To celebrate the upcoming global launch of Aion 2 - titled War for Atreia - a massive team-based competition among content creators is set to kick off on September 30. Tomorrow, September 23, marks the team selection livestream, where captains will pick their teammates before the actual matches begin. Here is a guide on how to watch the selection livestream and what you can expect from the event. Event Background 60 content creators from North America, Europe, and Latin America are participating in War for Atreia. Divided into Elyos and Asmodians factions, they are coming together to celebrate the global launch of Aion 2 on October 5. This event is no minor affair; the draft phase mirrors the format of professional sports, with captains publicly selecting their team members before the formal competition begins. The event is enormous in scale, involving creators across multiple time zones and language communities, with subsequent broadcasts taking place across various channels. Draft Livestream The draft livestream will air on Twitch and YouTube on September 23 at 10:00 AM Pacific Time. During the stream, captains will select their teammates and finalize the rosters for their respective Legions. Following the draft, each Legion will reveal its name and Sigil. Updates regarding the schedule, matchups, and event progress will also be shared through the same official channels. Captains and Team Composition Official Aion 2 representatives have confirmed six captains, each serving as a representative creator for a specific faction within their region. The captains for North America are Stoopzz and Sonii; for Europe, Baggins and Wakayashi; and for Latin America, Rakin and Tixinha. Each region and faction has a quota of 10 creators. Aside from the captains, the remaining 54 creators will be included in their region's draft pool, from which the two captains will take turns making their selections. Captains can publicly campaign for support before the draft begins, and selected creators will respond in real time during the stream, adding an entertaining element to the draft process itself. Once the draft concludes, each Legion will announce its name and Sigil, allowing you to choose which team to support based on these details. Factions and Legions Judging by the event name and the draft format, Aion 2: War for Atreia is not a one-off exhibition match but a competitive event spanning a period of time. It features two parallel storylines: the faction war between Elyos and Asmodians, and the competition among the various Legions. The draft livestream assigns participating creators to different teams, allowing viewers to see each team's roster right from the start of the event. It is important to distinguish between the two: Faction refers to the allegiance within the game's lore, whereas Legion refers to the specific competitive unit formed for this event through team captains selecting their members. While interconnected in War for Atreia, they are not the same thing. For players, understanding the relationship between Factions and Legions - and choosing whom to follow based on the draft results - will make it easier to keep up with the event. Scoring Rules The organizers have already outlined the basic rules: points are primarily earned through Campaign Bounties completed by participating creators, as well as points generated by viewers watching the stream and recruiting new audience members. At the conclusion of Aion 2: War for Atreia, the faction with the highest total score will be declared the winner. Specific scoring details - such as how viewing duration is calculated or the criteria for viewer recruitment - have not yet been fully detailed; further information may be provided later via official channels. Viewing Rewards This Aion 2 competition kicks off with Early Access launch on September 30 and runs until the global launch on October 5. The event will feature hidden bounties, exclusive viewer rewards, and Twitch Drops. Details regarding how to trigger or complete hidden bounties introduced mid-event will not be revealed all at once, so viewers should keep a close eye on official channels and the livestreams for real-time updates. These tasks offer opportunities for both participating creators and viewers to earn extra points or rewards. Twitch Drops will be released in stages throughout the event, with multiple rounds scheduled to encourage viewers to keep returning to the streams. While a specific list of rewards has not yet been announced, watching your favorite creators' streams guarantees a chance to earn exclusive rewards. For players planning to jump into the game on October 5th, the incentive to watch the event will be even stronger if the rewards include early-game resources like Aion 2 Kinah. Viewing Tips The official Aion 2 channel and individual creator channels serve different purposes: the official channel typically covers the draft, rule explanations, and stage recaps, while creator channels focus more on actual gameplay, team dynamics, and day-to-day progression. If you want a quick overview of the draft or War for Atreia event as a whole, prioritize watching the official livestream on time; if you want to take a deep dive into a specific Legion's performance, follow the corresponding creator. Don't worry if you miss the live broadcast - the official channel usually keeps replays available, allowing you to catch up on specific segments like the draft, showcases, and match stages. When participating in Aion 2 community discussions, using official hashtags makes it easier to find players from your own faction and share information about the schedule and rewards. Keep these two key dates for Aion 2: War for Atreia in mind: the draft livestream tomorrow (September 23) and the official start of the event on September 30!

