ARC Raiders eBay listings show that many players are reselling valuable in-game items, and interestingly, they seem to have a lot of buyers. Developed by Embark Studios, ARC Raiders is one of the most played games of 2025 and recently won Best Multiplayer Game at The Game Awards. Part of its success is believed to come from the addictive loot mechanics that push players to grind for better gear and resources, though not everyone seems willing to acquire upgrades organically.
One of the most sought after and hard to find items in the ARC Raiders is a blueprint. There are over 70 of them, all available for free in the random locations above. However, the drop rate has been so low for many players that they are still missing most of the plans, even after spending hundreds of hours looting boxes and crates. Seeing an opportunity, some players are now selling their hard-earned blueprints online, effectively bringing real-world trading to Embark Studios' popular extraction shooter.
ARC Raiders is starting to look like a massive social experiment
ARC Raiders begins to reveal something unexpected about its players, and the results feel less like a shooter and more like a social experiment.
ARC Raiders listings on eBay are out of control
A quick search for the game's title on eBay will pull up over a thousand results, most of which offer value ARC Raiders blueprints or hard-earned coins. Prices range from $0.99 to $400 or more, depending on the rarity of the item or the size of the order. For example, a highly sought-after Bobcat plan can sell for around $90, while a more common plan like the Wolfpack usually costs under $10. Some vendors also offer bulk crafting materials, with bundles that include weapon parts, Powercells, Assorted Seeds, and more. Almost everything in the seller's in-game inventory appears to be for sale, often advertised with “fast and safe” delivery.
Prices range from $0.99 to $400 or more, depending on the rarity of the item or the size of the order.
How ARC Raiders Blueprint Trade works
Thanks ARC RaidersSecure Pocket Mechanic eBay sellers have a relatively secure way of delivering their goods. After placing the order, the buyer sends their Embark ID to the seller and receives an invitation to the in-game party. Both players will then enter the match, where the seller will hand over the purchased item. The buyer can place it in their safe pocket and return to the lobby without risk.
Coins are a different story as they cannot be stored in a safe pocket. In these cases, sellers will usually bring a batch of high-value items to the match, hand them over to the buyer, and then escort them to the nearest collection point. The buyer can then safely mine these items and sell them for coins. Taken together, this points to a well-established real-world trading system operating within the game.
Blueprint Bartering is also quite popular in ARC Raiders
Players who don't trust eBay sellers or just don't want to spend real money on them ARC Raiders resources turn to barter instead. Several trade threads on the game's subreddits allow players to list the items they want and what they're willing to offer in return. One of the most common trades involves trading one plan for a bunch of different seeds. The exchange makes sense as the plans sell for 5,000 coins while a full stack of Assorted Seeds is worth 10,000 coins.
Until developer Embark Studios implements an in-game trading system, these eBay- and Reddit-driven exchanges seem inevitable. One of the reasons many players choose to buy items instead of grinding is because of this ARC Raiders does not include wiping the entire server. Players can choose to keep their hard-earned materials or exchange them for permanent buffs and cosmetics during the Expedition window. Without these optional wipes, it wouldn't make sense for players to spend hundreds of dollars on items only to lose them a few months later.
Embark Studios take on real money transactions
In the first days of the following ARC RaidersAfter the successful launch, fans turned to the game's official Discord server to stay connected with the developers and other players. One question that came up was why trading was banned on the official server. A community manager responded: “We don't want to facilitate trading here to avoid real money transactions (RMTs) or scams.” They added that this approach is common in extraction shooters, which often prohibit trading in the real world.
Whether the Swedish developer ARC Raiders like it or not, real money trading has already become a part of Speranza's economy. eBay listings show no signs of slowing down, and in order to limit them, Embark Studios will likely have to cut back on key gameplay features like dropping items for friends, which seems far from ideal. he said that ARC RaidersThe current schedule and future plans the developer has for the game in the coming years could bring some surprises, potentially including an official in-game trading system to help curb RMT.
- Released
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October 30, 2025
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood
