The 11 best racing games on PC
Beep beep
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Microsoft / No More Robots / BeamNG / Wired Productions
Vroom vroom. That is the sound of 11 rivals revving their engines as they blink the sweat out of their eyes and exhale years of self-doubt from their lungs. Today is their day. We have lined up these racing games on a starting grid and are interested to see how things shake out. Will the realism-obsessed driving sims take the lead with their sublime physics engines? Might the futuristic combat racers simply destroy the opposition with explosive rockets? Or perhaps a nippy arcade crowd-pleaser will soar to the finish line, propelled by the sound of roaring cheers. It’s all to play for here at our incredibly messed-up grand prix with a worrying lack of rules or regulation. Start your engines, everyone, these are the 11 best racing games on PC. 3! 2! 1! …
WAIT. False start, false start. Let’s briefly explain our reasoning. There are some guidelines after all. For this list, we wanted to focus on racing games, as distinct from driving games, so no American Truck Simulator here. But we still wanted a nice spread. So, like I say, you’ll find sci-fi speed freakery alongside more realistic racers (and at least one game without any motor vehicles at all).
Okay, for real this time… 3, 2, 1… GO!
The best racing games on PC
Here’s a quick breakdown in alphabetical order. If you hate scrolling for some reason, that’s okay. Just click a title to head straight to that game.
- BallisticNG
- BeamNG
- Burnout Paradise
- Descenders
- Forza Horizon 4
- Grip
- Horizon Chase Turbo
- Night-Runners Prologue
- Star Wars Episode 1 Racer
- Trackmania
- Wreckfest
11. Star Wars Episode I Racer
Image credit:Lucasfilm / Disney
What else should I play if I like this? Try the demo for Deathgrip , which is inspired by podracing.
Podracing was always cool. The Phantom Menace may or may not deserve its place in the dungheap of the Star Wars universe as far as storytelling goes. But for sheer spectacle, the podracing scene is a blast, not only in terms of being an entertaining splurge of special effects and cool sci-fi machinery, but also in that it establishes a fresh cultural phenomenon within a oft-recycled universe. Star Wars Episode I Racer , originally released in 1999, let you fling yourself down the canyons of Tatooine and a bunch of other planets that, no, I have never heard of before. Baroonda? Ando Prime? Oovo IV? Okay, strictly speaking the game did not do anything particularly new when it comes to racing games. But there are times when theme trumps novelty, when you can put your shiny-obsessed magpie brain to one side and simply enjoy a safe high-speed chase between the oil derricks of… [checks notes] Mon Gazza.
10. Night-Runners Prologue
Image credit:Planet Jem
What else should I play if I like this? JDM: Rise Of The Scorpion is another old-school racer set entirely in Japan.
What’s this coming up the outside lane? A demo for a game not even fully released? That’s unorthodox. But look, what Night-Runners Prologue lacks in final polish, it makes up for with tonnes of atmosphere. You buy your ride at a dodgy used car auction in the dead of night. You spy some notes in the paper documents accompanying each vehicle, from innocuous observations such as “low oil pressure” or “nearly empty tank” to the slightly concerning “previous driver reported as missing” or the openly dubious “licence plate linked with local crime organisations”. Soon, you too are deeply embedded in Japan’s racing underworld, forced into debt by a facelss gangster. Everything you do here is bathed in old-school street racing subculture, you can almost smell the petrol.
The actual racing involves exploring an urban nightscape of highways and rest stops to find like-minded racers to bet your money against, then blasting down huge straights and gently curving lanes at horrendous speed hoping not to miss the right exit or slam headfirst into an oncoming lorry, every win bringing a boost to your rep. As a game it’s full of idiosyncrasies that will drive casual racers mad. The navigation map is tough to make out, the street lights often eye-squintingly dim. But then there are little sparks of personality. Blasting off from the starting line before the “go” signal will costs you a chunk of reputation. Win, and you’ll not only earn cash, but your legally distinct 2000s era Nokia phone will light up with a text message that whiffs of begrudging respect: “dont let it get to ur head,” says your newest rival. With its quirks and sometimes-quirky design, Night-Runners won’t be for everyone (I crave the roads to be better lit) yet it has such a strong flavour some car tire cultists are bound to fall in love.
