Larian talk Divinity, their next RPG after Baldur’s Gate 3: “it’s almost as though it’s the first in the series”

Studio CEO Swen Vincke on continuing the tale from Original Sin 2

Image credit:Larian / Rock Paper Shotgun

Larian’s new Divinity game is a turn-based CRPG that both builds on their achievements from Baldur’s Gate 3 , and follows on from the events of Divinity: Original Sin 2 . So sayeth Swen Vincke, studio CEO, in an interview with RPS following the project’s bloody and bawdy announcement trailer at the Game Awards last week.

Concrete specifics remain few as of writing, but I can tell you that this is perhaps more reboot than sequel. It’s an attempt to firm up and clarify Divinity’s narrative universe, both for returning Braccus Rex devotees and for Baldur’s Gate 3 players who’ve yet to try Larian’s non-D&D games. It’s also going to allow for more “freedom” than any Larian game before, thanks partly to running on a new version of Larian’s in-house engine tech. Ah, the eternal videogame promise of more freedom. I’m mostly just here for the piggies.

The Geoff Fest trailer made waves for its scenes of human sacrifice, inter-species shagging, cosy mother-daughter moments, and vistas of perky porkers guzzling Orc vomit. Aside from reviving wider discussion about this year’s crackdown on “adult” games - if this is fit for a mainstream award show, why not the similarly macabre Horses ? - the trailer felt like a parody of the ceremony that hosted it. The figure of the man strapped to a monstrous burning idol isn’t worlds away from the winged golden TGA emblem, and there were piggies at Geoff Fest , too. Miss Piggy, specifically, who at one point suggested that she and Geoff Keighley once had sex - a charming bit of bestiality Vincke promises he did not know was coming while Larian were making their trailer. Though he does acknowledge that Larian have previously burned Geoff Keighley in effigy .

“Oh my god, no, it was not deliberate!” he frantically assures me, when I ask what he’s got against Miss Piggy. “It was only when we saw Miss Piggy that we realised, ‘oh shit’. We did not, I repeat, we did not do that on purpose. I would never, never seek a fight with Miss Piggy.” It’s OK, mate. I’m pretty sure Miss Piggy doesn’t know how to cast Corpse Explosion.

The trailer is actually about “contrast”, Vincke goes on. It takes quite specific cues from the realm of film, where ‘shocking’ material of this sort is relatively non-controversial. “We were inspired by the Wickerman movie, the original one, and then at the time [of the trailer’s creation], we had just seen The Substance also,” he says. “The idea really is that you create a very dark world in which the player can be the light, or the one that snuffs out the light. So it’s really going to be up to you, because it’s giving lots of choice, and so, it has that entire vibe with a world that can turn dark very rapidly.”

Divinity: Original Sin 2 had several possible endings, some of them very gloomy indeed. While the trailer blurb’s reference to ‘silent gods’ suggests that one of these is now canon, Vincke declines to either pin this down or share how much time has passed in the Divinity world since the last instalment.

He does, however, note that refining the backstory is an objective. Released in 2002, the original Divine Divinity was Larian’s second game. The series has taken many forms over the ensuing years, from action-RPG to strategy, and as Vincke concedes, the narrative and setting are partly the product of scattershot improvisation.

“One of the very first things we’ve done, when we started working on [the new Divinity], was to say that we need to have a really good look at our world-building,” he explains. “Because in the past, it was just like, invent as you go. And so, we’ve spent a lot of time cleaning up, making sure that people that play the previous games would still find continuity once inside of the game. But at the same time, also making sure that there are hooks in there that would make it unique.” Again, there’s nothing specific to share, but Vincke hints that “it goes beyond what you expect”. Ruminate on that, God King fanciers.

Image credit:Larian

The desire to consolidate the lore is, of course, written large in the simpler title. “We called it Divinity, because as I said, we tried to clean up our universe and make some really solid world-building, with which we can build things in the future,” Vincke notes. “In that sense, it’s almost as though it’s the first one in the series, because there’s never been a Divinity, actually - all the other ones had all kinds of prefixes or postfixes for better or worse. This one is going to say ’this is it, this is the universe, this is what we’re going to work with’.”

