Path of Exile Patch 3.29 is scheduled to launch at 1 PM PST on July 24th, with a livestream event scheduled for 1 PM PST on July 16th. Currently, official information regarding the new patch is extremely limited.

During this period of scarce information, many players have started threads to express their expectations for Path of Exile 3.29. After several seasons considered too lackluster, players hope for more engaging content that will keep them playing for longer periods.

This article compiles some of the most frequently requested expectations for Path of Exile Patch 3.29, hoping that in these final moments, the game developers will hear the players' voices and make corresponding adjustments to meet their expectations. Let's discuss this in detail.

A Revitalized Endgame Progression System

One of the hottest and most controversial topics in the community is the current state of Endgame Progression System, especially the acquisition method of Voidstones.

Many players feel that Maven and Uber Elder have been a core part of the progression system for too long, inevitably leading to boredom for some. The repetitive cycle of farming specific maps and bosses for Voidstones has become a tedious chore rather than an engaging journey.

Players want the path to the bosses to be more fun, dynamic, and less reliant on monotonous quests. They want passive skills that allow them to focus on improving map drop rates and monster group sizes, as well as a system for Harbinger or Expedition Nodes, to better farm early-game monsters and make the journey to the endgame more varied and rewarding.

Campaign Systems and Utilities

A significant and recurring demand in the community is for a campaign skipping option for veteran players who have completed the story countless times, allowing them to reach the late game faster. This is a persistent and unresolved issue.

It is hoped that the developers will provide quest passive skills or alternative leveling paths that allow newly created alts to skip or accelerate campaign progress. Players generally perceive this as a cumbersome barrier to the endgame content they truly enjoy.

Another important expectation is that patch 3.29 will introduce some of the well-received features from PoE 2, such as a simplified skill tree or other systems that would make character progression more satisfying and diverse.

In recent seasons, the high cost and extremely high randomness of crafting gear have been major complaints from players. They hope that patch 3.29 will address these issues, making the crafting process more controllable and reducing reliance on traded gear.

Loot, Economy & Rewards

Some players feel that there are currently too few ways to obtain Currency in PoE and hope for more ways to acquire Path of Exile 1 Currency within the map, reducing reliance on the trading market and allowing players to focus on the content they enjoy.

In addition, players are not satisfied with the current loot system, finding the drop quality worrisome. According to player feedback, the vast majority of rare items are unusable, with some even estimating that 99% of rare drops and 100% of unique drops are junk.

In my humble opinion, it's a good idea to have Paragon bosses, especially the ultimate Paragon boss, drop unique items that can be used to build specific builds. These dropped items must either be able to build a specific style or be extremely powerful.

If unique items dropped by Paragon bosses cannot be used to build a specific style, then the damage or defense of rare items crafted by players with a small amount of essence should not exceed that of Paragon boss weapons, or the defense should not exceed that of Paragon boss armor.

In short, it's about ensuring that players receive a substantial amount of loot commensurate with their effort. Reducing the random drop mechanism and preventing 99% of drops from being worthless will increase the sense of accomplishment for players acquiring rare and unique items.

Build Variety & Balance

Veteran players have strongly requested increased build diversity in POE Patch 3.29, along with class balance adjustments and new options to keep the game environment fresh. This includes reworks to sublimate underperforming classes, buffs to less popular skills, and minor nerfs to mainstream skills, aiming to rebalance the game and encourage players to choose new seasonal progression skills.

Meanwhile, players are also calling for significant adjustments to skill gems, particularly convertible versions of aura and pioneer skill gems to create new and interesting build strategies rather than just numerical changes.

Game Experience

Every time a new patch is released, European servers crash, often experiencing latency spikes, which infuriates many players. Therefore, they hope Path of Exile will increase the frequency of hotfixes and fix the latency issues on European servers.

In addition, players sometimes lose game progress and loot due to disconnections, and they hope the developers will introduce a recovery function.

These are the points players hope to see in Path of Exile Patch 3.29. In this final stage before release, it is hoped that the official studio will listen to player feedback and make improvements to meet player expectations, retaining existing players while attracting new ones, making the game better and better.

For longtime Madden fans, Franchise Mode has always had a persistent sore spot: the players don't feel real. They don't throw tantrums over unfair contracts, they don't pressure for trades, they don't haggle at the negotiating table - it's all just a cold, numbers game.

Madden NFL 27, releasing on August 13th, attempts to completely change that. The developers call this year's release the biggest fundamental overhaul since the birth of Connected Franchise Mode. At its core is Persona Engine. Is it just marketing hype, or will it truly transform Franchise Mode? Here's everything you need to know.

Persona Engine

When developers give a new feature a cool name, players often frown - after all, the word Engine is overused in sports games. But this time, Persona Engine is different.

It's not simply about stuffing a few new scenarios or events into the game. According to the studio, this is a fundamental behavioral framework - it determines how each player thinks, reacts, and makes decisions in Franchise Mode.

Each player in Madden 27 possesses a unique Persona DNA, encompassing their mindset, career goals, motivations, attitude towards winning and losing, and long-term behavioral patterns. There are over 65 different DNA types throughout the game, and players can even evolve temporary personality traits throughout their careers.

Most of the scripted events of the past have been removed. Instead, players make decisions dynamically based on their Persona DNA and current circumstances. Theoretically, this will result in a more dynamic and unpredictable Franchise experience, which is exactly what players have wanted for years.

Player Holdouts & Trade Demands

Player Holdouts and Trade Demands are among the most requested features for the return of Franchise community. In Madden MUT 27, if a star player feels undervalued, unfairly paid, or dissatisfied with the team's current situation, they can refuse to participate in team activities until the issue is resolved. This isn't a random event that ends with a pop-up notification - it's driven by the Persona Engine, taking into account factors like a player's DNA, contract status, and team performance.

Player holdouts are a serious situation. You can negotiate, communicate with the player, and try to change their mind. You can also wait and see if they change their mind. Or, you can consider a trade. Your handling is crucial, and the outcome can impact your team and even the entire league.

If the situation worsens, the player can directly request a trade. When a star player publicly requests a trade, the news immediately goes viral, and other teams start calling to inquire. You not only have to manage the player's emotions but also face pressure from the entire league.

Crucially, these situations don't only occur with your team. AI-controlled teams also experience these scenarios, making the dynamics of the entire league more realistic and unpredictable.

Interactive Contract Negotiations

Contract negotiations were completely revamped in MUT 27. The new negotiation system is a multi-round interactive mini-game. Two metrics, patience and interest, have been introduced at the negotiating table. Every offer and commitment you make will affect these metrics. If patience drops to zero, negotiations break down; if interest reaches 100%, a deal is struck.

Because negotiations are driven by the Persona Engine, each player has different priorities. Negotiations might start with salary figures and then move to guaranteed amounts, contract length, expected role on the team, or other priorities derived from the player's personality. A young star might want a high salary and long-term guarantees, while a veteran might be more concerned with their role on the team and contract length.

The new negotiation interface also directly displays player ratings, Persona DNA, and season stats, eliminating the need to switch screens to research when making decisions.

More importantly, the customizability of the contract itself has been greatly enhanced. You can now offer:

• Guaranteed Contracts
• Void Years
• Contract Incentives
• No-Trade Clauses
• Custom Contract Structures
• Longer Street Free Agent Deals

In addition, two long-awaited features have finally been added: the ability to sign free agents to contract longer than one year during the season, and the ability to extend a player's contract before its final year.

Free Agent Market and Offseason Tools

Free Agent Frenzy

The offseason free agent market welcomes a brand new event: Free Agent Frenzy. This is a real-time bidding event compressed into 12 hours, simulating the frenzy of the first few hours of NFL free agency.

All 32 teams compete simultaneously, progressing every hour. You need to decide when to be aggressive and when to hold back based on your accumulated Madden NFL 27 coins. Player ratings, stats, and Persona DNA are displayed in the event interface to assist your decision-making. Because all teams participate simultaneously, every signing can affect the entire market's trajectory.

Undrafted Rookie Free Agents

After the draft, undrafted rookies enter a dedicated signing window, essentially a second mini Free Agent Frenzy. This gives all teams an opportunity to compete for overlooked potential stars and bolster their developmental talent before the preseason.

Tags and Restricted Free Agents

All types of Franchise Tag and Transition Tag are now fully available:

• Exclusive Franchise Tag: Locks the player to your team.
• Non-Exclusive Franchise Tag: Other teams can make offers, but you receive two first-round picks as compensation.
• Transition Tag: You have the right to match any other team's offer.

Restricted Free Agency now covers all levels of RFA offers and provides corresponding draft pick compensation. First-round, second-round, original round, and right of first refusal tenders are all available. This feature allows you to strike a balance between protecting young talent and managing salary cap space, just like a real-world team manager.

This is Persona Engine that Madden 27 promised us. Is it as intelligent and immersive as they claim? We'll have to wait and see after the game's release!

Discussions within the player community regarding the rise and fall of different WoW expansions have long been stuck in a power struggle between the perceived superiority of classic expansions and the perceived inferiority of modern ones. 

However, from the perspective of MMO design and player retention mechanisms, this judgment is too superficial.

What truly affects WoW player retention is not the quantity of content, but the changes in content generation methods and how players are guided to spend time playing.

