Rockbeasts is about managing an animal band in a BoJack-style world, but it’ll need to do more than horse around

Welcome to the jungle

Image credit:Lichthund

BoJack Horseman was a show about Horsin’ Around.

There was a good thing that had once been and a horse man who was now years removed from it, but still clung on to the idea that the magic was still there. I’ll not stray into spoiler territory, but that clinging generally didn’t go too well for old BoJack. He was a bitter, selfish, washed-up star who so often looked back, rather than looking forwards. It was to his detriment.

That brings me to Rockbeasts. Or, rather the challenge that this band management game from Polish developers Lichthund Studios faces. It’s clearly drawn plenty of inspiration from BoJack’s Netflix adventures, transporting you back to a version of the nineties in which anthropomorphic animals roam America doing the things that humans do. In this case, rather than starring in TV shows, they’re starting bands and running the apparatus of the music industry that hums and rattles around those making the tunes.

There’s adult tragicomedy going on, as deer guitarist Paz Gordon swears at you for acquiescing to a strip club trip that saw troubled rabbit drummer Keith Boon refuse to stop eating chicken wings. At one point I convinced a trio of goats hammering away at metal tune to give up a room at a recording studio by remembering that their only lyrics went ‘Blood, death, piss, satan’.

The bridge between these encounters and story beats is your day-to-day management of the band, filled out by narcissistic ostrich singer Vernon Rose and mild-mannered fish bassist Carlton. The game’s built up of episodes, each of which culminates in the band performing one song at a gig, which requires you to play along with them quick-time event style by hitting keys in a fashion that’s very much like Yakuza game karaoke.

Image credit:Lichthund

The meat of the action occurs before you get there, though. Having given your group of misfits a name and allowed them to crash on your sofa, you’re the manager and therefore need to go about whipping them into something that can earn a record deal. The game presents two avenues via which you can secure the artistic and/or literal bag - you either spec into the progression tree that’s all about maxing your ability to attract fans, or the one that’s focused on just making your tunes so banging that the rest takes care of itself. It’s corporate sellout versus being managed by a portly English bulldog with a cynical worldview.

To advance up through the levels of either, you make sure your gigs are as good as possible by choosing which activities the band does in the preceding days to further their chances of impressing in either vein. These days are split into four timeslots - morning, afternoon, evening, and night. Each of these turns give you a chance to do one activity, such as buying ads or showing your faces around town to promote that you’re doing a music thing, getting rehearsals in, or hunting down a killer amp so that the band don’t sound like Guns N Roses in a washing machine.

In line with most management games, there’s a smattering of resources you’ve got to earn. The four baseline ones are the band’s health, mood, hype, and money with each designed to be used up and refreshed by doing corresponding activities in the various locations around the game’s town of Buxville. Generally, you’ll build all of them up to then accomplish either buying a new bit of kit or trick that can be slotted in at one of the sections each song’s made up of to boost how well you do, or earning focus points that are used to activate those bits and bobs. It’s a cycle that I can see maybe starting to drag a bit as you get beyond the three episodic chapters I played as part of this preview, but there was just enough drama going on to keep things interesting.

Image credit:Lichthund

It’s the story which I reckon will principally determine whether Rockbeasts will either earn an encore or be booed off stage. Going in, I wasn’t sure if there’d be enough unique meat on the bone in satirising the world of rock’n’roll specifically to properly set the game apart from Bojack’s brilliant and both-barreled dissection of modern celebrity culture and all of its cross-sections. Sure, you’ve got everything from This Is Spinal Tap to The Comic Strip’s Bad News Tour showing that there’s plenty to make fun of here. What makes Bojack so special, though, is taking the sorts of gags folks have been making about celebs for years and dragging them into a surreal version of the modern day that isn’t afraid to dig deeply into the alienation, complex psychology, and intricate issues that face us all in the here and now.

It took the show much of its first series to properly get into the swing of that, and the same sort of learning curve faces Rockbeasts, assuming its writers are prepared and keen to develop the deft, informed touch necessary to take their characters beyond the surface level. For what it’s worth, there was definitely some potential in the short snippet I played. Paz seems the most well-rounded character in this regard so far. Both the scenario I mentioned earlier and one that sees her follow you opting to order the band not to say anything controversial in an interview by sarkily dragging it off the rails are the preview section’s strongest examples of the promised choice and consequence being on song.

There’s some exploration of addiction with Keith that didn’t quite get paid off before I hit the end of chapter three, so it’ll be interesting to see how that evolves. Carlton and Vernon’ll need a lot more fleshing out, especially the latter as he risks being relegated to a paper-thin stereotype of the egotistical vocalist, a caricature to simply be wheeled out whenever the writers need someone in the band to be a dick.

Image credit:Lichthund

The voice acting’s great across the board, especially when it comes to the litany of fun side characters that bring Buxville’s three single street districts - Downtown, Mory Place, and Old Riverton. I’m not sure that going the voiced protagonist route with the unnamed manager you play was the right call, though. Sure, it means conversations flow a little better, but in a game that’s otherwise so dedicated to customisation that it’ll let you name the damn band and dress them up like barbie dolls before they take to the stage, making a blank roleplaying canvas properly blank seems the obvious thing to do.

All in all, there’s potential here, and some indication in the intro - which scored big GTA 4 nostalgia points with me by having Iggy Pop host a rock radio station - that the events of you guiding the band to superstardom in the 90s will echo into what they’re up to nearer the present day. If Rockbeasts is to properly sell out stadiums, though, it’ll have to prove it’s more than just a tribute band.

RockBeasts

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , PC , Nintendo Switch

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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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