diff --git a/.env.sample b/.env.sample
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4dab47b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.sample
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=
+ALCHEMY_API_KEY=
+OPENAI_API_KEY=
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/ethernaut-ai/test/fixture-projects/basic-project/hardhat.config.js b/packages/ethernaut-ai/test/fixture-projects/basic-project/hardhat.config.js
index 6b999071..30f138fe 100644
--- a/packages/ethernaut-ai/test/fixture-projects/basic-project/hardhat.config.js
+++ b/packages/ethernaut-ai/test/fixture-projects/basic-project/hardhat.config.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-require('dotenv').config()
+require('dotenv').config({
+  path: require('path').resolve(__dirname, '../../../../../.env'),
+})
 require('@nomicfoundation/hardhat-ethers')
 require('../../../src/index')
 require('../../../../ethernaut-toolbox/src/index')
diff --git a/packages/ethernaut-cli/hardhat.config.js b/packages/ethernaut-cli/hardhat.config.js
index 479d1e4f..3c704ec8 100644
--- a/packages/ethernaut-cli/hardhat.config.js
+++ b/packages/ethernaut-cli/hardhat.config.js
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-require('dotenv').config()
+require('dotenv').config({
+  path: require('path').resolve(__dirname, '../../.env'),
+})
 
 require('ethernaut-ui')
 require('ethernaut-toolbox')