If you have been jumping into Arc Raiders since the Flickering Flames update, you have probably noticed the new pressure to spend more time topside, chasing Merits instead of just surviving. The loop is way more focused now, so if you want to squeeze real value out of each deployment, you have to think in terms of rewards, not just firefights, and that means treating every trip as a chance to farm ARC Raiders Coins alongside Merits and seasonal resources.
Understanding The Merit Grind
The Merit payout system is actually not bad once you stop winging it and start planning your runs. Every 600 Merits you bank, you get a new batch of stuff: Raider Tokens, a few fresh emotes to wind up your squad, and progress toward that High-tech Hiker outfit everyone keeps flexing at the camp. The catch is that just dropping in and clearing a couple of encounters will not cut it. You are working inside a resource commitment system now, which basically turns all that random junk you pick up into a long-term investment for the seasonal stages.
Candleberries And Weather Windows
This is where most players hit a wall. You need loads of different junk, but Candleberries end up being the item that slows everything down. If you feel like you never have enough, you are most likely deploying at the wrong time or just sprinting past them. You want to time your runs for Cold Snap conditions, because that weather gives you the best shot at filling your bag with Candleberries. Once you are down there, do not just stare at the skyline or the next fight, focus on the bushes. Candleberries sit inside the foliage, and even though they are bright red, they blend in when you are stressed or getting shot at. Slow down a bit, check the brush, and you will suddenly realise how many you were missing before.
What Each Stage Really Needs
Your haul feeds into five stages: Candlelight, Decorations, Presents, Beverages, and Meals, and you do not want to be guessing what matters while you are already out there. Candlelight needs Empty Wine Bottles, Plastic Parts, and Durable Cloth, so that boring scrap you usually ignore actually moves the bar. Decorations swaps the focus to Candle Holders, Light Bulbs, and Industrial Batteries, stuff you might otherwise leave because it looks like filler loot. For Presents, you are after more practical gear: Snap Blast Grenades, Duct Tape, and Film Reels, so you will catch yourself thinking twice before using or scrapping them. Meals pushes you toward Mushrooms, Frying Pans, and Music Albums, which sounds like a weird shopping list but again, if you know it ahead of time, you stop walking past the things that actually matter.
Keeping Pace With The Event
The one thing that never goes away is the Candleberry requirement. It keeps popping up across the stages, so you really cannot afford to ignore a single bush once you know that. The upside is that the event runs for a long stretch, right through to January 13, 2026, so there is no need to play like you are on a three-day deadline. You can pace yourself, sync your deployments with Cold Snap windows, and treat each session as a slow build rather than a panic grind. Over time you will stockpile enough key items, keep your resource bottlenecks under control, and still leave room to just mess about with your friends or pick up cosmetics through buy game currency or items in RSVSR and then finish off your seasonal goals with the help of rsvsr ARC Raiders Coins.
