Apex Legends Season 20’s skill trees see the battle royale take a surprising MOBA turn

“Legend upgrades” aim to reward fiercer fighting and diminish RNG

Image credit:EA

I’ve played Apex Legends Season 20, and it might be the fastest and fiercest that the battle royale FPS has ever been – while also being the richest in tactical opportunities and metagame theorycrafting. It’s all thanks to a drastically expanded Evo experience system, one that now not only boosts your shield capacity, but unlocks the branches of a MOBA-style skill tree that permanently buffs your character for the duration of a match. Even for a season with no new playable Legend to headline, it’s an update that feels exciting and genuinely game-changing – if a little scary at the same time.

See, if previous updates were about developers Respawn gently coaxing shy players into fighting more often , Season 20 – launching on February 13th, and appropriately titled Breakout – drops the subtleties and simply bribes them into a bloodbath. The new Evo system is both the carrot and the stick: earning points, mainly by doing damage, will now upgrade your armour capacity and grant access to “Legend upgrades” that improve your ability, movement, or looting efficacy. Many of these are simple cooldown reductions or minor stat bumps, but others could have a massive impact: Lifeline gaining a self-rez, for instance, or Octane being able to slap down a second jump pad.

Play passively, however, and those upgrades will remain out of reach. Meaning that even if you do sneak your way to the final ring, you’re much more likely to be facing a fully kitted-out squad at the peak of their powers. So, y’know, good luck, with that.

Getting stuck in is the best, though not exclusive source of Evo. |Image credit:EA

As Respawn’s lead battle royale designer Josh Mohan explained to me , Season 20 is also taking aim at certain RNG elements, reducing the impact of random luck and attempting to make match outcomes more dependent on the actual participants. To that end, body shields are now gone from ground loot pools entirely. You can still grab a new Shield Core item from deathboxes to swap out your armour in a pinch, but if it was higher-tier than what you were previously wearing, any extra health pips will gradually decay away. That means that the only way to permanently secure better shields is to gather those sweet, sweet Evo points.

There are other methods that Season 20 uses to ’encourage’ faster, more aggressive play. Ranked mode’s points payout has been re-weighted so that kills are more valuable, especially during later ring contractions, thus rendering ratting an even less viable strategy. And crafting stations no longer use gathered materials, instead granting each player a single free consumable that pops out near-instantly. Squads can therefore grab something useful and move on, instead of spending precious non-murdering seconds standing around constructing half their loadout.

The biggest changes, though, are clearly the reworked shield system and the Legend upgrade skill trees. And although I suspect the shield changes will prove controversial, from what I’ve played, they do broadly seem like improvements. The lack of high-end armour lying around on the floor means that early engagements are no longer decided by whoever was lucky enough to land on a purple vest, and as matches progress, I generally experienced fewer health pool mismatches between my team and my enemies. I know that the best defence is a good offence in Apex, but good gravy, has it always sucked to go up against a team of red shields when you could never find anything better than a blue.

Ascending all three tiers is tough, but you only need the first two for a full set of ability upgrades. |Image credit:EA

Working up through the skill trees also gives a clearer sense of each match having an early, mid and late game, another benefit the system brings over from MOBAs such as Heroes of the Storm (a key influence, according to lead game designer Devan McGuire) and Dota 2 . Frankly, it’s also just nice to feel like I’m earning something. There’s a sense of progression here, completely separate to any paid-for Battle Pass nonsense, so even in some losses I could take solace in reaching a tree tier or shield level that I hadn’t previously. That’s good for morale, at the very least.

Dishing out damage isn’t the only way to rack up Evo points, either. Besides the small top-ups afforded by Evo Harvester stations around the map, you can now get little XP bounties by using your Legend’s class-specific ability. Skirmishers get a boost from scanning care packages, for example, while Control characters benefit from activating ring stations. And everyone can scrounge some Evo from actions that help the whole squad, like respawning a teammate. Earning the highest tiers of Legend upgrades and shield capacities will demand you get your hands dirty, but if you’re ever having trouble finding a fight, there are at least a few alternatives for getting your Evo count off the mark. Further incentivising the use of class-specific skills seems like the right move, as well – I definitely noticed both myself and teammates using them more liberally than in my recent pub games. Even a Support Legend cracking open their special loot bins feels like bagging a juicier prize.

Grabbing a Shield Core can temporarily overcharge lower-tier armour, so shield-swapping is still a valuable skill. |Image credit:EA

At its best, Breakout has the potential to engineer a battle royale that’s both fairer and more satisfying, with more opportunities for positive reinforcement to breathe life back into a deflating loss. Where, then, could that scariness possibly come from?

There’s also a distinct imbalance between some of the Legend’s individual skill tree perks, either in power or in fun. As a regular Horizon picker, comparing her modest cooldown reductions to the equivalent tier enhancements of other characters feels like attending a Disneyland-adjacent summer school. Lifeline can self-rez and Maggie can wreath her wrecking ball in flames, but you, dearie, better finish that essay if you want to knock 14% off your ultimate recharge.

In the Legend upgrade lottery, Lifelife’s self-revive looks like a winner. |Image credit:EA

At least a few of these upgrades cater for more specialised playstyles, sometimes provoking a genuinely thoughtful choice of which tree branch to pick. Wattson, for one, can either massively buff up her grenade-zapping pylon to better defend a single point, or opt to place a pair of weaker pylons for a more flexible, dynamic approach. There are tactical considerations here that simply didn’t exist in Apex before, and the fact that some of these talents do open up or expand on playstyles outside of the ‘sprint at people and shoot them’ meta is a heartening hint that this season isn’t purely about constant, unyielding hyperaggression.

There will be a lot of that, though. Maybe too much for those who play to relax. Personally, I enjoyed how those Evo changes impacted my own game enough that I’m willing to risk their impact on others’, even if I end up with more scars and significantly fewer teeth. Either way, Season 20 is set to change Apex Legends forever – fingers crossed it’s for the better.

Apex Legends

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Nintendo Switch

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.