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!

Raiders, ARC Raiders Riven Tides is now live, with some exciting updates including a new map, new mechanics, new items, new ARC enemies, and more. Let's check out the coastline!

Map Location

Riven Tides is located on the west coast of Rust Belt, primarily featuring a beach environment.

The map size feels somewhat unique; it appears smaller than some previous maps on tactical maps, but it still feels quite large when actually running from one end to the other. The core area is compact, with key points concentrated in the interior, making some areas feel smaller.

There are four main POIs: Hotel Panorama Azoro, Customs House, Stacking Yard, and Port Authority Building. Hotel Panorama Azoro and Port Authority Building are high-loot areas, while Stacking Yard and Customs House are medium-loot areas. Other areas also have medium-quality item spawns.

Map Conditions

Standard Map Condition rotation, plus a small Map Condition Beachcombing, and a large Map Condition Night Raid.

As a map-specific Map Condition, Beachcombing introduces a new risk-reward mechanism. Players can use the newly added universal Dockmaster's Detector to scan the sand, with the detector indicating the location of hidden loot through flashing frequencies.

However, the core risk lies in the fact that the most rewarding scan areas are usually exposed on open beaches, forcing players to hide their weapons when searching for ARC Raiders blueprints, making them highly vulnerable to ambushes.

Furthermore, not everything unearthed is valuable; sometimes, players will dig up living ticks or trigger landmines.

In addition, numerous ARC enemies patrol, including flying ARCs, Leapers, Bastions, and Bombarders. Their patrol areas highly overlap, making it easy to encounter too many enemies and be forced to retreat.

New ARC Turbine

Turbine is a brand-new floating ARC shaped like an inverted pyramid, appearing in Beachcombing and Night Raid. Its spawn rate is low under standard Map Conditions.

Its behavior is extremely unique; when undisturbed, it is quiet, docile, and even almost tamed. However, if players interfere, it will activate a brutal self-defense mechanism, severely testing players' reaction speed, patience, and mental fortitude.

The specific characteristics of Turbine and corresponding countermeasures are still being explored by the community.

New Project: Aven Alarm

Aven Alarm is a project about building an alarm network. Its highlight is challenging the pure sacrifice model of traditional projects.

In the first step, Initial Flock Intake, players no longer directly submit supplies, but instead must complete the specific objective of placing bird traps next to the buoys along Seabed in Riven Tides.

Subsequent stages involve collecting various resources such as Tick Pods, Comet Igniters, and Vaporizer Regulators. Completing all five stages will reward players with Legendary items such as Acoustic Guitar.

New Event: Miniature Voyages

This is a new limited-time event that will run until May 25th. Its mechanism is that experience points gained by players in any map are automatically converted into accumulated Merits. To catch up or make rapid progress, players need to search for five different rarities of miniature ship models on Riven Tides map. These typically spawn in various residential areas.

For example, Legendary "Leviathan's Crown" Ship Model provides up to 250 Merits per piece and can be sold for a high price after extraction.

New Items

• Crash Mat: Uncommon Throwable. Reduces fall damage.
• Power Descender: Similar to a jetpack, only slows descent speed.
• Docmaster Detector: Common Gadget. Metal detector, battery powered. When activated, it alerts players to nearby mineable items.
• White Flag: Common Deployable. Signals intentions from a distance or can be used for deception.

Weapon Economy and Wear Mechanism Revolution

Riven Tides has revolutionized the weapon economy. These changes address, to some extent, player complaints from previous versions regarding the mismatch between costs and benefits. For example, Bettina rifle has long been relegated to the sidelines.

Repair on Upgrade

Previously, if a player acquired a worn weapon, repairing and upgrading were two separate processes requiring separate resource investments. In Riven Tides, however, every time a player upgrades a weapon, it immediately restores 25% of its maximum durability.

This alleviates player resource anxiety and transforms upgrades from a pure cost into a means of repair.

The Polarization of Durability Refresh

This is the most controversial design. The average durability of weapons on the map has been drastically reduced from a general 50 points to 30 points, with weapons found in outlying areas sometimes yielding less than 15 points.

Simultaneously, the rate of damage from firing ordinary weapons has skyrocketed by 75%, directly rendering cheap and easily crafted overkill equipment essentially consumables that are barely usable after a few shots.

In contrast, rarer weapons receive preferential treatment in terms of combat lifespan: Epic weapons have a 5% reduced wear rate; Legendary weapons have a 10% reduced wear rate; and the maximum durability of high-quality weapons is also indirectly increased.

This tiered wear system allows high-quality equipment to retain its value in the traditional sense during open-world combat.

Increased PvP Benefits

Additionally, the weapon durability loss of a downed player is reduced from 30% to 15%. This means weapons looted from corpses will be more usable. This measure encourages a focus on PvP gameplay.

Bettina Enhancement

Bettina is one of the weapons that underwent the most significant changes in this weapon tuning update. Specific adjustments include:

• Base Damage: Increased from 14 to 16;
• Base Rate of Fire: Reduced from 285 to 235 ;
• Crossfire and Recoil Optimization: Single-shot spread reduced by approximately 40%, spread recovery rate increased by 30%;
• Damage Increase Against ARC Armor: Additional damage coefficient increased by approximately 30%.

