General News

Korea has been cooking up some impressive titles lately, from Crimson Desert to the upcoming Stellar Blade, and while those games are certainly commendable, they still lack a certain representative quality.

What truly feels like a classic Korean game - or rather, a classic Korean MMO - is SOL: Enchant, which launched this June. This latest online title comes from the same development team behind the original Lineage M, and it features sharper visuals while retaining the familiar gameplay style that veterans know well.

The early progression phase is often the most enjoyable part of these MMOs, and a few handy tips can help new players ease into SOL: Enchant with fewer hiccups.

Supplies

If you completed pre-registration, your in-game mailbox may contain some rewards after you log in, including an Unlimited HP Potion and an Unlimited Teleport Scroll.

Unlimited HP Potion proves especially useful because your character's health depletes rather quickly in combat. You can drag it to your quick slot and set an automatic health threshold percentage for its use.

Not every player receives this reward, though. If you didn't get it, you can always exchange regular HP potions, food, and teleport scrolls directly from NPC shops in the main city - these basic supplies are plentiful.

Auto-Battle Mechanics

SOL Enchant features a highly robust auto-battle system that covers nearly the entire gameplay loop - from accepting quests, moving to targets, fighting monsters, looting drops, and even turning in completed tasks. This automation accounts for roughly 90% of the experience. However, a few special quests still require manual intervention, so keep an eye on the quest text for any instructions when they appear.

Even though the game handles most of the grind on its own, you should still check on your character periodically. If your gear or level isn't up to par for the monsters you're facing, you might die while idling. Upon death, there is a chance that equipped items will drop. So, even with auto-battle active, it's wise to glance at the screen from time to time to confirm that your character is farming safely.

Equipment Durability and Repairs

At launch, the game offers only three base classes: tank, healer, and ranger. If you play a melee class, your weapon will degrade after some time spent farming and questing in the open world during the early stages.

A damaged piece of equipment will show a crack icon and its name will appear dimmed in your inventory. You can still use it, but its damage output will be significantly reduced. At that point, you'll need to repair it to restore its original attack power.

To do so, return to the main city and find the blacksmith. In that NPC's shop, scroll all the way down and get a Repair Hammer. Then open your bag, double-click the hammer, and double-click the item you wish to repair. One hammer is consumed per repair action.

Skill System

Skills in the game are learned through Skill Books. Your starting character comes with two basic skill books by default. You can purchase additional skill books tailored to your class from specific NPC shops in the main city, with each costing around 17,000 Nine.

Gear Enhancement System

Gear enhancement is one of the core systems, and it works slightly differently for normal versus rare equipment.

Normal gear can be upgraded using Enhancement Scrolls. From +4 to +5, the success rate drops to only 30%. If the enhancement fails, the equipment will break entirely.

Orange-background Rare Gear requires its corresponding Orange Enhancement Scroll. Even for a +1 upgrade, the success rate is merely 60%, and failure also results in breakage.

You can exchange daily limited enhancement scrolls from the shop page for 19,000 Nine, and after reaching level 30, more items become available there. However, enhancement carries inherent risks, especially for high-value gear, so proceed with caution.

Spirit Entity (영체)

Spirit Entities grant substantial stat bonuses, including Attack Speed, Damage, Critical, and more, making them a vital path for strengthening your character. Different rarities of Spirit Entities offer vastly different attributes, and you can combine identical-rarity entities to obtain higher-tier ones.

There is also a collection system tied to Spirit Entities, which provides considerable stat boosts as well. You need to place a specific set of Spirit Entities into the collection slots, and some collections even require certain rarities. Once activated, they grant permanent bonuses like Attack Power.

In the early stages, the collection system often proves more reliable than enhancement, since high-level enhancements risk breaking your gear, whereas collections never expire once unlocked.

Diamonds

In the later stages of the game, Diamonds become one of the primary currencies for player-to-player trading. They can be used for summoning and obtaining rare items. Equipment trades between players also mainly transact in Diamonds.

