Arc Raiders Frozen Trail Update Adds Research Bench to Unlock Blueprints Without RNG

Arc Raiders' Frozen Trail update introduces outposts and a research bench, letting players unlock weapons and items without relying on random blueprint drops. The update arrives October 8.

Tired of grinding for blueprints in Arc Raiders only to be at the mercy of RNG? The upcoming Frozen Trail update has some good news for you.

Set to launch on October 8, Frozen Trail introduces customizable bases called outposts. Alongside them comes a new crafting station: the research bench. This bench isn't just for tweaking weapons for PvP or PvE with new upgrades—it's the key to a new research system that lets you unlock items and weapons without needing to find their blueprints first.

At a reveal event attended by GamesRadar+, executive producer Aleksander Grøndal confirmed that research targets include "a number of blueprints." He explained, "Instead of necessarily having to just chase RNG to get the blueprint you want, there is a system that is called research, where you can find items in the world that contain a number of research points, and using those, you can actually choose which research that you want to have, and that includes a number of blueprints as well."

So how does it work? You'll find items in the world that give you research points. Then you can spend those points to unlock the specific research you want—including blueprints. It's a way to steer your progression instead of leaving it entirely to chance. Grøndal added, "Hopefully, that will allow the players to kind of steer and have an alternate method of getting to the blueprints they want, but also, of course, still maintaining some sort of desire to chase luck out in the Rust Belt as well."

That said, it's not a complete replacement for RNG. It's currently unclear how many blueprints will be available through research or how difficult they'll be to unlock. And it sounds like exclusive blueprints—like legendary weapons tied to endgame Arc reactors—won't be available for research. So you'll still need to chase some luck.

But for many players, anything that cuts down on the RNG grind is welcome. There's nothing worse than resetting your character with an Expedition and struggling to reobtain a favorite gadget, weapon, or attachment blueprint—even with the new blueprint vault that lets you carry over some items between wipes. If we're lucky, blueprints for some of the new weapons and items coming in Frozen Trail will also be available for research.

Speaking of new gear, Grøndal says the blueprints for the new weapons—an assault rifle and a hip-fire revolver—can be found "throughout the whole game." New gadgets include a grappling hook and two types of rope grenades that can tether, attach, and move enemies or objects.

Frozen Trail is shaping up to be a significant update for Arc Raiders. Will you be using the research bench to unlock your favorite blueprints? Let us know in the comments!