Flickering Flames is a limited-time winter event in ARC Raiders that runs alongside the Cold Snap map condition. The theme is survival below ground in Speranza during food shortages and blackouts, with Raiders collecting Candleberries and other essentials to support winter festivities and unlock rewards.
Flickering Flames dates and key unlocks
| Item | What it adds | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Cold Snap | Winter map condition with visibility loss, frozen surfaces, and frostbite risk | Begins Dec 16, 2025 |
| Flickering Flames event window | Event rewards tied to Merits and winter collection objectives | Dec 16, 2025 to Jan 13, 2026 |
| The Goalie Raider Deck | Free, permanent Raider Deck with items, Raider Tokens, and cosmetics | Available Dec 26, 2025 |
Cold Snap is scheduled to go live on Dec 16 at 10:30 CET (9:30 UK, 1:30 PT, 4:30 ET). The winter event window is set to end on Jan 13, 2026 at the same time.
Cold Snap map condition: what changes topside
Cold Snap is a winter variant that applies across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and The Blue Gate. Snow and storms reduce visibility, and lakes can freeze over, changing traversal and sightlines in familiar routes.
The main mechanical pressure is exposure. Staying outside too long leads to frostbite, a creeping condition that steadily drains health. It forces a more deliberate tempo, since extended fights in the open can become fatal even if no one lands a finishing shot.
Survival during Cold Snap revolves around two levers. First, using indoor shelter to break exposure. Second, leaning harder on healing so you can recover before the cold finishes the job.
What frostbite means for fights and extractions
Frostbite makes time a direct combat factor. Any situation that normally “only” costs time, like a long-range stalemate or getting pinned outside, becomes more dangerous because exposure keeps progressing while you trade shots or wait for an opening.
Loadout choices and team habits matter more under Cold Snap. Bringing enough healing to stabilize after a push, or to keep moving instead of stopping outside, is part of the plan. Extractions also benefit from tighter routing so you can move between cover and indoor spaces instead of committing to long open crossings.
Note: Frozen water is not just scenery. It can be unsteady to move across, which adds risk when sprinting under pressure or attempting a quick escape.
Flickering Flames: why Candleberries matter
Flickering Flames centers on the Candleberry Bush and the role it plays in winter life for Speranzans. Boiled Candleberries can be turned into wax that burns for hours. The berries can also be crushed into juice, and the roots can be brewed into a tea used against tough colds.
Candleberries are also treated as food and household materials. They can be used in stews and soups, as well as in gifts like perfume and soap. Wreaths made from Candleberries serve as seasonal decoration and a rare hint of Topside greenery underground.
Speranza’s Candleberry Banquets require large quantities, which drives the event’s collection focus and the push to raid winter locations despite harsher conditions.
Candleberry Banquet project: shared progress and staged rewards
The Candleberry Banquet project ties collection to visible progress through multiple stages. Each stage reveals another scene on a banquet table, and completing stages grants rewards such as cosmetics, Raider Tokens, and Merits.
Progress is earned by scavenging unique items topside and collecting Candleberries. The project is designed to work in parallel with event progression, since Merits gained through the project also contribute toward Flickering Flames rewards.
Event rewards, Merits, and activation requirements
Flickering Flames rewards are built around Merits. Merits are gained automatically from XP earned during rounds, so normal play contributes even when you are not focused on a single collection target.
The event includes a 25-level reward track. As you earn Merits, you unlock items across those levels, including Raider Tokens and customization rewards. Separately, Candleberries and certain Special Items can be redeemed for a broader set of rewards that includes Raider Tokens, new items, rare utility items, weapons, cosmetics, and additional Merits.
Access has a simple gameplay gate. The event activates once you have played five rounds.
The Goalie Raider Deck (free, permanent) and what it adds
The Winter Update also introduces a second free, permanent Raider Deck called The Goalie. It becomes available on Dec 26 and is designed to be progressed by earning Cred topside.
As you progress the deck, it unlocks a series of items, Raider Tokens, and cosmetics. The featured theme is hockey-inspired, including a flagship outfit and a hockey stick Raider Tool.
Planning raids during Cold Snap while the event is live
Cold Snap and Flickering Flames pull in the same direction. The environment punishes long exposure, and the event encourages you to keep raiding winter locations for Candleberries and other essentials, so the safest approach is usually the most structured one.
Favor routes that chain cover, buildings, and interior spaces, and treat open ground as something you cross with intent rather than a place to “hold” for too long. If a fight drags on outside, the cold can become the deciding factor, so breaking line of sight and rotating into shelter is often more valuable than landing one more risky peek.
Over the full event window, steady Merits from XP provide baseline progress, while focused runs for Candleberries and Special Items accelerate unlocks. The result is a winter loop where survival decisions, not only gun skill, determine how much you bring back to Speranza.
