Pollen (Berries)

Collecting pollen is one of the three paths to victory. To win, a team must gather 12 pieces of pollen, commonly known as "berries", from flowers distributed symmetrically across the map.

Berries may only be picked up by drones. Once a piece of pollen or berry has been picked up, it becomes a collidable object. This means that they can be kicked or headed, intentionally or accidentally, by warriors or queens. This can only happen after a drone 'drops' said berry, which only happens when they are killed. Any other drone can pick up the berry again, and use it to upgrade or to achieve an economic victory.

Drones may ride snails while holding berries. A drone riding a snail will still drop their berry when killed. Holding a berry does not affect the speed of a drone, nor does it affect riding the snail.

Dropped berries in the way of the snail appear to impede progress and visibly slow the snail down.

A drone must be holding a berry to enter a maiden (either speed or warrior) and upgrade. Attempting to enter a maiden without a berry will result in the drone posing in front of the gate for a moment and nothing else happening.

It is possible to run out of berries during a particularly long game, in what is known as a "berry famine". This happens when most of the berries are used in maiden shrines instead of being returned to the hives. Under such conditions, economic victory is no longer possible, nor is it possible to use a maiden to become a warrior or gain a speed buff.