So if you're looking to earn SOL Enchant Diamonds, a common approach is to craft highly enhanced gear and then offer it for sale - though that method will also consume a large amount of Nine.

SOL: Enchant remains a game that heavily leans on automated grinding, and its enhancement, transformation, collection, and trading systems all come with their own rules and risks. It boasts beautiful visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5, yet in terms of gameplay and systems, it stays true to the classic Korean MMO formula.

As a survival game, LifeAfter shares similar core mechanics with other titles in the genre; however, due to its unique setting and world-building, mastering specific techniques is essential for getting up to speed quickly.

While LifeAfter depicts a harsh, post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, it also incorporates inventive, casual features, mastering these is just as important as honing your combat skills.

This guide will help you survive safely in Lifeafter. Even as a beginner, you can use these tips to gather materials and high-tier resources, gradually building your own personal shelter in this apocalyptic world.

Explore and gather raw materials

Despite the apocalyptic setting, natural resources and remnants of human civilization still exist. This means you can gather various raw materials, such as minerals, plants, and unique food items, by exploring the map.

Food items can be consumed directly to replenish your health and stamina. Later on, once you have collected enough basic ingredients, you can use specific recipes to craft advanced meals that offer beneficial effects, such as increased gathering speed or boosted damage against zombies.

As for natural resources, they are essential for crafting necessities, like using flax to make healing bandages, and are vital for building and upgrading your base. We will cover base building in more detail below.

Building and upgrading your base

In a perilous post-apocalyptic world, the essentials of life, food, clothing, and shelter, become even more critical. Your shelter is not just a home; it is your primary defense against roaming zombies.

To build a base in LifeAfter, you must first gather wood and stone to craft a bow, then travel to Development Zone to eliminate a zombie.

Next, explore the surrounding area to find more of the items and materials needed for construction. Some furniture items, such as beds or chairs, can be found fully assembled and ready to pick up.

Notably, a bed is more than just furniture; resting on it provides a health-recovery bonus.

Once you have gathered all the necessary items, navigate through your backpack and gear menus to place them within the designated blue zone in Development Zone and begin building your base.

As you progress through the game and participate in special events, you can unlock advanced materials to upgrade your base into a luxurious manor, transitioning from mere survival to a more lavish post-apocalyptic lifestyle.

However, sources for certain premium manor decoration materials are quite limited. If you want to unlock them quickly, you can choose to buy LifeAfter credits on IGGM and exchanging them directly!

Additionally, while focusing on the aesthetics of your base or manor, don't neglect security; you need to prevent zombies from invading your territory. Reliable strategies often include reinforcing walls with multiple layers and constructing high-ground sniper perches.

Building a repair bench

Once your basic needs for food and shelter are met, you'll need to craft tools to improve your quality of life and increase your chances of success in combat against zombies. To do this, you should first build a repair bench.

After gathering enough wood and iron ore, travel to Town Hall and locate the furniture shop. Inside, find the crafting machine, interact with it, and select repair bench from the crafting menu; the materials in your inventory will be consumed to craft it.

The crafting process has a cooldown of approximately 10 minutes, after which the item is sent to your in-game mailbox. Once you've claimed it, return to your base and navigate the menu, selecting Build, Furniture, and Repair Bench, to place and use this device.

The repair bench allows you to repair gear and restore its durability. You can also dismantle or empower gear: dismantling yields other materials, while empowering consumes enhancement points, points obtained by extracting value from duplicate items at the repair bench.

Keep an eye on the weather

LifeAfter features a dynamic weather system that mirrors the real world; beyond sunny days, other weather conditions can bring negative effects.

For example, rain and snow can cause you to catch a cold and hinder your outdoor adventures, while nighttime brings lower temperatures and reduced visibility, increasing the risk of frostbite and zombie encounters.

Of course, this doesn't mean you must return to base whenever the weather turns bad; instead, carry preventative items whenever you venture out to minimize unnecessary loss of health.