Expedition Window Reform

Expedition window is now open until May 11th. Players can accumulate skill points by dealing total damage and apply to join Expedition. This means that total damage is now the sole criterion for Expedition participation.

Players must deal a cumulative 150,000 damage to any enemy target to obtain all five skill points. This change essentially transforms Expedition from a passive collection competition into a pure test of combat skill.

Whether you're a new player or a seasoned veteran, this new map will definitely bring you a different gaming experience. Log in now!

Since its release, ARC Raiders has lost a significant number of players and even faced public ridicule from the creator of its competitor, Escape from Tarkov.

If you're a die-hard ARC Raiders fan, you might feel angry. However, as a highly popular and controversial game, it's normal for it to have various controversies, and the game certainly has its well-known flaws.

With the Riven Tides update, I want to discuss the controversial aspects of the game and what changes players want to see. Specifically, this includes the Skill Tree issue, the disorderly matchmaking system, and player suggestions.

Skill Tree Issue

The Skill Tree is arguably the most controversial system in ARC Raiders.

In a recent lengthy interview on the popular podcast Game Makers Notebook, Arc Raiders' design director Virgil Watkins openly admitted, "I don't think we did a very good job with the Skill Tree system." Indeed, the problems with the Skill Tree can be divided into three categories.

Skill Value Imbalance

Watkins pointed out a serious problem with the current skill tree: a severe imbalance in skill utility. Some skills are almost completely ignored in actual combat, while others are practically mandatory for all players.

This imbalance renders the game's advertised high degree of freedom meaningless. Most players will prioritize maxing out stamina - related skills in the early game, as the vast majority will choose the most efficient and cost - effective playstyle.

Skill Design Contradictions

Watkins also pointed out another, more serious problem in the interview: the skill tree design has flaws, forcing players to make trade - offs between PvP and PvE gameplay.

For example, some skills in the current version are naturally more suitable for players who prefer PvP, while others are only effective against Arc enemies in the game - such as increasing damage to monsters or reducing the chance of being detected by monsters.

The problem is that Arc Raiders is a game that combines PvP and PvE, and a player often cannot predict which type of threat they will encounter in a single game.

When you've invested heavily in PvE skills and equipped PvE - optimized ARC Raiders items, only to suddenly encounter a real - time squad, you'll be at a significant disadvantage; conversely, the opposite is also true.

This inherent contradiction in the mechanics forces players to choose between two playstyles when deciding how to progress.

Insignificant Numerical Gains

Another issue is that the Skill Tree seems to offer only minor changes, lacking truly transformative moments. For example, a 2% increase in movement speed or a 0.5 - second faster reload speed. These buffs are almost imperceptible in intense combat.

This results in weak positive feedback for players, and the lack of positive feedback from the Skill Tree system makes it easier for players to become bored with it and the game as a whole.

In contrast, players crave transformative moments - such as unlocking a new tactical move or gaining a unique active skill. This would increase player engagement.

Disorderly Matchmaking System

Compared to before, ARC Raiders player activity has declined. Players have observed that on a typical Thursday morning, the game had approximately 30,000 concurrent players, while the peak in the last 24 hours reached 82,000. This figure can be considered the lowest and most critical concurrent player count.

Why does a decrease in concurrent players disrupt the matchmaking system? The reason lies in the development team's introduction of an Aggression - Based Matchmaking mechanism. Its principle is simple: the system matches players with similar preferences based on their historical behavior - such as whether they prefer PvP or PvE.

This allows players who enjoy intense combat to engage in fierce battles, while those who prefer peaceful exploration can enjoy the game in a relatively safe environment.

However, due to the reduced concurrent player count, the system cannot find enough players within a reasonable timeframe, inevitably mixing PvP - oriented and PvE - oriented players together, causing the matchmaking mechanism to malfunction.

As a result, a large influx of players with aggressive playstyles floods previously peaceful matches, randomly attacking players focused on PvE. This has resulted in a poor gaming experience for many casual players, further exacerbating the conflict between PvP and PvE players.

Clearly, this matchmaking system needs modification, at least to ensure that players who only enjoy PvE are not dragged into PvP matches.

Player Suggestions

In addition, players have offered suggestions and expectations regarding the ARC Raiders Riven Tides update and subsequent updates. Here's a brief overview:

Some players mentioned hoping the next update would add new craftables, equipment, and weapons, while also retaining the project system, as it gives players a clear reason to loot and complete missions.

This makes sense; after all, replayability and a sense of purpose are crucial for extraction shooters, and craftables and projects provide those experiences.

Furthermore, while some new high-tier ARC Raiders items have recently been added, low-tier equipment remains the same as before.

Some players believe the game also needs a wider variety of low - tier weapons and armor, as these are the tiers most frequently used by new players or those on a tight budget. Constantly releasing high-tier weapons would significantly diminish their gaming experience.

These are my summaries of controversial points in the game and suggestions. What do you think?