As an MMO gradually shifts from an "exploration-driven world design" to a "system-driven content loop," the core logic of the player experience also changes. This shift forms the key to understanding the cyclical fluctuations of WoW expansions.

Fatigue of Repeated Experience

During TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2 to Phase 3, player churn was not entirely because of content consumption, but fatigue with the "repeated experience structure" itself.

The essence of Classic WoW's design is to allow players to re-enter a content system that has already existed. But when "venturing into the unknown" is substituted with "re-enacting the known," the game's experiential nature is inherently altered.

Players no longer enter the world as explorers, but as replayers, reliving a well-established path.

This change results in a compressed innovation timeline for WoW.

Once content fails to provide a steady stream of novelty, players' primary drive evolves from seeking discovery to merely checking off completion.

The peak of Classic WoW often stems from the ritual of starting anew, but once the ritual ends, long-term retention relies solely on repetitive cycles.

Fragmentation of Community Experience

Taking Mists of Pandaria (MoP) Classic as an example, a key concern in community discussions is that numerous bugs in expansion will create a noticeable "fragmented experience."

In Classic WoW, technical challenges are not only system‑level glitches; they are equally matters of narrative framing.

The vitality of WoW's community is largely contingent upon common experiences - be it raid progression, gear routes, class-balance knowledge, or team coordination tactics. When these structures are frequently disrupted, community discussions shift from "content collaboration" to "problem feedback."

This shift, seemingly just a change in direction, weakens the community's cohesion around the game itself in the long run.

Furthermore, Classic players typically have clear historical memories as a reference, making them more sensitive to deviations from expectations. Any behavior inconsistent with expectations will be amplified, impacting overall immersion and retention.

Rise of Phase Content Containers

In modern expansion design, exemplified by the system trends seen in Midnight or Patch 12.0.5, WoW has gradually strengthened its "seasonal content system."

Player behavior is broken down into several clearly defined modules:

• Daily quests
• Weekly objectives
• Seasonal progression
• Gear reset cycles

This structure offers clarity and efficiency, but at the cost of reduced exploration space.

When every action in the game is quantified as an efficiency benefit, the player's decision-making logic changes, shifting from "Where do I want to explore?" to "Which quest is more worthwhile for me to complete?"

In this system, WoW gradually transforms from a "world-driven MMO" into a "time container game." Players no longer live in the world, but allocate time within the system.

Hot Then Declines

Whether it's an official new server or a Classic server, WoW exhibits a stable pattern: a peak at launch, followed by a gradual decline.

The root of this phenomenon lies in a structural disconnect between the leveling experience and endgame content.

In early expansions, the leveling process itself was a core part of the experience. Players naturally formed social relationships through quest chains, open-world encounters, and dungeon collaborations; these relationships formed the foundation for long-term retention.

In modern practice, many players choose to smooth out early progression friction through WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Gold services, especially during early gearing spikes. This reflects a broader shift in how players interact with the game's pacing rather than its content.

However, in modern design, the leveling path is significantly compressed, pushing players into the endgame loop more quickly.

The result is a double disconnect:

New players lack a buffer period to build social relationships; Older players are constantly repeating the same endgame structure.

When leveling transforms from an "adventure" into an "efficiency path," the initial connection between players and the world is weakened.

WoW Retention Crisis Is a Structural Design Problem, Not a Content Problem

Overall, WoW's retention crisis is not because of the failure of a particular expansion, but a result of the long-term evolution of game design. 

The Future of WoW

From a broader perspective, WoW's development is unlikely to reverse into a purely exploration-driven model. Modern online service games require scalable and predictable systems, naturally reinforcing system-driven design.

However, this doesn't mean the "world experience" has disappeared. Instead, it's re-emerging in a controlled, fragmented form - phased systems, dynamic events, and temporary, unpredictable factors.

Therefore, the core tension in MMO design lies not between old and new content, but between system efficiency and experience openness. With WoW's continued development, its fundamental test is whether these two drives can coexist in a way that prevents either from completely dominating.

In this sense, the question is no longer whether WoW is better or worse than before, but whether modern massively multiplayer online games can retain space for non-utility gameplay within an efficiency-oriented system.

All things considered, these signs point to one clear takeaway: WoW's design is steadily changing at a fundamental level. Whether it's a new expansion for the main game or another round of content for Classic, keeping players around depends more and more on the delivery system - not the actual quests, zones, or rewards.

The fatigue from repetitive gameplay, the persistent fragmentation of communities because of technological instability, and the rise of season-based progression systems are not isolated issues. They collectively contribute to the same fundamental shift: from gameplay based on natural exploration to a system-guided cycle of participation.

Within this framework, leveling peaks, server population decline patterns, and nostalgia-driven revival phases are no longer independent phenomena, but different manifestations of the same retention curve logic.

Early population peaks reflect exploration-driven participation, while later population declines reflect fatigue caused by structured repetition after the initial novelty wears off.

Recently, the leak of ARC Raiders' source code has caused quite a stir among gamers. One player, based on the leaked source code, has revealed details about future updates.

According to his leak, future updates will include a large amount of new content, including a new map, a new ARC Operation, new weapons, and a new guild system.

Because he accurately predicted the content of Riven Tides Update - including map conditions and key rooms - many players have a high degree of credibility in this leak. So, let's take a look at what he revealed.

New Map

According to his leak, following the warm island-themed Riven Tides map, the next new map is expected to be a completely different, frigid theme, named Frozen Trail.

Judging from the location description, this is likely a snow-covered mountain village above Stella Montis region. Imagine, while we're sipping an ice-cold cola at our computer desk, our in-game characters are battling through a truly biting blizzard.

This snow-covered map is filled with a post-apocalyptic atmosphere. The heavy snow has buried the villages and cities that once existed on the map, perfectly fitting the lore of ARC Raiders. We can imagine what life was like for the residents of Frozen Trail before the apocalypse by looking at the snow-covered buildings.

Besides the map's name and style, this player also revealed possible locations of Points of Interest on the map, which may include:

• 1.Central Station
• 2.Large Factory and Loading Ramp
• 3.Observatory
• 4.Radio Tower and Freight Terminal
• 5.Village Square

Central Station

This was likely the main route for Frozen Trail residents to reach Stella Montis in the past.

Large Factory and Loading Ramp

Like Riven Tides, Embark often hides Points of Interest in these locations.

Observatory

Yes, there's an observatory on this map, and veteran players might find it familiar. There was a bug that allowed players to enter the area early for sightseeing.

Radio Tower and Freight Terminal

This was a transit point for materials entering and leaving the mountains, responsible for transporting capsule products to the launch pad.

Village Square

This is a snow-covered, dilapidated area, filled with the desolation of a post-apocalyptic world.

Undoubtedly, this snow-covered area will bring players a completely new gaming experience.

New ARC Operation

One of the most visually striking new features revealed in this leak is the addition of a new ARC operation called Dead Reckoning to ARC Raiders Frozen Trail.

Specifically, with Frozen Trail Update, a massive new ARC enemy, Frigate, will officially debut, becoming a formidable foe for players. Defeating this enemy will give players a chance to obtain various items, weapons, and even ARC Raiders BluePrints.

In fact, players may have glimpsed it in the previous Hurricane Map Condition - during the final 10 to 13 minutes of remnant weather, a UFO-like object may fly across the sky. According to the leak, this massive command ship will fly along a fixed, predetermined route on the map.

There are three main mechanics for this new ARC enemy:

First, "Approach." This refers to Frigate's falling or near-surface state. Players can prepare their weapons in this state.

Second, "Boarded." This refers to its lower-lying state. In this state, players can truly enter the ship's interior to fight, and its weak points are hidden inside.

Third, "Removal." After successfully defeating Frigate, players need to use this mechanic to evacuate the battlefield.

Furthermore, according to leaks, Frigate's outer shell has a vaporizer-like function, existing in two states: Eidel and Cooling Down. After being attacked, the outer shell may trigger Searching Mode - a sudden energy surge that activates a protective energy shield, requiring players to concentrate their fire to break it.

New Weapons

According to the same ARC Raiders player's leak, two new weapons will be added to the game in the upcoming update.

One is an ARC Raiders Item called Stanza, a medium-armor submachine gun. In Italian etymology, it may mean "space or room," suggesting it will be a new type of burst-fire submachine gun for close-quarters indoor combat.

The other is a new assault rifle called Malleus. "Maleus" means "hammer" in Latin or Italian, suggesting it will be a heavy, semi-automatic, mid-to-long-range weapon with a deafening roar when fired.

Additionally, the beloved mechanical chicken Scrappy, who collects materials for you, will receive two new upgrade tiers: Tier 6 is called Feathered Mystery, and Tier 7 is called Rooster of Legends.

These names are inspired by the classic Portuguese cultural symbol Galo de Barcelos, signifying the emergence of truth and the ultimate victory of justice. This perfectly aligns with ARC Raiders' lore.

Guild System

This leak also hints at the possibility of adding a guild system to ARC Raiders. According to the leaked code, players can join specific guild clusters based on their preferences. Players who enjoy PvP can join PvP guilds, those who prefer PvE can join PvE guilds, and so can those who enjoy questing.

Each guild has special quests, and players can automatically progress through these quests by activating their guild during gameplay. There will also be a guild ranking system, so players must continuously progress through the quests to improve their guild's ranking.

