Mark’s most anticipated PC games for 2026

Bond, blood, broom, and backwoods blasting

Image credit:Rebel Wolves / Fuse Games / IO Interactive / Playground Games

As we cross out the final days of 2025 on our Treehouse calendar, we’ve allowed ourselves to look out at the encroaching mists of 2026. These are the games we hope will emerge from the fog .

2025 had video games. 2026 will have video games. GTA 6 might be one of those video games. However, it’s currently only pencilled in for console next year. Not that I considered writing about it in this sort of article two years running , just for a laugh. That’d be hackish and beneath the level I hold myself to. Well, by about three millimeters.

Anyway, I’ve done this properly. Here are four games slated for 2026 that I’m genuinely excited about. Only half of them are racing games, so I’ve really exercised some self-discipline. Hope you’re proud of me. Without further ado.

007 First Light

Image credit:IO Interactive

Release date: March 27th, 2026 From: Steam , Epic Games Store

Duh-duh duhh, duh-duh duhh, duh-duh de duh-duh. Duh, duh duh duh. Duh, duh duh duh. Dingdiddleingdingding, duhduluhdiddleingdingding, duhduhduhduh, duh, duh, duh. I’ve been expecting you, IO Interactive. Your game’s called First Light, 007 First Light, and it’s like Hitman, but with a bit more of a action movie flavour to the sneaking about and rendering goons unconscious. I’m hardly the biggest Bond buff, more a casual enjoyer of an easy way to fill a Sunday afternoon with some Daniel Craig spyjinks or one of the Moore/Connery classics if the grandparents have come round.

That said, I’m well up for First Light. Especially if it can offer as satisfying a loop as Hitman’s missions. There’ll be less murder chess and more chatty car chasey shootering as part of the Bond formula, as IO have shown off at various points this year. Lenny Kravitz being one of the baddies would also have been a change of pace, if Agent 47 hadn’t started regularly rubbing shoulders with the likes of Eminem and Jean-Claude Van Damme over the past few years.

Diverting from the years-tested ‘find a way to unalive this person’ nature of Hitman’s murder box levels - each a perfectly-formed maze of killer domino runs you can set off at will, mix together, or totally abandon in favour of improvisation - comes with risk. Bond could be more of a one-time fling than a dance partner you tango with endlessly until you’ve become familiar with every surprise they have to offer. Even if that’s the case, I reckon it’ll still be a good time. If it hits Hitmanny heights, the game of the year conversation could already have a locked-in contender sipping martinis in the lobby by the end of March.

The Blood of Dawnwalker

Image credit:Rebel Wolves

Release date: 2026 From: Steam

With The Witcher 4 still a little way off, I’m keen to give The Blood of Dawnwalker a chance to get its teeth into me next year. Much has been made of devs Rebel Wolves’ witchery credentials, and you can certainly see the resemblance between CD Projekt’s dark medieval fantasy and Dawnwalker’s. That said, I’m interested to see if there’s a Witcher-level wealth of substance behind the vampire RPG’s time-sensitive mission to bust into a powerful bloodsucker’s lair and get back your family.

Rebel Wolves have been keen to emphasise dynamic changes in both how quests have to be approached and which powers protagonist Coen has to lean on depending on whether it’s day or night. They’ve also heavily pushed the idea that the choice and consequence will be abundant and fairly brutal, especially if you’re crap at deciding what to prioritise quickly. All of that looks great, even if I’m thoroughly convinced the combat might take me a little while to get into the swing of. The Witcher 3’s did too, to be fair, and I’m mainly concerned about lackluster parrying reactions letting me down in the directional thrust-heavy sword battles.

Dawnwalker seems set to offer an experience that dwells even more deeply on darkness than the Witcher games do and as such might boast less of the levity that comes from the likes of Gerry using his mutant powers to retrieve an old lady’s frying pan. So, assuming there aren’t many gags hiding amid the moonlit streets, it’ll be interesting to see whether sticking broadly to seriousness tone-wise can carry Rebel Wolves towards ruling the night.

Forza Horizon 6

Image credit:Xbox Game Studios

Release date: 2026 From: Steam , Microsoft Store

I’ve not played nearly as much Forza Horizon 5 as I did Forza Horizon 4 . Steam tells me the hour count stands at 245 to 81 in favour of the latter, and while I had plenty of fun in that time zipping around Mexico , I’ve not turned FH5’s keys since 2023. A lot of that’s likely down to me only coming to Horizon 4 when it plopped onto Valve’s storefront in 2021 and playing an awful lot of it in the run up to the arrival of its follow-up.

Horizon 6, though, feels well-positioned to set me off on another Forza binge now I’ve had some time away from the series’ open-world car collecting festival formula. Setting’s always key for these games, and racing around Japan seems like it’ll offer a similar sort of diversity in biomes and weather to Horizon 4’s brilliant rendition of Britain. Sure, I won’t be able to drive past Bamburgh castle like I have numerous times in real life, but leading a train of kei cars through an urban sprawl or drifting along narrow mountain passes bordered by cherry blossoms should be killer. Bonus points if I can rally through some snow in the underhills around Mount Fuji.

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Image credit:Fuse Games

Release date: 2026 From: Steam , Epic Games Store

I liked Star Wars Outlaws , even if its rendition of the galaxy’s blastery bad side was a bit by the numbers at times. I like racing games, especially ones which involve hovering futuristic craft and the chance to blast through off-road trails dotted with the sort of visual vista furniture that makes you go ‘cor, that’s pretty’ midway through sliding round a bend. Star Wars: Galactic Racer looks like it could marry these two into one satisfying Sebulba-toting package . Very probably my bag, then.

007 First Light

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

Forza Horizon 6

Xbox Series X/S , PC

Star Wars: Galactic Racer

Video Game

The Blood of Dawnwalker

PC

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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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