The upcoming ARC Raiders Third Expedition brings many new changes. In addition to Expedition's reward system, Raiders' skill trees have gained an extra 5 skill points. Before Expedition system, we only had 86 skill points; now we have 91.

This has given me some inspiration. Perhaps we can develop a skill tree system more suitable for the current version. It should not only improve your survivability in the game but also enhance your ability to amass wealth - by scavenging large amounts of high-level resources.

We have a total of three skill tree branches: Conditioning, Mobility, and Survival. I will now explain in detail which skills and how many skill points are added to each branch.

Mobility

Nimble Climber - 5 skill points

This is a basic utility skill that increases your speed when manually climbing high platforms or automatically vaulting low walls, windows, and other obstacles while running.

Marathon Runner - 5 skill points

This not only reduces the stamina consumed by movement but also increases your mech's resilience. Whether escaping, chasing, or making long-distance raids, this is the foundation of your stamina. A solid foundation will greatly enhance your gameplay experience.

Youthful Lungs - 5 Skill Points

Each level increases your maximum stamina by 5%. At max level, it increases your stamina cap by 25%, allowing you to sprint longer, roll more, and effectively improve map movement efficiency and combat survivability.

Effortless Roll - 5 Skill Points

It directly improves stamina endurance, allowing you to use the crucial roll maneuver more frequently in combat.

Heroic Leap - 5 Skill Points

Its core function is to increase the movement distance of Sprint Dodge Roll, allowing you to engage or disengage faster in combat. Maxing out this skill is key to maximizing its value.

Crawl Before You Walk - 5 Skill Points

Crawl Before You Walk increases your crouching speed, enhancing stealthy mobility.

Carry The Momentum - 1 skill point

This skill is a Major Skill in the mobility skill tree, creating a valuable, cost-free sprint window for a short period.

Carry The Momentum requires a well-timed, stamina-consuming roll. Effortless Roll effectively reduces the cost of the roll itself.

Finally, add one skill point each to Vigorous Vaulter, Sup And Slide, Sturdy Ankles, Calming Stroll, and Vaults On Vaults On Vaults.

Youthful Lungs and Marathon Runner will be the foundation of this combo. On top of these, Carry The Momentum acts as a brief burst of power. Its presence makes this movement system more complete and allows you to force a 3-4 second respite when your stamina is depleted, buying time for other skills to recover stamina.

Survival

Agile Croucher - 5 Skill Points

It's a prerequisite for unlocking key building paths, and its most important strategic value. In areas dense with high-level ARC Raiders Items, Agile Croucher reduces your risk of being detected by enemy players or ARCs, while also providing a speed boost, allowing you to move between cover more quickly.

Looter's Instincts - 5 Skill Points

It allows you to see the items inside containers more quickly after opening the container browsing interface, significantly improving looting efficiency and allowing you to acquire key resources faster, reducing your exposure time.

Revitalizing Squat - 3 Skill Points

It allows you to continuously regenerate stamina while crouching.

In-Round Crafting - 1 Skill Point

This skill allows you to craft ARC Raiders Items you need during a match, achieving self-sufficiency.

Silent Scavenger - 1 Skill Point

Greatly reduces the noise you make when looting and picking up items, making you more stealthy and less likely to be detected by ARC.

Suffer In Silence - 1 Skill Point

Reduces the sound of your cries of pain when injured, buying you time to heal.

Broad Shoulders - 5 Skill Points

Greatly increases your carrying capacity, meaning you can pick up more loot.

Looter's Luck - 5 Skill Points

A passive skill that has a chance to instantly double the number of items when looting containers. The player community often believes it improves the quality of items dropped, such as rare ARC Raiders Blueprints.

Good As New - 1 Skill Point

Increases the efficiency of healing items.

Conditioning

Used to the Weight - 5 Skill Points

Reduces the reduction in movement speed caused by armor and weight. It provides a near-free upgrade. A shield is practically a standard feature for every action, and this skill can be unlocked early in the game, maintaining high tactical mobility even when heavily armored.

Blast-Born - 1 skill point

Reduces the impact of explosions on hearing, allowing you to more clearly distinguish footsteps, gunshots, and other key environmental sounds amidst blasts.

Fight Or Flight - 5 skill points

A survival-oriented secondary passive skill that instantly restores a fixed amount of stamina when injured in combat, but has an internal cooldown. It can be combined with Survivor's Stamina for a powerful combo, giving you a stamina advantage on the battlefield.

Gentle Pressure - 1 skill point

Reduces the noise when breaching doors and unlocking locks, aiding in stealth operations.

Proficient Pryer - 5 skill points

Shortens the animation time for unlocking and breaching doors, allowing you to acquire loot faster and reduce the risk of detection.

Unburdened Roll - 1 skill point

After your shield breaks, the first roll within a short timeframe does not consume stamina. Offers you a free escape opportunity, high survival value.

Survivor's Stamina - 1 skill point

Significantly increases stamina regeneration speed when your health is below 20%.

A Little Extra - 1 skill point

Always obtains extra resources (materials or consumables) when picking locks, increasing resource accumulation efficiency.

Loaded Arms - 1 skill point

Reduces the impact of your current weapon's weight on your inventory.

Downed But Determined - 1 skill point

Extends the duration of being downed, increasing the chance of teammates reviving you.

Turtle Crawl - 5 skill points

Reduces damage taken while downed, increasing survival chances.

In short, the choice of build depends on your primary goal. If you want to accumulate resources in ARC Raiders in the shortest time, avoid getting bogged down in close combat, and still become a hunter, getting rich through combat plunder, then this build is very suitable.

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.

Arc Raiders' Third Expedition progression system has changed, introducing a completely new way to acquire skill points. However, there are only ten days left until Expedition window opens.

Now we'll quickly understand all the changes brought about by the new damage-based progression system, including how skill points are acquired and how the catch-up mechanic works.

If you're preparing for an Expedition, you need to understand these things before the data wipe.

The Third Expedition System

Expedition is one of the most important systems in Arc Raiders. It completely wipes your character data, skill points, all hard-earned blueprints, and all your music collection. Basically, everything will be deleted. While it sounds brutal, Expedition isn't just a punishment.

It brings proper rewards that can't be obtained through other means. To start an Expedition, players must deliver specific items and valuables to an Expedition progression project called Caravan. Once enough items have been delivered, Expedition window will open, and then you just need to wait for Expedition day to arrive.

On that day, your character will be reset. The third expedition window will open on April 28th at 13:00 CEST, giving you five days to register and fulfill the requirements. All registered players will automatically depart on May 4th. It's important to note that completing Caravan quest is not equivalent to registration. You will still need to register manually within the five-day registration period.

Arc Raiders has also introduced a new Last Call feature for players who completed Caravan quest but missed the registration window. You will receive a pop-up on your next login offering one last chance to register, but this option will not grant any skill points.

Expedition Rewards

Permanent rewards include a Patchwork outfit, new toggles for the helmet, ammo belt, and leg trinkets, two new color schemes: white, red, and black/green, a tattered bandana, and an Expedition Indicator Icon that upgrades with each expedition completed. Additionally, you will receive 12 extra storage spaces per expedition, which stack with each server reset.

Therefore, if your maximum storage capacity is currently 280 without any expeditions, it will increase to 292 after the first expedition, 304 after the second, and 316 after the third. Next are the consecutive bonuses, which are crucial to understand. Consecutive bonuses mean that if you miss an expedition window, these bonuses will be completely reset.

Currently, these bonuses increase over three expeditions as follows: experience bonus increases from 5% to 10% to 15%, scrap bonus increases from 6% to 12% to 18%, and repair value increase increases from 60% to 70% to 80%. These are significant numbers, and missing an expedition window can result in substantial losses.

The brilliance of ARC Raiders lies in providing players who don't want to participate with the option to skip entirely. Other games, such as Tarkov, force a reset for all players every four to six months. I believe this optional mechanism is one reason why ARC Raiders has a higher player retention rate than most games in its genre. If you've already completed your caravan quests, you can register when the registration window opens on April 28th. During the 5-day window, you need to focus on dealing damage; remember, damage dealt to any target counts. If you're currently on your second or third expedition and missed out on skill points, complete the damage challenge first to unlock the catch-up mechanic, which is still tied to your stash value, with each skill point worth 300,000 coins.

Expedition Changes

In the first two expeditions, skill points were tied to gold value. If your stash reached a certain threshold, approximately 3 to 5 million coins, you would gain all five skill points. This was a passive, wealth-based system. You would accumulate resources and ARC Raiders Items in the game, and the higher your stash value, the more it reflected your efforts.

In the third expedition, ARC Raiders obliterated this mechanic. Now, skill points are gained by dealing damage. Damage dealt to any target, whether ARC or other raiders, will count towards skill points. The damage threshold must be reached within the 5-day expedition window.

Impact on Players

Official information doesn't explicitly state whether this change applies to all players on all expeditions, or only to those on their third expedition. How these changes will affect players currently on their first or second expedition remains unknown.

Based on current information, Damage Challenge is now a universal system for all players, regardless of whether it's your first, second, or third expedition. Damage Challenge replaces Warehouse Value system as the universal method for all players to obtain five skill points.

Catchup system is where the real complexity lies. Catchup system allows players who didn't obtain all skill points in previous expeditions to make up for the missed points in subsequent expeditions at a very low gold cost.

Catchup skill points only apply to players on their second or third expedition who missed skill points in the previous expedition, and are still tied to Warehouse Value, with each skill point costing 300,000 gold. If you want to catch up, you need to complete Damage Challenge to unlock Catchup system, and then meet the additional Warehouse Value requirement.

The simultaneous operation of two different systems within the same expedition window can be very confusing for players, especially newcomers. A clearer explanation of which players these mechanics apply to and how the two systems interact would be greatly helpful.

Players shouldn't be piecing together this information from forum posts and content creators' sharing. Official announcements should prominently feature this information. We still don't know exactly how these changes will affect different players. From a game design perspective, I understand the reasons behind these changes.