9. BallisticNG
Image credit:Neognosis
What else should I play if I like this? RedOut2. Get a PlayStation and play actual WipeOut?
I told my brother we were writing a “best racing games” list on RPS, and he dutifully listed every racing game ever released on the PlayStation 1, starting with Wipeout . I can’t include those games on our PC-only site, and yet I cannot fault his approach. So I offer him this. BallisticNG is in love with the sci-fi racer of yesteryonks, recreating its hovercraft combat zooms in a way that remains somehow deeply futuristic despite the low-poly art style. Even the development studio’s name - Neognosis - is a loving reference to Liverpool-based developer Psygnosis, the original makers of the Hackers’ favourite racer .
Trance fans of a certain age will mostly know what they’re getting, but there are some modern amenities. A “smart assist” can aid players who struggle with the anti-gravity controls, and you can play in VR (if you can stomach such speeds with a road that close to your eyeballs). It has also been “built for modding”, say the developers, letting folks build tracks using a spline-based editor. Even so, this is as close to Wipeout as you will get on PC today, outside of emulating the classic itself. I hope this satisfies my brother, who was disappointed when I said we could not include the PlayStation games he had mentioned. He said he understood, then he suggested Diddy Kong Racing and left the room.
8. Horizon Chase Turbo
Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Aquiris
What else should I play if I like this? Maybe Super Woden GP for a top-down retro racer?
If you pause Horizon Chase Turbo , you’ll discover that when you unpause the game it gives you an extra “3, 2, 1” countdown, to prep you for the big speeds you’re about to get launched back into. That is good game design, my friends. Much of this throwback road rager is as cleverly and loyally crafted. The way the racetrack and its oncoming environs “grow” into existence as the road rises to meet you, the 80s synth guitar rock that pushes you forward almost as much as the nitro in your gas tank. Its simplified Out Run feel means hardcore sim likers may want to avoid it. The car leans into the curves and bends of the road, correcting itself almost automatically, leaving it to you to control things at a more instantaneous level. This is not about accurately recreating car physics, just about accurately recreating a brief era of arcade playfulness and making the racing feel as good as you (wrongly) recall.
7. BeamNG.drive
Image credit:BeamNG
What else should I play if I like this? Assetto Corsa and iRacing both lean heavily toward the same simmy side of the genre.
If you have been scrolling through this list with your driving aviators, tutting at each entry with the furious professionalism of a motoring maniac, then perhaps you will find some catharsis with BeamNG.drive . It leans heavily into an accurate simulation of “soft-body physics” which roughly translates to “rally car go bounce good”. It also means crumpling car bonnets and particles of glass when the police cruiser chasing you down finally catches up. While not strictly a racing game per se, the time trials and free roaming allow for a kind of vehicular liberty. In any case, you’re not here to race. You’re here to drive off a cliff and steeple your fingers with a very serious expression as you scrutinise each dent and crunch with monstrously high standards. I am deathly afraid of you.
6. Grip: Combat Racing
Image credit:Wired Productions
What else should I play if I like this? BallisticNG for a modern take on WipeOut.
Where we’re going we don’t need roads. Hang on, sorry. I’ve just been informed that actually we need extra roads. Roads on the ceiling, roads on the walls… With vehicles like those in Grip , you need all the road you can get. Fashioned after the PlayStation classic Rollcage, this arcadey combat racer sees you sticking to the underside of whatever tubular tunnel you’ve just entered, or sliding up the curved sides of rollercoaster-like racetracks suspended high above the surface of alien planets. The competition is a bit murdery. You are kitted out with tire-shredding miniguns, HUD-disrupting EMP blasts, and missiles that vindictively target the contestant in first place. Yes, this is very much sci-fi Mario Kart with those old double-sided RC cars that were massive in the 1990s. Nothing wrong with that.
5. Descenders
Image credit:No More Robots
What else should I play if I like this? Both Riders Republic and Lonely Mountains: Downhill may scratch the mountain biking itch.
