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Blueprints are the most valuable-and most confusing-loot category in ARC Raiders. Their rarity, inconsistent availability, and mysterious drop behavior have created a wave of uncertainty across the community. After hundreds of combined hours of testing, cross checking reports, and comparing findings across multiple players, we can now outline the blueprint factors we know are real, the ones we're almost certain are true, and the ones players often misunderstand.

This instructional guide breaks down the blueprint system so you can maximize your chances of securing ARC Raiders items you're chasing.

1. What We Know for Certain About Blueprint Drops

Blueprints can drop from nearly any container-but density matters most.

While certain containers can't drop blueprints, the majority can. Some container types, however, are universally accepted as having higher drop chances:

· Weapon cases

· Buried caches

· Medical duffels

· Grenade cases

· "Black box" blueprint cases

· Raider containers (notably the strongest exception)

But the most important blueprint factor isn't container type-it's container density. The more lootable objects you open per minute, the more blueprint rolls you create. That means:

High-density routes > high-value, low-frequency containers.

Blueprints also come from non-loot sources

· Surveys (Surveyors) drop blueprints at a healthy rate.

· Trials offer reliable blueprint rewards for weekly threestar completions.

Effort gated rooms have better loot

Breachable rooms, parkour-access rooms, locked rooms, and puzzle rooms tend to produce blueprints more often. This appears to be due to higher loot quality in general-not because the rooms themselves are "flagged" for better blueprint odds.

2. Blueprints That "Exist"-But Don't Actually Drop

Not every blueprint listed in the game files currently appears in the world. The clearest example is the Deadline Mine, which has crafting components yet zero confirmed blueprint drops.

This sort of issue isn't new. The Aphelium blueprint, for example, literally had a 0% drop rate until patch 1.3, at which point it became a guaranteed drop from the Matriarch's core.

Given that pattern, some blueprints almost certainly:

· Are tied to events or map conditions not currently active

· Are disabled until future patches

3. Major Map Conditions: The Hidden Blueprint Engine

One of the biggest breakthroughs comes from analyzing major map conditions-which dramatically influence blueprint drop rates.

Electromagnetic Storm (Storm)

Testing reveals storm raids have higher blueprint rates than day raids and possibly even higher than night raids. The surprising part? Certain blueprints appear almost exclusively during storms.

Most notably:

Snap Hook Blueprint

· Rare everywhere

· Suddenly common during storms

·  Multiple players across multiple maps report finding them specifically during storm events

This strongly suggests storm conditions modify blueprint weighting for specific items.

4. Blueprints Tied to Specific Conditions (Based on Strong Evidence)

Tempest Blueprint - Tied to Night Raids

Every confirmed Tempest drop reported so far occurred:

· During a night raid

· Across multiple maps

· From multiple container types

The only consistent factor is night.

Volcano Blueprint - Tied to Hidden Bunker (Spaceport)

All known Volcano blueprints dropped:

· On Spaceport

· Specifically during the Hidden Bunker condition

· In the bunker or anywhere on the map while the event was active

Nothing outside this scenario has produced one.

Bobcat Blueprint - Tied to Locked Gate (Bluegate)

This is the rarest confirmed blueprint in the game because:

· The Locked Gate condition existed only briefly after patch 1.2

· It was removed due to bugs

· All Bobcat blueprint reports came from those few active periods

Until Locked Gate returns, Bobcat drops are essentially impossible.

5. Debunking Common Blueprint Myths

Myth: "Specific blueprints drop from specific container types."

False. Snap Hooks don't come from mechanical containers; guns don't exclusively come from weapon crates. We've seen the opposite too many times.

Exception: The Bluegate Breach Room

One room does seem special:

· The breach room beneath Reinforced Reception on Bluegate

Testing found:

· 7 light stick blueprints

· 2 purple augment blueprints

· 1 turret blueprint

This room appears uniquely weighted-possibly intentionally.

Myth: "Yellow/Red loot zones drop more blueprints."

False. Data shows unmarked areas are often better simply because they contain more containers.

Final Tips for Increasing Blueprint Drops

1. Prioritize high-density container routes.

Damp Battlegrounds' apartments and similar areas excel because of volume, not container type.

2. Chase storms and nights when possible.

Both offer significantly better results than day raids.

3. Target major map conditions tied to specific blueprints.

If you want Volcano, Tempest, Bobcat, or Snap Hook, conditions matter far more than maps.

4. Don't waste time searching for disabled blueprints.

Some items simply cannot drop yet.

Blueprint hunting in ARC Raiders is still part science, part community investigation. Until Embark reveals the underlying systems-or full datamining becomes available-your best advantage is understanding density, conditions, and patterns. Use these insights to streamline your farming runs and increase your odds of landing the blueprints you're after.

Happy raiding-stay sharp, stay curious, and may your next container open yield something rare.