Reasons for Changes

The wealth-based expedition system encourages players to hoard resources. Players passively accumulate resources and then leave them aside instead of actively participating in the game. With the player base declining, the goal is to encourage more active gameplay, increase engagement, and truly immerse more players in the Rust Belt world, experiencing events rather than simply managing the game.

Player Reactions

This announcement was released 10 days before the expedition window opened. The expedition cycle is nearly 60 days. Players have been working according to the previous set of rules for almost two months, and these rules have changed less than two weeks before the expedition begins. If a player spends fifty days meticulously accumulating inventory value to reach a skill point threshold, only to find that threshold is now meaningless, they have every reason to be frustrated. This isn't a minor adjustment. It's a fundamental redesign of the core progression mechanics, delivered to players at the last minute. The reactions on forums and social media confirm this. Players are very dissatisfied.

Therefore, the problem isn't the change itself. The problem is the entire handling of it. Such a significant change should have been announced after the second expedition, allowing players time to adjust, change strategies, and feel like informed participants, not victims of a last-minute decision. Even a simple announcement at the end of the last expedition would have greatly alleviated this situation.

Arc Raiders' update cadence, roadmap, and proactive response to community feedback are all real and commendable. Adjustments to the free gear matchmaking system, improvements to the user interface, and a complete overhaul of the crafting system all demonstrate that the development team is seriously listening to player feedback.

The changes to the expedition system are not a sign of Arc Raiders' indifference. It shows that the team sometimes acts too quickly and communication fails to keep up. Misunderstanding between decision-making and communication are the root cause of declining player trust. Now you need to prepare for the new expedition and try to adapt to the new expedition mechanics.

ARC Raiders has received a strong response from players since its release, initially garnering immense popularity and enthusiasm. Players averaged hundreds of hours of playtime, with a peak daily concurrent player count of 481,966 on Steam. Many players exclaimed after experiencing the game that such a fun game for only $40 was incredibly good value.

However, recently, complaints have emerged, and the daily concurrent player count has declined, now down to 90,000.

Although the number of concurrent players has decreased significantly, ARC Raiders remains very popular on Steam, surpassing many strong competitors.

It's worth noting that for a game that received high praise upon release and maintained its popularity for so long, this significant drop in player numbers indicates potential problems.

According to player community surveys, the most discussed issues are the unbalanced matchmaking system and changes to the game mechanics. Many veteran players feel that the developers haven't prioritized PvP mode, focusing instead on PvE mode.

ABMM Mechanism is Unbalanced

Aggression-Based Matchmaking was described as a system that records players' PvP tendencies and groups them accordingly, but the official explanation was that it wasn't a simple, black-and-white rule.

In an interview, the official statement revealed that ARC Raiders would match players based on their PvP and PvE preferences, sparking considerable discussion among players.

The discussion was mainly divided into two camps: supporters believed this would allow both aggressive and peaceful players to find their place, while opponents worried about gear-based matchmaking and threatened not to buy the game.

Based on this discussion, the official statement immediately clarified that ABMM was not a simple A/B grouping, but a continuously adjusted weighted system. They also denied that the game had a matchmaking mechanism based on skill or gear.

But is the reality really as the official statement describes?

The actual game system is not the perfect, constantly adjusted mechanism that ignores skill and gear as the official statement portrays it. Instead, it's a garbage mechanism that players perceive as a test of obedience: the system cannot distinguish between proactive aggression and legitimate self-defense. This easily leads to players who enjoy PvE mode being passively attacked and then immediately placed into intense PvP matches in the next round.

In addition, there's the issue of chaotic gear matchmaking. Sometimes, players who have spent money and entered matches with high-level gear find the map empty when they spawn.

By the time they try to enter a building, they might be ambushed and killed at the entrance by free-to-play players using low-level gear they've found. They don't even get a chance to start the game, and their valuable ARC Raiders Items are stolen, simply because their spawn times and locations differ.

The good news is that with the recent ARC Raiders Flashpoint update, the developers have addressed the issues of players entering matches late and scavenging, and the next update, Riven Tides, is coming soon.

What will Riven Tides bring?

Currently, ARC Raiders players are experiencing a mix of anticipation and anxiety. Based on the information released about the upcoming update, players generally believe it will be significantly different from the previous unchanging gameplay.

This update introduces a new terrain map-Tidal Surge. Existing maps are primarily industrial areas and cities, all located on land.

From the official emails sent to players, it's clear the new map is set at sea or near the coast, and even includes new environmental systems with features like heavy rain and fog. This means players must adjust their strategies and tactics; tactics used on land are no longer suitable for the new map.

Furthermore, this update increases the threat of ARC units like Firefly, Queen, and Matriarch, requiring players to be much more cautious. This is particularly challenging for players with lower skill levels or those who primarily play PvE, as defeating ARC units becomes significantly more difficult, and they will inevitably encounter them to complete missions.

Weapon balancing further exacerbates this difficulty; the developers are continuously adjusting weapon balance to clearly differentiate the value of low-tier and high-tier weapons.

While this approach lets players know which weapons are crucial and valuable in the game, it also renders the low-tier weapons of players without high-value weapons ineffective.

