We tried to escape hell in Chained Together and one of us kept running ahead with no warning

I won’t say who but it was Nic

Image credit:Anegar Games

The co-operative clambering of Chained Together is easy to understand. It’s like Fall Guys in the fiery pits of hell, with a tower of fiendish platforming challenges. It brings to mind the mind-shattering failures of Getting Over It and a previous short-lived clamber sim called Only Up . Also, you are chained to your teammates. Every time you fall in this fiery multiplayer de-motivator, you are taking your pals with you, usually right back to the start. At RPS, we are not fazed, this should be straightforward. Nic, Edwin, and Brendan are all disciplined people. Yes, they are bound together in unbreakable irons. Yes, Nic does sometimes leap into the abyss without warning. Yes, they remain divided on precisely what obscene act the giant demon in the game’s background is performing with his idle hands. But none of this means they can’t work together to escape the inferno. Right?

Brendan: I had to describe Chained Together to someone who does not play games earlier, and settled for " Dante’s Inferno meets Total Wipeout, except you’re chained to three people". When one person goes ahead, those chained behind are pulled forward. When a straggler hesitates over a simple, easy, FACILE jump, Nic , everyone attached to that person feels that weight and starts to slip hazardously closer to the edge of whatever narrow levitating box you’re currently occupying. It is an instantly funny game.

May 7, 2024

Nic: I’m actually impressed with how much mileage the game gets out of such a simple concept, and I suspect it’s down to the designers asking themselves: what would I really not like to deal with right now? Each new set of hazards visually communicates the layer cake of fuckery held within. You stumble your collective way through one hazard, scraping through by the bruised skin of your balls, and then your instinctive jubilation is immediately cut short when you behold the next leg of the gauntlet.

Brendan: I thought it would be a good team-building exercise if we were all brutally demoralised together, shoulder-to-shoulder.

Nic: Sometimes, you accidentally look up, and see the winding route still ahead of you, seemingly scattershot but ruthlessly devised to cause you the maximum amount of psychic damage. Sometimes, you accidentally look down, and immediately shit yourself when you realise how all your hard-won progress is but one slip away from crumbling to nothing. Sometimes, you look back, and like Orpheus, immediately regret your decision as your gaze in horror at your useless flailing chainmates, who have once again failed to heed your wisdom that you all “just eyeball it, boys, we’ll be fine.” But we’re not fine, are we Edwin? Because you didn’t believe in me, and most importantly, you didn’t believe in yourself.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Anegar Games

Edwin: Nic old son, old mucker – I think it’s time for a refresher on the concept of a “countdown”. Here is the internationally standardised and accepted formulation of a countdown: “3, 2, 1, go!” Now, please compare and contrast with the following non-standard, unaccepted formulations of a countdown: “3, 2, 1, go???”, “3, 2, go”, “3, 2……. 1go! “, “3, 2, 1, wait, let me back up, 2, 1, go”. Cleave to the official phraseology and you will make many friends in life, including the ones you are chained to in hell. While I’ve got you, here are some other lifehacks: when you are the passenger in a hellbuggy it’s important not to tell the driver the pitfalls are “speed pads”. When you see a floating island of skulls it is important not to shout “chaos party!” and sprint towards them heedlessly. And when you are tethered to people and you fall off a ladder it is important to get back on the ladder promptly, rather than swinging around it saying “WHEE”.

Nic: Look, it’s just no fun if you use “3, 2, 1, go” every time. Sometimes you have to just go on “1”. Keeps things interesting. It’s not my fault you failed to pick up on the subtle vocal cues I was putting down. Also, that laser changed its route. I swear it.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Anegar Games

Brendan: At one point, we tried to institute a “traffic light system” based on our ragged tunics, which were red, amber, and green. But we disagreed on the symbolism of the colour orange. We did eventually develop some useful shorthands though. As unconventional as our countdowns were, they were better than simply gunning it into various hazards in reckless acts of individualism. Yes, I concede our chatter was not always life-saving. Like when we were faced with those moving lasers that would trigger big spikes that THWACK you off the tower. We needed to do measurements, estimates, important calculations. This manifested as Nic standing on some wooden planks with his back turned to the incoming laser, confidently saying: “This is it. This is the furthest point we can safely stand”. The laser passed straight through his knees. The spikey block of concrete that erupted from the wall sent him flying, and us along with him.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun / Anegar Games

Edwin: In Nic’s defence, many of his blunders can be attributed to a failure of leadership from Brendy, the more seasoned lost soul in our group. You were supposed to be the rock, the anchor, Brendy, which I guess you were but in more of a dragging-us-to-the-bottom-sense.

Brendan: Get behind me, Satan. (If you go in front it messes up the jumping physics.)

Edwin: Chained Together is a surprisingly efficient personality test, especially when you play it wrong. I was traffic light green at one end of the chain, which is a position best saved for people who like taking the initiative and have good timing, which describes about 50% of Nic, and 0% of me. Still, we made it past that laser in the end, didn’t we? Shame about that spinning asteroid field further up. As Milton wrote, it is better to serve in heaven than be chained to a couple of journalists in hell.

Chained Together

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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