How to pitch an article to Rock Paper Shotgun

Looks like pitches are back on the menu

After a bit of a hiatus, Rock Paper Shotgun is once again open for pitches.

Some of the best articles we’ve published on Rock Paper Shotgun come from freelancers. While many of those come from the kind of well-seasoned veteran who leaves a trail of salt and herbs wherever they walk, we are always keen to hear from new writers who have a story they believe could interest our readers.

All freelance articles begin with a pitch – an email explaining what you would like to write for us and why you’re the person to do it. Our budget is limited so we can’t commission every good idea that comes our way, but if you follow the guidance below, you will be in with a much better chance than those who ignore it.

As well as learning where and how to pitch, this page also outlines our freelance rates, and lays out the sorts of articles we’re currently looking for.

Where to send your pitch

We currently have three commissioning editors:

• Julian Benson (editorial director)
• James Archer (hardware editor)
• Edwin Evans-Thirlwell (news editor)

You can send your pitch to any or all of those people; they’ll confer and make the decision together anyway. Those links go straight to their email addresses.

What to include in your pitch

• Start the subject with “Pitch: “, followed by a summary of your article idea. For example: “Pitch: What 15 years at sea in a barnacle-covered trawler taught me about CoD” and “Pitch: Gears Tactics ate my dog”.
• Start with an introduction of who you are, giving a sense of your experience in a sentence or two – this is really helpful if we haven’t worked with you much or at all. If you have a particular specialism related to your pitch, now is a good time to tell us.
• Explain your idea in a couple of paragraphs. You don’t need to have worked out everything about your article, but we need to understand what you’re hoping to write. If you are struggling to keep it short, it may be a sign you need to hone your idea down. Also consider including a proposed headline.
• Include links to writing samples if we haven’t worked with you before. You don’t need to send links to major publications, a personal blog is fine by us. But we do need to see work that shows you can write the kinds of work we publish.

Things not to include:

• Don’t write the article speculatively and send it to us in full before commission. We might say no, in which case you’ve worked for nothing, and we might have notes on your angle that would necessitate the total rewrite of the article anyway.
• Don’t pitch more than one or two articles in the same email.
• Don’t send a description of the article idea that is as long as the article.
• Don’t say you’d let us run it for free: we pay for everything we publish.
• Don’t pitch us articles about things that aren’t PC games.
• Don’t send us a copy-pasted pitch that you’ve sent to every gaming site you know. We can tell, and it normally means you’re sending us something we’d never commission.
• Don’t send us a pitch that includes a variation on the phrase, “I know you said not to do this in your ‘how to pitch’ post, but…”.

What we pay

Our standard article rate is £200 for an article in the region of 1000-1500 words. This covers most features and reviews.

We will endeavour to adjust the rate fairly according to the amount of work the article requires. Reviewing a particularly long game or interviewing multiple subjects might warrant £250, while an exceptionally short game might warrant us to offer £125 or £175. We’ll discuss this with you to agree on a rate.

It also doesn’t matter to us where in the world you’re based: we work with writers all over the world, and the agreed fee is simply converted to your local currency using the conversion rates at the time.

What we’re currently looking for

Below you’ll find some of the kinds of articles we are perennially interested in. It’s by no means exhaustive, but it’s a good place to start. If your article doesn’t fit the shape of those below, don’t worry. Some of our favourite pitches are one-off ideas we would never have thought of. Use the advice above and send it anyway.

In-depth and expert coverage on big games : Do you rush to complete every new Warframe quest? Are you deep into the latest Minecraft mod craze? Is no day complete for you until you’ve played a few rounds of Arc Raiders ? Then you should consider pitching stories about those games to us. There are so many more games than we have the time to play, let alone become an expert in. We want analysis of the latest meta, and recommendations of the newest mods. We want the kinds of informed opinions you can only have when you truly know a game. And, in particular, we want reporting on what the players that love these games are doing. A game is rarely more interesting than what its players are getting up to. If it’s a popular game, and you’re an expert, then we want to hear from you - and if you’re good, we will likely return to you for work again and again.

Interview-led features : Articles are often much stronger for including the voices of people who make videogames and those who play them. Their expertise lends authority to your work and will likely lead you to places you wouldn’t discover on your own. Rather than writing about how there’s been a glut of Vampire Survivors -likes, talk to the people who are making them and learn why they are so drawn to the genre.

If you’ve not written for us before, please don’t contact potential interview subjects until you’ve got the go ahead from us. However, do let us know who you would like to speak to. You never know, we might already have their details in our rolodex and be able to set up the call.

Hardware features : We very rarely receive pitches for articles about PC hardware, so if you have a feature idea on the widgets and whizzbangs inside a computer case that make videogames playable, we would be keen to hear it. Perhaps you’ve been talking to creators of custom keycaps, or you’re searching out all the components to recreate the PC you first played back in 1995, or you’ve spoken to an engineer about building custom controllers for differently-abled players. If you have a story rooted in hardware and can make it accessible to a general reader then get in touch.

Two areas we know we would like to cover better are retro PC hardware and virtual reality headsets. If you have stories on these areas, we would love to hear them.

However, please don’t pitch reviews as we traditionally keep these in-house or work with freelancers we know have access to the specialist equipment and software needed for accurate testing.

What we’re not currently looking for

Fundamentally, we believe that all kinds of games writing are valid. That said, we’re unlikely to use our limited freelance budget for certain kinds of articles.

Op-eds, generally : If you have a unique perspective, unique expertise, and a timely take about a big game or evergreen issue, then yes, we might be interested. We say no to most op-ed pitches that aren’t any of the above. If you have an idea that might fall foul of not being unique or timely, is there someone you could interview that would make it more attractive for us to commission?

Reviews, or articles on short games : Reviews: we choose what we want to cover and assign them to writers ourselves, and so tend not to need pitches. As for short games: if it’s something we can play and write about ourselves in 3-5 hours, then probably we’d do it ourselves. We commission freelance writers to cover things we cannot because they are prohibitively time-consuming or to fill gaps in the knowledge of our team, and short games, a lot of indie games, most art games, are not that.

Don’t see what you want to write on the what we want list? As mentioned, these are suggestions for things we need more of right now, not the only things we’ll commission. See what you want to write on our ‘what we don’t want’ list? Then think again and find a different idea - or pitch it anyway, if you think your idea is so good we should make an exception. Don’t see your question answered here? Email one of the people mentioned near the top of this article and ask - we’re happy to help.

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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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