Furthermore, although the developers introduced larger-scale world events in Riven Tides to address the widespread perception that the existing storyline was tedious and unoriginal, the lack of continuity in gameplay after these events leaves players with nothing to do in the later stages, proving that it's merely a superficial solution.

To truly address players' demands for gameplay enjoyment, the game must not only have a complete questline in the early and mid-game, but also a compelling progression in the late game, rather than simply offering daily tasks and a retirement mode after the endgame. A good game needs both breadth and depth.

The Future of ARC Raiders

The quality of a game is judged by the number and level of its fanbase. ARC Raiders' current ranking on Steam demonstrates that it remains a strong contender.

Even with the official lack of a concrete solution to the widely criticized matchmaking system, players have already begun to exploit its numerous flaws: solo queue defaults to PvE, while trios are PvP. Players can even choose servers with a weaker PvP atmosphere to focus on PvE if they don't want to participate in PvP.

One player with 600 hours of experience shared that during a PvP match, instead of engaging in a gunfight with an opposing player, they engaged in friendly communication and eventually reached an agreement, sometimes even teaming up against ARC. After the game, they became friends outside the game.

Perhaps this is the secret to a game's longevity-a people-centric approach.

The core of a game's matchmaking system needs to be people-centric, rather than simply treating PvP as a purely competitive battle mode. Programming a system that creates conflict and tension will only lead to player fatigue and dissatisfaction in the long run.

Riven Tides update may be a crucial step for the official team to adjust its strategy and better define the future direction of ARC Raiders. ARC Raiders is a promising game with a grand vision. If the developers value player feedback and address issues effectively, it will have a bright future.

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!

Hydra Sorcerer can summon elemental turrets that rapidly spew flames at enemies in Diablo 4. Season of Slaughter newly introduced Legendary item, Ophidian Iris, grants Sorcerers an empowered ability, allowing them to summon a massive Hydra capable of explosive attacks.

This top-tier build is ideal for fast farming runs, challenging Uber Bosses, and pushing high-tier difficulties in The Pit!

The final, fully realized version of this Hydra Sorcerer build requires your Sorcerer character to have reached Level 60 and to be equipped with a specific Orsivane loadout configuration.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The primary strength of this build lies in its exceptionally high single-target damage output. Not only does it need less Diablo 4 Gold to entry and is easy to assemble, but it also features a rich array of defensive skills and crowd control tools. Overall, it boasts excellent survivability, making it a safe and effective ranged summoning archetype.

However, please note that Hydra's attack targets cannot be manually controlled, which limits the build's offensive flexibility. Additionally, Area of Effect (AoE) damage provided by Ophidian Iris is relatively small, meaning its effectiveness against large groups of enemies may be somewhat diminished.

Skill Bar and Skill Tree Points

Skill Bar:

• Hydra
• Inferno
• Teleport
• Familiar
• Frost Nova
• Ice Armor

Skill Tree Points:

• Basic: 1/5 Fire Bolt
• Core: 3/3 Elemental Dominance
• Defensive: 2/5 Teleport, 1/5 Ice Armor, 1/5 Frost Nova
• Conjuration: 1/5 Familiar, 5/5 Hydra
• Mastery: 3/3 Inner Flames, 3/3 Devouring Blaze
• Ultimate: 5/5 Inferno
• Key Passive: Esu's Ferocity

This Hydra Sorcerer build requires 71 Skill Points. You will earn 59 of these points through character leveling. The remaining 12 points can be acquired by completing Renown objectives if you are an Eternal Realm player; Seasonal Realm players must earn them by progressing through their Seasonal Rank or Seasonal Journey.

To unlock the subsequent skill clusters in the tree, you must allocate points to Fire Bolt skill; however, it is not necessary to assign Fire Bolt to your active Skill Bar. Sorcerer Class Mechanic–Enchantments.

You must first allocate at least one skill point in your Skill Tree to make a specific skill eligible for your Enchantment Slots. Skill points acquired through equipped items are also valid for this purpose. All Active Skills except for Ultimate Skills can be assigned to your two available Enchantment Slots.

By placing Hydra into your first Enchantment Slot, you can summon two additional Hydras beyond the two you can cast via your active Skill Bar thereby increasing your total summoned count and boosting your overall damage output.

However, Hydras summoned via this Enchantment effect are fixed in their five-headed form; they do not benefit from "Additional Hydra Heads" Tempering affix, nor do they receive the damage bonuses provided by Ophidian Iris.

Assigning Teleport to your second Enchantment Slot grants you "Evade Teleport" effect, significantly enhancing your character's mobility and boosting both your survivability and damage-dealing potential.

Legendary Aspects

Aspects are a crucial system essential for enhancing a character's abilities.First, you should salvage Legendary Items that possess higher Aspect values to extract and record them in your Codex of Power.

This allows you to Imprint these powerful Aspects onto other Legendary Items that feature your preferred affixes, enabling you to create gear combinations perfectly aligned with your ideal Stat Priorities.

I. One-Handed Weapon, Focus, or Gloves.

Storm Swell Aspect

• Effect: While Ice Armor is active, deal 15–35% increased damage; this bonus is increased by an additional 15% against Frozen enemies.