Naturally, Larian hope to entice players who’ve never touched a Divinity game before. In this, they’re trading on the experience of selling Dungeons and Dragons to people who’ve never known the gossamer texture of a D20. “It’s going to be like Baldur’s Gate 3, where if you’ve never played a D&D game, you will understand everything, and if you’ve played a D&D game, you will say ‘oh shit, there’s the Guild, and so forth’,” Vincke spells out. “It’s going to be the same thing here. If you’ve played the previous games, you will recognise things, if you didn’t, fine, here’s a new universe, with a whole bunch of cool things that are going to surprise you.”

The overall tone of the world will remain “dark fantasy with a touch of humour”, and notwithstanding Larian’s desire to join some dots, the in-game story will be whatever you make of it. “You are going to have so much agency that everybody will have their own story, that they’re going to be creating in it,” Vincke says. “And in that sense, it is like a D&D tabletop RPG session.

<img loading=“lazy” src=“https://assetsio.gnwcdn.com/divinity-reveal-trailer-screen-4.jpg?width=2048&height=2048&fit=bounds&quality=85&format=jpg&auto=webp" onerror=“this.onerror=null;this.src=‘https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhe7F7TRXHtjiKvHb5vS7DmnxvpHiDyoYyYvm1nHB3Qp2_w3BnM6A2eq4v7FYxCC9bfZt3a9vIMtAYEKUiaDQbHMg-ViyGmRIj39MLp0bGFfgfYw1Dc9q_H-T0wiTm3l0Uq42dETrN9eC8aGJ9_IORZsxST1AcLR7np1koOfcc7tnHa4S8Mwz_xD9d0=s16000';" alt=“Larian talk Divinity, their next RPG after Baldur’s Gate 3: “it’s almost as though it’s the first in the series” - 10”>

“I think one of the places where it will be very different is that this is a ruleset that was made for a video game, not for tabletop,” he goes on. “Baldur’s Gate 3 was a tabletop game that was adapted into a video game. So I think that’s where you will see a lot of differences. If you didn’t play D&D, you will get in it right away. Whereas with D&D you have to explain spell slots, all that kind of stuff - every single class had a different ruleset, almost, so you won’t have those things. But in the sense that this is a role-playing game, where agency drives what the continuation of the story is, in that sense they will be the same.

“D&D is a system,” Vincke adds. “It’s not the world-building. There’s lots of campaigns with different worlds in there, right? And so, there’s no real comparison bits where you can say ’this is the D&D world’. Most people mean Forgotten Realms, and I think, when you compare Forgotten Realms, [the Divinity world] is definitely more grounded than you would expect, at least in the beginning. And definitely darker.”

In yet another fistful of chum for the speculators, Vincke says that “we’re extending the things that you can do in the world, with a lot more actions and a lot more freedom as a result. So in that sense it’s a CRPG, you would call it.” As you’d expect, Larian have devised some fresh technology for the job. Divinity runs on Framework 5, the latest version of Larian’s in-house game engine, which the developers have been working on alongside Baldur’s Gate 3. It offers “a whole bunch of new bells and whistles, modernises a bunch of things and allows us to do things that we couldn’t do before”.

Image credit:Larian

The game is being developed across Larian’s seven locations - the studio headcount now stands at around 530, Vincke says, and “almost all” of those devs are now working on Divinity. Some of the remainder are presumably working on Larian’s other, unrevealed big project , about which Vincke refuses to be drawn.

And that’s your lot, right now. Judging by Original Sin 2 and Baldur’s Gate 3, it seems inevitable that Divinity will be an excellent RPG in the sense of giving you myriad ways to play around with a fascinatingly written world. I’m most interested right now to discover whether the rest of the game will be as rank and squalid as that trailer, with its whimsical closing imagery of a solitary surviving pig nosing around a pyre of fused bodies. It occurs to me that I would absolutely play a no-frills Larian horror RPG.

Invited to discuss responses to the trailer in the context of this year’s payment network crusade against ’taboo’ adult material, Vincke is nonplussed, again referencing the mayhem of The Substance and Wickerman. “I don’t think there’s anything different here in what we’re doing, to what was done in those movies,” he says. “So I think it’s still OK. I mean, it is an adult game, a game for mature audiences, similar to what you see on HBO or on Netflix or in cinema.”

In other words: some people will complain about anything. You could accuse Vincke of dodging a complicated discussion, I guess, but I couldn’t really fault the man for wishing to avoid controversy. After all, he’s already made a lifelong enemy of Miss Piggy.

Disclosure: Former RPS deputy editor Adam Smith (RPS in peace) now works at Larian and is the lead writer for Baldur’s Gate 3. Former contributor Emily Gera also works on it.

Divinity (Larian)

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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.

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ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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