“Bicycles!?” I hear you yell. “But those don’t have motors!” Please, be reasonable. There is space for all sorts of racing in this world. Descenders is about barrelling down a mountainside on the saddle of a two-wheeled rumbler while trying not to fly over the handlebars and ragdoll violently into a tree. As a professional mud commuter you will be backflipping over trains and looping-the-proverbial-loop all while navigating a branching cascade of levels and investing in “mutators” that change your abilities with each run. The roguelike stuff sometimes seems a little superfluous but the feeling of the bike’s handling itself is a thumb-pleasing blend of challenge and intuition. And, god, is it ever funny when you take a tumble.
4. Trackmania
Image credit:Ubisoft
What else should I play if I like this?
In Trackmania , the cars take second place. Here it’s all about the tracks players can cobble together from premade assets using an in-game level editor, channelling the Hot Wheels child in all of us. There have been a few Trackmanias, good heavens , but the most recent incarnation is the plainly named Trackmania of 2020. It has the benefit (and curse) of being free-to-play, so you can race on a bunch of curated and official tracks for free. But to get a decent version of the track editor, you will have to fork out some cash. The same goes if you want to see the full range of wild creations players have uploaded, such as the absurdly difficult maps Deep Dip and Deep Dip 2 , the latter of which took dedicated players over a month of constant racing to finally conquer .
3. Wreckfest
Image credit:THQ Nordic
What else should I play if I like this? Burnout Paradise is the other smashy one you’ll like.
Get bashed hard enough in this destructive derby and a red message will pop up, labelling the aggressive driver who hit you as a “rival”. You can then earn extra points by ramming this rival, leading to silly situations like getting completely distracted from securing your place at the front of the pack, just so you can hang back and harass the off-brand VW Beatle who tried to punt you off the road. There is something innately hilarious about building an entire driving game around old bangers. The station wagons, minis, and legally distinct Fiat 500s will spin out with delightful glee as you fishtail them on a bend, messing everything up for the tightly packed stack of competitors behind you (this is especially soaked in schadenfreude during online multiplayer). Wreckfest has a lot of the usual extras under the hood - car upgrades, suspension tuning, customisable paint jobs - but no matter how nicely you dress up your beastly bangmobile, it’s the aggression and craziness that counts. Don’t be afraid to shunt that bargain bucket Ford Escort into a stack of tires at the side of the road.
2. Burnout Paradise Remastered
Image credit:Electronic Arts
What else should I play if I like this? Wreckfest, for destructiveness, or the Forza games for an open world.
PC gamers sadly never got to feel the metallic intensity of Burnout 3: Takedown, but they did finally experience true joy in 2008 with Burnout Paradise . Ten years later, the Remastered version didn’t change much at all about the game, but it did make it easier to play (uh, a bit - more on that in a sec). There are many simple pleasures to Burnout’s crashy careening: you spin your tires at traffic lights to start a race, you can dip into repair shops during a contest to refill your boost meter on the fly. And when you spot a big billboard you will often take a last-second detour to fling yourself through said advert with wild abandon, like a sumo wrestler belly-flopping through a paper door in a rural Japanese house. It is a hefty, powerful, generously fun-loving game. The cars are slightly less fragile than in previous Burnouts, letting you sometimes “driveaway” from a hairy fender bender. But the destructive silliness remains intact, with the crossroads and hilly outskirts of Paradise City inviting you to hurtle headfirst into traffic.
The Remastered version has its issues, be warned. In the absence of official updates, it has fallen to god’s own IT department to list fixes for many of those technical annoyances. But even taking this into consideration, Paradise remains a paradise. Even the fictional DJ Atomika, the obnoxious voice of the game’s tutorials and universally reviled radio “personality”, cannot diminish the game’s place among open world racers. And anyway, you can mod that jackass right out .
1. Forza Horizon 4
Image credit:Xbox Game Studios
What else should I play if I like this? Forza Horizon 5, probably. Or if you want to explore the US, The Crew 2.
When it comes to “game feel” for a racer, there is perhaps a sweet spot somewhere between arcade wackiness and glove-adjusting simulation. I don’t know where that sweet spot is, but the creators of Forza Horizon 4 probably do. “This game isn’t going to bother simulating tyre wear or brake temperature,” wrote Stirling in our review , “it’s just going to assume that your car is working as intended.” Aside from the slick, low-stakes drifting, there’s a variety of loony events to take part in as you roam the British countryside in continually changing seasons. Snow will change your car’s handling as it tries to desperately keep up with a steam train. Rain will have a similarly slick effect as you pursue a hovercraft over muddy country roads. Don’t worry though, the game is set in Britain. It probably won’t rain often.
