ARC Raiders Flickering Flames Event Guide & Rewards

ARC Raiders Flickering Flames event introduces Cold Snap conditions and a seasonal reward track that directly change how you move, fight, and extract. Open areas now deal constant environmental damage, indoor locations turn into mandatory safe points, and long outdoor fights quickly burn through healing.

Progression is fully tied to Merits earned in normal Topside runs. You gain rewards by surviving raids, extracting loot, fighting ARCs and Raiders, and adapting your play to Cold Snap maps. Playing the event inefficiently doesn’t block progress, but it makes every run slower and more resource-heavy.

This guide explains how the Arc Raiders Flickering Flames event works, what rewards you can unlock, and how to approach it efficiently. If you want to skip the slow setup phase or avoid wasting runs during Cold Snap, ARC Raiders boost services can help you move straight into stable progression and reward farming.

Also The Flickering Flames Project has its own material requirements and progression steps. The full breakdown lives in a separate Flickering Flames Project guide.

Flickering Flames Event Dates

The ARC Raiders Flickering Flames event runs on a fixed timer, so it’s worth planning your grind around the deadline.

• Start: December 16, 2025 — 10:30 CET
• End: January 13, 2026 — 10:30 CET

After January 13, 2026, the Flickering Flames reward track stops being available (so no more Merit progress for those tiers).

Flickering Flames Event Explained

The Flickering Flames event in ARC Raiders runs during the Cold Snap update and adds two systems that directly affect gameplay: environmental pressure and reward-based progression.

First, Cold Snap becomes an active map condition on selected Topside locations. When it’s active, staying outdoors causes constant health drain. This forces players to plan routes around buildings, shorten outdoor fights, and think ahead about extraction timing. You can still play aggressively, but mistakes outside are punished much harder than usual.

Second, the event adds a 25-tier reward track that progresses only through Merits. Merits are earned by playing the game normally: killing ARCs, fighting other Raiders, looting, and extracting successfully. There is no special event mode, every Cold Snap run contributes as long as you survive and gain XP.

During the event, you also encounter event-exclusive resources and cosmetics tied to Flickering Flames. These rewards are time-limited. Once the event ends, the reward track closes and unclaimed items are gone for good. If you care about cosmetics or event currency, you need to engage with the event while it’s active.

Cold Snap – Gameplay Effects

Cold Snap directly changes how you move, fight, and plan extractions on affected Topside maps.

When Cold Snap is active, staying outdoors applies constant damage over time. The longer you remain exposed, the more pressure it puts on your healing supplies. Snowstorms also reduce visibility, making long-range spotting harder and increasing the risk of ambushes. Frozen ground can feel less stable, which matters during fast repositioning or escapes.

The game clearly signals when Cold Snap is becoming dangerous. Your Raider starts shivering, snow builds up on the character model, and health begins to tick down. These cues mean you are already losing time and resources, waiting longer only makes the situation worse.

To manage Cold Snap effectively, route planning becomes critical. Move from building to building instead of crossing wide open spaces. Use indoor areas to reset exposure often, even if it means taking a longer path. Outdoor firefights should be short and decisive; extended trades in the open burn through healing very fast.

Bring extra healing if you plan longer runs, and don’t assume every structure is safe. Some shacks and ruins do not provide enough insulation. If your Raider keeps shivering indoors, the Cold Snap damage is still active, and you need better cover.

Event Progression

Progress during the ARC Raiders Flickering Flames event is tied entirely to Merits. There are no special queues, side modes, or separate missions. If you are playing Topside during Cold Snap, you are already progressing the event.

Merits are earned directly from XP at the end of a raid. Any action that gives XP also feeds the event track:

• Killing ARCs and hostile NPCs
• Eliminating other Raiders
• Looting containers and high-value objects
• Successfully extracting
• Completing event-related interactions on Cold Snap maps

Once you complete five raids, the event unlocks fully and Merits start tracking automatically. From that point on, there is nothing extra you need to activate or turn in.

There is no daily or weekly cap on Merits. Progress scales with how well you play: clean extractions, efficient routes, and surviving fights consistently move the reward track forward. Strong runs can generate thousands of XP in one raid, which converts directly into faster reward unlocks.

Flickering Flames Reward Track

The Flickering Flames reward track is a straight, 25-tier progression path tied to Merits. Every tier unlocks at a fixed Merit threshold, with the final reward reached at 15,000 Merits.

The rewards focus on cosmetics and useful currencies rather than power spikes, which fits how ARC Raiders handles seasonal events.

Reward types you unlock along the track:

• Outfit pieces and full outfit variants
• Color variants for event-themed gear
• Emotes and face styles
• Raider Tokens for progression and purchases
• A unique Raider tool skin at the final tier

Candleberries and Event Objectives

During Cold Snap maps, players can find Candleberries, an event-specific resource.

Candleberries are used for the Flickering Flames Project, which provides:

• Additional rewards
• Large Merit bonuses
• Event-specific items

The Project has multiple stages and material requirements. Because it has its own progression logic and resource traps, it is covered in a separate Flickering Flames Project guide.

If your goal is only the reward track, the Project is optional but accelerates Merit gain.

Efficiency Tips for Flickering Flames Event

• Plan routes with frequent indoor stops
• Avoid chasing fights across open terrain
• Heal early instead of waiting for critical HP
• Extract consistently instead of forcing risky runs
• Use Cold Snap interiors to control engagements

Cold Snap punishes indecision more than low gear.

Final Thoughts

If your playtime is limited, the early adjustment phase can feel slow, learning safe routes, managing Cold Snap damage, and stabilizing runs. Play smart, extract often, and don’t linger outdoors longer than needed.