😱 6 RARE BLUEPRINTS IN ONE RAID?! ARC Raiders’ Cold Snap turned EVERY MAP into LOOT HEAVEN – 30+ PER HOUR on Stella Montis?! ❄️💰 Players stacking BOBcats, APHELION & LEGENDS before devs NERF it to OBLIVION… ‘Rarity’s DEAD!’ Economy CRASHING, sweats RAGING – FARM NOW or REGRET FOREVER! Pics of your hauls below – mine’s INSANE! 🔥
Less than 24 hours after Embark Studios rolled out the Cold Snap winter update on December 16, 2025, ARC Raiders players are reporting an unprecedented blueprint bonanza that’s transforming raids into instant-wealth opportunities – or potential setups for a swift hotfix. What began as a subtle tweak in patch 1.7.0 has snowballed into “blueprints everywhere,” with raiders hauling 4-8 rares per run, some claiming 32 in three hours or 50-plus daily.
The update overlays brutal Snowfall conditions on Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport, and Blue Gate: blizzards obscure sightlines, snow tracks footsteps, frozen lakes crack perilously, and frostbite saps health outdoors in under two minutes without shelter. But the real storm is in loot tables. Patch notes explicitly announce: “Increased some item and blueprint spawn rates in Stella Montis,” “Expanded blueprint spawn locations to improve availability in areas that were underrepresented,” relocation of the ultra-rare Aphelion blueprint from Matriarch bosses to Stella Montis, and juiced rewards in Epic keycard rooms. Electromagnetic storms now occasionally drop valuables via lightning, and Great Mullein herbs proliferated for crafting.
Stella Montis – the November-added mountaintop map – emerged as ground zero. Not yet under Cold Snap’s weather (yet), its boosted rates make it a blueprint magnet: Bobcat kits, Vulcano shotguns, Tempest SMGs, land mines, seeker grenades, extended mags, and legendary attachments flooding containers, security lockers (now dynamic), and boss drops. YouTuber titles scream the hype: “NEW COLD SNAP Update is INSANE for Rare Blueprints! 6 in ONE Run,” with clips of backpacks overflowing mid-raid. Reddit’s top post: “I got more blueprints on 2 rounds of Stella Montis than the entire rest of the time I’ve played,” netting 6.2K upvotes.
Player anecdotes paint a frenzied picture. Streamer StoneMountain64 tweeted: “I HAVE ALREADY GOT 32 BLUEPRINTS IN 3 HOURS JUST TODAY. ARC RAIDERS IS GOING CRAZY WITH THIS UPDATE,” racking 1.7K likes. Sarthe posted video of “50+ blueprints a day after the patch.” X user Prodafty dubbed Cold Snap “THE ULTIMATE BLUEPRINT FARM,” offering BP giveaways. Even casuals chime in: “Every match… at least 1 Blueprint but usually around 2-3,” or “pulling 8 blueprints a raid rn.”
Blueprint
Pre-Update Rarity
Post-Update Reports
Prime Location
Aphelion (Sniper)
Matriarch Exclusive
Frequent on Stella
Boss Rooms, Lockers
Bobcat Kit
Rare
1-2 per run
Containers, Drops
Vulcano Shotgun
Epic
Common in Epics
Keycard Rooms
Tempest SMG
Rare
Stacks of 3+
Security Lockers
Seeker Grenade
Uncommon
Everywhere
General Loot
Extended Mags (Lvl 3)
Rare
PvP Drops Common
Player Kills
Cold Snap maps contribute too: Dynamic lockers and better Epic rooms yield multiples amid frostbite chaos, forcing quick loots or deaths. PvP shifts as safe pockets overflow – downed foes drop BPs, inflating kill rewards.
Intentional or glitch? Patch notes suggest deliberate buffs to counter pre-update scarcity, where players grinded weeks for one rare. PC Gamer quotes: “Blueprint sellers charging $400 USD for Bobcat blueprints in shambles right now.” GameRant calls it “seriously broken,” with Steam forums pleading: “Blueprints drop chance too high… they will more than likely hotfix it.” X polls like ARC Now’s “Thoughts On The BluePrint Drop Rate” draw 600+ likes, split between cheers and “nerf pls.”
Economy ripples: Blueprints unlock Raider Decks, weapons, attachments – core progression. Flood devalues rares, but accelerates grinds pre-Expedition Departure (Dec 17-22), where resets grant permanent buffs (stash tabs, XP edges). Cred soft cap (800) funnels excess into Shani’s store, but BP rain bypasses it.
Synergies amplify: Skill resets (2K coins/point), ADS toggle, slide stamina curb sweat tech – fairer farms. Shredder buffs (faster AI) patrol hotspots, but Bettina endurance doubles sustain fire. Flickering Flames event (to Jan 13) rewards Merits from XP, tying into Candleberry hunts.
Backlash brews: “That special feeling [of rarity] is gone,” per X. AboveTP praises: “Blueprint drop rate buffs are very noticeable… Big W!” but veterans warn of meta bloat. TikTok/YouTube guides (“+500% Blueprint Drops!”) explode views, with speedruns on Cold Snap Stella proxies.
Since October 30 launch (4M+ copies), ARC Raiders’ roadmap – North Line, Cold Snap – sustains peaks via iteration. This BP surge, timed pre-2026, risks burnout if unaddressed. Embark silent on hotfixes, but history (spawn fixes) suggests tweaks loom.
Raiders: Spam Stella, brave Snowfall, stash before wipe. Cold Snap’s insanity – blessing or bug? One extraction at a time.