Forza is well respected round these parts. Resident RPS racing game knower Graham has called it “better than Burnout Paradise” . Some of us in the RPS treehouse take exception to such wild statements, yet both Ed and Matthew seem to agree that Playground Games are today’s pacemaker when it comes to perfect game openings and riotous hovercraft racing . In the face of such overwhelming enjoyment, perhaps we Burnout loyalists can finally lay off the gas and pull up for a rest. Forza Horizon 4 has overtaken; there is no catching up.
Yet there is a sad catch to all this praise. You’ll need to get Fourza while you can, because it’ll be getting delisted from Steam in December 2024 (if you read this after that date, sorrrrrry). There is always the follow-up, Forza Horizon 5 , set in Mexico with a recognisably smooth feel. It’s not the autumnal Yorkshire Moors though, is it?
BallisticNG
Video Game
BeamNG.drive
PC
Burnout Paradise Remastered
PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Nintendo Switch
Descenders
PS4 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X/S , Nintendo Switch
Forza Horizon 4
Xbox One , PC
Grip
PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Nintendo Switch
Horizon Chase Turbo
Xbox One , Nintendo Switch
Night-Runners
Video Game
Star Wars Episode 1: Racer
PS4 , PC , Nintendo Switch
Trackmania
PC
Wreckfest
PS4 , Xbox One , 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:
| Blueprint | Type | Recipe | Crafted At |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bettina | Weapon | 3x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Heavy Gun Parts 3x Canister | Gunsmith 3 |
| Blue Light Stick | Quick Use | 3x Chemicals | Utility Station 1 |
| Aphelion | Weapon | 3x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Complex Gun Parts 1x Matriarch Reactor | Gunsmith 3 |
| Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) | Augment | 2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x Processor | Gear Bench 3 |
| Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive) | Augment | 2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x Processor | Gear Bench 3 |
| Complex Gun Parts | Material | 2x Light Gun Parts 2x Medium Gun Parts 2x Heavy Gun Parts | Refiner 3 |
| Fireworks Box | Quick Use | 1x Explosive Compound 3x Pop Trigger | Explosives Station 2 |
| Gas Mine | Mine | 4x Chemicals 2x Rubber Parts | Explosives Station 1 |
| Green Light Stick | Quick Use | 3x Chemicals | Utility Station 1 |
| Pulse Mine | Mine | 1x Crude Explosives 1x Wires | Explosives Station 1 |
| Seeker Grenade | Grenade | 1x Crude Explosives 2x ARC Alloy | Explosives Station 1 |
| Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) | Augment | 2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x Processor | Gear Bench 3 |
| Angled Grip II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 3x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 2 |
| Angled Grip III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 3 |
| Hullcracker | Weapon | 1x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Heavy Gun Parts 1x Exodus Modules | Gunsmith 3 |
| Launcher Ammo | Ammo | 5x Metal Parts 1x Crude Explosives | Workbench 1 |
| Anvil | Weapon | 5x Mechanical Components 5x Simple Gun Parts | Gunsmith 2 |
| Anvil Splitter | Mod | 2x Mod Components 3x Processor | Gunsmith 3 |
| ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
| Barricade Kit | Quick Use | 1x Mechanical Components | Utility Station 2 |
| Blaze Grenade | Grenade | 1x Explosive Compound 2x Oil | Explosives Station 3 |
| Bobcat | Weapon | 3x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Light Gun Parts | Gunsmith 3 |
| Osprey | Weapon | 2x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 7x Wires | Gunsmith 3 |
| Burletta | Weapon | 3x Mechanical Components 3x Simple Gun Parts | Gunsmith 1 |
| Compensator II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 4x Wires | Gunsmith 2 |
| Compensator III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 8x Wires | Gunsmith 3 |
| Defibrillator | Quick Use | 9x Plastic Parts 1x Moss | Medical Lab 2 |
| ??? | ??? | ??? | ??? |
| Equalizer | Weapon | 3x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Complex Gun Parts 1x Queen Reactor | Gunsmith 3 |
| Extended Barrel | Mod | 2x Mod Components 8x Wires | Gunsmith 3 |
