Empty Wine Bottles have suddenly become much more important in ARC Raiders thanks to the Flickering Flames event. They're needed early on for the Candlelight objective, which opens the door to seasonal rewards like cosmetics and crafting blueprints. Even though you only need one bottle to progress, many players end up grabbing extras since they can be used for crafting Agave Juice or sold for quick credits ARC Raiders Coins. That makes it worth knowing where to look instead of hoping to stumble across one by chance.
The most reliable place to find an Empty Wine Bottle is the Village area on The Blue Gate map. This zone is packed with apartment buildings, and apartments are exactly where these bottles tend to spawn. Kitchens are the key here, so checking cabinets, refrigerators, and drawers should always be the priority. Running through a few buildings in the northern part of the Village usually does the trick, and if you're thorough, it's common to find a bottle within just a few minutes without drawing too much attention from enemies or other players.
Buried City is another solid option, especially if you're comfortable dealing with a bit more chaos. Locations like Grandioso Apartments and Plaza Rosa have plenty of indoor loot containers and a similar layout to the Village, which makes them good hunting grounds. The downside is the higher player traffic, so having shields ready and an exit plan matters. If you want something quieter, the Library nearby can be surprisingly effective, with lockers and storage rooms that often get overlooked and still have a decent chance to spawn what you're looking for.
The Dam Battlegrounds can also work, particularly in places like Ruby Residence and Pale Apartments near the Hydroponic Dome Complex. These areas lean heavily toward common-tier loot, which actually helps when you're after something like an Empty Wine Bottle. Research and office buildings sometimes have them too, but apartments are still the safest bet. One thing to watch out for is Cold Snap modifiers, since they increase item rarity and make common drops less likely, turning an easy run into a frustrating one.
When you're looting, it pays to be picky about containers. Kitchen cabinets, fridges, and drawers tend to outperform open shelves or random floor loot by a wide margin. Residential buildings are especially good because they stack these containers close together. Perks that improve looting efficiency help speed things up, but even without them, light loadouts and fast runs are usually enough. Grab the bottle, extract, turn it in through the Projects menu, and you're done.
A lot of players recommend rotating maps to avoid crowded areas. Blue Gate is often quieter during off-peak hours, Buried City works well when PvP is active and chaotic, and the Dam is a good fallback when other zones feel overrun. Since Empty Wine Bottles can't be crafted or bought, scavenging is the only option, so it helps to combine the hunt with other goals like collecting scrap or parts along the way.
Once you've secured an Empty Wine Bottle, the Flickering Flames event opens up quickly, letting you move on to tougher objectives without getting stuck early cheap ARC Raiders Coins. It's a simple requirement, but it rewards knowing the maps and looting smart rather than bringing high-end gear. With how consistent the spawns are, this step shouldn't slow anyone down for long—grab a bottle, light the flame, and keep pushing toward the event rewards.