Mastering fast travel

As your character's abilities improve, you will require more advanced supplies, which in turn expands your exploration range. To make your travels more efficient, Lifeafter has introduced a fast-travel feature, allowing you to move easily between distant locations.

To use this feature, tap the mini-map in the top-right corner of the screen and look for the red icon indicating a helicopter extraction point. Once you arrive, tap the helicopter to view and select from the areas you have unlocked.

To unlock new areas, you must first hone your skills in relatively safe zones, defeating zombies and strengthening your character, to ensure you are prepared to face the tougher threats awaiting you in more dangerous territories.

Participate in special modes and events

Once you have mastered the basics of survival in Lifeafter, try your hand at specific game modes such as daily and weekly missions, 12v12 event, and various limited-time activities held during special celebrations.

Completing these activities rewards you with high-value items, such as blueprints, credits, or versatile currencies, that can further enhance your gameplay experience.

That covers everything for now. We hope these tips help you survive to the very end in LifeAfter!

Guys, EA FC 26 hasn't been getting much positive feedback lately. But that's probably expected, since FC 26 development team is the one who actually did it; nobody is framing them.

For example, FC 26 recently decided to launch EA Advertising to better promote ads within the game. But the problem is, FC 26 is something players paid for.

Imagine you finally decide to unlock this long-awaited game, excitedly opening it to enjoy the football experience, only to find it's filled with constantly updated brand ads? How would you feel?

But for the past week, EA FC 26 players have been experiencing just that. EA Advertising launched on June 15th, boldly embedding dynamic ads into FC 26, and players are furious.

It's not like we've never seen ads before; the key issue is that we paid full price for the game, so why should we be sold to advertisers as traffic again? This has severely damaged the most basic trust players have in FC 26 development team.

What exactly is EA Advertising?

Actually, the advertising system in FIFA 26 is much more sophisticated than we imagined. It doesn't just pop up a video window for you to watch before you can continue, nor does it offer more FC 26 coins for watching an ad. Instead, it integrates ads seamlessly into the game environment.

For example, advertising boards near the stadium, next to the scoreboard, and even broadcast footage may contain brand information, appearing quite integrated.

And that's not all. Some ads even become in-game tasks. If a brand sponsors a challenge, FC 26 might release a dedicated Ultimate Team mission, rewarding you with completion. In short, it packages advertising as part of the game's content.

For this system, EA brought in a host of well-known brands like Visa and Red Bull as initial partners. Reportedly, the starting price for advertising is $100,000, with some reaching millions. After all, EA has over 120 million monthly active players - that's a huge revenue stream.

The Real Concerns

Why are these ads, which don't hinder gameplay and appear relatively smooth, causing so much anger among players? Actually, players' concerns go beyond simply seeing an ad.

First, these dynamically updated billboards on the field are jarringly out of place in the game's virtual world. Imagine you're immersed in a tense match, and then suddenly an ad pops up for Red Bull, then for some streaming platform - the immersion is shattered.

Furthermore, some veteran players are immediately reminded of the 2020 backlash. Back then, the development team placed full-screen ads in EA Sports UFC 4 promoting the sitcom The Boys, resulting in widespread criticism and a forced apology and removal.

Now, they claim these ads enhance the experience - who believes that?

The biggest fear is that this is a test: today it's just billboards on the field, tomorrow will it become mandatory pop-ups? The day after, will they release a monthly ad-free subscription service?

This means your wallet contributes to unlocking FUT 26, and then you have to contribute to removing ads - isn't that just being exploited at every turn? That's what everyone's most anxious about.

Official Response

Of course, EA Sports FC 26 has been facing criticism for a long time. While the development team's explanations haven't been accepted by players, their underlying business logic isn't entirely untenable.

The official statement is that the development costs of AAA games are ridiculously high these days. Graphics are getting better and better, and content is piling up, but game prices have been stuck around $60 for years. They need to find other ways to fill this gap.

Ad revenue can support the long-term updates and maintenance of FC 26. Otherwise, relying solely on game sales, where would they get the money to continuously release new player cards and new modes?

