For a jetpacking open worlder starring bug-sized Captain Picard, Infinitesimals feels a lot like Operation Flashpoint

Tactical infestation

Image credit:Epic Games Publishing / Rock Paper Shotgun

Much to my surprise, the overgrown garden setting of Infinitesimals is not especially indebted to any Dreamworks and Pixar films about insects. Nor is the game’s steel-jawed space flea protagonist, Captain Awkney Relinrake, directly inspired by Buzz Lightyear. Instead, he channels the stately, swaggering Englishness of Jean Luc Picard and Richard Sharpe, aka Napoleonic Sean Bean.

This last revelation slightly disappoints me, in that Relinrake seems a bit ridiculous, with eyebrows the size of aviation flaps, and I’d like the game to own that humour in a more obviously Toy Story-ish way. But what most catches me out, during my 30 minute hands-on with Cubit Studios’ deceptively toony action game, is that it takes a fair few cues from milsims.

You may be even more surprised if you last read about Infinitesimals in 2014 - back when it was a loose pitch for a “cinematic platformer” you could summarise as Spidermech Limbo . Since then, Cubit Studios founder and game director James McWilliams has recruited a small team and found a publishing partner in Epic Games, allowing the game to enter development “properly” in 2019, with McWilliams now working on it full-time. In the process, Infinitesimals has swelled from a moody sidescroller into a mini-open world shooter about a crash-landed star trooper, searching for lost squadmates and the research expedition he was sent to join.

This is Earth, Jiminy Cricket, but not as we know it. There are robot Hunter Gatherers all over the shop, and being only eight millimetres tall brings a fresh perspective - together with some predictable disadvantages. Suffice it to say that arachnophobes should not play Infinitesimals. The game’s ordinary insects are “definitely not your main foe, but you’ve come to their world, and so if you come across them, some of them could be quite aggressive,” McWilliams notes. “You can absolutely fight them, if you want, but generally the idea is that the game isn’t about fighting insects, as in, [that’s not] the objective of the thing. You’re here as explorers.”

It’s a straightforward setup for a story about the evils of colonialism, though I get the sense that Awkney will ultimately be presented as the Good kind of coloniser, purging the less fun invaders on behalf of the indigenous lifeforms. “There’s serious moments, and then there’s plenty of humour as well, so it’s a bit of a mix,” McWilliams says of the main storyline. “But it’s definitely meant to be a serious story. No spoilers, but there’s going to be tragedy and there’s going to be difficult moments.”

Image credit:Epic Games Publishing

All this notwithstanding, Infinitesimals often feels like the kind of Saturday morning gadabout you’d hand a younger teenager, offering explosive gadgets and a jetpack that lets you soar and rocket-strafe with “very lenient” fall damage. During my hands-on, I have a rare old time zipping betwixt glossy Unreal leaves while dodging the acid spittle of territorial ants. Then, McWilliams starts talking in-depth about radar.

Relinrake’s fancy spacesuit supports a couple of vision modes. One of them picks up radar sweeps and enemy comms chatter. The game’s recreation of radio waves is startlingly complex. McWilliams points to a passing dropship, noting that it has a “forward-facing phased array”, which suggests that it won’t notice you if you fly right behind it. The squat metal bases of the Hunter Gatherers have spinning dishes, and again, you’ll only show up on their screens while the dish is pointed your way.

“This will end up being used in stealth and combat,” McWilliams elaborates. “The enemy units that are moving around the world, when they communicate, they send the signal, and you might be able to pick that up. So you see, there’s a bit of an electronic warfare vibe.” Electronic warfare, in my gambolling Picardlike with very lenient fall damage? Gosh.

Aside from detecting radio waves, Relinrake’s suit can visualise electromagnetic fields. This allows you to read the circuitry of bases through walls, so as to disable security devices or trace them back to power supplies. There are many ways into each H-G fortress, ranging from blasting the doors off through surgical hacking to that ancient friend of every videogame burglar, the unnecessarily roomy ventilation duct. To this spec ops bouquet, add guns with alt fires and customisable stocks, barrels and grips, plus more advanced spacesuits with backracks where you can park gadgets like remote surveillance drones and anti-aircraft launchers.

Image credit:Epic Games Publishing

All of this actually represents a retreat from an earlier version of Infinitesimals that went full-blown Ghost Recon. “In the early days, not so much when it was a side-scroller, but certainly, as soon as it moved to 3D, I was leaning quite heavily into simulation,” McWilliams recalls. “At the time, I was almost thinking Operation: Flashpoint vibes, but sci-fi, and we’ve certainly retained some of that. I think we’ve become a little less simulation, just a little bit more accessible, but there’s definitely a pedigree.”

You might be turned off by the flashes of Flashpoint here, if you just want to play a game about riling up anthills and formation-flying with bluebottles. In practice, I found that the “simulation pedigree” gave the tactical grasshopping a nice level of sandbox reactivity, with encounters that made me think a little of Halo 3 . Later on, there’s the promise of a vehicle, the POD, with wiry legs that allow it to scale grass blades.

My demo ended with Awkney clambering up one such grass stem so as to lob grenades at Hunter Gatherer dropships, catching the opposing Toy Soldiers out as they rappelled from the hangar. The larger bogeys are as enjoyable to behold as to fight. They are chrome, insectile confections with a touch of H.G. Wells, coming at you in a flurry of looping limbs and redeye weakpoints.

I’m keen to discover whether I can lure them into skirmishes with the terran insects, as when siccing the local cassowaries on pirates in Far Cry 3 . In the absence of a Pixar story climax with Awkney realising that he’s just a regular Action Man cosplaying as Star Trek’s finest, a full-scale war between everyday garden pests and encroaching cyberbugs would make for a magnificent finale.

Infinitesimals

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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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