ARC Raiders Candleberry Banquet Walkthrough: Complete Cold Snap Quest & Rewards Guide (2025)

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Winter in the Rust Belt isn’t just about surviving frostbite and ARC patrols — it’s a race against the clock to finish ARC Raiders’ biggest seasonal challenge. The Cold Snap update introduces a massive, interconnected holiday grind centered around the Candleberry Banquet Project and the Flickering Flames Event.

This isn’t a simple fetch quest. You’ll be gathering over 260 items, farming frozen maps, managing frostbite exposure, and racing a hard deadline — all for exclusive cosmetics, Raider Tokens, and powerful gear.

To save you time (and frustration), this complete walkthrough breaks down every Banquet stage, the fastest Candleberry farming routes, and community-tested efficiency tips so you can unlock every reward before the event ends.

How the Candleberry Banquet & Flickering Flames Event Work

Before jumping in, it’s important to understand how these two systems connect.

The Candleberry Banquet Project

  • A 5-stage community project

  • You donate specific items to help build a festive banquet in Speranza

  • Each stage grants one-time rewards

The Flickering Flames Event

  • A 25-tier personal reward track

  • Progressed by earning Merit

  • Completing each Banquet stage grants 1,000 Merit, massively boosting progress

👉 Best strategy: Prioritize the Banquet Project to skyrocket your Flickering Flames rewards.

⚠️ Important Warning:
All donated items are permanently consumed. Always double-check before donating crafting materials or quest items you still need.

Complete Candleberry Banquet Walkthrough (All 5 Stages)

ARC Raiders Candleberry Banquet Walkthrough

You’ll find the Banquet Project in the Raider Projects tab. Stages must be completed in order.

Stage 1: Candlelight

Set the mood for the banquet.

Required Items

  • Empty Wine Bottle ×1

  • Plastic Parts ×25

  • Durable Cloth ×5

  • Candleberries ×20

Rewards

  • 5× Winter Crackers

  • 1,000 Merit

  • 50 Raider Tokens

Stage 2: Decorations

Time to decorate the hall.

Required Items

  • Candle Holder ×3

  • Light Bulb ×3

  • Industrial Battery ×1

  • Candleberries ×50

Rewards

  • Red Light Stick Blueprint

  • 1,000 Merit

  • 50 Raider Tokens

Stage 3: Presents

No celebration is complete without gifts.

Required Items

  • Snap Blast Grenade ×5

  • Duct Tape ×10

  • Film Reel ×1

  • Candleberries ×60

Rewards

  • 3× Flame Burner utility items

  • 1,000 Merit

  • 50 Raider Tokens

Stage 4: Beverages

Every banquet needs drinks.

Required Items

  • Coffee Pot ×2

  • Fireball Burner ×10

  • Water Filter ×2

  • Candleberries ×60

Rewards

  • 1× Vita Spray

  • 1,000 Merit

  • 50 Raider Tokens

Stage 5: Meals (Final Stage)

Prepare the feast itself.

Required Items

  • Mushroom ×7

  • Frying Pan ×2

  • Music Album ×2

  • Candleberries ×70

Final Rewards

  • Snowglobe Backpack Charm

  • Bettina III weapon

  • Extended Barrel

  • Kinetic Converter

  • 50 Raider Tokens

How to Farm Candleberries Efficiently

You need 260 Candleberries total, but not all must be manually collected.

Automatic Progress (180 Candleberries)

  • Earned through the Gathering Candleberries XP track

  • Just play normally and gain XP

Manual Foraging (80 Candleberries)

Where Candleberries Spawn

  • Bright red bushes

  • Found only in Nature regions (leaf icon)

  • Available in:

    • Dam Battlegrounds

    • Buried City

    • Spaceport

    • The Blue Gate

  • ❌ Not available on Stella Montis

Best Farming Spots (Community-Tested)

  • Dam Battlegrounds: Hydroponic Dome Complex

  • Buried City: Marano Park

  • Spaceport: Forest between Container Storage & East Plains Warehouse

Pro Farming Tips

  • Raider Caches often contain 3–5 Candleberries

  • Plan routes between shelters to avoid frostbite deaths

  • Loot containers while foraging — many donation items drop naturally

New Cold Snap Story Quests (Permanent Content)

The update also adds six new permanent storyline quests, available from vendors like Shani and Tian Wen.

These quests:

  • Introduce Cold Snap environments and lore

  • Guide you through key locations (like Call Stations on Blue Gate)

  • Naturally overlap with Banquet farming routes

While optional, completing them alongside the event boosts efficiency.

Pro Tips to Finish Faster

Double-Dip Your Progress

  • Focus on high-XP activities

  • Advance Candleberry XP track while farming loot

Target Loot by Area

  • Residential Areas:
    Wine Bottles, Cloth, Candle Holders, Coffee Pots, Music Albums

  • Industrial Zones:
    Light Bulbs, Batteries, Duct Tape, Water Filters

  • Specific Enemies:
    Fireball ARC units drop Fireball Burners

  • Nature Zones:
    Mushrooms + Candleberries

Smart Stash Management

  • Review the next Banquet stage before each raid

  • Deposit common items immediately after extraction

  • Avoid selling or crafting with required materials by mistake

All Rewards You Can Earn

From the Candleberry Banquet

  • Raider Tokens

  • Weapon mods & blueprints

  • Utility items

  • Snowglobe Backpack Charm

From Flickering Flames

  • Hi-Tech Hiker outfit (multiple variants)

  • Space Wrench Raider Tool skin

  • Emotes

  • Additional Raider Tokens

This mix of cosmetics, premium currency, and functional gear makes the grind absolutely worth it.

Event Deadline – Don’t Miss Out

⏰ All time-limited content ends:
Tuesday, January 13, 2026

  • 1:30 AM PT

  • 9:30 AM GMT

Final Checklist

✔ Earn XP for 180 Candleberries
✔ Forage remaining berries in Nature zones
✔ Hoard all required items

✔ Complete all 5 Banquet stages
✔ Use Merit boosts to finish Flickering Flames
✔ Claim every reward before the deadline                    

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