raider Tokens |
| 5 — Meal | 7 Mushrooms; 2 Frying Pans; 2 Music Albums; 70 Candleberries | 1 Snap Hook; 1,000 Merit; 50 Raider Tokens |
Beebom additionally reports a project-completion bundle of a Snowglobe backpack charm, Bettina III, Extended Barrel, and Kinetic Converter. The official announcement does not enumerate this bundle, so treat it as a reward list reported by that guide rather than an official itemization.
Guides differ on some item labels and reward quantities—for example, one calls the first-stage item an “Empty Wine Bottle” rather than an “Empty Bottle.” The table follows the ARC Raiders Hub guide; an archived in-game screen would be the best reference for exact interface wording.
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Where to find Candleberries
During Flickering Flames, Candleberries were gathered in Nature regions during Cold Snap conditions. GameSpot reported that Cold Snap could appear on any map except Stella Montis, and that Candleberries came from bright red bushes visible against the snow. The guide described each bush as yielding one Candleberry. These were event-era gathering conditions, not a current farming route.
The event’s Merit track also awarded Candleberries. GameSpot reported that the track supplied 180 across its rewards; that figure differs from the 60 shown by adding the six 10-Candleberry entries in Beebom’s tier table. Because the guides disagree, the exact track total is not consistent across these published lists.
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What to know about the historical reward lists
The official Cold Snap announcement establishes the update and event context, but does not provide the complete tier table or stage-by-stage deposit requirements. The reward thresholds above follow Beebom’s list, while project requirements and stage rewards follow the ARC Raiders Hub guide. GameSpot provides independent gathering notes. Small naming or quantity differences across contemporary guides mean exact item wording should be read as guide-specific where noted.
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