It's worth mentioning that Embark's previous game, The Finals, introduced a very similar guild mechanism. It wouldn't be surprising if ARC Raiders added this feature in an upcoming update.

This concludes the leak from this mysterious player regarding upcoming updates to ARC Raiders. I must remind everyone that Embark has not commented on this leak, so it may be true or false. However, I really like this leak and hope it's true!

In the brutal battlefields of Helldivers 2, true masters understand how to uncover hidden rules, knowledge that often changes the course of battle more effectively than a new weapon.

Mastering these techniques means you can efficiently harvest more loot with fewer resources, while making the most accurate judgments at crucial moments.

Today, I'll bring you hid tips and tricks for Helldivers 2, teaching you how to improve your gameplay. Whether you're a novice or a seasoned Helldivers veteran, this content will elevate your combat understanding to a whole new level.

Farming Mission

Completing Helldivers 2 Level 1 missions earns Super Credits. You can find Super Credits in any mission. They can appear in any random location, including Containers, Bunkers, or Escape Pods. Their appearance rate is low, and you might get 10 or 100 at a time.

Abandoning a mission will not clear your Super Credits, Medals, or Requisition Slips, but it will clear your Samples. Therefore, if you're looking for Samples, it's best not to abandon the mission. However, if you're farming Helldivers 2 Super Credits, Medals, or Requisition Slips, the easiest way is to directly find these items and then abandon the mission. This way, you'll still get the items you want.

Quickly Entering Bunker

If you want to enter Bunker and you're playing solo, simply run to Bunker entrance, jump in, and use Warp Pack to enter Bunker's interior. This method works most of the time, and since it's solo, it easily helps you get the loot.

You can also do this with a mech. Reverse your mech to the front of Bunker, jump out, and you can pass through the wall into Bunker's interior, take your items, and then climb back up. This exploit is still not fixed in the latest Helldivers 2 Patch 6.2.3.

Maximize Boosters

Vitality Enhancement is even better than described. It not only increases your health, but the effect also varies based on your armor value. The higher your armor value, the greater the health bonus you gain.

Additionally, Vitality Enhancement slightly reduces any damage over time effects you take in Helldivers 2. For example, it reduces the duration of fire damage, thus reducing the amount of fire damage you take.

Stamina Enhancement's effects are much more complex than described. It not only accelerates stamina regeneration but also increases movement speed. It can increase your movement speed by approximately 23%, but since some light armor already has a movement speed cap, it's not very useful for light armor. However, its effect is significant for medium and heavy armor.

Muscle Enhancement's effects are also much more complex than described. It reduces many slowing effects. These effects can come from sandstorms, blizzards, or anything that reduces your normal movement speed. Even when walking in mud, Muscle Enhancement will still give you a higher movement speed than usual.

Exploit Stims

Stim restores all health, limbs, and stamina. P-11 Stim Pistol can also trigger Infusion. Infusion increases your damage but slightly reduces your accuracy. Stim Pistol also benefits from Medic Armour.

Aim Stratagems

Eagle Strafing Runs always fly in a straight line from where you throw them, making their trajectory easy to see. Eagle Bombing Runs and Nape Palm Strikes always fly to the right or left of where you throw them. Knowing this makes it easier to decide where to move if you don't want to get blown up by your own Strafing Runs.

Orbital EMS Strikes inflict impact damage with each throw. You can use the gas attack to destroy targets like Illuminate Ships, as long as it hits the target directly. In Helldivers 2, the gas itself doesn't damage ships, but the impact does.

Optimize Weapons

A/ARC-3 Tesla Tower can slightly increase its rate of fire after the first shot. You don't need to fully charge after the first shot. Just charge until you hear the sound effect, then you can slightly increase your rate of fire for higher DPS. Most weapons drop the magazine when reloading. This is especially disadvantageous for weapons with high-capacity magazines. Be careful not to drop too much extra ammunition. Reloading when the magazine is not completely empty is faster than reloading when it is completely empty, at least for most weapons.

Therefore, the technique of preloading when you only have a few bullets left in your gun is very useful. However, this advantage is not available if the weapon reloads one bullet at a time.

Flame weapons actually have very high armor-piercing capabilities. This is due to the properties of flames; even against large enemies like Hulk or Tank, you can burn them to death with a flamethrower.

Any one-handed weapon can be fired backward while running. This includes most submachine guns and secondary weapons. Recoil is less in first-person view, and even less when crouching or prone. Especially with machine guns, your accuracy is greatly improved when crouching.

LAS-99 Quasar Cannon always flies in a straight line, so you don't need to worry about bullet drop. No matter how far the target is, as long as your aim is accurate enough, LAS-99 Quasar Cannon will hit it. FAF-14 Spear is excellent for long-range sniping, and it's very useful for destroying factories at long range, especially in missions like Blitz mission.

In Helldivers 2, laser weapons are affected by the temperature of different planets. If the planet is cold, its heating rate will be slower; if the planet is hot, its heating rate will be slightly faster. This is an interesting dynamic if you enjoy using laser weapons.

All laser weapons have virtually unlimited ammunition as long as they don't overheat. If they overheat, you can reload or upgrade your Heatsinks. Always wear Fire Armor when using LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle, as it will start burning you and causing damage when it gets very hot.

Wearing Fire Armor reduces this damage. Vitality Enhancement can further reduce damage. However, the higher the weapon's temperature, the stronger its armor penetration.

The key to winning in Helldivers 2 lies in making good use of the mechanics. These techniques aren't loopholes, but deeper aspects of the game that make each match more interesting and help you achieve victory more effective

In the high-stakes extraction shooter ARC Raiders, every jump and every encounter can be a matter of life and death. Silent falls from great heights, sneak attacks from behind are unpredictable, and even a beach treasure hunt can result in a fatal mishap - this is the brutal daily reality players face.

This Riven Tides update brings five new items: from an inflatable cushion for impact, to a smoke backpack that automatically deploys when shields are broken, and even a bizarre white flag… Can they truly change the course of battle? Or are they just flashy but impractical toys?

To answer this question, I tested the actual performance of each item and how to obtain their blueprints. Below is a detailed practical report:

• 1. Crash Mat
• 2. Tactical MK.3 (Smoke)
• 3. Dockmaster's Detector
• 4. White Flag
• 5. Powered Descender

1. Crash Mat

Function

Simply put, when you drop it on the ground, it quickly inflates into a giant inflatable cushion, releasing a cloud of smoke - that's your landing point. Landing on a Crash Mat reduces damage from high-altitude falls. According to testing, a Crash Mat can reduce damage from a fall from the top of a building to the bottom by at least 20%. However, it's important to note that this only reduces, doesn't eliminate, the damage. Therefore, you will still take damage if you fall from a considerable height, even with a Crash Mat.

You might wonder if there are any requirements regarding the timing and direction of throwing a Crash Mat? The answer is yes. You need to place Crash Mat directly beneath you a few seconds before impact, as its area is small and its duration is only about ten seconds before it deflates.

Acquisition Methods

There is no fixed spawn location for Crash Mat blueprint, but it has a higher drop rate on two ARC Raiders maps: Loading Bay on Stella Montis and Stacking Yard on the new Riven Tides map. In these locations, you need to search all the containers.

After obtaining the blueprint, you need to craft a Crash Mat at a level 2 crafting table using one Electrical Component and one Durable Cloth. However, Crash Mats are onetime use items, so you can craft several before the game starts as a reserve.

2. Tactical MK.3 (Smoke)

Function

Equipping Tactical MK.3 (Smoke) automatically releases a smoke grenade when your shield breaks. For defending against unpredictable attackers, this item practically gives you a second chance to survive in ARC Raiders.

It can be used with medium-sized shields, which is more than enough for everyday matches.

In addition to these features, it has a maximum weight of 50, 19 backpack slots, 5 quick-use slots, 2 Augment addon slots, and 2 safe pockets. You can put high-value items you find in the safe pockets so you can bring them out of the game even if you fail to extract safely.

Acquisition Methods

Tactical MK.3 (Smoke) Blueprint can be found more efficiently in three locations: Port Authority Building, Tennis Court POIs, and Stacking Yard in the new Riven Tides map; Research and Space Travel buildings in Buried City; and Medical Research building in Stella Montis.

The drop rate of ARC Raiders Tactical MK.3 (Smoke) Blueprint is higher in Buried City and Stella Montis during Night Raid mode.

3. Dockmaster's Detector

Function

Dockmaster's Detector is a metal detector. After activating it on Riven Tides beach, simply follow the beeping sound. As the beeping speeds up until it stops, you're standing on top of treasure buried beneath the beach. This treasure is sometimes a container full of loot, sometimes fruit, and sometimes even an activated mine - though it doesn't sound like a good find.

Acquisition Methods

Dockmaster's Detector appears as loot inside containers throughout ARC Raiders map, especially near Stacking Yard area in Riven Tides map. Alternatively, you can obtain it directly by accepting and completing Shoring Up Defences Quest provided by Apollo.

If you want an even easier method, there is. Completing Stage 1 of Avian Alarm Raider Project will permanently unlock Dockmaster's Detector. This is an outdoor quest; simply place a bird trap near the buoys along Seabed in Riven Tides.

