What to Do With Candleberries in Arc Raiders

If you’ve been running Cold Snap expeditions lately, you’ve probably had the same thought as everyone else.

Why am I freezing half to death for these berries?

Candleberries look harmless enough. Just another foraged resource sitting on bushes or tucked into baskets. But in Arc Raiders, Candleberries are not just flavor loot. They are the backbone of one of the most important limited-time seasonal events the game has introduced so far.

This guide breaks down what to do with Candleberries in Arc Raiders, how to use them efficiently, where they actually matter, and what happens once the event ends. No fluff. No guessing. Just the stuff veteran raiders actually need to know.

What Are Candleberries in Arc Raiders

Candleberries are a seasonal event resource introduced during the Cold Snap update. Unlike standard fruits like olives or lemons, Candleberries exist almost entirely to fuel event progression rather than crafting or permanent upgrades.

Their main purpose is tied to the Flickering Flames project, which is a community-driven, limited-time progression system active during the holiday season.

If you ignore Candleberries during Cold Snap, you are effectively skipping a major chunk of free rewards.

The Main Use of Candleberries in Arc Raiders

Let’s get straight to the point.

Candleberries Are Used for the Flickering Flames Project

The primary answer to what to do with Candleberries in Arc Raiders is simple.

You donate them.

After extracting successfully, Candleberries can be contributed at Speranza to the Flickering Flames project. Every donation pushes the project forward, both for you and for the wider community.

Contributing Candleberries helps unlock:

• Event progression stages

• Merit rewards

• Cosmetic items

• Raider Tokens

• Tools and utility gear

This is not optional content if you care about seasonal rewards.

How the Flickering Flames Project Works

The Flickering Flames project is built around two connected systems.

1 The Project Itself

This is where Candleberries go.

Each stage of the project requires a certain number of Candleberries to be delivered. Completing stages unlocks milestone rewards and contributes to overall event completion.

Even small contributions matter, especially early on.

2 The Merit Reward Track

As you contribute Candleberries and play the game, you earn Merits.

Merits are earned by:

• Donating Candleberries

• Gaining XP through combat and looting

• Completing event objectives

Merits then progress the Gathering Candleberries reward track, which gives you even more rewards including additional Candleberries.

This loop is intentional.

Donate berries. Earn merits. Get more berries. Repeat.

Where to Find Candleberries in Arc Raiders

Knowing what to do with Candleberries in Arc Raiders is useless if you cannot find them consistently.

There are two main sources.

Finding Candleberries in the World

Bushes in Nature Areas

During the Cold Snap map condition, Candleberries appear on green bushes with visible red berries.

You want to focus on:

• Vegetation-heavy zones

• Swamps and lowland areas

• Less trafficked edges of maps

Examples include areas like Dam Battlegrounds swamp zones or the outer regions near Blue Gate.

If it looks like a place nobody wants to fight in, it is probably a good Candleberry spot.

Baskets During Events

Candleberries can also spawn in baskets, similar to how fruit worked during the Lush Blooms event.

These baskets are easier to grab but tend to be in higher traffic areas, which means more PvP risk.

Earning Candleberries Through Event Progression

If foraging is not your thing, good news.

You can earn a significant number of Candleberries just by playing.

The Gathering Candleberries reward track converts earned XP into Merits, which unlock Candleberries automatically.

You can earn up to 180 Candleberries this way alone.

That means:

• You do not need to risk freezing to death constantly

• Combat focused players are still rewarded

• Squads can split roles between looting and fighting

This system respects different playstyles, which is something Arc Raiders does very well.

The Safe Pocket Rule You Should Never Ignore

If you remember one thing from this guide, make it this.

Always store Candleberries in your Safe Pocket.

Candleberries stack up to 10 in the Safe Pocket, and anything stored there is protected on death.

Cold Snap is dangerous. Frostbite will kill you if you overstay. Raiders are hunting the same bushes you are.

Do not risk losing your haul because you wanted one more berry.

Fill your Safe Pocket. Extract. Repeat.

Veterans survive by being boring, not greedy.

Best Strategies for Farming Candleberries

Here is how experienced players approach Candleberry farming.

Short, Focused Runs

Do not treat Candleberry runs like full loot expeditions.

• Drop in light

• Hit known vegetation routes

• Fill Safe Pocket

• Extract immediately

This minimizes exposure to cold and hostile Raiders.

Combine Farming With Merit Grinding

If you are already grinding Merits, you are passively earning Candleberries.

This makes hybrid runs extremely efficient.

• Fight enemies

• Loot normally

• Earn XP

• Progress the reward track

You will be surprised how many berries you earn without touching a bush.

Squad Coordination Helps

In squads, designate roles.

• One player scouts bushes

• One player watches for Raiders

• One player handles extraction timing

Cold Snap punishes chaos. Coordination keeps you alive.

What Rewards Do Candleberries Unlock

This is where the payoff happens.

Contributing Candleberries unlocks rewards such as:

• Weapon camos

• Masks and headgear

• Emotes

• Raider Tokens

• Utility tools

These cosmetics are event-exclusive. Miss them, and they may not return.

If you care about your Raider looking unique, Candleberries matter.

What Happens to Candleberries After the Event

Once the Flickering Flames project ends, Candleberries lose their primary function.

At that point, you have two options.

Recycling

Leftover Candleberries can be recycled for a small amount of seeds.

This is not game-changing, but it is better than nothing.

Selling

In some cases, Candleberries can be sold for currency. Do not expect big payouts, but it is a reasonable cleanup option if you hoarded extras.

Their real value is during the event. Afterward, they are leftovers.

Common Mistakes New Players Make

Veterans see these mistakes every Cold Snap.

• Hoarding Candleberries instead of donating

• Forgetting to use the Safe Pocket

• Staying out too long and dying to frostbite

• Ignoring Merit progression

Candleberries are not rare artifacts. They are fuel. Use them.

Why Candleberries Are Actually a Smart System

On the surface, Candleberries feel like busywork.

But from a design perspective, they do something important.

They:

• Encourage exploration during seasonal conditions

• Reward both PvE and PvP playstyles

• Create shared community goals

• Offer progression without power creep

This is event design done right.

Veteran Take on Event Resources

As someone who has been through multiple Arc Raiders events, Candleberries sit in a good place.

They are meaningful without being mandatory. They reward smart play, not endless grinding. And they respect player time.

If you only play casually, you still walk away with rewards.

If you grind hard, you get everything.

That balance matters.

Supporting Your Progression

Some players choose to supplement their grind with Arc Raiders coins to save time during limited events, and marketplaces like G4mmo are often discussed among the community as optional options. Just remember, no shortcut replaces learning the systems and surviving your extractions.

Final Thoughts on What to Do With Candleberries in Arc Raiders

So, what do you actually do with Candleberries in Arc Raiders?

You collect them during Cold Snap.
You store them safely.
You donate them to the Flickering Flames project.
You earn Merits and exclusive rewards.

And once the event ends, you recycle or sell what remains.

That’s it.

No mystery. No secret tech. Just smart seasonal play.

If you treat Candleberries like any other random loot, you miss their value. If you understand their role, they become one of the easiest ways to walk away from an event fully rewarded.

Stay warm out there, Raider. The cold does not care how geared you are.