The Rust Belt's freezing again, but the Cold Snap update gives you a reason to stay out there. If you're the kind of player who'd rather grind than pay, the Flickering Flames event is the move, and it runs from Dec 16, 2025 to Jan 13, 2026. I've been keeping an eye on routes and loadouts, and skimming ARC Raiders BluePrint style notes can help you tighten up your scav runs without overthinking it.
How Merit Really Feels In-Game
The event track looks long on paper, but it's not as miserable as it sounds once you get your rhythm. Merit comes from XP, straight up: every 1,000 XP you pull earns 10 Merit, and 600 Merit bumps you up a tier. There are 25 tiers, so yeah, it's a month-long chase, not a weekend binge. The early carrot is the Hi-Tech Hiker outfit, and then the track starts layering in the bits that make it yours, like the Scanner and Field Phone. Later you'll see the camo swaps show up in a clean order too, with Blue, then Orange, and that sharp White option sitting close to the finish.
Rewards That Actually Matter
A lot of folks fixate on the big cosmetics and ignore the "boring" drops, then wonder why they stall out. Don't do that. Raider Tokens are handy for keeping your momentum when a raid goes sideways, and Candleberries are basically the fuel for the faster lane. The end-of-track flex is the Space Wrench at 15,000 Merit, and it's the kind of item people notice in the lobby. But if you only rely on passive XP, you'll feel the grind creep in, especially if you're having a rough week of raids.
Candleberry Banquet: The Fast Lane
If you want to speed things up, the Candleberry Banquet Project is where the real progress lives. It's split into five Candlelight stages, and it's a classic scavenger checklist that gets more picky as you go. Stage 1 asks for an Empty Wine Bottle, Plastic Parts, Durable Cloth, and Candleberries, and the reward is a chunky 2,000 Merit plus Firecrackers. After that, you'll start hunting stranger stuff in a sensible climb: Coffee Pots and Film Reels, then later Mushrooms and Frying Pans. Finish Stage 5 and you'll snag the Snowglobe backpack charm along with useful gear like a Bettina III and a Kinetic Converter, so it's not just a cosmetic victory lap.
Small Habits That Save Your Event
The easiest way to stay sane is to treat every raid like a shopping trip. Grab the weird household junk even when you're tempted to skip it, because you'll be mad later when the project asks for exactly the thing you left behind. Stash Candleberries whenever you can, and don't wait until you've "got time" to turn in stages, because that 2,000 Merit burst changes the whole pace of the week. If you're trying to plan your farm more efficiently, looking at an ARC Raiders BluePrint for sale reference can keep your priorities straight while you're juggling loot, risk, and extraction timing.
