ARC Raiders, a highly popular extraction adventure game, encompasses a large number of systems and mechanics. To master the gameplay, players need a deep understanding of these mechanics.
Most aspects of ARC Raiders are relatively straightforward and easy to grasp. However, some aspects require players to discover through extensive experience and data analysis, as the game doesn't explicitly state them. This leads many players to draw unverified conclusions based on their own gameplay experience.
For example, some players believe that Snap Hook Blueprints only spawn on trash cans or car hoods, or that Tempest Blueprints only exist in specific locations. Since these conclusions are based on player experience, they are not absolute.
Once other players find the same Blueprint elsewhere, these claims are overturned. Without 100% data support or confirmation from the game developers, any experience-based advice is not definitive.
The only way to verify the accuracy of information regarding Blueprints is through continuous game data collection, which provides more information for reference. Therefore, we can conduct a large number of tests to see if we can draw any useful conclusions.
Confirmed Blueprint Information
First, we can confirm that the best source of Blueprints is from Trials rewards. You can try to obtain them weekly.
However, note that some Blueprints can only be obtained from in-game missions and do not drop randomly. For example, Jupiter Blueprint and Equalizer Blueprint can only be obtained from Harvester Event.
So almost all the remaining Blueprints can be randomly refreshed in the game's containers. Loot Containers have a higher drop rate, such as Weapon Cases, Grenade Cases, Medical Duffel Bags, or Uncovered Caches.
Furthermore, since the quality of the loot also affects the blueprint drop rate, this means that Night Raids drop more Blueprints than Day Raids.
This rule also applies to any room that requires extra effort to enter, where the loot quality of each container is higher than that of other containers on the maps. This means players might find Blueprints in unexpected locations, and this boost seems to stack with Night Raid effects.
Furthermore, Blueprint drop rate for Fragile Containers is slightly higher than for standard loot. Additionally, the blueprint drop rate in the ARC Surveyor is also high.
It's worth noting that the Blueprints for the six new items added in the recent ARC Raiders update haven't been reported to be obtained by any players. From a technical standpoint, their Blueprints should exist within the game, as the maximum number of Blueprints has increased after the game update. However, it can only be assumed that their Blueprints are unobtainable.
Electromagnetic Storm Testing
Many players have mentioned finding specific Blueprints in certain locations or under specific map conditions within the game, especially Electromagnetic Storm map modifiers. This does not mean that Electromagnetic Storm increases the drop rate of Blueprints or other ARC Raiders items. However, the frequency of occurrence is indeed quite high, so it's definitely related to map conditions.
This phenomenon repeatedly occurs in the apartment complexes in the southwest of Dam Battlegrounds, such as Pale Apartments and Ruby Residences. Many players have reported finding special Blueprints in these buildings during Electromagnetic Storm, including Tempests and Snap Hooks.
Testing Results
With these clues, we now need to verify their accuracy. In general, during the testing phase, the three of us specifically went to the aforementioned locations five times during Electromagnetic Storm and found five different types of blueprints.
However, there were some exceptions. For example, we found nothing once due to other players' interference, and we also found double the blueprints once.
On average, however, it still proves that certain factors led to a higher Blueprint drop rate than usual. But we cannot draw hasty conclusions; we still need to test other scenarios.
So in the later Electromagnetic Storm Raid, we tried going to other places, even other maps, and were able to find different Blueprints. We even met a friend who found a blueprint while the Electromagnetic Storm was active.
Based on this experience and information from other players, we are confident that the Blueprint drop rate is higher than the game average under the influence of the Electromagnetic Storm mod.
Interestingly, we later went to the same locations in Night Raids and compared the number of Blueprints obtained under the two conditions. It's reasonable to speculate that the drop rate in Electromagnetic Storm is not much different from that in Night Raids, and may even be slightly higher. Of course, this conclusion is subject to change and is for reference only.
Are There Special Blueprint Drops In Containers/Locations?
Next, let's look at Blueprint drop rate in specific locations or containers, which is what everyone is concerned about. Many players believe that the broken-down room in the undergraduate dormitory in The Blue Gate is a hotspot for Augment Blueprint drops. While this claim sounds overly specific, it's one of the few clues about Blueprint locations available so far, and no player has refuted it. Therefore, this information has a certain degree of credibility!
Some players have also specifically mentioned Blueprint drop locations or container types, but there's currently insufficient data to confirm their accuracy. However, this information has been widely accepted by players.
Meanwhile, some players have mentioned that Tempest Blueprint drops in Grandioso Apartments in Buried City during Night Raid. We searched for this multiple times to verify its accuracy but didn't find it; instead, we found two other blueprints.
Related: ARC Raiders Blueprints Farming Guide | Best Maps, Containers, And Enemies For Crafting Recipes
Summary
After numerous tests and combining information from a large number of players, we believe that rather than a specific location type or container type increasing the blueprint drop rate, it's more likely due to the high density of containers that might drop blueprints.
Although Blueprints randomly spawn among all lootable containers, certain types of containers simply will not drop blueprints. For example, I've never seen one in Wicker Baskets. Therefore, the best way to determine Blueprint drop rate is to target containers with a higher chance of dropping blueprints, such as Loot Containers mentioned earlier, or items like drawers, red lockers, and briefcases.
However, this doesn't mean that apartment buildings in Dam Battlegrounds increase Blueprint drop rate. The key is that these densely packed apartment buildings have an extremely high density of Blueprint-containing containers, making it more likely for players to find Blueprints there than elsewhere.
In any case, the key to the drop rate is the density of Blueprint-containing containers. While this isn't entirely absolute, based on my extensive gaming experience, this explanation is reasonable.
In general, Electromagnetic Storm state does increase the drop rate of Blueprints, although this is not explicitly stated in the event itself. Alternatively, you can go to locations with a high density of Blueprint-containing containers. If you want to increase your chances of collecting Blueprints, focus on Electromagnetic Storms.
This concludes my latest update on Blueprint drops in ARC Raiders, containing some truly useful information. I hope this article has been helpful, and thank you for reading!