The first hours of Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 uncloak a slick action game, but a limited RPG

Come on baby, fight my Phyre

Image credit:Paradox Interactive

I feel for Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 . If it was named something like Fang Bastard: The Punching Of The Many, the trailers wouldn’t have so many views, but those who’d watched them would probably be quite jazzed for that new bitey-talky game that looks a bit like Dishonored with more story branching. It isn’t, and they aren’t. Instead, it’s called Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2, a name packed with some of the weightiest words in RPGdom.

I don’t pity it, though. Three hours and change into Bloodlines 2, I’ve determined that I’d quite enjoy a Dishonored with more story branching, actually. Not as much as if I could express my roleplaying chops outside of very specific dialogue menus, or if I cared more about the fellow nightcrawlers on the other side of those conversations. But for all the tricky development and heavy heritage, I’d be lying if I said I haven’t enjoyed being The Chinese Room’s version of a souped-up vampire prowling a snowy, bisexual-lit Seattle.

That’s Phyre, by the by, your qualifyingly customisable elder vamp who wakes up with – in typical RPG fashion , apparently – someone else’s voice in their head. It belongs to the lingering essence of Fabien, an amusingly out-of-place noir detective (and lesser vampire) who’d been sniffing around some strange murders in Seattle’s supernatural community. Not the worst brain passenger to have, all things considered, and he even grants the occasional break from all the bloodsucking and discussion-having with some investigative flashbacks told from his perspective – complete with his own set of mindreading and spirit medium powers.

It’s Phyre’s kit, though, that makes the action component of Bloodlines 2 feel like the real deal. Within minutes of ending their centuries-old slumber, they’ll have remembered how to scamper up tower blocks, glide across rooftops, and thwack ghouls with enough force to send them airborne. I can’t even find the bathroom lightswitch when I wake up. A few XP points will also quickly get your four introductory clan powers up and running, and while they form a starter pack of sorts, all of them are brimming with ancient shithousing power.

Image credit:Paradox Interactive

I opted for the Ventrue clan, on the grounds that their skills would suit the aggressive stealth style I default to when games give me the option: ordering a distant foe to snap their own neck, for instance, or commanding one to attack their mates, so their numbers thin before needing to move in for up-close takedowns. When proper fights broke out, my lack of direct punching tools did have me coveting the bulky Brujah, especially their long-ranged charge attack and anime-baiting quickfire jab rush. But in tandem with the generous traversal skills and weapon-lobbing telekinesis (yet another of Phyre’s innate powers – OP nerf pls), there’s a serious and satisfying action-stealth game to be played with Ventrue moves.

The Dishonored comparison isn’t a joke: I was a rooftop prowler to rival Corvo himself, messing with enemies’ heads from afar before dashing and leaping over their dwindling numbers to drain their necks one by one. Play slow, and Bloodlines 2 feels considered and cerebral. Play fast, and it’s downright exhilarating. Either way, it’s hard to go wrong with the fighty parts.

This would be a perfect place to go “Shame the roleplaying sucks,” but I won’t because it doesn’t. Or at the very least, it does try some commendable twists on the conversation ‘em up aspect. Your reputation, for instance, is not measured for factions but for individuals: specific freaks, mobsters, and charlatans who each have their own preferences for how snarky, reverential, reassuring, or threatening you make your chosen responses. This starts off as a simple matter of picking the line you think might fit Fabien’s hastily delivered personality briefings, but eventually, they start piling into the same rooms, and trying to please everyone becomes genuinely impossible.

Image credit:Paradox Interactive

When the time comes to make a bigger, storyline-bisecting choice, Bloodlines 2 also seems eager to avoid Mass Effect -style, comically Mega Good/Turbo Evil dichotomies. I’ve only experienced one of these moments so far (I think), and had to leave all parties involved in a lengthy silence because – for once – a video game narrative was offering me two equally flawed yet equally compelling choices.

Still, as well-executed as that particular moment was, it was also an isolated case. The vast majority of quests I completed lacked any kind of meaningful decision-making at all – there’s a risk of minor reputational damage if you don’t choose your words carefully, but you’re also unlikely to fall out with anyone over the course of a single chat. Anyone who didn’t already hate you, at the very least. They also appear to lack multiple completion methods – you can get to the next conversation by either sneaking, brawling, or mental sabotage, but Bloodlines 2 falls short of immsim status by settling for simple A-to-B mission structures without offering room for alternate solutions.

Another crack in its credentials as an RPG is the script. Bloodlines 2 can spin a halfway decent mystery, but too much of the character chatter is flat and tropey. Fabien, for one, is forced to make two separate “If I was a betting man, and I am” quips within half an hour of each other. Still, at least his man-out-of-time detective schtick makes him memorable. I’ve already forgotten the names and faces of the majority of Phyre’s new acquaintances, perhaps save for Tolly: an unusually extroverted Nosferatu who mainly sticks in my head for cramming a prodigious density of gay stereotypes into just three appearances.

Image credit:Paradox Interactive

That’s especially disappointing given that TCR’s most recent success, Still Wakes the Deep , has some of the most naturalistic, believable dialogue work in… I was going to say any horror game, but sod it, just any game . Bloodlines 2 may dwarf it in scale, but nonetheless, it’d be mighty weird for the studio to trip up on storytelling while succeeding well beyond expectation on the action – a genre they’ve barely touched.

Personally, I still believe I can enjoy Bloodlines 2 for what it is: a moody power fantasy where I’ll occasionally need to decide which murderers to help out and which to screw over. That doesn’t require blinding oneself to its shortcomings as an RPG, or indeed, the immensely silly decision to split off whole other sets of clan powers – some of the best bits! – as premium DLC.

But, like I said, I feel for it. The weight of its name is only thus because we had two decades to load up our expectations, and with that much to carry, it’s not surprising to spot a few cracks.

Check out our Gamescom 2025 event hub for all the PC game announcements and preview coverage from Cologne.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2

PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , 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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