4. White Flag

Function

White Flag is just a small item. You can equip it and wave it. It has no practical effect, but clearly conveys the message: you surrender.

Acquisition Method

The spawn points for White Flag blueprint are relatively fixed, currently concentrated in the containers near Port Authority Building and Hotel Complex on the new Riven Tides map. Note that these locations are high-value ARC Raiders Item drop zones, so there will be a lot of ARC patrols and hostile players.

5. Powered Descender

Function

Some ARC Raiders players casually call it a jetpack, but be aware that Powered Descender won't let you fly; it only allows for a graceful landing - it slows your descent. Like Photoelectric Cloak, Powered Descender uses a meter; if you hold down the trigger, it will last for 5 seconds.

Note that Powered Descender requires a one- or two-second activation time, meaning you must time its activation carefully when falling from a height. Secondly, not all falls from heights will result in a clean fall with Powered Descender; you cannot fall from a mile high.

You might be wondering why ARC Raiders Riven Tides gives us two new items to aid our descent. However, in terms of function, each item has its own characteristics and uses. Powered Descender doesn't require precise calculation of your landing location or advance prediction.

Overall, either item can significantly improve our mobility and survivability in ARC Raiders.

Acquisition Methods

Powered Descender's blueprint can be found in containers on Riven Tides map, especially the blue containers. One location, both dangerous and remote, has a high drop rate for high-value blueprints: Tennis Court on Riven Tides map. You can obtain even all the blueprints mentioned above there.

In summary, none of the five items in this ARC Raiders update are useless.

Crash Mat and Powered Descender offer two drastically different survival strategies for high-altitude operations; Tactical MK.3 (Smoke) is a lone wolf's best-in-slot weapon; Dockmaster's Detector might unearth mines, but the thrill of the treasure hunt is unparalleled; as for White Flag… well, at least it gives you a dignified option to surrender.

If you frequently crash in ARC Raiders' high-value areas, consider bringing these pieces of equipment. They might not guarantee victory, but they'll certainly help you survive longer - or die more creatively. Head over to the containers and search for blueprints; good luck!

Eggy Party, a casual party game, has been a smash hit since its release, receiving widespread acclaim from players. Its mobile-first design, physics-based gameplay, and easy-to-learn multiplayer competitive mode set it apart in the highly competitive party platformer genre.

The developers predict the game will remain popular for at least ten years. What gives them such confidence? This article will analyze Eggy Party in detail to see how it achieved such success.

About Eggy Party

Eggy Party is NetEase Games' foray into the competitive party platformer genre. However, unlike other competitive games, it emphasizes entertainment over competition. Its core gameplay is racing and obstacle course completion, but it also incorporates social interaction, map editing, and various casual gameplay elements, creating a freely explorable egg-shaped universe.

Players control customizable egg-shaped characters, leading them through increasingly difficult obstacle courses filled with physics-based obstacles, moving platforms, and environmental traps.

The core gameplay revolves around defeating opponents through clever navigation and quick reflexes. Each round eliminates players until only one egg remains as the victor. Lacking the seriousness of traditional competitive games, it has a low barrier to entry and is perfect for short bursts of relaxation.

Unique Features

The game's unique feature is its mobile-optimized controls. It perfectly transfers the precise controls of platforming to touchscreen devices while maintaining cross-platform compatibility with the Nintendo Switch. This ensures players can easily join the game regardless of their device, creating a diverse competitive environment.

Eggy Party is more than just simple jumping and running; it's a strategic challenge. Players must consider the size of each egg-shaped character as they jump across rotating platforms or navigate narrow passages suspended above the elimination zone, or they risk being knocked off.

The character controls are very simple, consisting of running, jumping, rolling, and diving. Even young children can easily pick it up, but experienced players can also create intricate and varied gameplay. Because during your journey, you'll encounter some hilarious gadgets, such as ink bombs, freeze bombs, and spring-loaded fists, which you can use to distract opponents or aid yourself.

This meticulously designed gameplay creates a comical and chaotic scene as hordes of egg-shaped characters tumble, bounce, and scramble through the levels. The tracks are diverse, with constantly changing obstacle configurations keeping the competition fresh. Some of the levels include:

• Spinning hammer gauntlets
• Disappearing platform sequences
• Slippery slope challenges
• Moving wall mazes
• Team-based cooperative sections

The game uses an elimination system, gradually reducing the number of participants as players fail or fall behind in obstacle courses. As the track difficulty increases, the number of remaining players decreases, forcing them to maintain speed and accuracy in a tense atmosphere until a single winner emerges.

Beyond its classic levels, Eggy Party constantly innovates, introducing various mini-games like Fright Night Escape and Crazy Farm, enriching the gameplay. Sometimes you might find yourself playing for an entire afternoon without even realizing it.

Character Customization and Visual Identity

Eggy Party employs vibrant colors and a lighthearted art style, prioritizing fun over realism. The game's character design is ingenious, based on eggs and allowing for player customization. Players can use Eggy Party Eggy Coins to dress up their egg-shaped characters with themed outfits, accessories, and color schemes. This personalization system encourages player expression and enhances the game's enjoyment.

Meanwhile, the player's main base, Egg Island, is itself a giant playground, offering non-mandatory interactive facilities such as a Ferris wheel, trampolines, and soccer games, allowing players to fully enjoy the game in Eggy Party, as if living in a dream kingdom.

Furthermore, the game uses bright, saturated candy colors and exaggerated animations, clearly conveying game information even during intense multiplayer battles. Environmental hazards are highlighted through unique visual cues, while successfully avoiding them earns celebratory animation rewards, providing positive feedback.

The rounded characters and rich special effects, coupled with upbeat electronic music background music, establish its trendy and fun style, attracting a large number of teenage players.

Multiplayer Competition and Social Features

Eggy Party features a multiplayer mode that supports dozens of players simultaneously, creating the tense atmosphere unique to battle royale games. The matchmaking system pairs players of similar skill levels, but the physics-based gameplay also introduces enough unpredictability, allowing novice players to sometimes defeat experienced opponents with lucky bounces or precise jumps.

Furthermore, you can team up with friends for multiple rounds. Unlike traditional team-based games with strong objectives, Eggy Party emphasizes a relaxed and enjoyable competitive atmosphere rather than hardcore skill requirements. It doesn't stress division of labor, reducing the likelihood of blame-shifting, making it particularly suitable for casual gaming and social entertainment.

Each round is very short, lasting only a few minutes, satisfying players' needs for short bursts of entertainment. It's like a short get-together with friends.

In short, this egg waffle-themed game brings players a lot of fun, testing both their skills and their ability to handle chaotic situations. It allows players to relax more during short breaks, like an online playground, successfully breaking free from the framework of traditional platformer games. I sincerely hope this game continues to improve.

The new enemy, ARC Turbine, makes its debut in ARC Raiders Riven Tide update, along with Riven Tide map.

ARC Turbine is a formidable machine, floating above Rust Belt, heavily armored and equipped with an electrified defense system.

Many players might naively believe that simply rushing in with a Deadline sniper rifle or a few Wolfpacks will easily eliminate it. But if you think that, you're sorely mistaken. Let me show you how to safely and efficiently take down this ARC machine.

How to find it?

Initially, ARC Turbine will be concentrated near the docks on Riven Tide map, traversing the skies. With future updates to ARC Raiders Riven Tide, it may also appear in other areas or maps. Although these ARC Turbines are massive, they move remarkably silently, drifting across the map, so you'll need to search carefully.

ARC Turbine appears some time after the start of the match, typically falling from the sky and flipping to slow its descent when there are 12-16 minutes remaining. If you want to kill ARC Turbine, be patient and wait until the last 15 minutes before looking for it. You might encounter multiple turbines in a game, but the probability seems low. However, it's also possible that it won't spawn at all.

How to defeat it?

Weapon selection

First, you should definitely bring a Hullcracker IV. Hullcracker is a special pump-action grenade launcher whose ammunition explodes upon hitting ARC Turbine, making it the best weapon for killing this ARC. If you have Kinetic Converter attachment, you can also equip it, which increases Hullcracker IV's DPS.

Alternatively, you can also choose to bring a legendary weapon, such as Equalizer or Jupiter. Equalizer helps you achieve consistent damage output, possessing ARC's extremely high armor penetration. Jupiter also boasts exceptional ARC armor penetration, and its projectiles have virtually no drop, easily hitting targets even at long range, allowing for quick destruction of large ARCs.

Countermeasures

Once you find an ARC Turbine, breaking through its thick armor is no simple task. Unlike other flying ARCs, this ARC Turbine lacks any visible glider support. It is a cone-shaped aircraft covered in a thick layer of armor. While hovering in the air, you cannot damage it.

ARC Turbine not only possesses extremely high defensive capabilities but also formidable offensive power. Once attacked, it will fire a cluster of missiles, attacking you while gliding.

The missiles trigger a lightning strike very shortly after hitting a unit. This attack not only deals extremely high damage but also stuns the attacker, similar to the effect of lightning. While waiting for it to land, you need to maintain distance and find suitable cover! It's always wise to take cover before a missile hits you.

Furthermore, ARC Turbine sometimes pauses its erratic drifting and instead lays a small patch of mines directly below. These mines are scattered throughout the area and will activate and explode within a 10-meter radius. So you can get within 10 meters of these mines, but any closer and they will explode, causing minor damage; therefore, you should never walk right past them.

