The Manor Lords publisher thinks we should all reject the “opportunistic and predatory” quest for a viral hit

A chat with Hooded Horse CEO Tim Bender about strategy games and letting devs cook

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Hooded Horse

If you’re a strategy game aficionado who has yet to cast a monocled eye over Hooded Horse’s catalogue, 1) which map hexagon have you been skulking under? And 2) you’re in for a treat. Founded in 2019 with the signing of Terra Invicta , and led by Dallas, Texas-based chief executive officer Tim Bender and chief financial officer Snow Rui, Hooded Horse have spent the past five years grabbing up original strategy games and strategy RPGs like a smaller civ quietly steamrolling bandit fiefdoms, while larger empires like Creative Assembly and Paradox Interactive bleed each other white in the centre.

Which makes Hooded Horse sound like they’re driven by competitiveness, whereas this is one of the few publishers that I would wincingly suggest are driven by love of the subject matter, because only a publisher that really loves strategy would scoop up anything as particular as Manor Lords , in which the oxen are far more lifelike than any fictional oxen need to be , or Nebulous: Fleet Command , aka Homeworld but you can program your own missiles . Or Falling Frontier , with its hypnotic, radar-blocking planetary shadows, or Norland , in which you’ll want to be on good terms with the prophets .

I don’t love all of Hooded Horse’s games - I bounced off Ollie’s cherished Against The Storm , despite obsessing over the premise, because the game’s animal workers seemed too robotic in their behaviour - but I’m always eager to write about them, because they are so thoroughly their own worlds. The distinctiveness and variety of Hooded Horse’s offering says a lot about Bender and Rui’s feelings of “obligation” towards specific populations of extra-nerdy developers and players, and their guiding anger about how other publishers do business.

“I think that the fundamental principle that we’re looking for, in terms of strategy games, is something that offers a unique experience, that a certain group of players will love, and how big that group of players is isn’t so important,” Bender told me earlier this year, shortly after Manor Lords became Steam’s day-one most-played city building sim . “As long as it’s something that will be truly loved by a group.”

The strategy genre is, he feels, especially amenable to this focus on niche enthusiasts, because strategy games tend to be sandboxes, encouraging you to match up the pieces in florid ways - which makes their players more inclined to seek out imaginative spins on the fundamentals. “The players so often like to play multiple games, and like to interact with new systems, and, you know, they’ll happily say, oh, I want to buy this indie game, to try out this experience of it. And then this other one to have a different experience. They value the creativity - they want new approaches.”

Image credit:Hooded Horse

Even in the wake of Manor Lords’s thunderous launch, Bender is more enthused about the breadth of Hooded Horse’s portfolio than the fortunes of any specific title. He and Rui would rather their company be remembered for helping a community of genre obsessives prosper together, than for one of those developers becoming the next Blizzard. Nor will they be plunging the money from Manor Lords into a massive operational expansion (at the time of writing, Hooded Horse have around 20 people on the books). Going public? By the sounds of it, that won’t happen while Bender and Rui are in charge.

The past few years haven’t made a great case for the wisdom of rapid expansion, nor placing your company’s fate in the hands of public shareholders , but Hooded Horse have always defined themselves against such things. When I asked Bender whether publishing so many idiosyncratic projects has made Hooded Horse more “sustainable”, he flipped the question.

“Sustainability is something we think about a lot,” Bender began. “But usually we think about it in relation to developers. So we’re in an interesting situation - we never took money from, like, venture capitalists, or private equity, or international conglomerates, or anything that would put pressure on us. In fact, we even wrote into our bylaws that we can prioritise other things over profits, like artistic integrity and fair treatment.

“And we’re just owned by individuals - a majority of shares are owned by myself and Snow, together as husband and wife. And the other shareholders are smaller groups, individuals too, and many of them are in games. If not, they love games. And no one’s really like ‘when are the profits coming, endless growth’, stuff like that. We’re never going to go public, we’re never going to IPO, we’re never going to have any of that stuff that causes headaches for everyone.

“And because of that, we don’t really have any perpetual growth goal. And we don’t have pressure financially. And we’ve been lucky enough to work with such great developers, and they produce such great games. Even before Manor Lords, we were fully sustainable financially, based on the wonderful games those developers have made.

“And so as a consequence, we don’t have to worry about sustainability, I think. But we’re very focused on what’s more important, which is developer sustainability. Because there are [publishing agreements] where the publisher gets all the revenue at first until they recoup their investment, and only then does developer start to get any share. That’s very common in the industry. And we from the beginning, didn’t want to do that - our preferred arrangement is just flat percentage splits.”

