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

Well, that was swift. Just over a week after its comprehensive launch, an illicit market for Arc Raiders blueprints has surfaced, demanding potential buyers more than the cost of the base game for some of the rarest firearms.

In the latest multiplayer shooter from Embark Studios, blueprints are part of the loot accessible throughout the map during raids. These allow the unlocking of new weapons by educating you on how to assemble them using various other materials gathered through your adventures fighting other teams and defeating the mechanical kaiju.

The cost? $49.99. Great deal – until you recall that’s ten dollars more than the retail price of the game itself. Yikes.

The specification mentions a different item, labeling it as the Wolfpack, an extremely rare grenade that detonates into guided missiles. Its scarcity doesn’t diminish the discomfort of paying for the game a second time just to obtain it, and the inconsistency is perplexing.

No transfers are allowed between profiles in-game. To acquire the blueprint, you must engage in a raid with the vendor, and subsequently retrieve it after they leave it behind. An open Sweat Pocket is essential to ensure you keep the blueprint if you perish before finishing the raid.

Essentially, you’re spending more than the cost of a retail version of the game for someone to drop the items in an exposed battlefield, with the listings being vague about the actual item you will receive. I’m not someone who gives unrequested financial counsel, but I do believe that simply playing is the superior option.

Participating in Arc Raiders alone is surprisingly relaxing for any PvP game, especially an extraction shooter, players state: “They’ll even accompany me there as if I can’t locate the eggs in the grocery store.”

Anthony is an Irish entertainment and gaming journalist, currently residing in Glasgow. He has previously worked as Senior Anime Writer at Dexerto and served as News Editor at The Digital Fix, in addition to contributing to Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PC Gamer, and many others. Aside from Studio Ghibli, horror films, and The Muppets, he enjoys action-RPGs, heavy metal, and professional wrestling. He once interviewed Animal, not that he won’t stop mentioning it or anything.