Furthermore, the development team believes that real-world football matches are full of billboards and sponsors, so replicating this in a football game would make it more realistic and closer to real-world broadcasts.

So no matter how players and outsiders question it, they all say that introducing EA Advertising enhances the gaming experience for FC 26.

By the way, if you're short on resources in FC 26 lately, you can participate in FC 26 Glory Hunters coins giveaways on IGGM Discord for a chance to share 10M coins!

A Deeper Background

In fact, FC 26's in-game ads are not an isolated case. Almost the entire gaming industry is moving towards in-game advertising, and many major companies have already begun deploying similar technologies.

To put it bluntly, in the future, all major titles may gradually adopt this form of in-game advertising. FC 26 simply launched it first, making it the target of public criticism.

Ultimately, players' anger isn't just about those few billboards in EA FC 26, but rather the fear that once this advertising door is opened, it can never be closed again. Even if the development team says it enhances the experience, given the precedent of 2020, players are already immune to this rhetoric.

Where this advertising controversy will ultimately lead is still uncertain, but one thing is certain: if FC 26 truly treats players as mere traffic rather than users, the lost trust will probably not be something the development team can recover with a few explanations.

However, if they want to continue operating this football game for a long time, it will probably be very difficult.

The progress bar for Monopoly Go The Simpsons album is nearing the halfway mark, which means Golden Blitz events will start appearing more frequently.

In fact, the first round of voting for this album's Golden Blitz concluded on June 25, resulting in the selection of Blinky and Sad Schmuck!

Since Golden Blitz events are time-limited and rely on trading with others, it is best to prepare in advance to avoid wasting time or missing opportunities. Below, we provide a guide on how to participate in the upcoming Golden Blitz.

When will this round of Golden Blitz start?

Monopoly Go has not yet announced the official start time for this Golden Blitz. However, given that voting ended on Thursday, June 25, we tentatively predict the event will begin on June 28 and run for 24 hours, concluding on the 29th.

We base this prediction on the fact that the current Radioactive Racers event ends on the 28th, while the next partner event begins on the 30th and runs until July 5.

Scheduling Golden Blitz in the gap between these two major events ensures players have time to participate.

Of course, Monopoly Go might take a different approach, so we must wait for an official announcement to confirm the final timing.

How to participate in this Golden Blitz?

Unlike other flash events that offer reward bonuses, Golden Blitz provides the only way to trade gold stickers in Monopoly Go. In standard gameplay, you can only trade standard stickers of any star rating with other players.

Before each Golden Blitz, Monopoly Go selects 5–6 candidate Gold Stickers based on player feedback and opens a vote on Discord. The two stickers receiving the most votes become the tradeable items for that event.

In the one-day vote that began on June 24, the winners were Monopoly Go Set 13 Blinky and Set 14 Sad Schmuck, securing 38% and 27% of the vote respectively, far outpacing the other options.

This means that during this Golden Blitz, you can use your own Gold Stickers or high-star standard stickers to trade for Blinky or Sad Schmuck within the limited trading window.

Alternatively, if you already have duplicates of these specific stickers, you can use them to trade for other rare stickers you are missing.

It is worth noting that during Golden Blitz event, you are limited to a total of five exchanges, whether trading with others or simply gifting stickers away.

However, if you have a strong network of friends willing to send you stickers without asking for anything in return, there is no limit to the number of stickers you can receive.

How to find trading partners?

Generally, it is best to start by asking active players on your Monopoly Go friends list; they are familiar and reliable contacts, and their active status suggests a higher likelihood of possessing rare cards.

If you aren't very social within the game, don't worry, there are always people actively looking for trading or collaboration partners in Monopoly Go communities across major social media platforms. You can reply to their posts or create your own to find partners.

However, when trading with strangers, be sure to verify the authenticity and activity level of their game account to avoid being scammed. After all, collecting Monopoly Go stickers is a lot of hard work, and you wouldn't want your efforts to go to waste!

