As Le Mans Ultimate emerges from early access, it’s still got work ahead to catch the top hardcore sims

Mulsannnddd, here we go…

Image credit:Studio 397

I’ve had Le Mans Ultimate on my radar of things that let you drive around in realistic circles for the past couple of years, but I’d never dived into its early access. Part of that was being utterly spoilt for choice in terms of existing options when it came to getting my GT racing on, with the likes of Automobilista 2 , Assetto Corsa Competizione , and even slightly older sims like Raceroom competing for pole position in the racing bit of my Steam library. Add in the behind-the-scenes turmoil that’s frequently surrounded publisher Motorsport Games over the past half-decade, and you get ample reason to take a wait-and-see approach with their latest offering.

With Le Mans Ultimate finally emerging from the early access practice session it’s been pounding around in since February 2024 this week, I decided now was the time to strap in and give it a go. I’ve played seven hours so far and driven just over 500 miles, so we’ll call this my Proclaimers-approved impressions of version 1.0.

My first trip out of the garage came to an end rather anticlimatically after just a few yards. Having sat stuck in place for a few minutes, I then realised that I needed to enable the auto-clutch setting in order to be able to go anywhere, something the game apparently hadn’t done automatically when I’d selected my Logitech G29 wheel setup. Once I was out on track in a Ferrari 499P, I quickly found myself having to make one more setting tweak.

I’d opted for the professional difficulty option, which knocks off all of the driver aids, and quickly found that without any training wheels the 499P was very much free to render its displeasure at my driving style. I kept instantly spinning out the moment I touched the brake pedal heading into a corner, and it kept happening even as I adjusted to be as gentle as I could in starting the slowing down process well before the corner. Eventually I opted to flick the stability control onto low, and that solved the issue, while still keeping the cars challenging enough to drive that any mistakes were properly punished.

The good news is that since making that change, I’ve only even been back into Le Mans Ultimate’s settings to tune AI driver difficulty so it matched my performance at different tracks. The core racing experience the game offers right now is generally very good, especially once you’ve warmed up to the smooth, flowing approach required to get the best out of its fleet of fire-spitting monsters.

Image credit:Studio 397

As someone with hundreds of hours in Assetto Corsa Competizione, another racer that opts to focus very specifically on simulating GT cars, I found the two to feel very similar in terms of the depth and uber-tactile sensation they deliver in their versions of virtual motoring. Their in-race user interfaces are also quite similar, which seems to be a nice instance of adopting an ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to learning from the best for Le Mans Ultimate.

While more generalist sims that offer a much wider range of car types understandably usually end up sacrificing a bit of that intensity in how well they mimic one particular series, Le Mans Ultimate and Assetto Corsa Competizione are hyper-focused on being the best when it comes to one thing. They’re built like drag racers: as specialised as you’ll get, but if you’re after that single area they’re designed to excel at, you’re in for thousands of hours of fun.

This year’s World Endurance Championship (the sim’s official real world tie-in series) features eight hypercar prototypes. Having given them all a go, I’m glad to report you can feel and hear the difference jumping from one to the next, with the Cadillac V-Series.R having taken an early lead as my favourite. Look, I’m a sucker for a big, bassy V8 that sounds like a mechanical bear roaring in approval as you stamp on the power.

Meanwhile, the GT3 machines that make up the rest of the field feel suitably bulkier to haul around than those prototypes that whiz past them with ease, but not to the point where it gets in the way of them being a more easily accessible break from balancing a hypercar on the knife edge. Plus, they all look fantastic inside and out, with plenty of detail to help convince you that you’re really blasting down the Mulsanne straight at midnight.

Image credit:Studio 397

There are some teething troubles developers Studio 397 will have to take care of as they continue to refine their game. It’s incredibly light on tutorials, meaning that it’s a case of learning by trial and error on the fly if you’re not a hardened sim racer who instantly realises where all the stuff you’re used to is. One particularly hard-to-grasp bit is the formation lap that the game gives you the option to drive as you gear up for a rolling race start.

It’s the kind of simple follow-the-leader stuff most racing games automate by default, and while I dig it as a bit of extra immersive goodness, it’s got a set of tightly policed rules that are very easy to violate. Exceed the speed limit you’re tasked with sticking to right before the start by a single mile per hour, and you get an instant drive-through. Do anything the game classes as ‘erratic driving’, which seems to include any sort of braking or weaving to warm your tyres in a similar fashion to your AI opponents, and the same happens. It’s generally a fair-ish cop at the end of the day, but if things are going to have to be as tightly controlled, I’m not sure this is a feature that really adds much to the experience.

Once you’re racing, I found the game’s AI drivers to generally be among the more pleasant to battle with that you’ll find. There are plenty of options to tune them to suit your liking, and I’m yet to be taken out in a fashion that wasn’t my fault. Well, aside from one instance in very wet conditions that saw my Caddy be suddenly rear-ended by a sliding GT3 car. That might have been the only time I was caught out by it, but the AI drivers do seem to lose the plot once the road gets really wet. In the couple of races when I turned the deluge up close to max, I was passing spun out GT cars nearly every corner, and at one point during a race at COTA, I came across half the field strewn across the track at the end of the back straight. These sorts of things do happen in wet races, but Le Mans Ultimate feels a bit on the sillier end of the scale right now.

Image credit:Studio 397 / Rock Paper Shotgun

I’ve not had a chance to try the online or co-op modes that currently serve as the only alternatives to the game’s standalone single-player weekends, but I’d say that the amount of stuff on offer in Le Mans Ultimate is close to where I’d want it to be at full release. Where you stand on that will likely depend on how you feel about Motorsport Games choosing to release some additions to it as paid DLC throughout the early access period, having already charged just under £30 for the base game. Not having a single-player championship or career mode (the latter is set to arrive in early 2026) in for 1.0 is disappointing, especially since online championships are locked behind a yearly paid “RaceControl Pro” subscription .

Le Mans Ultimate

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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

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