A new update for Arc Raiders just launched, and you might want to pack some snowshoes because winter has arrived on top. Called “Cold Snap”, the update introduces new missions, map conditions, and the Flickering Flames event for players to complete.
With some new free content for all players to enjoy and some cosmetics to hunt down, here's everything you need to know about the Flickering Flames event.
Cold Snap Event
Perhaps the most significant change coming is a new map state which sees these levels completely covered in snow and icy winds. While this makes for some striking visuals, it also actually introduces new gameplay elements. Unlike most of the weather in Arc Raiders, the blizzard you'll be caught in can directly damage your health if you're out too long.
This will force you to move between covered shelters, as staying out in the snow for too long will start to drain your health. You can see when it is about to start affecting your Raider such ashey will rub their hands together, shiver, and their body will begin to be covered with snow. To avoid these effects, go to a building to warm up.
It's easy to tell when it's working because the snow on your Raider will start to melt, indicating you're no longer susceptible to frost damage. Keep in mind that not all rundown huts are the same, as some do not provide enough insulation to keep warm. Pay attention to your character, because if they are still shivering, you will still take damage.
You can also find piles of snowballs and make snowballs to throw at people! They don't really do anything, but who doesn't love a good snowball fight?
Arc Raiders: Staking Our Claim Event Guide
Loot, shoot and look good doing it.
Project Flickering Flames
The major driving force behind the event, the Flickering Flames Project, tasks you with completing an expedition-like series of tasks to donate items to the celebration. This includes a bunch of materials you've seen before, like empty wine bottles, durable cloth and plastic. Unsurprisingly, this means that a bunch of those items you never thought you needed will suddenly have a real use and a reason for you to hold onto them.
Here's a breakdown of each step and what you'll need to proceed:
|
Step number |
Materials required |
|---|---|
|
Step 1 |
20 Candle berries 5 Durable cloth 1 empty wine bottle 25 Plastic parts |
|
Step 2 |
50 candle berries 3 candle holders 1 industrial battery 3 bulbs |
|
Step 3 |
60 candles 10 tape 2 rolls of film 5 Snap Blast Grenades |
|
Step 4 |
60 Candle berries 2 coffee pots 10 Fireball Borders 2 water filters |
|
Step 5 |
70 Candle berries 2 frying pans 7 mushrooms 2 music albums |
Remember that once you commit something to this event you will lose it permanently, so make sure you can actually save the material you find. Thankfully, many of these don't have a ton of alternate uses, so they can be safely performed without fear of needing them later. In addition, you'll earn achievements, raider tokens, and physical items to use in raids for completing each of the individual stages!
Where to find candle berries
Candle Berries are the new, event-specific material introduced in this update. Exclusively tied to the Cold Snap event, players will need a whopping 260 Candle Berries if you plan to complete this event end to end.
Now this sounds like a lot, but you can actually shave a lot of them off since then you can get 180 Candleberries just by raising the reward lane the Gathering Candleberries event. You can level up the reward track by simply earning merit, which is awarded simply by earning XP while playing the game or completing specific steps in the Flickering Flames project.
In addition, Candle berries can be found in the wild on any map with the Cold Snap event active. In the blizzards you can find bushes with bright red berries which can be looted. These will produce about 1-3 light berries each, and they are often clumped close together.
Raider caches in Cold Snap events are another good way to find them, as they usually have between 3-5 candelabra each, making them absolutely worth the extra time to open. Finally, you can also find candle berries in rare baskets scattered around nature-themed attractions, and they often yield the most berries.
Some of my favorite places to hunt candle berries are:
- In and around the Hydroponic Dome Complex at the Dam Battlegrounds
- Marano Park in Burried City
- The small forest between Container Storage and the East Plains Warehouse at the Spaceport
Collection of candle berry event trackers
The final part of the Flicker Flames event is a new reward tracker that you can earn a bunch of cosmetics (and candle berries!) by completing. Consisting of 25 individual rewards, players can progress through the tracker only by earning merits.
These are handed out at the end of each match, with every 100 XP equal to a single Merit. With a good run, with a decent amount of ARC and enemy Raiders killed, you can earn thousands of XP. This will be the primary source of all the merits you earn, and it's not something you should worry too much about, as you will passively earn enough of these just by playing the game.
You can also earn several thousand merits by only completing specific steps in the Flickering Flames project. For example, using 3 bulbs will give you 1,000 merits. While you can't rely on this to fully complete the Gathering Candleberries tracker, it's a great way to supplement your Merit intake.
|
Order |
Merit is needed |
Reward |
|---|---|---|
|
Reward 1 |
600 |
Hi-Tech Hiker |
|
Reward 2 |
1,200 |
10 candle berries |
|
Reward 3 |
1,800 |
Scanner (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant) |
|
Reward 4 |
2,400 |
10 candle berries |
|
Reward 5 |
3,000 |
Check Compass (Emote) |
|
Reward 6 |
3,600 |
20 Candle berries |
|
Reward 7 |
4,200 |
50 Raider Tokens |
|
Reward 8 |
4,800 |
Blue Camo (Hi-Tech Hiker Color) |
|
Reward 9 |
5,200 |
30 Candle berries |
|
Reward 10 |
6,000 |
Field telephone (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant) |
|
Reward 11 |
6,600 |
30 Candle berries |
|
Reward 12 |
7,200 |
Sprayed Eyes Red (Face Style) |
|
Reward 13 |
7,800 |
50 Raider Tokens |
|
Reward 14 |
8,400 |
Orange (Hi-Tech Hiker Color) |
|
Reward 15 |
9,000 |
40 Candle berries |
|
Reward 16 |
9,600 |
Mask (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant) |
|
Reward 17 |
10,200 |
50 Raider Tokens |
|
Reward 18 |
10,800 |
Yellow Camo (Hi-Tech Hiker Color) |
|
Reward 19 |
11,400 |
40 Candle berries |
|
Reward 20 |
12,000 |
Headwear (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant) |
|
Reward 21 |
12,600 |
50 Raider Tokens |
|
Reward 22 |
13,200 |
White (Hi-Tech Hiker Color) |
|
Reward 23 |
13,800 |
Goggles (Hi-Tech Hiker Variant) |
|
Reward 24 |
14,400 |
50 Raider Tokens |
|
Reward 25 |
15,000 |
Space Wrench (Raider Tool Skin) |
The event is currently live for 27 daysso you have plenty of time to actually earn all your merits and those rewards. As mentioned before, don't worry too much about how many merits you earn. As long as you play the game, you will simply earn enough to complete the event in time. Put your focus more on finding the key items for the Flickering Flames project!
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