Serpentine Aspect

• Effect: When summoning Hydras, their damage is increased by 0.3–0.5% per point of Mana; casting Hydras consumes all of your Mana.

Flash Fire Aspect

• Effect: Critical Strike Damage of Pyromancy Skills is increased by 25–45%; this bonus is doubled against Healthy targets.

II. Amulet

• Default Aspect: Aspect of Shredding Blades
• Alternative Gear: Ophidian Iris
• Effect: Ice Blades have a +20% chance to make enemies Vulnerable, and Vulnerable duration is increased by 4 seconds; gain 15–35% Vulnerable Damage (this effect applies even if Ice Blades is not equipped).

III. Ring

Ring Slot #1

• Default Aspect: Conceited Aspect
• Alternative Gear: Tal Rasha's Iridescent Loop
• Effect: Deal 10–30% increased damage while you have a Barrier active.

Ring Slot #2

• Default Aspect: Battle Caster's Aspect
• Optional Alternative: Ring of Starless Skies
• Effect: Lucky Hit: When your Conjuration Skills hit, you have a 25–45% chance to increase Rank of that Skill by +1 for 12 seconds, stacking up to 10 times.

IV. Helm

• Default Aspect: Snowveiled Aspect
• Alternative Gear: Harlequin Crest
• Effect: Casting Ice Armor grants you Unstoppable status and provides 200–400 Armor.

V. Chest

• Default Aspect: Aspect of Concentration
• Alternative Gear: Raiment of Infinite / Shroud of False Death
• Effect: Casting a Conjuration Skill grants you 15–25% Damage Reduction for 5 seconds.

VI. Pants

• Default Aspect: Everliving Aspect
• Alternative Gear: Tibault's Will
• Effect: Take [10–30%] less damage from Crowd Controlled or Vulnerable enemies.

VII. Boots

• Aspect: Aspect of Bounding Conduit
• Effect: Teleport's Cooldown is reduced by 3–4.5 seconds; after Teleporting, Crackling Energy hits 2 additional enemies.

Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes

Hydra Sorcerers should prioritize securing their primary Affixes while simultaneously ensuring that Tempering Affixes are applied to their endgame gear; continue re-rolling these Tempering Affixes until they upgrade into Greater Affixes.

For speed-farming runs, a-Handed Weapon paired with a Focus is the recommended gear combination, as Focus provides Cooldown Reduction and results in a faster overall Attack Speed.

Furthermore, a Focus grants additional Maximum Resource capacity, thereby further amplifying the damage bonus provided by Serpentine Aspect.

If your goal is to maximize damage per hit, a Sword is the recommended weapon choice; however, if you prioritize weapon Attack Speed, you may opt for a Wand or Dagger instead.

Uniques and Mythic Uniques

1. Amulet

Ophidian Iris (Recommended)

• Effect: Enables massive Hydras that deal area-of-effect damage.
• Masterworking Priority: Ranks to Primordial Binding

2.Chest

Raiment of Infinite (Recommended)

• Effect: Enables "Telestomp" playstyle togroup and Stun enemies;
• provides Teleport Cooldown Reduction for speed-farming.
• Masterworking Priority: Teleport Cooldown Reduction (speed) or Ranks to Glass Cannon (damage)

Shroud of False Death (Recommended)

• Effect: Grants the highest damage output in Chest slot due to +1 to All Passives implicit stat.
• Masterworking Priority: Resource Generation

3. Rings

Tal Rasha's Iridescent Loop (Recommended)

• Effect: Provides up to a 60% damage multiplier with 3 elemental stacks.
• Masterworking Priority: Cooldown Reduction

Ring of Starless Skies (Optional)

• Effect: Slightly more damage than Legendary Ring for high Pit tiers;
• Legendary Ring preferred for Inferno Cooldown Reduction temper in speed-farming.
• Masterworking Priority: Ranks to Core Skills

4. Helm

Harlequin Crest (Recommended)

• Effect: +4 Ranks to all Skills + Maximum Resource for Serpentine Aspect consumption.
• Masterworking Priority: Cooldown Reduction (faster Teleports) or Maximum Resource (higher damage from Serpentine Aspect)

Crown of Lucion (Optional)

• Effect: Strong alternative if no Harlequin Crest; grants up to 75%[x] increased damage with no downside.
• Masterworking Priority: Cooldown Reduction

5. Pants

Tibault's Will (Recommended)

• Effect: Grants 20%[x] increased damage in a slot that normally does not provide it.
• Masterworking Priority: Critical Strike Chance or All Stats

Season 12 Mechanics

The new mechanics introduced in Season of Slaughter Killstreaks, Bloodsoaked Sigils, and Bloodied Items - can further enhance Hydra Sorcerer's combat capabilities.

First is Killstreak mechanic: whenever you defeat an enemy, your Killstreak count increases. The higher your Killstreak count, the more substantial Experience and Seasonal Reputation rewards you receive.

