Beat ARC Raiders' Flickering Flames Event in Record Time With These Pro Tips and Strategies

ARC Raiders is doing the cozy winter thing with a limited-time grind: the Flickering Flames event runs Dec 16, 2025 through Jan 13, 2026. It is 25 reward tiers deep, all unlocked with Merits you rack up by finishing the Flickering Flames Project. If you want the goods without spinning your wheels, here is the clean, no-nonsense route through it.

Start here: Candleberries are the bottleneck

You need Candleberries for every single project stage, so make those your first priority. They grow on bushes in vegetated surface areas when the Cold Snap modifier is active. The most reliable farm is Dam Battlegrounds. Load in, sweep the green spots, pick berries, repeat. Everything else flows once your Candleberry stash is sorted.

Stage-by-stage game plan

Stage 1

You need: 1 Empty Wine Bottle, 25 Plastic Parts, 5 Durable Cloth, 20 Candleberries.

Where to look: hit residential buildings in Dam Battlegrounds for the Empty Wine Bottle (Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence are easy picks). Buy Plastic Parts from Celeste. Craft Durable Cloth at your Reinder. Drop off the berries you already farmed.

Stage 2

You need: 3 Candle Holder, 3 Light Bulb, 1 Industrial Battery, 50 Candleberries.

Where to look: Candle Holders also pop in Dam Battlegrounds residential zones. For Light Bulbs and the Industrial Battery, head to the Maintenance Wing on the Blue Gate map. Berries as usual.

Stage 3

You need: 5 Snap Blast Grenade, 10 Duct Tape, 1 Film Reel, 60 Candleberries.

Where to look: craft or buy the Snap Blast Grenades. Celeste sells Duct Tape. Film Reels show up in residential areas too, but this time in the Buried City. Keep feeding berries into the meter.

Stage 4

You need: 2 Walter Filters, 2 Coffee Pots, 10 Fireball Burners, 60 Candleberries.

Where to look: Walter Filters (yes, that name) are in the Hydroponic Dome Complex on Dam Battlegrounds. Coffee Pots are another residential loot staple. Fireball Burners drop from Fireball enemies, so go pick a fight.

Stage 5

You need: 2 Music Albums, 2 Frying Pans, 7 Mushrooms, 70 Candleberries.

Where to look: Music Albums and Frying Pans are more residential loot in Dam Battlegrounds. For Mushrooms, head to Trench Hatch East at Spacespot; there is a Mushroom tree there that does the trick. Cash in the final berry haul and you are done.

Flickering Flames rewards (25 tiers, all Merit-gated)

• 600 Merit: Hi-Tech Hiker (Outfit)
• 1,200 Merit: 10x Candleberries
• 1,800 Merit: Scanner (Hi-Tech Hiker)
• 2,400 Merit: 10x Candleberries
• 3,000 Merit: Check Compass (Emote)
• 3,600 Merit: 10x Candleberries
• 4,200 Merit: 50x Raider Tokens
• 4,800 Merit: Blue Camo (Hi-Tech Hiker Color)
• 5,400 Merit: 30x Candleberries
• 6,000 Merit: Field Phone (Hi-Tech Hiker)
• 6,600 Merit: 30x Candleberries
• 7,200 Merit: Sprayed Eyes Red (Face Style)
• 7,800 Merit: 50x Raider Tokens
• 8,400 Merit: Orange (Hi-Tech Hiker Color)
• 9,000 Merit: 40x Candleberries
• 9,600 Merit: Mas (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant)
• 10,200 Merit: 50x Raider Tokens
• 10,800 Merit: Yellow (Hi-Tech Hiker Color)
• 11,400 Merit: 40x Candleberries
• 12,000 Merit: Headgear (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant)
• 12,600 Merit: 50x Raider Tokens
• 13,200 Merit: White (Hi-Tech Hiker Color)
• 13,800 Merit: Goggles (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant)
• 14,400 Merit: 50x Raider Tokens
• 15,000 Merit: Space Wrench (Raider Tool)

That is the loop: farm Candleberries at Dam Battlegrounds during Cold Snap, sweep residential spots for the household junk, hit Maintenance Wing, Hydroponic Dome, and Buried City for the one-offs, smack a few Fireball enemies, and turn in as you go. It is a grind, but at least this one is straightforward.