ARC Raiders Winter Event Guide: Flickering Flames Project Requirements Rewards and Completion

Arc Raiders ignites with Flickering Flames, a limited-time blaze reshaping raids and rewards-what hides in the fire?

Arc Raiders Flickering Flames event explained

The Flickering Flames event in Arc Raiders brings a limited-time challenge where players tackle fire-themed encounters and missions tied to seasonal objectives. Participants can earn exclusive rewards such as themed gear, emotes, and crafting materials by completing event-specific activities. The update also adds narrative elements that deepen the conflict between the Raiders and the Arc, introducing new lore pieces and visual effects that signal the event’s fiery theme across the map.

The Flickering Flames event runs until 4:30 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, which is the same time the Cold Snap update as a whole comes to a close. The Flickering Flames event is all about going topside as much as possible to earn merits, because they come hand-in-hand with XP.

As you earn merits, you’ll also earn rewards, granted for every 600 merits you attain. Here’s the full list of rewards:

• 600 merits: Hi-Tech Hiker outfit
• 1,200 merits: 10 candleberries
• 1,800 merits: Scanner (Hi-Tech Hiker variant)
• 2,400 merits: 10 candleberries
• 3,000 merits: Check Compass emote
• 3,600 merits: 20 candleberries
• 4,200 merits: 50 raider tokens
• 4,800 merits: Blue Camo (Hi-Tech Hiker color)
• 5,400 merits: 30 candleberries
• 6,000 merits: Field Phone (Hi-Tech Hiker variant)
• 6,600 merits: 30 candleberries
• 7,200 merits: Sprayed Eyes Red face style
• 7,800 merits: 50 raider tokens
• 8,400 merits: Orange (Hi-Tech Hiker color)
• 9,000 merits: 40 candleberries
• 9,600 merits: Mask (Hi-Tech Hiker variant)
• 10,200 merits: 50 raider tokens
• 10,800 merits: Yellow Camo (Hi-Tech Hiker color)
• 11,400 merits: 40 candleberries
• 12,000 merits: Headgear (Hi-Tech Hiker variant)
• 12,600 merits: 50 raider tokens
• 13,200 merits: White (Hi-Tech Hiker color)
• 13,800 merits: Goggles (Hi-Tech Hiker variant)
• 14,400 merits: 50 raider tokens
• 15,000 merits: Space Wrench raider tool

Arc Raiders Flickering Flame project resources and rewards list

Arc Raiders Flickering Flame project resources and rewards list: This section outlines the materials, tools, and team roles needed to advance the Flickering Flames event, along with the rewards earned from completing milestones, challenges, and community goals.

On the project side of things, much like with the expedition project, you need to commit resources to earn rewards. You can earn plenty of merits this way too, but you need some specific items and materials to complete this. Here’s the full list of everything you need alongside the rewards you can earn:

Stage 1: Candlelight

• 1 empty wine bottle: 5 firecrackers
• 25 plastic parts: 1,000 merits
• 5 durable cloth: 1,000 merits
• 20 candleberries: 50 raider tokens

Stage 2: Decorations

• 3 candle holders:1 red light stick blueprint
• 3 light bulbs: 1,000 merits
• 1 industrial battery: 1,000 merits
• 50 candleberries: 50 raider tokens

Stage 3: Presents

• 5 snap blast grenades: 3 trailblazers
• 10 duct tape: 1,000 merits
• 1 film reel: 1,000 merits
• 60 candleberries: 50 raider tokens

Stage 4: Beverages

• 2 coffee pots: 1 vita spray
• 10 fireball burners: 1,000 merits
• 2 water filters: 1,000 merits
• 60 candleberries: 50 raider tokens

Stage 5: Meals

• 7 mushrooms: 1 snap hook
• 2 frying pans: 1,000 merits
• 2 music albums: 1,000 merits
• 70 candleberries: 50 raider tokens

So the rewards aren’t anything groundbreaking, but they are worth attaining because the items you’re committing aren’t particularly valuable. If you’re struggling to get enough candleberries to complete the project, make sure you’re going topside during Cold Snap weather conditions, as they’ll spawn in bushes. Keep an eye out for the bright red berries and you should be able to gather some on every raid.

Best Merit farming routes for Flickering Flames event

Merits in Arc Raiders’ Flickering Flames event come primarily from raid XP earned on Cold Snap maps, with roughly 10 Merits per 1,000 XP from looting, ARC kills, and objectives. Project donations provide big Merit boosts on completion. Optimal routes balance high-XP density, shelter access, and Candleberry farming while minimizing exposure.​

Top Merit Farming Maps

Cold Snap rotates across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and The Blue Gate (excluding Stella Montis). Prioritize these for fast raids:​

• Dam Battlegrounds: High-risk, high-reward; hit power plant ARC spawns and Hydroponic Dome Complex for caches and berries.​

• Buried City: Medium risk; focus central facility and Ruby Residences for indoor looting and CQB XP.​

• Spaceport: Balanced; loop staff parking, main terminal, and forest between Container Storage/East Plains Warehouse.​

Sample High-XP Routes

• Dam Battlegrounds Loop: Start Hydroponic Dome (caches/berries), ARC spawns at power complex, extract south-yields heavy machines like Bastions for max XP.​

• Buried City Indoor: Central facility to Marano Park (berries), underground tunnels to Blue Gate extract-safe from cold, high raider/ARC encounters.​

• Spaceport Quick: Forest berries/caches, terminal looting, staff parking extract-efficient for 5-10k XP per run.​

Efficiency Tips

Run free loadouts for low-risk farming; target heavy ARCs (Bastions, Leapers) and Raider Caches for 3-5 berries each. Extract after 10-15 minutes to sustain XP/hour; project stages add 100s of bonus Merits.​

Which maps yield the most XP per hour for Merits

Dam Battlegrounds yields the highest XP per hour for Merits in the Flickering Flames event, often exceeding 75,000 XP through dense ARC spawns and cache clusters. Spaceport follows closely for balanced efficiency, while Buried City suits safer indoor grinds.​

Top Maps by XP/Hour

Optimization Notes

Full raids with objectives and heavy kills outperform quick loops on these Cold Snap maps, converting at ~10 Merits per 1,000 XP. Avoid Stella Montis as it skips Cold Snap entirely.​