Arc Raiders Candleberries Guide

Few resources in Arc Raiders are as mysterious-and as sought after-as Candleberries. Hidden across the war-torn zones of the map, these glowing plants hold the key to powerful upgrades. Here’s where to find them and what to do once you’ve got your hands on a few.

All this is made rather more difficult by the fact that they only grow on bushes in Cold Snap map conditions, where lingering in the cold gives you Frostbite, not to mention the usual threat of Arc robots and trigger-happy raiders. To save you prowling about too long in the cold, we’ll walk you through how to get Candleberries in Arc Raiders.

Content

Where to find Candleberries in Arc Raiders

Candleberries spawn on bright red bushes across Cold Snap-affected maps like Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and The Blue Gate during the Flickering Flames event. Check nature zones marked by leaf icons, such as Marano Park in Buried City, treelines near Hydroponic Dome Complex and South Swamp Outpost in Dam Battlegrounds, Trapper’s Glade and Olive Grove in The Blue Gate. Search baskets in buildings for batches of up to six, and note bushes yield just one each amid snowy terrain and threats like Bastions.

You can harvest Candleberries from bushes on maps with the Cold Snap modifier active. The bushes consist of shoots with green leaves with red berries at the end, making them reasonably easy to spot amid the snow. They tend to spawn in areas with lots of trees and other vegetation. Here are a few prime Candleberry hunting locations on each map. Note that they don’t spawn on Stella Montis.

Dam Battlegrounds:Swamp, Formicai Hills, Red Lakes
Buried City: Buried Properties, Marano Park, Abandoned Highway Camp, Piazza Arbusto
Spaceport: Jiangsu Warehouse, Communications Tower, Maintenance Hangar
The Blue Gate: The Forest, Ruined Homestead, Highway Collapse, Ridgeline

Aside from harvesting Candleberries during raids, you can also unlock them as part of the Gathering Candleberries live event. XP from raiders and progress in the Candleberry Banquet project earns you Merits, which unlock milestones and rewards, including 180 Candleberries if you unlock more or less the full reward track. 100XP equates to one Merit, so it’s a bit of a slog.

1,200 Merits: x10 Candleberries
2,400 Merits: x10 Candleberries
3,600 Merits: x20 Candleberries
5,400 Merits: x30 Candleberries
6,600 Merits: x30 Candleberries
9,000 Merits: x40 Candleberries
11,400 Merits: x40 Candleberries

Best Cold Snap maps for farming Candleberries

The two best overall Cold Snap maps for farming Candleberries are Dam Battlegrounds and Blue Gate, with Buried City as a solid backup option.

Tier list (Cold Snap only)

S-tier: Dam Battlegrounds
- Highest density of vegetation zones and Candleberry spawns, especially in the western swamp, Scrapyard/Wreckage, Hydroponic Dome Complex, and Red Lakes areas.
- Good mix of bushes and fruit baskets plus nearby extracts, so you can fill inventory without crossing the whole map.
A-tier: Blue Gate
- Very large map, which spreads players out and lowers competition.
- Many Candleberry bushes and baskets along the outer perimeter and in named nature spots like Trapper’s Glade and olive/forest areas, often yielding ~50 berries per full route.
B-tier: Buried City & Spaceport
- Buried City: Reliable but lower total yield; bushes are in outer vegetation belts and interior gardens marked with leaf icons.
- Spaceport: Has Candleberries in nature-type pockets, but layout and open sightlines make it riskier and less efficient than Dam or Blue Gate.
Not worth it: Stella Montis
- Stella Montis does not get Cold Snap Candleberry spawns, so you can ignore it for this farm.

If you tell me whether you prefer PvE-heavy but dense farming (Dam) or lower-pressure long routes (Blue Gate), I can outline a quick 3-5 point path tailored to that map.

Optimal farming routes on Dam Battlegrounds

On Dam Battlegrounds during Cold Snap, you want to chain the dense swamp/nature areas while staying close to cover and extracts. Below is a simple, repeatable route that works from most western or southern spawns.

Core ideas for Dam routes

Prioritize swamp and nature-marked zones (leaf icons) where Candleberry bushes spawn in clusters.
Avoid spending time on bare concrete/industrial areas except when rotating or extracting.
Stay near buildings, pipes, and domes so you can duck inside to reset Cold Snap chill and heal.

Route 1: Western Swamp circuit (high density, moderate risk)

Use this if you spawn on the west or southwest side (near Testing Annex, Formakai Hills, or the western swamp).

Spawn → Testing Annex edge
- Skim the treeline and low brush around Testing Annex, but do not fully clear the buildings.
- You’re just looking for the first few Candleberry bushes as you angle toward the swamp.
Testing Annex → Main Swamp channel
- Drop into the main swamp creek system and follow the water channels and small islands.
- Move slowly and scan both sides of every creek bend; Candleberry bushes like to sit on banks, small rises, and between other plants.
Swamp channel → Red Lakes / southern swamp
- Push south along the water until you hit the red-tinted pools and denser foliage.
- Run a loose zig-zag: hug one side of the water on the way out, then cross and check the opposite side on the way back or toward your extract.
Exit via nearest southern/western extract
- Once your backpack is half-full (or you’re holding several berries), start drifting toward an extract to avoid dying deep in the swamp.
- Use trees and small shacks for cover; do not cross the open dam “spine” unless you have to.

Route 2: Hydroponic Domes loop (safer, more cover)

Use this if you spawn mid-south or southeast (near Hydroponic Domes / Water Treatment).

Spawn → Outer Domes ring
- Circle the outside of the dome complex, checking all small planters, fence lines, and grass patches.
- Candleberry bushes can blend into other decorative plants, so slow down around any greenery.
Domes → Low ground south of Domes
- Drop to the lower terrain and drainage areas south and southwest of the domes.
- Follow ditches, small ponds, and any leaf-marked mini-zones, sweeping in long arcs rather than straight lines.

Low ground → Swamp entry
- From the low ground, cut into the nearest swamp fingers (small wet pockets leading into the big swamp).
- Do a short “U” through these fingers instead of going fully into the center swamp to limit PvP exposure.
Rotate back via buildings → extract
- Rotate back using buildings (Water Treatment, small depots) as warm-up and cover points.
- Extract once you’ve hit your main nature pockets; don’t overstay for marginal gains.

Route 3: Mixed circuit (Control Tower to Swamp)

If you spawn more central (near Control Tower / Dam Complex) and still want berries:

Control Tower outskirts → down toward Swamp funnel
- Skip the top floors; just skim the outer base area for quick loot and then drop toward the funnel that leads to the swamp.
- Hit small tree clusters and grass islands as you move downhill.
Funnel → upper Swamp edge
- Run the upper edge of the swamp, not the deep center.
- Check every cluster of bushes on the transitions between dry ground and wet mud.
Edge sweep → rotate to Domes or western Swamp
- If the lobby is quiet, extend into either the Hydroponic Domes side or the western swamp channels depending on where extract and storm circles are.
- If fights kick off, cut your loop short and head to an extract.

General tips for these routes

Run light kits and stamina buffs so you can sprint between vegetation pockets and disengage fights.
Slot a Safe Pocket or similar to bank your best Candleberries in case you die late.
Treat it like a “two-pass” system: first pass hits the main bushes you can see while moving; second, shorter pass re-checks any especially dense area you just fought or hid in.

If you tell me your usual spawn side (west, south, or center) and whether you play solo or with a squad, I can tighten one of these into a step-by-step path with suggested extracts and risk points.