Oblivion Remastered modder delivering Fallout 4-style settlement building reckons the game can still “usher in a modding renaissance”

“I think once more people see what’s possible, we’ll hit a real turning point”

Image credit:Bethesda/Rock Paper Shotgun

“It felt like a blank slate, just waiting to be experimented with,” MadAborModding tells me.

The modder, who’s currently working on expanding an impressive proof of concept for Fallout 4 -style house building into a full-blown Cyrodiilic settlement system, says that Oblivion Remastered ’s behind-the-scenes differences to other Bethesda games are what drew him to it. “With so much of the game now running on Unreal Engine,” he explains, “I saw an opportunity to approach modding from an entirely new angle.”

MadAborModding’s hardly been alone in pushing the limits of what’s possible when it comes to messing with Virtuos’ nostalgia-inducing facelift of a potato-faced protector’s quest to shut some spooky doors. However, over the past month, he’s garnered a lot of attention with his work on the aforementioned building mod and a still-expanding spell pack that lets players do everything from transforming into a lich to conjuring their own Oblivion gates.

The foundation of both works is the “big news” MadAborModding wrote about in a Reddit post at the start of June, which caught the attention of me and a lot of other folks keeping an eye on Oblivion Remastered modding. Community members, it revealed, had worked out how to “make Oblivion’s scripting engine call any function we want from a UE4SS Lua script.”

MadAborModding explained that this meant scripts would now be able to be set up to “react to things like [the player] casting a certain spell, finishing a quest, or picking a specific dialogue option” and predicted that “the complexity of mods we can make just shot up big time.” He even suggested that a mod which lets you order a real life pizza via talking to a character in the game (this is a real thing for classic Oblivion) would be “well within the realm of possibilities.”

Yep, two seconds. I’M ORDERING NOW, WHAT DO YOUS WANT? |Image credit:Bethesda/Nikies42

Sounds cool, if a bit tough to wrap your head around if you’re either a) someone like me, whose mod-making hasn’t advanced beyond the absolute basics, or b) someone who hasn’t given it a go at all. A month on, has it opened up those new possibilities and caught on in the community the way MadAborModding thought it would? Well, yes and no.

“It’s opened doors most people didn’t realise were there,” the modder tells me, “With UE4SS Lua scripting, things that used to take years to figure out in traditional modding can now be done in hours.”

However, he says the response he’s had from fellow community members about it has been “a bit of a mixed bag” so far. “Some modders have reached out, curious about modding on the Unreal side, but overall the community has been slow to shift away from traditional modding approaches. There’s still a lot of untapped potential here, and I think once more people see what’s possible, we’ll hit a real turning point.”

MadAborModding’s definitely been busy digging into that Unreal side of things himself, though. He says the idea for his settlement building mod came from fellow tinkerer (and fellow member of the Oblivion Remastered modding community Discord) Dicene, who unearthed “a native Unreal function that allows object placement in the world.”

This guy doesn’t have an Oblivion Remastered equivalent. Yet. |Image credit:Bethesda

“No one else jumped on it, so I decided to build a quick proof of concept,” MadAborModding recalls, “The actual coding took less than an hour, it’s really that easy when working with Unreal functions in Lua. The engine already had the functions for spawning and moving objects natively; it was just a matter of exposing those functions to the player.”

The modder says his original goal with it “was to generate hype and show that Unreal-based modding isn’t just viable, it’s often easier than the traditional route. “Bethesda game modders are some of the best, but they stick to what they know and that’s typically Bethesda’s official modding software,” he adds.

Having used the mod in his own “mad wizard” playthrough to build an Oblivion tower home in the ruins of Kvatch, MadAborModding has since started collaborating with another modder called Uregven on turning this proof of concept into a full-blown settlement system.

“It’s going well so far,” he tells me, “Uregven is way better at UI than I am, and that’s been huge. I had the mod just cycling randomly through 12,000 objects at first, which obviously wasn’t practical, but I mostly wanted to show what was possible. With Uregven on board, we’ve now got menus sorted by categories, which instantly makes it feel more like an actual tool you can use instead of just a tech demo.

“The goal right now is to get it closer to Fallout 4’s system, that’s the obvious next step. The hardest part (figuring out object placement and manipulation) is already done. Now it’s just the tedious stuff: sorting through assets, refining placement options, and making the system intuitive. Once we get that baseline in, expanding it further becomes way easier.”

Home sweet home? |Image credit:Bethesda/Rock Paper Shotgun

While the Lua scripting breakthrough is fuelling mods like this, MadAborModding acknowledges that’s far from a Mages Guild-worthy incantation that’ll let Oblivion Remastered modders accomplish everything that’s been off limits to them so far. “Lip sync generation and navmeshing are the big ones; we haven’t figured those out yet,” he says, “Until we have a way to do those, true voiced quest/new land mods just aren’t possible.”

As for the lack of any official modding tools from Bethesda, something other Oblivion Remastered modders I’ve spoken to have said they’re still holding out hope for, MadAborModding remains sanguine.

“The absence of official tools is frustrating, yes, but Unreal itself is incredibly powerful and in many cases the tools for modding Unreal are far more flexible than anything Bethesda has officially released. In fact, I’d argue that what we can do natively in Unreal today exceeds what was possible in Skyrim modding for the first ten years of its modding scene.

“Of course, I’d never turn down official support, but I also think we need to stop waiting around for it. There’s a whole frontier here that’s barely been explored because many modders are still clinging to what they know.”

Going forwards, MadAborModding says he believes Oblivion Remastered “could usher in a modding renaissance.” He brings up some unreleased “custom climbing and attack animations that make the remaster look like an Assassin’s Creed game” by a modder named Kemper. He’d also like to see more modders “tackle complex gameplay mods—new spells, combat systems, new animations and attacks—things that took years to develop in traditional Bethesda engines but are straightforward to make in the Remaster.”

In the eyes of this modder who was so drawn to paint on Oblivion Remastered’s blank canvas, “the future’s wide open.”

Fallout 4

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Nintendo Switch 2

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , 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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