| Extended Light Mag II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 3x Steel Spring | Gunsmith 2 |
| Extended Light Mag III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Steel Spring | Gunsmith 3 |
| Extended Medium Mag II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 3x Steel Spring | Gunsmith 2 |
| Extended Medium Mag III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Steel Spring | Gunsmith 3 |
| Extended Shotgun Mag II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 3x Steel Spring | Gunsmith 2 |
| Extended Shotgun Mag III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Steel Spring | Gunsmith 3 |
| Remote Raider Flare | Quick Use | 2x Chemicals 4x Rubber Parts | Utility Station 1 |
| Heavy Gun Parts | Material | 4x Simple Gun Parts | Refiner 2 |
| Venator | Weapon | 2x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 5x Magnet | Gunsmith 3 |
| Il Toro | Weapon | 5x Mechanical Components 6x Simple Gun Parts | Gunsmith 1 |
| Jolt Mine | Mine | 1x Electrical Components 1x Battery | Explosives Station 2 |
| Explosive Mine | Mine | 1x Explosive Compound 1x Sensors | Explosives Station 3 |
| Jupiter | Weapon | 3x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Complex Gun Parts 1x Queen Reactor | Gunsmith 3 |
| Light Gun Parts | Material | 4x Simple Gun Parts | Refiner 2 |
| Lightweight Stock | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 3 |
| Lure Grenade | Grenade | 1x Speaker Component 1x Electrical Components | Utility Station 2 |
| Medium Gun Parts | Material | 4x Simple Gun Parts | Refiner 2 |
| Torrente | Weapon | 2x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 6x Steel Spring | Gunsmith 3 |
| Muzzle Brake II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 4x Wires | Gunsmith 2 |
| Muzzle Brake III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 8x Wires | Gunsmith 3 |
| Padded Stock | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 3 |
| Shotgun Choke II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 4x Wires | Gunsmith 2 |
| Shotgun Choke III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 8x Wires | Gunsmith 3 |
| Shotgun Silencer | Mod | 2x Mod Components 8x Wires | Gunsmith 3 |
| Showstopper | Grenade | 1x Advanced Electrical Components 1x Voltage Converter | Explosives Station 3 |
| Silencer I | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 4x Wires | Gunsmith 2 |
| Silencer II | Mod | 2x Mod Components 8x Wires | Gunsmith 3 |
| Snap Hook | Quick Use | 2x Power Rod 3x Rope 1x Exodus Modules | Utility Station 3 |
| Stable Stock II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 3x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 2 |
| Stable Stock III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 3 |
| Tagging Grenade | Grenade | 1x Electrical Components 1x Sensors | Utility Station 3 |
| Tempest | Weapon | 3x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 3x Canister | Gunsmith 3 |
| Trigger Nade | Grenade | 2x Crude Explosives 1x Processor | Explosives Station 2 |
| Vertical Grip II | Mod | 2x Mechanical Components 3x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 2 |
| Vertical Grip III | Mod | 2x Mod Components 5x Duct Tape | Gunsmith 3 |
| Vita Shot | Quick Use | 2x Antiseptic 1x Syringe | Medical Lab 3 |
| Vita Spray | Quick Use | 3x Antiseptic 1x Canister | Medical Lab 3 |
| Vulcano | Weapon | 1x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Heavy Gun Parts 1x Exodus Modules | Gunsmith 3 |
| Wolfpack | Grenade | 2x Explosive Compound 2x Sensors | Explosives Station 3 |
| Red Light Stick | Quick Use | 3x Chemicals | Utility Station 1 |
| Smoke Grenade | Grenade | 14x Chemicals 1x Canister | Utility Station 2 |
| Deadline | Mine | 3x Explosive Compound 2x ARC Circuitry | Explosives Station 3 |
| Trailblazer | Grenade | 1x Explosive Compound 1x Synthesized Fuel | Explosives Station 3 |
| Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) | Augment | 2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x Processor | Gear Bench 3 |
| Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) | Augment | 2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x Processor | Gear Bench 3 |
| Yellow Light Stick | Quick Use | 3x Chemicals | Utility Station 1 |
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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