Monster Hunter needs a full-scale rebirth, but its contradictions are fascinating

Taking the Scoutflies for a walk

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom

Monster Hunter Wilds is the fastest-selling game in Capcom’s history. It continues to lord over the Steam charts, with peaks that might cause Counter-Strike 2 to glance momentarily down from its Olympus of user-created hats, and while people are still booting the dung out of the PC version’s performance , verdicts upon the beast-punching as a whole are glowing.

To suggest that now is the time to go back to formula is probably pure contrarianism, but Wilds makes my brain itch. Building on (and hopefully not just recapping) Brendy’s excellently ambivalent Monster Hunter Wilds review , I think the series is balancing on the edges of contradictions that extend throughout its design, from the combat through the user interface to the world and narrative themes. I think it’s been doing that for years, in fact, but Wilds, for me, is where Monster Hunter’s confusion about itself has come to a head.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom

The top level contradiction that informs all the others is the usual, much- revisited problem that Monster Hunter can’t decide whether to hunt the Monsters or love them. The series has long styled hunting as the act of managing a wildlife preserve, with hunter guilds intervening to stop renegade predators disturbing their world’s fragile balance. There’s no way of reconciling that “caretaker” ethic with the game’s core loop of indefinitely harvesting Monster giblets for weapon crafting. Perhaps Capcom could take more inspiration from older hunting cults, and lean further into the idea of the Monsters as sacred beasts, both eaten and worshipped, but I’m not sure that would chime with the essentially ‘modern’ mechanics of the game, which are a blend of feverish overexploitation via endlessly replayable quests, clipboard-heavy bureaucratic ceremony, and jovial gig work at the command of a ridealong manager.

The closest Monster Hunter today comes to the sacred, I think, is in celebrating the introduction of a ‘realistic ecology’, with carnivores and herbivores and all manner of " endemic life" mingling and interacting. Leaving aside whether this ecology lives up to the term, emphasising the menagerie’s liveliness only makes the act of killing Monsters feel more murderous. The game’s quintessentially triple-A mindset of greater fidelity and naturalism from iteration to iteration works against it in fascinating ways, because the more credible the creatures appear, the more reluctant I am to slaughter them.

This difficulty is captured by the new Wounds system in Wilds - back in the PS2 days, Capcom might have represented this as a set of glowing weak points, but Monster Hunter’s tech is now clever enough to render that as believably hacked-up flesh, and slamming a Greatsword into a bleeding gash just feels vicious. I’m grateful for the pop-out damage numerals, which remind me that it’s all just for show.

The Wound presentation also speaks to the second contradiction I find in modern-day Monster Hunter: the series can’t work out whether to have you read the world or the interface. The two are heavily entangled in a way that sometimes feels symbiotic, and sometimes like two wyverns caught in a turf war, obliging you to poke at the customisation options to soothe their differences. The interface is sort of winning the battle, not least because it now infests the notionally “raw” geography and does away with any need to navigate.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom

The chief culprits there are the Scoutflies, introduced by Monster Hunter: World , which flurry forth and bespangle any interactive object, while leading you unambiguously to your waypoint. I absolutely hate the Scoutflies. Much to my astonishment, there’s still no way to fully turn them off without mods, and the result is to reduce lush and curious environments to an all-purpose gumbo of Matrix code and button prompts. The Scoutflies are abetted in this by your wrist grapple, which lets you scoop things up without even getting close enough to see the object beneath the prompt, and by the Seikret mount you unlock early on in Wilds, which autopilots along the trail of Scoutflies to your waypoint. So much for the “hunting” bit.

The Seikret speaks to another holistic problem in Wilds, which is that on some level, it wants to make a clean break from the clunkier Monster Hunting game feel of yore - clunk that predates the coining of " game feel “, in fact - but can’t work out how to do it without provoking a fan stampede. I think a lot about the whetstone, for example. Back when I first played Monster Hunter Freedom on PSP, finding a few seconds in amongst the chaos of Monster movements to kneel and hone my blade was a thrilling nuisance, a real exercise in timing. In Wilds, you can do that while galloping about on your Seikret, care of a fool-proof item wheel. The effect is to make sharpening a weapon so easy that sharpening a weapon starts to feel pointless. Just do away with whetstones, Capcom! Or recommit to them. Don’t half-and-half your innovations.

For me, this kind of indecisiveness saturates the design of Wilds. The older Monster Hunters obliged you to fight without lock-ons using a manual camera, which was particularly aggravating on the crabclaw-inducing PSP. This unwieldiness was a barrier to wider acceptance, but I think it resonated with the comic spectacle of an outmatched human loaded down with improbable dragon-slaying apparata. Later Monster Hunters seem to want to shed the clank entirely, but can’t decide how. There’s a camera lock-on in Wilds, but it’s cumbersome by the standards of other action games, whipping the view around like a shopping trolley, and the result is an experience that’s neither as ponderous nor as elegant as it could be.

Similar things can be said of item management in combat, which Brendy characterises beautifully in his Monster Hunter Wilds review as “like rummaging through your mum’s messy purse for the single pound coin she needs for the toll booth that is swiftly approaching”. That’s more true of the older Monster Hunters, but later games have softened things with bits of automation. Wilds auto-brews potions for you when you gather the right ingredients, so that there’s always one ready on the ability wheel, and again, I wonder whether the better approach here is to just rip the bandaid off and do without potions altogether. Wilds is full of features like this, which feel like an incomplete molting of staple mechanics from the days of PS2.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Capcom

Again, I wonder if I’m being contrarian. Or just ignorant - I’ve played a lot of Freedom, Monster Hunter 4 and World, but I couldn’t give you chapter and verse on every Monster Hunter. I suspect that for many - for millions, going by the sales - the control and interface issues don’t feel like evidence of incompatible visions. Particularly if you’re new to the series, Wilds may simply feel like an engagingly heavy-footed action game with a lot of mid-fight item management.

I will also say that, in some sense, I consider Monster Hunter’s contradictions advantageous. Returning to my opening point about the perennially false-feeling “caretaker” narrative, and with the obligatory note that I’m vegan, I think Monster Hunter is a useful demonstration of contradictory attitudes towards nonhuman animals. Its insistence that hunting the Monsters can be both profitable and preservative squares with the engulfing chicanery of societies where conservation can’t help but double as exploitation, and oceans of blood are spilt unseen - societies that pet, protect and venerate certain animals while invisibly and mechanically shoving billions of other animals into grinders and electric baths . Perhaps in that respect, Monster Hunter should remain self-divided. It’s a site in which to explore our own hypocrisy. Still, I could really do without the Scoutflies.

Monster Hunter Wilds

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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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