Assassin’s Creed Shadows is actually two games competing for your affections

Ninja vs Samurai vs choice paralysis

Image credit:Ubisoft

Assassin’s Creed has been threatening to go to Japan for so long that I think the idea has lost its thunder, but I’ll admit to a squee of enthusiasm, during our first look at Assassin’s Creed Shadows, when deuteragonist Naoe grappled onto the ceiling to allow a castle guard to pass innocently beneath. I was similarly tickled by the sight of her breathing through a bamboo pipe while swimming underwater, and I emitted a gentle hum of approval, like a smartphone switching on for the very first time, when she impaled a silhouette through a paper door. Respectable shinobing, for sure. Papa Tenchu would be proud.

Naoe is apparently the smallest and therefore least conspicuous assassin ever to grace Ubisoft’s venerable open world series. What’s more, she’s the first who can go prone and crawl – a tactic that has somehow eluded later generations of killer, possibly because they’ve got so many spring-loaded contraptions attached to their belts that they are no longer capable of lying down.

Image credit:Ubisoft

Naoe excels at wearing the titular shadows, which shift about a lot more than in previous Creeds, thanks to a day-night cycle and new seasonal weather system. She can throw shuriken to extinguish lanterns, and cast wires to dash from roof to roof or, as the case may be, roof to neck. But she’s just as happy in a brawl, overwhelming enemy samurai with kicks and stabs or wrapping them in the chains of her kusarigama. Her major weakness is that she doesn’t have a block: you’ll have to parry blows or combos instead to open foes up for a riposte.

Blocking is the province of Naoe’s friend Yasuke, a huge warrior who has rustled the jimmies of the crypto-racist “historical accuracy” crowd for being a Black man in Japan, despite Ubisoft basing his story on a real-life historical figure. Where Naoe is an all-rounder with a stealth focus, Yasuke is a one-trick-pony whose one trick is hitting things with a club the size of a pony. He doesn’t wear the shadows. He stamps through them smashing the furniture, shooting people with his arquebus or (at his most restrained) slicing them up with a katana. He’s Alexios/Kassandra from Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey, but specced exclusively for melee, with no parkouring abilities. He’s the bulging heart of a combat system which reminds me a fair bit of For Honor in terms of the camera positioning and the rhythm of deflections and counters.

You can switch between Naoe and Yasuke while exploring and before taking on missions, though I’m not sure you can do it whenever you wish. In the case of a castle infiltration (the game’s late 19th century Sengoku period setting was apparently ‘the golden age of castles’), this essentially gives you the choice of two games within the game, one a moderately technical corridor hack-and-slash in which you follow a critical path from gate to gate, the other a vertical sandbox in which you dance all over that critical path, bypassing knots of resistance and testing out different routes toward the wily daimyo at the castle’s summit. Each character also, of course, gets their own equipment progression and skills – Yasuke’s include quickdraw strikes and ground pounds, while Naoe can chiffonade a target’s armour in slow motion.

While not without precedent, it’s a starker-than-usual solution for Assassin’s Creed’s historic difficulty reconciling its stealth and combat elements. It seems to work well, partly because both characters look well-developed enough to carry the game by themselves, and partly because they offer parallel perspectives on the same level design, which are pleasing to consider. It could easily be the basis for an asymmetrical PvP game of the Spies vs Mercs variety - I’m sure Ubisoft Quebec have given the idea some thought.

I’m also keen on the game’s newly tumultuous weather and lighting systems and how they might alter the odds mid-mission, though I haven’t really seen them in action. And I like Shadows’s slightly looser approach to quest design. Rather than a waypoint, the game sometimes gives you a list of broad hints about a target or objective’s location rather than aiming you at them, with further clues gathered by eavesdropping on townsfolk and the like. Assassin’s Creed has done that kind of thing before, but given the expense of blockbuster games and the attention deficits of players with smartphones always ready to hand, it’s probably never been under greater pressure to avoid such moments of uncertainty. I like that the developers are clinging onto the idea that assassination should require you to actively look for somebody.

What don’t I like? Well, there’s nothing massively novel going on here, the change of setting aside: it’s another rearranging of the pieces and a repainting of the fittings. A shocking turn of events for a blockbuster sequel, I know. I also have misgivings about the progression system, though that’s mostly a hangover from Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey – I’ve yet to lay my beady eyes on an upgrade screen, or get a sense of how much levelling might break up your exploration of the world.

Image credit:Ubisoft

Above all, I’m not especially bowled over by the plot and dialogue, which appears to be the usual Templar-vs-Assassin malarkey and features such po-faced chuunibyou clangers as “I won’t be alone - it’ll be me and the shadows”. But I’m cautiously interested to discover what Ubisoft do with Yasuke, given the predictable reception from certain quarters of the internet, and the difficulty of portraying racism within the game without giving that reception additional oxygen. In the game’s account of his origins, he’s a former slave, brought to Japan by Jesuit sailors, who caught the eye of the warlord Oda Nobunaga.

Naoe, meanwhile, is the fictional daughter of the legendary ninja master Fujibayashi Nagato, and is trying to fulfil ‘an impossible promise’ to her family. She’s the less intriguing piece of writing, but with her bamboo pipes and chain scythes, she’s nonetheless the character I expect to spend most time with when Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on November 15th 2024. Assassin’s Creed but set in late Sengoku Japan, eh? They might just pull it off.

The flurry of summer games events are now underway! Hit up our Summer Game Fest 2024 hub and our Day Of The Devs roundup for all the news worth caring about from the shows so far.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC , Mac , Nintendo Switch 2

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.