Arc Raiders already has an online market for blueprints, a rare one could cost you more than the game itself, and you might not even get to keep it

An Arc Raiders player taking cover behind a ruined car as a giant spider-like robot towers over the road

(Image credit: Embark Studios)

Well, that was quick. Just over a week removed from its full launch, a black market of Arc Raiders blueprints has emerged, charging potential customers over the price of the base game for some of the rarest guns.

In the new multiplayer shooter from Embark Studios, blueprints are among the loot available across the map during raids. These unlock new weapons by teaching you how to craft them using myriad other materials collected through your escapades battling other teams and taking down the robotic kaiju.

Launch Trailer | ARC Raiders - YouTube

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The price? $49.99. Bargain - until you remember that's ten dollars above the retail cost of Arc Raiders itself. Yeesh.

The description says something different, listing it as the Wolfpack, an ultra rare grenade that explodes into homing missiles. Being so rare doesn't take the edge off paying for the game again just to have it, and the discrepancy is confusing.

There are no transfers between profiles in-game. To receive the blueprint, you need to enter a raid with the seller, then pick it up after they drop it. You need an open Sweat Pocket to guarantee you'll keep the blueprint should you die before completing the raid.

Essentially, you're paying more than the price of a retail copy of the game for someone to leave the goods in an open battlefield, with the listings being unclear about the item you'll even get. I'm not one to offer unsolicited financial advice, but I do think simply playing is the better deal.

Playing Arc Raiders solo is shockingly chill for any PvP game, let alone an extraction shooter, players say: "They'll even take me there like I can't find the eggs in the supermarket."