James and Nic kick a thing: Doom: The Dark Ages edition

The thing is demons

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bethesda Softworks

Doom: The Dark Ages has encouraged us to redirect our booting utensils away from Rematch’s leather balls and into the vital organs of Hell’s revolting soldiers. Along with various punches, flail strikes, and shield thrusts, most of which aren’t even allowed in football. But could the manner of their delivery also be cause for a critical kicking? The Dark Ages notably replaces the lavishly animated glory kills of recent Dooms with faster, simpler melee strikes, so reviewer Nic and I sat down for a gentle argument over whether this was a change for a better.

James: Nic, I know you personally aren’t on trial here, but at 10:43am on Thursday the 8th of May, did you or did you not say in the Super Secret RPS Slack Channel that The Dark Ages’ new executions “take the same amount of time as Eternal ’s”? Because I had nothing better to do earlier than sit watching game capture clips with a stopwatch out, and have determined that the average shield bop or manly kick in The Dark Ages lasts for 0.97 seconds, whereas Doom Eternal’s glory kills average 1.85 seconds. Which, mathematically speaking, is more longer .

Specifically, and regardless of whether you barely use executions or near-exclusively gorge yourself on their resource drops, that’s nearly twice as much time spent watching the game play itself. The Dark Ages’ cutting back of Eternal’s movement tools might make it slower in some respects, but to me it’s even better at maintaining that red-eyed flow state just by virtue of making its interruptions less interrupting.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bethesda Softworks

Nic: Well, James. I guess that’s me told. I’ll just hang my head and solemnly pace toward the door and… but wait, what’s this? A perk you can quite easily acquire in Doom Eternal that shortens the glory kill duration to a mere 0.7 seconds? And you get i-frames, allowing you a second to think about your next move? And you’re usually comboing melee strikes in The Dark Ages anyway, so you can triple or even quadruple that time on many occasions? And the glory just plain look better ?

I will, however, offer you supportive hand to pull you up from where you now lie, in the mud, coated in stupid sauce, and concede that The Dark Ages is probably at offering a certain type of interrupted, flowy power fantasy, in that you never have to be evasive - your defensive tools are also offensive tools, which does contribute to the feeling of pushing forward at all times, rather than having to dance in the air for several seconds to reposition yourself when you’re in trouble.

Also the flail is cool, obviously. Would you like to put me on trial for any other excellent opinions?

James: No need when your defence is an unlockable perk that needs to squat in the slot of someone more interesting, but then I also want to move on from timing animations. I do indeed like the more direct fighting style in The Dark Ages – I love an agile shooter, usually above all other shooters, but Eternal’s always felt a bit too stop-start for me. You’ll have a few seconds of the most outrageous air-dashing, double-jumping evasive manoeuvres ever portrayed in first-person, then one or two of… standing there, I guess, while your guy bisects another guy’s head with his hands. Which is more of a visual flourish than punting a ragdoll, though becomes less so when you’ve done it seven times before the opening tutorial has finished.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bethesda Softworks

The relatively modest spectacle of TDA’s quick hits don’t just make it less conspicuous that you’re repeating them, it also helps them slip in more seamlessly to the moment-to-moment brawling without halting the sense of momentum. They’re commas, not full stops, especially as they don’t mess around with your field of view like glory kills do. Well, except the boss kills. But then they probably deserve a full stop.

I do wonder if we just have incompatible approaches to playing these games – I sensed from your review that you like to dig around the sandbox more, experimenting with tools and guns, whereas I’m largely vibes-based and will happily stick to just two or three favourite pieces of kit. D’you think that extends to our differing finisher tastes?

Nic: Full stops! They’re semi-colons at most, you swine. I guess my main point is that I don’t think The Dark Ages melee hits are all that transformative in comparison to glory kills, but I’m left thinking: well, maybe if it was just another set of glory kills, I would have gotten bored easily. Plus, The Dark Ages does actually have glory kills still, they’re just less frequent. I didn’t work out exactly what the triggers are, but you do seem to get them if you jump before swinging.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bethesda Softworks

I do like digging! But it’s ultimately in service of vibes too, I think. It’s just I got to a point here where the vibes were getting stale. I should add, just as an addendum to my review, that I think Morgan Park at Percy Coswald Gamer actually expressed my feelings better than I did when he said that “viewed through the lens of loud feedback that insisted Doom Eternal was too complicated, The Dark Ages is an overcorrection.” I feel that could probably be applied to glory kills too. There’s been misgivings about them since they first revealed 2016, and I feel maybe there’s people opposed to them on principle even though they’re beautiful and perfect and good.

And that overcorrection idea is really the whole issue I was having, I think. It really isn’t that this is a bad game. It can be an excellent time. I think it’s really going to come down to what you want out of it. I wanted something that I can play for months and really dig into. But I don’t think it’s designed for that. Or, maybe that was the intention initially but fear of those same complaints about overcomplication stymied it along the way. But, if you’re just after a fleshy, quite simple shooter you can tear through once or twice quickly and never think about again, you’ll likely find its Doom: U-ternal approach a huge positive.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Bethesda Softworks

Anyway, what about a theoretical next one? Would you like to see them try a few more diversions like the mech and dragon? I felt the mech actually turned out pretty well, although I’d probably feel differently if those sequences were more than ten minutes or so each. The dragon, not so much, although I did enjoy the skyboxes. Next time? Give the Doom Slayer a motorbike, I reckon. Have the wheels be chainshields. You?

James: I wouldn’t normally say this, but I could do without the dragon. The fact that you’re shoved into a weird dodge/lock-on/shoot rhythm minigame every time you want to blast a turret suggests that maybe id don’t have quite the same masterful grasp on aerial combat as they do to classic FPSing. I guess I’d just like more ways to interact with the demons (not talking) besides shooting or dodging them? The Dark Ages’ parrying is a good start, though still ultimately depends at least partly on waiting for the baddies to strike first. I like it, to be clear. Only a wrong’un wouldn’t like parrying being in more games. Right Nic?

Nic: You heard it here first: Sekiro ruined everything by being too good.

Doom: The Dark Ages

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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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