For context, in March last year, Bender and Rui told MCV that Hooded Horse offer developers 65% of revenue, with the publisher’s share covering things like localisation and marketing. This is open to negotiation, however.

“The reason for that is because of sustainability for developers,” Bender went on. “Because games will have varying results, and if one game does a little worse, like you just said in your question, it’s actually OK for us, because we’ve got a tonne of games. And that’s always true of publishers, right? Publishers have like 10 games, they’re diversified - one can go a little badly, one can go a little better, the two cancel out there.

“But for developers, that’s like the end. And if they’re under recoup, it’s often the complete end, because if they’re under recoup, it might be that if the game does a little worse, and there was some money spent on it, and now the publisher gets to take back whatever they put in before the developer gets $1, and that could mean developers not getting paid, and certainly not having the cash after release to keep staff around, to avoid layoffs, to continue developing and improving the game, and help it recover from whatever stumble happened at launch.”

Bender feels that many publishers approach publishing like venture capitalist firms, backing a series of games in the hope of a hit, though he doesn’t name any names. “They’re like mini-VCs, where it’s something like, ‘oh, I’ll just invest in five projects and four will flop, but one will go big, and I’ll make my money there’,” he explained. “And it’s just a horrible way to think about things, right? It’s opportunistic and predatory. People are trusting you with their lives and dreams, they’re trusting you with the future of their studio and their employees.”

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Hooded Horse

Bender thinks players should actively seek out publishers that “take care of all the devs, especially the ones that might be struggling”. To frame that in hard numbers, he says Hooded Horse tend to prioritise median revenue across their portfolio - median being the “middle value” separating the lower and higher halves of a series of figures - because median revenue can paint a clearer picture of the fortunes of the games in question, compared to either total or average publisher revenue, which may be distorted by games that sell a lot more copies. If you’d like to explore this further, hobbyist site Gamalytic keeps track of publisher median revenue and has been endorsed by a few game developers I follow, though I can’t myself speak to the accuracy of their figures.

“What you do for the median game, and what you do for the game that struggled the most, and how you’re trying to come back, how you continue to put your efforts into all your games fairly, and live up to the obligations of what you promised those developers, when they trusted their game to you - that means so much more, in terms of whether players should trust a publisher and say, ‘oh, I’ll try their next game’,” Bender said. “That shouldn’t be based on the viral hit. And whether a developer who’s considering a publisher should trust that publisher, because don’t bank on being the next viral hit.”

Hooded Horse’s rising-tide-lifts-all-boats ethic seems ideal for early access strategy games that may need more leeway from the publisher to coalesce and build a following, by virtue of the complexity of their player systems. Bender has proven pretty zealous on this count. Earlier this week, he and Hinterlands CEO Raphael van Lierop got into it a little on LinkedIn over whether Manor Lords has received enough updates since launch . Van Lierop opined that Hooded Horse and developer Greg Styczeń should have planned some more significant additions to Manor Lords (which he otherwise likes) in the months after release, to keep player counts high, describing this as “a pretty interesting case-study in the pitfalls of Early Access development”.

Bender replied that, on the contrary, he had actively told Styczeń to ignore complaints about the shortage of updates, insisting that “success should not create an ever raising bar of new growth expectations” at the expense of developer wellbeing. Following an online backlash which has spread to other members of Hinterlands, Van Lierop has apologised for his post , commenting that “I should have found a better way to frame my original feedback, without referencing a specific game” and reiterating that he is “firmly pro-developer, and anti-crunch”. I personally would love to hear the two CEOs discuss the subject more calmly. Notwithstanding Van Lierop’s thoughts about the importance of swift updating, Hinterlands’s 2017-launched The Long Dark - whose opening screen message includes a disavowal of crunch - is a prominent example of an early access project gestating at its own rate so as not to overwork the developers.

Image credit:Hooded Horse

The one serious caveat I’d lodge about Hooded Horse right now is the familiar line that it’s easier to promise the world when times are good. In the MCV piece above, Bender concedes that if Hooded Horse were up against it, the company would take on more outside investment, with all this might entail in terms of creative control and the company’s ability to sustain that community of niche developers. “If it’s between that, or not being able to fund games that need funding in terms of support and jobs, we would accept the money and then we would have to pay a price,” he told the site. Here’s hoping it never comes to that, because for this on-and-off-again strategy nut, watching Hooded Horse paint the map has been a source of slow delight.

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Against The Storm

PC

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Manor Lords

PC

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Nebulous: Fleet Command

PC

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Norland

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.

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ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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