Subsequently, cracks will appear in its thick armor, indicating that the machine is about to crash to the ground. ARC Turbine's weak point is its rotating yellow fuel tanks, which can only be seen through the gaps left by the landing gear when it is on the ground. You must wait until it lands, exposing its central core. You only have a brief time to attack it before it takes off again.

However, be aware that even in this state, it can still fire cluster lightning bolts into the air, which will then strike you from above, causing explosive damage; therefore, you must be extremely careful when attacking. After dealing some damage to ARC Turbine, it will crash to the ground.

Its outer armor will be exposed, making it easier to inflict significant damage on this bulky ARC. You must hasten, as it won't remain in this state indefinitely. We recommend using all your items while it's down to maximize your damage output. This is a tough enemy to deal with, and cooperating with other players is a wise choice.

Loot

After defeating it, you can try to obtain valuable materials from its internal metal structure. The most important loot is Turbine Compressor, the material used to craft the new Powered Descender. You can craft it at Utility Station 3 using a Power Rod and a Turbine Compressor when you have ARC Raiders Powered Descender Blueprint.

Powered Descender is a very interesting new movement item in ARC Raiders' Riven Tide update, allowing you to safely land from heights in any situation. Its flight distance is limited, allowing you to descend approximately 15 meters in the air until it runs out of fuel. Its charging method is similar to that of ordinary flying items. You can jump from a prominent place like a space launch tower and, if you time it right, activate the thrusters before landing; this will allow you to land safely.

However, this requires some skill because fuel is limited, and you need to activate it to build up thruster energy. If you only activate it just before landing, you will still take full damage. Its mobility isn't great. It only allows you to glide safely to the ground, not to flash in the air, but it's still a very effective way to land from a height. It's also an item needed for Phase 5 of Avian Alarm Project.

These are the key points for taking down ARC Turbine. It's not an opponent that can be suppressed by firepower alone; you need patience, and the right equipment and effective strategy are the keys to victory. Work with your teammates, watch its landing time, and focus your attacks; you can take down the valuable Turbine Compressor.

What Lies Dreaming is the fourth main mission in the first story DLC for Borderlands 4, Mad Ellie and Vault of the Damned.

The core of this mission is entering Vault of the Damned deep within Whispering Glacier. The process includes exploring a destroyed ship, restoring power, and dealing with ambushes. Upon completion, you will receive experience points, Borderlands 4 Money, Eridium, and a green or blue assault rifle.

The mission is divided into four stages. This guide will walk you through each step of What Lies Dreaming, providing a detailed completion walkthrough:

• 1. Reach Storm
• 2. Reach Ship
• 3. Reach Engine Room
• 4. Defeat Colonel Crash

1. Reach Storm

The core of this stage is reaching the red storm area in Maelstrom. To get there, you need to traverse a snow-covered wasteland, following the marker at the top of the screen. As you get closer to the red storm area, you'll realize that direct entry is not possible.

At this point, Captain Willis's voice will appear in the communication, warning you not to proceed. You then need to change direction and follow the red spiked passage on the right side of the storm to the stern of a crashed ship. One end of the ship is embedded in the storm, forming a natural passageway inside.

After passing through the passage, you will see the wreckage of a ship. One end of the ship is inside the storm, and the other end is outside, so you can enter the storm via the ship.

There are multiple routes to the ship, some faster, but the core objective is to reach the stern at the bottom of the map. As you approach the ship, you will see a long bridge; simply cross it to board the ship.

2. Reach Ship

While crossing the long bridge leading to the ship, you will encounter a large Thresh O' War, which deals Cryo damage and has two health bars. It is recommended to use Borderlands 4 Items with Corrosive attribute and high-explosive homing missiles to deal with it, such as Darkbeast, Disc Jockey, and Swarm.

After eliminating the enemies, enter the ship's entrance and find Ellie. Help her eliminate the five surrounding enemies, then talk to Ellie. Scan the three green-glowing weak points on the ship's hull (the third is in a hole in the side wall). Locate them and destroy the vent to enter.

Turn to face the ship and approach the most damaged area on the side of the hull. As you approach the hatch, a prompt will appear. Once ready, press the button displayed on the screen to begin scanning - the specific button depends on your controller.

After scanning the first weak point, turn right to scan the next one; then move left along the hull to scan the last weak point. Unlike the first two, this weak point is not on the outside of the hull, but hidden in a large cave on the side.

Enter the cave and scan the vent to find the entrance. Quickly destroy the vent to enter the cargo hold. Use the grappling hook on the central mechanical device in the cargo hold to climb to the upper level. Defeat the enemies lurking on the upper level, then use the control panel to try to open the cargo door.

Unfortunately, there's no power available right now. Turn around and find the circuit breaker - it's located in the cargo hold control room.

The control room is on the south edge of the cargo hold. To enter, go up the stairs on the left side of the control room and pull the handle on the control panel on the wall to activate the first breaker. The second circuit breaker is near the computer in the corner of the room.

Once power is restored, you can enter the upper control room. Have Ellie go in with you and eliminate the enemies that have been attracted there.

You and Ellie are successfully reunited, and the enemies are defeated. Follow her to the control room in the center of the room. After reviewing the ship's blueprints, Ellie sets a plan: the first step is to find the cryogenic storage area.

Climb the collapsed pillar on the right side of the control room to reach the upper level, then follow Ellie to the elevator - but the elevator is out of power.

Fortunately, you're already an expert at restoring power. There's a power core on the other side of the room. To get it, you need to use the robotic arms that span the room - the storage boxes they're holding form a makeshift bridge.

Cross the bridge to retrieve the core, return to the elevator to install it, and then protect Ellie from enemy attacks while she adjusts the control panel. After clearing the enemies, the elevator is finally usable.

Take the elevator up and follow Ellie into the cryogenic chamber room. Give her the Keystone Fragment obtained from defeating Crazy Earl. Hold onto the handrail and enter the illusion.

3. Reach Engine Room

When you return to reality, Ellie is gone. You need to search for her in the corridor and collect as much loot as possible to prepare for the upcoming battle. Once you notice strange organic matter appearing on the ship's hull, you're on the right track.

Continue forward to find the vent, break it, and crawl into the passage. Follow the mission marker to a room, jump down, and clear enemies along the corridor.

Finally, you'll encounter a door that requires the energy core to open. Turn around and enter the opposite dormitory. Climb through the small hole on the right to retrieve the core, then return to the entrance to activate the door. After passing through the door, climb the ladder in the center of the room, enter the vent again, sneak into the next room, and follow the corridor to the engine room.

The engine room is teeming with enemies. First, take out the regular Dahl soldiers, then deal with the large man in saturated protective suits. He's heavily armored, his health bar is yellow-blue, and his defenses can be easily broken with corrosive and electric damage. After defeating Dahl, Ellie will contact you via communicator; she's safe and sound, so you can continue.

The next objective is the main control room to activate the switch and engine overdrive. Follow the marker to the control panel in the center of the room. After completing the first step, you'll still need a keycard. Turn right with your back to the control panel, find another vent, break it, and jump down to enter another room full of enemies.

After clearing the enemies, follow the marker to a narrow platform above red liquid. The keycard is on the left beam. Pick it up, climb the stairs on the right, then climb the ladder back to the main room. Insert the keycard into the control panel to activate the engine overdrive.

Turn around and use the grappling hook to retrieve the spark plug above, then turn around again and use the grappling hook to start the engine on the ceiling.

Once the engine is running, go to the other side of the room and pull the control panel lever to unlock the path ahead. Head to the newly opened door in the rear right corner and begin searching for Ellie. You'll encounter enemies along the way and then return to the outside of the ship. Jump over the metal platform and crawl into the cabin through another hole on the side of the hull.

Turn right, and you'll see Ellie on the other side, but the gap is too wide to jump across. Look to the lower right - there's a pile of rubble. Break it to get a speed booster. Scan the speed booster to learn its function, then follow the yellow cable extending from it to find and destroy the power regulator. Next, pull the lever on the left side of the room to activate the jump pad. Finally, use the jump pad on the right to leap across to the other side.

Find Ellie in the ship's corridor and go through the door she opened. There are two vending machines on the right side of the room. Jump down through the hole at the back of the room and follow Ellie to the operations room. Someone is waiting for you there: Colonel Crash.

4. Defeat Colonel Crash

Colonel Crash is the final boss of Borderlands 4 What Lies Dreaming Quest, possessing two health bars: blue and red. Prioritize blue targets and use electric damage to counter them; after defeating the boss, only the red health bar will remain, which can be dealt with using burning damage. It's best to prepare both types of damage.

During the fight, be aware of the following attacks: The long-range red laser will first shoot towards the back of the room, then sweep twice horizontally; you can avoid this by hiding behind control panels. Afterward, he will summon multiple stationary lasers to restrict movement.

The boss will teleport and leap, disappearing as a red ball, reappearing about a second later and causing a purple explosion that deals extremely high damage. He can also summon some floating heads that will disappear on their own after a while; it's recommended to focus on dodging these and attacking the boss. His flamethrower has a small range; maintaining distance will prevent damage.

