How to get the Equalizer Blueprint in ARC Raiders

To find the Equalizer Blueprint in ARC Raiders, you need to complete the Harvester Event — a rotating map condition where a huge ARC structure shows up on the map, guarded by the Queen boss. Unlike most blueprints in the game, the Equalizer Blueprint cannot be found in regular containers. The only two ways to get it are by completing the Harvester Puzzle and looting the reward containers at the end, or by killing the Queen and looting the Queen Core she drops. The Harvester Event appears on Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, and Blue Gate — check our Event Timers to see when the next Harvester rotation is active.

Why You Need the Equalizer Blueprint in ARC Raiders

The Equalizer is a Legendary fully-automatic energy beam rifle and one of the most powerful PvE weapons in ARC Raiders. It fires a continuous energy beam using Energy Clips and has Very Strong ARC Armor Penetration — one of only two weapons in the game with this rating. It absolutely melts heavily armored ARC enemies like Bastions, Rocketeers, and even the Queen herself, making it the go-to weapon for high-level PvE encounters and some of the toughest Weekly Trials. Keep in mind that while the Equalizer can hit other players, it’s really designed for PvE — the damage against raiders is low and the beam makes you easy to spot, so you’ll still want a solid secondary weapon for PvP. Also, once you learn the Equalizer blueprint, you automatically unlock the Energy Clip crafting recipe at your Workbench — so getting this blueprint is essential if you want a steady supply of ammo for your energy weapons. The Jupiter blueprint does not unlock Energy Clip crafting on its own.

The Best Method: Complete the Harvester Puzzle

The Harvester Event is the best and most reliable way to get the Equalizer Blueprint in ARC Raiders. The Harvester is a big ARC structure that shows up as a rotating event on three maps. When it’s active, you’ll see it marked on the map. The Queen boss patrols around it, but here’s the good news — you do not need to fight the Queen to complete the puzzle and get the blueprints. You can sneak past her entirely. For a full step-by-step walkthrough, check out our dedicated How to Complete the Harvester in ARC Raiders guide.

The Harvester spawns on these maps:

• Dam Battlegrounds: South-East of the Power Generation Complex, near the Red Lakes.
• Spaceport: Between the Maintenance Hangar and Staff Parking on the south side of the map.
• Blue Gate: To the west of the Checkpoint, right in the middle of the map.

Harvester Puzzle Quick Guide for the Equalizer Blueprint in ARC Raiders

Here’s a condensed version of the Harvester Puzzle steps. For the full walkthrough with images, see our Harvester Guide.

• Step 1 — Get Inside: Approach the Harvester while the Queen’s back is turned. Watch her patrol pattern for about 30 seconds to find your window. Breach one of the three entrance doors on the ground level. Use a Photoelectric Cloak to go invisible to ARC, Ziplines for speed, or Smoke Grenades to block the Queen’s line of sight.
• Step 2 — Find 3 Fusion Cores: Inside the Harvester, breach the containers along the top level to find 3 Fusion Cores. One usually spawns on the ground in the center. Insert all three into the slots at the base of the central column.
• Step 3 — Destroy the Yellow Targets: After inserting the cores, 12 yellow pulsating targets will appear on the walls around the room. Shoot all of them to deactivate the Harvester. The Harvester will alternate between two hazard phases while you do this — a Fire Phase (room fills with flames, get out immediately) and an Electric Phase (stuns you and drains shields). Take your shield off before the electric phase to avoid the stun.
• Step 4 — Loot the Reward Containers: Once all targets are destroyed, the Harvester powers down and 3 central loot containers rise from the middle. These containers always contain either a Jupiter Blueprint or an Equalizer Blueprint. The Equalizer has a lower drop rate than Jupiter in these containers, so you may need to run the event multiple times before it drops.

Team vs. Solo: You might think running the Harvester with a trio is the way to go, and it is fast — a good team can finish the puzzle in roughly 4-5 minutes. But honestly, going in solo in Friendly Lobbies (which are currently the majority) is arguably the easier option. In Friendly Lobbies, solo players naturally group up at the Harvester and work together to complete the puzzle without any coordination needed beforehand.

Alternative Method: Defeat the Queen for the Equalizer Blueprint

The second way to get the Equalizer Blueprint is by killing the Queen and looting the Queen Core — the large sphere she drops when destroyed. The Queen Core has a chance to contain the blueprint, but this method is way less consistent than the Harvester Puzzle and a lot more dangerous. The Queen has a massive health pool (somewhere between 22,000-33,000 HP depending on who you ask), hits like a truck with mortars, lasers, charges, and EMPs, and the fight will draw every Raider on the map to your location.

That said, if you’re going to fight the Queen anyway for the Queen Reactor (which you need to craft the Equalizer), the blueprint is a nice bonus if it drops. A popular strategy is to complete the Harvester Puzzle first — once the Harvester is deactivated, the structure works as a natural fort that you can fight the Queen from. Use a Hullcracker to break her leg armor, loot the dropped plates for Queen Cores and materials, and focus fire on the exposed core once her legs are gone.

How to Craft the Equalizer in ARC Raiders

Once you’ve got the Equalizer Blueprint and learned it at your Raider Den, you’ll need the following materials and a Gunsmith Level 3 station to craft it:

• 3x Magnetic Accelerator: These can be found in high-tier loot zones, particularly the red lockers in the Rocket Assembly area on Spaceport. They also drop from the Queen. You can alternatively craft them at Refiner Level 3 using Motors and Bombardier Cells.
• 3x Complex Gun Parts: Found in Security-themed loot areas. The Lobby in Stella Montis and Control Tower on Dam Battlegrounds are good spots. Can also be traded for Seeds from Celeste.
• 1x Queen Reactor: Drops from defeating the Queen. You’ll need to break her leg armor and loot the fallen plates, or loot the Queen Core sphere after she’s destroyed.

To repair the Equalizer, you need 2x Magnetic Accelerator and 1x Complex Gun Parts. Recycling it returns 2x Magnetic Accelerator and 1x Complex Gun Parts.

Extra Tips for Getting the Equalizer Blueprint in ARC Raiders

1. Check Event Timers Before Queuing: The Harvester is a rotating event that only appears for a couple of hours at a time. Always check the MetaForge Event Timers before loading in so you don’t waste a run on a map without an active Harvester.

2. Bring a Safe Pocket and a Hatch Key: The moment you find the Equalizer Blueprint, put it in your Safe Pocket immediately. The sound of the Harvester completing is loud and carries across the entire map — other Raiders will rush your location fast. A Raider Hatch Key gives you a guaranteed extraction point so you don’t have to fight your way out.

3. The Equalizer Unlocks Energy Clip Crafting: Learning the Equalizer blueprint automatically adds the Energy Clip crafting recipe to your Workbench — you do not need the Jupiter blueprint for this. That said, the Jupiter is still worth picking up since it’s another strong energy weapon that uses the same ammo. Since both blueprints drop from the same Harvester containers, you’ll probably end up with both eventually anyway.

More ARC Raiders Resources

For the full Harvester walkthrough with detailed images, check out our How to Complete the Harvester in ARC Raiders guide. If you’re hunting for other rare blueprints, browse our How to Find Every Blueprint in Arc Raiders guide or explore loot locations using our Interactive Maps. Join our Discord community to find a squad for the Harvester or discuss ARC Raiders strategies with other passionate Raiders!