Bloodsoaked Sigils significantly increase the combat difficulty and loot yield within Nightmare Dungeons, Infernal Hordes, and Lair Boss encounters. Content featuring "Relentless Butcher" Bloodied Affix presents a drastically heightened challenge, so proceed with extreme caution.

Bloodied Items

Throughout Sanctuary, you have the opportunity to loot Bloodied Items and Diablo 4 Gold. Bloodied Items come equipped with additional "Bloodied Affixes" that can synergize with Killstreak mechanic. When playing Hydra Sorcerer build, we recommend prioritizing the pursuit of the following Bloodied Affixes:

• Rampage (Armor): If you haven't yet reached the cap, this should be your top priority; secondary priorities include Attack Speed and Cooldown Reduction.
• Feast (Weapons): Allows you to gain Berserking status effect, thereby boosting both your damage output and mobility.
• Hunger (Jewelry): This Affix does not directly increase your combat power; you may choose to utilize it based on your own personal combat style and preferences.

Build Mechanics

Hydra Sorcerer summons powerful turrets that spew flames to deal damage. The core mechanics of this build include:

• Utilizing Serpentine Aspect consumes a significant amount of Mana, which in turn drastically boosts the damage output of your Hydras. Consequently, you must possess highly efficient Mana recovery capabilities.
• Increasing your Maximum Mana cap—via items such as a Legendary Focus, Harlequin Crest, and Elixir of Resourcefulness II—allows you to maximize the damage bonus provided by Serpentine Aspect.
• Ophidian Iris unique wand increases the attack damage of your "Gigantic Hydra" and causes it to trigger an explosive splash effect upon hitting enemies.
• Casting Ice Armor, Teleport, and Hydra allows you to quickly stack all three required buff layers for Tal Rasha's Iridescent Loop ring.
• By leveraging the special effect of Shimmering Ice Armor specifically by casting Hydra and instantly expending all your Mana you can significantly reduce the cooldown of Ice Armor, thereby enhancing your survivability and facilitating a smooth skill rotation.

Resource Management

• Your Legendary Boots, Helm, and Chest Armor should feature "Mana per Second" affixes.
• Your Legendary Staff and Gloves should feature "Lucky Hit Chance" and "Restore Primary Resource affixes.
• If you experience insufficient Mana regeneration during combat, you can modify your Legendary Ring by swapping out Battle Caster's Aspect for either Aspect of Elemental Acuity or Incendiary Aspect.

Critical Strike Chance

A key feature of Hydra Sorcerer build is the ease with which you can stack your Critical Strike Chance to 100%.

• Base Critical Strike Chance: 5%
• Dexterity: +5%
• Invoked Hydra: +20%
• Esu's Ferocity: +40%
• Conjurer: +15%
• Searing Heat: +15%

Rotation and Playstyle

• Use Teleport or Evade to maneuver rapidly across the battlefield. Cast Inferno to group enemies together.
• Cast Familiar immediately after using any Fire skill to stack the Invoked Familial buff.
• When facing Bosses or Elite enemies, cast Frost Nova to apply Vulnerable status effect, then cast Shimmering Ice Armor to unleash high-burst damage.
• When equipped with Raiment of Infinite, use Teleport directly into the center of enemy packs to group them up and apply Stun effect.
• Cast Hydra while your Mana is at maximum capacity—utilizing Serpentine Aspect—to maximize your damage output.

Please note: You must continuously refresh the duration of Ice Armor to maintain Mana regeneration buff provided by Enhanced Ice Armor.

Elixirs and Incenses

Visit an Alchemist in any major city - or use Diablo 4 Gold - to acquire a variety of useful consumables.

Elixir of Resourcefulness II is the optimal choice for Hydra Sorcerer: it significantly boosts your damage output by synergizing with Serpentine Aspect.

Elixir of Fortitude II can be used to enhance your character's survivability. Sage's Whisper (Core Stats), Song of Mountain (Defense), and Soothing Spices (Resistances) can all be active simultaneously; the additional Armor and Resistances provided by these Incenses are particularly effective at mitigating incoming damage.

Orsivane Build Variant

Orsivane weapon allows you to maximize the damage output of Hydra Sorcerer's endgame build. When Flame Shield, Ice Armor, and Frost Nova are not equipped in your Skill Bar, Orsivane provides a damage bonus of up to 120%.

• Equip Orsivane to replace your existing Legendary Weapon, and remove Storm Swell Aspect from your build.
• Reallocate the 6 Skill Points previously assigned to Ice Armor and Frost Nova to Teleport (3 points), Lightning Spear (1 point), Enhanced Lightning Spear, and Invoked Lightning Spear.
• Reallocate the 2 Skill Points assigned to Hoarfrost node to Permafrost.
• In your Skill Bar, replace Ice Armor and Frost Nova with Lightning Spear and Fire Bolt. Cast Lightning Spear to apply Vulnerable effect.

Now you've mastered all the core secrets of this season's Hydra Sorcerer Build, from Skill Tree Points to Legendary Aspects selection and Season 12 mechanics. Transform yourself into a mobile turret fortress on the battlefield. Now go collect gear and experience the devastating thrill of a giant hydra exploding amidst hordes of enemies!

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!