Your advantage lies in the control panels around the room - use them wisely as cover, otherwise they will hinder your movement; make sure to turn disadvantages into advantages.

After completely defeating Colonel Crash, take the keycard and meet up with Ellie. Open the door, listen to Moxxi scold Ellie, and then enter the bridge. Continue onward to find Moxxi and retrieve the Echo Log from a corpse covered in organic matter. Finally, pull the lever to blast open the breaching door and reveal the vortex.

This completes the What Lies Dreaming quest. After completing the quest, keep an eye out for the unlocked side quest, Summoner's Gift, which can be accepted from Belle in the Crooked Teeth area. The reward is a green or blue rarity SMG and a Vault Hunter head skin.

Hopefully, this guide will help you easily complete Borderlands 4 What Lies Dreaming quest and claim your rewards.

The loot drops in ARC Raiders Buried City Town Hall room seem to follow a pattern. A few days ago, I stumbled upon this room and something very strange happened: I found more than one rare blueprint in each container, including VITA blueprint I'd always wanted. As I continued looting, I even found some epic weapons.

This single looting session yielded me items worth nearly 100,000. After that, I tried entering Town Hall room again a few times during night raids. While the loot was far less than before, at least I had weapons as a safety net.

This suggests that the item spawns in Town Hall room seem to follow a pattern. For example, there's a limit to the number of Tier 3 weapons that can spawn, and the spawn count doesn't vary much each time.

After accumulating a large number of keys, I decided to explore more thoroughly. Here are my conclusions.

Resource Generation

Specifically, during night raids, we can usually obtain at least three to four Tier 3 weapons; I haven't exceeded that number yet. I've decided to try a few more times, as this is a fairly large key room.

In my experience, the containers that spawn each time look pretty much the same. If you're lucky, you might get a regular container; with even better luck, you might find a suitcase or a grenade crate. Sometimes, a weapon crate and a grenade crate will spawn at the same time. This time we found a grenade crate with an initial value of 19,000.

Unsurprisingly, it was filled with all sorts of grenades. We also found an Osprey 3 in the suitcase. From my experience, the key room in City Hall usually spawns three to four Tier 4 weapons-whether it's a night raid or a Hurricane assault, the situation is very similar. I think the spawn patterns for these two modes are very similar.

Fixed Spawn Point - Hurricane Assault

ARC Raiders Buried City Town Hall has three floors, each with its own specific function.

The first-floor lobby contains Grenade Cases and Chests of Drawers; the second floor has Medical Bags, Drawers, and a refrigerator; and the third floor has Weapon Cases, Security Breach Lockers, Red Industrial Cabinets, Breachable Computer Cabinets, and Chests of Drawers again.

Items occasionally appear on chairs in the rooms, a more common occurrence during night raids than daytime raids. While containers rarely spawn in certain locations, the types of items they contain are generally similar. The medkit, however, frequently appears in the same spot.

Next, enter the main room on the first floor. The container rarely spawns, but its contents are generally the same. Items can occasionally be found on the table; this time I got a Wolfpack, which was quite a good find.

As for the drawers, they are filled with various items, including junk, but you might also find medical supplies or grenades. Overall, the most valuable ARC Raiders Items you can find here are usually Wolfpacks, Noisemakers, VA sprays, and VA injections.

If your backpack is full, you'll have to deal with lower-value items, usually ammunition.

Therefore, I recommend bringing a Mark 2 pickup truck or a Mark II pickup truck with caution, so you can get more valuable items. If possible, it's best to only carry one low-value item, like a water bottle, which you can discard after finding a weapon.

I've already found my second level 3 weapon on the second floor of Buried City Town Hall, so I estimate I can find two more.

Upstairs, there are more containers that might spawn; occasionally you can find items here, and if you're lucky, even weapons. This room doesn't usually spawn much, but the spawn rate is much higher during night raids and Hurricane mode.

Here I found another Wolfpack, next to a medium shield, but unfortunately I couldn't pick it up, so I'm going to pick up a piece of durable cloth. Most of the items in this room are here, plus a small grenade trap. As you can see, no matter how you farm, the loot is roughly the same each time.

You'll get a lot of trinkets, a lot of grenades, a lot of medical supplies, and frankly, a lot of junk too. The most valuable items are three to four Tier 4 weapons, and with good luck, you might even get three to four purple weapons. Next most valuable are epic healing items and grenades.

It's worth noting that I saw an ammo box and a volcano-themed weapon case here. However, neither is particularly valuable; weapon cases found in ARC Raiders loot room might be more valuable. A second weapon case will also spawn here, potentially allowing you to get a third Tier 3 weapon.

Night Raid

In the normal Town Hall loot pool, Tier 4 weapons are already rare drops. In Night Raid, the spawn rate of high-tier weapons increases significantly.

In ARC Raiders weapon tier system, Tempest and Anvil are both top-tier S-class weapons. Tempest is considered one of the best assault rifles by players, tied for S-class with Bettina, but due to its rarity and high crafting requirements, it's usually used by experienced players.

Anvil is a hand cannon-type pistol that uses heavy ammunition, known for its high single-shot damage and relatively low crafting cost. It's effective against ARC bots and also suitable for targeting enemy players.

These high-value weapons are inherently difficult to obtain, and night raids are the best time to search for them. Guides indicate that City Hall not only spawns high-tier weapons like Tempest, Anvil, and Wolfpack during night raids, but also significantly increases the spawn rate of rare blueprints.

For example, Looting Mk.3 (Survivor), an epic backpack-type Augments ARC Raiders Blueprint, typically only appears in high-tier indoor loot pools during night raids, and City Hall is one of the high-priority areas where it might spawn.

What about daytime raids? I've tried it, and it consistently yields between 60,000 and 80,000 damage per run, but it's far less profitable than Hurricane or night raids; you'll likely only find level 2 weapons at most.

Therefore, if you're planning to scavenge for supplies in the key room of Buried City Hall in ARC Raiders, it's best to choose Hurricane mode or a night raid. This will result in a much richer loot reward, and you might even find a rare blueprint like I did.

Phase 2 is finally here! Blizzard just announced that WoW The Burning Crusade Anniversary Phase 2 will launch on May 14th, a full month from now. Not this week, not even this month; all previous predictions and forecasters were completely wrong.

The delay isn't disappointing, given the rushed development schedule of The Burning Crusade. We can use this full month to better experience the existing content, complete dungeon quests, reach our ideal PvP rank in the arena, prepare for Phase 2, and choose your preferred way to wait for its arrival. Hopefully, the delay will bring us a better gaming experience.

Next, we'll provide a detailed breakdown of the new dungeons and factions in TBC, Druids Swift Flight Form, and Phase 2 PvP ranking strategies to help you stay ahead in Phase 2.

New Raid

Two new raids coming to The Burning Crusade Phase 2. These two raid instances are Serpentshrine Cavern, located in Coilfang Reservoir, and Tempest Keep - The Eye, located in Netherstorm, adjacent to Botanic Gardens and Arcatraz. Each new raid instance will introduce newly upgraded gear and Tier 5 sets.

Serpentshrine Cavern has six encounters, culminating in Lady Vashj, who drops Vashj's Vial Remnant, required for Phase 3. Tempest Keep - The Eye has four bosses, but Kael'thas Sunstrider is just as complex as Lady Vashj, with five phases. Most guilds aim to clear two raid instances per week to maximize their Tier 5 set token acquisition.

Both instances require an attunement to enter, so if you haven't completed it yet, start now. Serpentshrine Cavern attunement is quite simple. Starting with Heroic Slave Pens, you need to accept the quest from Skar'this the Heretic, then kill Nightbane and Gruul to collect two marks. Returning the marks completes the introductory quest.

Tempest Keep - The Eye attunement is more complex. You begin with Cipher of Damnation questline in Shadowmoon Valley, completing four trials of Naaru, including the timed Heroic Shattered Halls challenge and protecting Millhouse Manastorm in Heroic Arcatraz, culminating in the defeat of Magtheridon. Completing both questlines grants Champion of Naaru title and access to raid instances.

Currently, Heroic difficulty raids remain at their pre-nerf levels; they are still challenging and difficult. Entry to both raids requires completing a lengthy questline, each potentially taking several days to complete. I recommend following the quest guide step-by-step to save significant time.

Druids Swift Flight Form

In WoW TBC Phase 2, each Druid requires 10 Ancient Lichen and 10 Dreaming Glory to unlock their Swift Flight Form. Druids transform into their flight form at an additional 280% speed, matching players with Swift Flying Mounts. This will be the best idle skill for Druids to use for analysis and leveling.

So, if you're a Druid, start stocking up on the materials you need now. These materials will definitely increase in price after Phase 2 launches, so remember to find your nearest Druid trainer and get your own Swift Flight Form!

New Professional Recipes

Phase 2 will introduce many new Professional Recipes, but they all seem to be related to Leatherworking, Blacksmithing, or Tailoring. If you're a crafter related to these Professional Recipes, enjoy acquiring and crafting these awesome new recipes! Phase 2 primarily focuses on these three professions, with subsequent phases introducing more recipes applicable to all professions. Additionally, a new cooking recipe called Fisherman's Feast may be released after Phase 2.

New Factions and Their Reputation

The two new factions added in WoW TBC Phase 2 are Ogri'la and Sha'tar Skyguard. Both are considered minor factions because their reputation isn't crucial for game progression, and the rewards aren't particularly attractive.