Last Epoch Season 5, Rage of the Frostborn, launches on October 1st at 11:00 AM CDT. Alongside the new season, the developers are introducing First Blood season-start race, designed for all Travelers who thrive on speed. The rules are simple: using your chosen class, be the first to defeat Pinnacle Morditas - God of Bloodshed - to claim First Blood title for that class. Participation and Rewards First Blood race offers two modes of participation: Online Normal Solo Challenge Online Hardcore Solo Challenge Regardless of the mode chosen, you must progress solo. Unlike standard gameplay where trading Last Epoch gold can provide an advantage during the early game, First Blood emphasizes the player's own resource management skills. Rewards are divided into two tiers: participation rewards and racing rewards. Players who log in to Season 5 within two weeks of its October 1st launch will receive the in-game title Blood Seeker as a memento of the event. Racing rewards are reserved for true speedrunners. The race covers all five base classes, with a winner determined for each class in both Normal and Hardcore modes. The first player to defeat Pinnacle Morditas for each class and mode will receive Enraged Legend Supporter Pack. Consequently, a total of 10 players will earn this supporter pack. Notably, the developers have provided clear guidelines for the rare scenario of simultaneous kills: if two players are determined to have defeated the boss at the exact same time, both will receive the reward without further tie-breaking. The Path to Pinnacle Morditas Morditas does not appear immediately; players must follow a specific progression chain to unlock the Pinnacle Morditas encounter. Step 1: Obtain Woven Echo via Rage of Morditas First, players must engage with the new Season 5 mechanic, Rage of Morditas, to defeat the standard version of Morditas and obtain Woven Echo drop. Rage of Morditas encounters appear as players explore Eterra. Players will come across Blood Crystals; interacting with them triggers Rage of Morditas event. Once the event begins, players must reach specific kill thresholds within a limited time; the higher the threshold reached, the stronger the resulting buffs, while also generating Bloodrage Charges. This mechanic features various iterations, each introducing unique combat effects. For example: Revitalizing Rage: Blood Potions may appear during combat; picking them up grants a temporary movement speed boost. Freezing Rage: Generates projectiles with a high Freeze Rate. Coalescing Rage: Spawns Blood Orbs around the player that explode upon contact with enemies. Reptilian Bloodrage: Has a chance to spawn lizard-like enemies nearby every few seconds. Step 2: Place Demigod's Ascendance into Monolith of Fate After obtaining Demigod's Ascendance Woven Echo, the next step is to slot it into Monolith of Fate's Echo Web. It is important to note that Demigod's Ascendance is a Woven Echo with fixed difficulty. Players must raise their Corruption level to 400 to slot it into Echo Web. Unlike standard Echoes, the difficulty of Demigod's Ascendance does not scale further with increased Corruption. In other words, reaching 400 Corruption satisfies the entry requirement, but raising Corruption beyond that point does not increase the difficulty of Woven Echo itself. Step 3: Challenge Pinnacle Morditas Upon entering Demigod's Ascendance, players face the ultimate challenge: Pinnacle Morditas - God of Bloodshed. This serves as the final objective of First Blood race. Based on revealed mechanics, Pinnacle Morditas follows the established design philosophy for Pinnacle Bosses: players must engage with the seasonal mechanic, defeat the standard Morditas, acquire the corresponding Woven Echo, meet the 400 Corruption entry requirement, and finally challenge Pinnacle version. Season 4's Vision of the Observer utilized a similar design, requiring players to reach a specific Corruption threshold to access Pinnacle encounter via a Woven Echo. Consequently, for players participating in First Blood, the entire journey - from initial progression and character strengthening to reaching 400 Corruption and ultimately defeating God of Bloodshed - forms part of the race. Speedrunning Strategy Recommendations Class Selection Choosing a class is the first step in speedrunning. Prioritize Masteries in Last Epoch that offer efficient map clearing, high mobility, and consistent boss damage; if playing Hardcore, survivability becomes a critical factor. Pre-planning Your Build Finalize your build, skill setup, and gear requirements before the race begins to minimize the need for on-the-fly adjustments after launch. For First Blood event, how quickly a build comes online and its reliance on specific gear are often more important than its theoretical maximum damage output. Prioritize Progressing Monolith of Fate Once you reach the endgame, prioritize progressing through Monolith of Fate. Aim to reach 400 Corruption as quickly as possible to meet the entry requirements for Demigod's Ascendance. Unless your gear is severely lacking, avoid spending too much time farming for items at low Corruption levels. Efficiently Navigating Rage of Morditas Minimize wasted movement within Rage of Morditas and make full use of the game's objective markers to eliminate targets quickly. The goal isn't to clear every enemy, but to maximize effective kills and Bloodrage gains within the time limit. Planning Gear Acquisition Since First Blood requires Solo Account Found or Solo Character Found modes, you cannot rely on trading or grouping up with others. Therefore, plan your gear and resource acquisition routes in advance and leverage in-game mechanics effectively based on your specific build. First Blood speedrun is not merely a test of speed; it is a comprehensive evaluation of a player's resource management, build knowledge, and execution skills during the early stages of the season. Whether you are a top-tier speedrunner aiming for Supporter Pack or a casual player looking to experience the competitive atmosphere, understanding the seasonal mechanics, planning your route, and choosing the right class build will help you go further in Last Epoch: Rage of the Frostborn.