Arc Raiders Canto Guide: Best Ways to Obtain and Use It

Ever since the Flashpoint update dropped, the Canto SMG has quickly become one of the most talked-about, S-tier weapons in Arc Raiders. It uses medium ammo and has a massive selling point: as you upgrade it, its base magazine capacity scales up automatically. When you build it right, this thing feels like an absolute laser beam in both PvP and PvE.

The catch? You can't just buy it or stumble upon it in a random crate. You need to hunt down a rare blueprint, extract it, and craft it yourself.

If you are trying to get your hands on the Canto, here is exactly how to find the blueprint and how to set up the gun for success once you have it.

How to Obtain the Canto Blueprint

Forget checking normal containers or farming standard enemies—the Canto blueprint doesn't drop there. It is strictly tied to specific map rules and weather events.

• Target Hurricane Events: The blueprint only drops from First Wave Raider Caches (the community often calls them Hurricane Caches). These look like small, buried tins and only spawn on outdoor maps when a Hurricane Major Map Condition is active.
• Listen for the Hum: You have to rely on your ears. When you get within 30 to 50 meters of a First Wave Cache, you will hear a distinct electrical hum or beeping sound.
• Stack Your Map Boosts: If you want to increase your odds, look for a Night Raid that overlaps with a Hurricane event. The Night Raid environment gives you a global item discovery boost, making the rare drop a bit more likely to spawn.
• Check Weekly Trials: Don't skip checking the weekly Arc Raiders Trials rotation. Every now and then, the developers throw the Canto blueprint in as a direct reward for completion.
  
  

The "Naked" Farming Meta

Hunting for these caches during a Hurricane is a nightmare if you go in geared. The map drains your shields constantly, the wind noise is deafening, and other players are actively hunting for the exact same thing.

Because of this, the community has developed a highly efficient, zero-risk strategy called "Naked Farming." Here is how it works:

• Go in Naked: Strip your custom loadout completely bare. You want to drop into the Hurricane map with absolutely nothing on you. This means you are relying entirely on your built-in Safe Pocket.
• Tweak Your Audio: Before you deploy, head into your Audio Settings and turn on Night Mode. This compresses the game's audio dynamics, lowering the roar of the hurricane wind and heavily boosting the distinct electrical hum of the caches.
• Use a Second Screen: Pull up an external interactive map on a second monitor showing known Raider Cache spawn clusters. Run a direct route between these spots.
• Secure the Goods: The second you find the Canto blueprint, drop it directly into your Safe Pocket.
• The Magic Trick: Once the blueprint is in your Safe Pocket, you don't need to risk running to an extraction point. Open your menu and hit Surrender. You will instantly return to base, and because the blueprint was in your Safe Pocket, it comes back with you completely intact.
  
  

How to Customize and Use the Canto

Once you finally get the blueprint back to base and craft the weapon, it's time to build it out. Without attachments, the Canto can feel a little wild, but with the right setup, you can completely eliminate weapon spray.

To maximize its damage potential and make it a literal laser, aim for these specific upgrades:

• Muzzle (Level 3 Compensator): This is essential. It drastically cuts down the vertical recoil, keeping your crosshairs locked on target.
• Underbarrel (Horizontal Grip or Angled Grip Level 2): This stabilizes the side-to-side bounce, making the weapon incredibly predictable during sustained fire.
• Stock (Padded Stock): Arc Raiders requires a lot of movement, and the Padded Stock ensures your accuracy stays tight even when you are strafing or firing on the move.
• Magazine (Level 3 Extended Medium Magazine): This is where the magic happens. Because the Canto has a unique capacity-scaling perk as an inherent stat, stacking a Level 3 Extended Mag on top of it gives you a massive pool of ammo before you ever have to reload.
  
  

It takes some patience to hunt down the weather events and listen out for those buried tins, but once you get the Canto built and kitted out, the grind pays off entirely.