Ogri'la are a faction of ogres that have evolved a savage nature. They reside in the Blade's Edge Mountains, accessible only from Flying Mount. Their reputation rewards include mid-level potions, blue-quality gear, and a small amount of purple-quality gear. Ogri'la quests are a good option when you've experienced everything else and just want something extra to do.

Next is Sha'tar Skyguard, who are much more interesting than those clever ogres. Sha'tar Skyguard is Shattrath's air force, stationed in Terokkar Forest and Blade's Edge Mountains. Their reputation is easier to raise, and WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Gold rewards are more generous. The main attraction of this faction is Nether Ray Mount rewards at Exalted.

New PvP Arena

The Burning Crusade Phase 2 will also reset PvP Arena progress and introduce some new and better PvP gear. All your win/lose records will be archived, and any rankings achieved in the arena will be completely reset. A brand new season is about to begin.

A new version of Gladiator gear will be released, obtainable with Arena Points. Furthermore, all season 1 Gladiator gear, previously obtain only with Arena Points, can now be obtained with Honor Points.

So, if you want Season 1 Gladiator set and weapons, start grinding Honor Points now. You'll need more than the 75,000 Honor Point cap. The good news is that Blizzard has increased the honor point acquisition speed in battlegrounds by a full 10 times. It's now much easier to max out honor points than before.

In Season 1, everyone starts at 1500 in the arena, but the old MMR formula is still used. I hope Blizzard will make some adjustments to the arena point acquisition formula or the entire mechanism.

That's the main content for the upcoming WoW TBC Phase 2 on May 14th. Now, all we can do is prepare. Hurry up and complete the long attunement, stockpile the materials you need, and get ready for Phase 2.

MLB Show 26 2nd Inning Program officially launches on April 10th and runs until May 8th, 2026.

Not only do you get two Baseball Hall of Famers as Boss Choice Pack rewards, but there are also tons of MLB The Show 26 stubs, bundles, player cards, and many other rewards.

Let's see how to quickly complete 2nd Inning Program and accumulate XP to earn rewards!

How to Complete Program?

As in previous years, players simply need to play any game mode in MLB The Show 26 to earn XP.

Players who obtain two 1st Inning Program Boss cards can lock both cards and receive a 30,000 XP bonus in the second inning. In addition, there are drop missions similar to those in the first inning, which will be released in the coming weeks.

The following missions were launched on April 10th:

Earn a total of 500 PXP (2,500 XP) using Cornerstone series players.

Earn 20 runs in Conquest mode at any difficulty (3,500 XP).

Earn a total of 50 bases in Weekend Classic mode and/or ranked singles/co-op mode (5,000 XP).

Hit a total of 15 home runs in any difficulty and any game mode (5,000 XP).

Strike out 50 batters at any difficulty (5,000 XP).

Notably, obtaining either of the two Multiplayer Bonus Eggs from Egg Hunt Program will grant an additional 1,000 XP.

XP and Corresponding Rewards

After reaching 500,000 XP, players will receive a random reward for every 30,000 XP earned.

• 3,000XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 7,500XP World Baseball Classic Gold Pack
• 12,500XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 17,500XP 500 Stubs
• 22,500XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 30,000XP 500 Stubs
• 37,500XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 45,000XP World Baseball Classic Gold Pack
• 55,000XP Deluxe WBC Pack
• 62,500XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 70,000XP Ballin' is a Habit Pack
• 77,500XP 750 Stubs
• 85,000XP World Baseball Classic Gold Pack
• 92,500XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 100,000XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 110,000XP World Baseball Classic Gold Pack
• 120,000XP 750 Stubs
• 130,000XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 140,000XP 91 OVR 2nd Half Rick Ferrell
• 155,000XP 750 Stubs
• 175,000XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 195,000XP Headliners Pack 3
• 215,000XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 235,000XP 1,000 Stubs
• 255,000XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 275,000XP 92 OVR Standout Bobby Doerr
• 295,000XP MLB The Show 26 pack
• 315,000XP Ballin' is a Habit Pack
• 335,000 XP World Baseball Classic Premier Pack
• 355,000 XP MLB The Show 26 Pack
• 400,000 XP 1,500 Stubs
• 425,000 XP Deluxe New Threads Pack
• 450,000 XP MLB The Show 26 Pack
• 475,000 XP 2,000 Stubs
• 500,000 XP 2nd Inning Boss Choice Pack

Boss Introduction

There are two mini-bosses before reaching 500,000 XP: Rick Ferrell and Bobby Doerr.

Rick Ferrell

Maybe new name to most, Rick Ferrell suddenly appeared with a stunning debut card. As a pure catcher, Ferrell boasts amazing offensive Contact, Vision, and Clutch ratings. He hails from Boston Red Sox.

Against right-handed pitchers, his power is slightly above average, while against left-handed pitchers it's almost zero. His gold fielding improves to diamond fielding (90+ in a single attribute) in Parallel 5.

Rick Ferrell debuted as #3 Catcher in Meta Overall.

Bobby Doerr

Bobby Doerris is an extra boss in 2nd Inning Program, boasting a 92 overall rating, and also comes from Boston Red Sox.

According to Meta Overall, Bobby Doerris debuted as #8 2B.

Doerr not only has similar stats to Ferrell but also possesses high contact, vision, and clutch ratings, while also being very strong with a powerful left-handed shot.

He's also a gold fielder with excellent range and strong arm strength. If you want to knock out Doerr, it's undoubtedly 52 Speed, but what we see at second base is a right-handed pitcher like Corey Seager.

Next up are two cards from 2nd Inning Program Choice Pack: Babe Ruth and Randy Johnson.

Babe Ruth

According to Meta Overall, the first Boss Contributor, Babe Ruth, receives a more favorable 11th overall rating, debuting as #2 1B and #3/#4 left/right fielder.

This great Bambino received a primary left fielder card, with 1B and right field eligibility, although it's currently uncertain whether his 45 Speed ​​batting ability is good enough to allow him to roam freely in the outfield.

Randy Johnson

Randy Johnson debuted as 2nd Half Heroe, and according to Meta Overall, is the 39th highest-rated card in Diamond Dynasty overall, with the other option being #3 Starting Pitcher.

Needless to say, Randy Johnson is not only one of the greatest Starting Pitchers of all time, but also one of the hardest pitchers to hit in MLB The Show.

It's worth noting that 4-Seam Fastball doesn't have any special features, but rest assured, Johnson can still easily reach 100 MPH.

However, when you choose Boss Pack, this is still the ultimate showdown between the greatest left-handed pitchers of all time.

That concludes the details of MLB The Show 26 2nd Inning Program. Go experience the new content in the game!

The moment you've all been eagerly awaiting has finally arrived: Monopoly Go's brand-new album, Monopoly Ever After, is officially live! Running from April 8th through June 3rd, this album introduces a host of special events designed to offer players a completely fresh gaming experience. Curious to learn more? Read on for all the details!

New Gameplay Features

Fairytale Shutdown

The all-new special event, Fairytale Shutdown, launches simultaneously with Monopoly Ever After album.

This event features a themed mini-game: whenever a player triggers a Shutdown, 1 to 3 Little Pigs will be found hiding behind the target's landmark buildings. Successfully hitting these specific spots will reveal Little Pigs and award you with extra bonuses - such as additional dice rolls, tournament points, and more.

However, if your opponent currently possesses Shields, these will block your attack, preventing you from revealing Little Pigs.

Fairytale Heist

This introduces a brand-new, themed variation of the classic Bank Heist gameplay. During this event, players will uncover magical gems hidden behind the doors concealed within Magic Mirror. By collecting and accumulating these gems, players can earn substantial bonus rewards in addition to their standard Heist earnings.

Visually, Fairytale Heist offers a far more dramatic and immersive experience. It replaces the standard interface with a whimsical, fairytale-themed Magic Mirror screen.

Chance Cards

Chance Cards are another major highlight of this album update. These cards allow you to instantly trigger a Fairytale Shutdown or a Bank Heist, thereby reducing downtime and accelerating the overall pace of the game.

Imagine this: when you draw a Chance Card during gameplay, you are immediately whisked away to the specific location indicated on the card. Pretty cool, right?

These new cards can either serve as a standalone alternative to the traditional Chance deck or work in tandem with it. Together, they create a faster-paced, more dynamic, and highly interactive gaming experience that keeps players constantly engaged and excited.

Enchanted Storybook

Without a doubt, Enchanted Storybook is the defining feature of this album, significantly influencing your Monopoly Go stickers collection journey.

Previously, players could only acquire random stickers. Now, thanks to Enchanted Storybook, players can obtain stickers specifically from a designated set. This empowers players to acquire the stickers they actually want - or need - with greater precision, thereby boosting their chances of obtaining those coveted rare stickers. Additionally, you may encounter Lucky Fairies within Enchanted Storybook. These Lucky Fairies trigger special visual effects on the game interface, delivering random rewards and adding extra surprises to your collecting journey.

Cinderella Racers

Launching alongside Monopoly Ever After is Cinderella Racers - a racing event featured within the game. Players can choose to compete solo or team up with three other players.

