Ascendant Infinity’s lunkhead tone belies an intelligent team shooter

PlayFusion’s loudmouthed FPS lets you make the calls

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/PlayFusion

I promise that I mean this as an actual compliment, but having played an early build of Ascendant Infinity – Cambridge-based PlayFusion’s debut FPS – the impression I keep coming back to is that it’s a lot smarter than it looks.

Further clarification: by “it,” I mainly mean its characters. By the time of Ascendant Infinity, Earth has spent a millennium sliding deeper and deeper into post-apocalyptic hellishness, the few survivors being those who’ve awoken from a cryogenic freezing programme that began in the late 1980s and overran by 800-odd years. In a judgement error on the scientists’ part, every one of these human lollies is a smug, belligerent oaf, all of whom promptly set about killing each other for resources (again) in less time than it takes them to fix their quiffs.

I hate these people, these neon berks who spew out sub- Duke Nukem quips three times a minute, often in what appears to be an actual Duke Nukem impersonation. Despite them, though, I do quite like the game they’re in. As often as Ascendant Infinity’s jokes fail to land, its objective-heavy, 3v3v3v3 squad shooting is both cleverly designed and conducive to a more cerebral, tactical kind of fight-think on the player’s part.

We won this fight, somehow. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/PlayFusion

There’s a lot of moving parts in its sole mode, Battle for the Biocores, but here’s broadly how it works. Four teams are set loose on the forested outskirts of a big, circular map, and must cross a no-man’s-land into a mazelike central facility that houses three precious Biocore orbs. The team that secures the most – by lugging each Biocore back to base and completing a lengthy extraction process – wins.

The fundamentals are simple enough, but each retrieval mission is awash with choices to make and risks to manage, especially with the inclusion of an economy system that lets teams trade scavenged resources for better guns and shields. You could, say, make a beeline for the first available Biocore, increasing the chances of getting back home first and making an extraction defence on your terms. But you’d have to make that stand with whatever gear you started with, or could snatch en route, while all three other squads may sacrifice first refusal of a Biocore in favour of tooling up for a steal play. Later on, even if you’re lacking in successful Biocore heists, it can still be worth taking a minute to hoover up credits and head to the shop instead of back into the fray. In one match, this very approach helped my team recover from a dismal start, unleashing upgraded weaponry on enemies that had exhausted their supplies with constant battling.

Biocore carriers gain special inhuman abilities, like a long-range leap or a charged AOE damage burst. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/PlayFusion

It’s not just all about the loot economy, either. You can also go off in search of ’events,’ powerful variables that can end a losing streak or cement an already strong standing. These vary from deployable artillery bombardments and poison gas traps to, wonderfully, a giant, mind-controllable lizard that one player can brainjack and control directly. Again, securing these requires taking a detour from direct Biocore pursuits, but they can prove incredibly powerful. One lucky lizard-controller terrorised a game of mine for a good ten minutes, chasing our buggies and disrupting Biocore extractions, until a three-way gunfight finally brought it down. And the beast served as a thrilling focal point even before being released, as it was initially my team that began the brain transfer process, before blaring alarms pulled multiple enemy squads into a lengthy (and ultimately unsuccessful) defensive shootout.

Not only is all this enjoyable in the moment, but it does away withy one of the most shoulder-sagging moments in multiplayer shooterdom: the part where you’ve just died, respawned, and now have to trudge back into the fight. In Ascendant Infinity, booking it back towards an engagement is an option, but not always the best one, and never the only one. You can hit up the shop, or search for hidden vaults, or try your luck with an event, or just go for a different Biocore while everyone else is fixated on the first. To get on the podium, you will need to get stuck in at some point, but there’s an unusual amount of freedom in how you can plan for and take that fight.

Claiming the lizard attracts all sorts of jealous lizard enthusiasts. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/PlayFusion

Don’t expect the same strats to work every time, though. Ascendant Infinity goes hard on randomisation, mixing up base locations, Biocore spawns, active events, and even the layout of the central structure between each match. The overall geometry is consistent – the map isn’t procedurally generated in the typical sense – but an artillery command tower might be open in one game and blocked off in another, while certain flanking routes might be redirected via locked doors. PlayFusion reckons this will favour players who are quick to adapt to their rejigged surroundings, though encouragingly, there’s also plenty to reward those who put the thought into learning the map’s constituent building blocks. The main lab is a warren of passageways and Deus Ex -esque oversized vents, and even with the random element, knowing which routes lead where can confer a major advantage in close-quarters Biocore squabbles.

The freeform, choice-rich manner in which matches play out should be a solid foundation for Ascendant Infinity’s ongoing development, of which there’s still plenty to come. It’s not launching until sometime in summer 2024, and even then, only into early access (I’m told it’ll be a conventionally paid-for game, not free-to-play , with character customisation items based on earned unlocks and “inter-player trading” rather than microtransactions).

Artillery can be pointed anywhere on the map, including right in front of your face. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/PlayFusion

Since PlayFusion are unlikely to rewrite and rerecord every single line of dialogue, at the top of my wishlist is a more refined feel to the shooting. The guns themselves are lovingly made, with a characterful metallic clackiness and some excellent animation work, but right now they don’t really have the crisp handling and tangible slug impact that the armaments of Apex Legends or The Finals do. Time-to-kill is quite high even for an unshielded foe, so if we’re going to be shooting each other this much, a little more tactility could go a long way.

Even so, consider me intrigued by Ascendant Infinity, maybe even to the point where I could endure its relentless bruh-ing on a more frequent basis.

Ascendant Infinity

PC

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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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