If you choose to compete solo, the rewards you receive - including Sticker Packs and Cinderella Board Token - will be fewer than those awarded to teams.

Furthermore, during this special event, dice are replaced by Flags, which serve as the essential resource required for gameplay.

Peg-E Prize Drop

Having a sufficient supply of Tokens is a prerequisite for participating in Peg-E Prize Drop. You must insert these Tokens into the slots at the top of the interface to earn rewards. The rewards are presented across two pages; once the first page is completed, the second page becomes available.

Participating in Peg-E Prize Drop allows you to earn Flags, which can then be utilized in the aforementioned Cinderella Racers event.

Differences between Posh Pets

Monopoly Ever After Album features a Fairy Tale theme. While its duration is eight days shorter than that of Posh Pets Album, the total number of Sticker Sets and individual Stickers remains identical: 24 sets comprising 216 stickers in total.

Compared to Posh Pets, Ever After Album features optimized distribution rules for rare stickers, thereby creating a more balanced overall collecting difficulty.

This album includes 40 distinct 4-star stickers - a reduction compared to the 45 found in Posh Pets. There are 27 distinct 5-star stickers, which is also fewer than the 30 featured in the previous album. However, the number of highly rare 6-star stickers remains unchanged at 6.

Notably, Ever After Album concentrates its highly rare Gold Stickers within the later sets. This design increases the challenge of completing the final sets while making it easier to complete the earlier sets. This mechanism ensures an enjoyable gaming experience for both casual players and seasoned veterans alike.

Ultimate Rewards

Collect all 24 sticker sets in this album to earn Puss in Boots Tokens, 15,000 dice, and even cash rewards.

If time permits, you can also unlock Prestige Album to receive an additional 15,000 dice and Beanstalk Dice Skin. Of course, Prestige Album presents a slightly greater challenge, so players should proceed at a pace that suits their own circumstances.

Incidentally, Monopoly Go Fairytale Partners event is also set to kick off on April 15th! Be sure to log in to Monopoly Go frequently over the coming days to discover even more exciting content.

Despite its shorter duration, Monopoly Ever After continues to captivate players with its wealth of engaging activities. Dive into the game now and explore everything it has to offer!

Arc Raiders' latest update, Flashpoint, was released late last month, bringing with it a wealth of new content - including new map environments, new enemies, and new weapons. Simultaneously, several new missions were quietly introduced to the game.

Here, I'll share some advanced tips and tricks that every Raider should master; these strategies will help you secure even more loot and resources in this new version of the game.

I. Using Surge Coil

Surge Coil is a rare, deployable utility device that periodically emits electrical pulses, stunning any enemies caught within its radius.

Once deployed on the ground, Surge Coil will discharge an electric shock the moment any unit enters its effective radius, instantly depleting the target's shields and health. Notably, it doesn't just shock other Raiders - it will also zap ARC entities.

Surge Coil can be used for area denial, securing loot zones, and combating smaller ARC units. However, it also possesses a lesser-known, hidden bonus feature.

If an enemy throws a Proximity Grenade directly over a Surge Coil, the coil will instantly detonate it. Consequently, you can strategically deploy Surge Coils throughout the map; in PvP engagements, they serve as effective defensive measures against enemy Proximity Grenades, creating a safer combat environment for you. It is, without a doubt, an incredibly practical piece of gear.

II. Using Firefly Burners

Another utility item just as effective as Surge Coil is Firefly Burner - an item scavenged from defeated Ark Fireflies - which can now be utilized in combat.

First, you can assign Firefly Burner to your quick-use slot. Once thrown onto the ground, shooting Burner will cause it to explode, dealing 5 points of damage per second over a duration of 10 seconds. When the burning effect finally dissipates, it triggers a small secondary explosion that deals additional damage.

III. Combining Throwables

In PvP matches within the new Flashpoint update, combining a Smoke Grenade with a Gas Grenade creates a surprisingly powerful and effective synergy. In the heat of battle, simply throw down a Smoke Grenade followed by a Gas Grenade; you will immediately be able to clearly see the silhouettes of any enemies caught inside the smoke.

Furthermore, Gas Grenade slows down enemy movement speed and drains their stamina, making it difficult for them to aim at you - a highly practical advantage during PvP firefights. You can also pair Tagging Grenade with a Smoke Grenade - this makes for an excellent combination. First, ping the enemy player's location, then immediately throw down a Smoke Grenade. This allows you to clearly see the enemy's position while remaining completely invisible to them.

IV. Acquiring Combat Supplies

The new update introduces not only new but also a brand-new "Close Scrutiny" map condition, which is teeming with valuable ARC Raiders gear. Under "Close Scrutiny" condition, if you check your map, you'll notice that the developers have scattered small "Combat Supply" caches across the area; these crates contain some truly excellent loot.

These supply points have a chance of spawning Weapon Crates. In addition to weapons, you can also find Medic Bags filled with medical supplies and Ammo Crates for replenishing your ammunition. Most enticing of all, these supply points have a significantly high chance of spawning Blueprints!

Therefore, whenever you enter "Close Scrutiny" game mode, make sure to thoroughly loot these supply points. Gear up with better equipment to take on the new ARC enemies!

V. Looting ARC Assessors

The caches found at ARC Assessors and ARC Railers contain extremely rich rewards; however, opening these supply crates will inevitably attract a massive horde of ARC enemies. So, how can you secure these rewards with minimal hassle?

You will need to bring along a few Smoke Grenades and a Photoelectric Cloak. Approach ARC Assessor site, first throwing a Smoke Grenade to create a smokescreen for cover. Then, wait patiently at the edge of the site. Once you have finished looting ARC Raiders items within the smoke, simply activate your Photoelectric Cloak to make a safe and clean getaway.

Note: The moment you open one of these supply crates, a large swarm of ARC enemies will immediately converge on your position, and the situation can quickly devolve into chaos. Therefore, the Photoelectric Cloak is an essential tool here; it provides a massive advantage by ensuring your safe extraction.

Lure Grenades can also be utilized, though they are not quite as effective as the combination of a Smoke Grenade and a Photoelectric Cloak. By employing these tactics, you not only stand a chance of acquiring the "Delabar" Blueprint but can also farm for the associated crafting materials.

Additionally, when attempting to loot the caches at ARC Assessors, consider bringing along a Raider equipped with "Looting MK3" skill. This provides the highest possible chance of survival, ensuring that even if you get downed during the encounter, you still have a fighting chance to make it out alive.

VI. Eliminating Arct Vaporizers

Arct Vaporizers deal high damage and are difficult to take down. You must identify their two weak points: one is located at the top, and the other at the bottom. Prioritize equipping Legendary weapons to quickly shatter the armor covering their top or bottom sections, thereby exposing their core components.

If you do not possess any Legendary weapons, you can use alternatives such as Patina or Anvil. Once you have shattered the bottom armor, switch to Hullcracker to unleash maximum burst damage. You can acquire Hullcracker from NPCs or obtain it for free by completing various missions.

VII. Defeating Vaporizers

If you throw an object at a Vaporizer, it will activate its energy shield. Therefore, bring along some easy-to-craft improvised explosives. Approach Vaporizer, use nearby cover to dodge its electrical attacks, and then deploy your Wolf Packs to draw its fire and absorb the incoming damage.

Additionally, be sure to loot any Couriers you encounter along the way; doing so gives you a chance to unlock Vaporizer Regulator

VIII.Ensuring a "Full Raid"

Whether your goal is to loot Arc Assessors or eliminate Arct Vaporizers, you must first participate in a "Full Raid" - one featuring a full-length timer - rather than being assigned to a "staggered raid" with a shortened duration.

According to the 1.22.0 patch notes, the new matchmaking system now prioritizes placing players who use "Custom Loadouts" into fresh server instances. As long as you invest the time to carefully assemble and save a complete equipment configuration, the system guarantees that you will be matched into a Full Raid. This was one of the most highly anticipated changes in this update.

In this game - where risk and reward go hand in hand - attempting to enter a match with zero risk will inevitably lower your chances of securing valuable rewards. At this point, "late spawns" are simply not worth it. You should only consider using "Free Loadouts" if you find yourself in dire financial straits; otherwise, they are no longer a viable option.

IX. Feeding Scrappy

Feeding your Scrappy the appropriate food items not only boosts your resource acquisition efficiency but also unlocks rare loot drops at the conclusion of every raid mission. In Flashpoint update, simply feeding Scrappy - your trusty companion - with randomly scavenged fruit grants you two distinct buffs: first, a fixed quantity of specific bonus resources; and second, a random reward item drawn from an exclusive food-specific loot pool.

Prioritizing the leveling of Scrappy will significantly enhance the quality of the rewards he yields. Furthermore, you should ensure you have a plentiful supply of food on hand and seize every opportunity to feed him, thereby guaranteeing that Scrappy remains under the influence of these beneficial buffs at all times.

The battlefields of the new version have now fully opened, ushering in a brand-new adventure complete with new maps, new enemies, and new gear. By mastering these advanced strategies - whether it involves safely scavenging high-value ARC Raiders Items, efficiently taking down powerful bosses, or establishing total dominance in PvP combat - you will consistently stay one step ahead of the competition. Gear up, creatively utilize item combinations, unlock even more rare ARC Raiders Items, and become an unstoppable force in the world of ARC Raiders!