Additionally, since several collaborative events are taking place in quick succession over these two weeks, you might want to ask your racer teammates if they are interested in trading, or even see if they want to team up again for the Springfield Partners event next week.

The unspoken prerequisite for Golden Blitz

Theoretically, all Monopoly Go players can participate in Golden Blitz during the scheduled time; however, if you don't possess any gold stickers or high-star stickers, it is unlikely anyone will want to trade with you.

Therefore, to make the most of this event, you should strive to earn high-tier sticker packs immediately after a new album season begins, especially during the first month.

Since there are hardly any Golden Blitz events during that initial period, you can devote your energy to participating in other Monopoly Go events.

High-tier sticker packs generally refer to Blue and Purple packs, as well as the special Swap Pack and Wild Sticker. These usually appear as top-tier rewards only in special events lasting longer than two days.

Blue and Purple packs offer a higher probability of dropping high-star or gold cards. Wild Sticker allows you to choose any missing sticker you want, even the rarest five-star gold sticker!

The mechanism for Swap Pack is slightly more complex. It provides 3 to 5 stickers (all 3-star rarity or higher) at once. If none of them are what you want, the pack offers a limited number of swap opportunities, allowing you to cycle through options until you settle on your final choice.

However, Swap Pack doesn't guarantee a 5-star or brand-new sticker. To avoid the awkward situation where the final batch of stickers turns out to be worthless, it's best to quit while you're ahead rather than keep swapping.

Finally, if you don't have any high-level stickers, don't just give up on Golden Blitz. You can find other free-to-play players in the same boat and help each other out by trading your duplicate low-star stickers within the limited number of trades allowed.

After all, The Simpsons album is only halfway complete, not everyone has collected all the low-star stickers yet, and there are daily limits on standard sticker trades.

I hope this guide helps with your Monopoly Go experience. Good luck with Golden Blitz and the upcoming events next week!

Mookie Betts hit his 300th career home run on June 24, 2026, becoming the 169th player in MLB history to achieve this milestone.

To honor his achievement, the official studio released Mookie Betts Program, a very brief set of program that mostly asks you to hit a few home runs to advance through the stages.

Mookie Betts Program Rewards

• 50 Points: 2,500 XP
• 100 Points: MLB The Show 26 pack
• 200 Points: Ballin' is a Habit pack
• 250 Points: 2,500 XP
• 300 Points: 96 OVR Milestone Mookie Betts

The program features only five reward tiers, with prizes that include XP, player packs, and the featured 96 OVR Milestone Mookie Betts card.

That card cannot be traded, though you would not want to part with it anyway. Any other players you pull from the packs, however, are marketable; if they do not fit your roster, you can list them on the transfer market to earn some extra stubs.

If you need more stubs to complete collection missions or acquire top players, simply selling these players isn't enough. You can buy MLB The Show 26 stubs from IGGM. Trading here is always a very economical and safe option.

How to quickly Get 96 OVR Mookie Betts?

The fastest and easiest way to secure this card is to start with the related Moments challenges, which together grant up to 50 Program points.

Moments

Mookie Betts Moments are quite similar to those in Freddie Freeman or George Springer programs, but not every task requires a home run, which makes things somewhat easier.

Moments 1 and 2

Both of the first two objectives ask for one home run each. You will want to look for pitches in the strike zone that are easiest to drive.

A straight middle fastball or a hanging breaking ball are both excellent candidates. The fastball is simple to square up, while the hanging breaking ball comes in slower and tends to get crushed for extra bases.

Moment 3

The third task only requires a single hit. That can be a single, double, triple, or home run. As long as the ball lands in play and you reach base safely, any of those counts.

There is no demand to clear the fence. In practice, even if you cannot go deep, an opposite-field extra-base hit into the right-center gap will easily give you a double and finish the job.

Moments 4 and 5

These two remain home-run tasks. Stick to the same approach: look for middle fastballs or hanging breaking balls, be patient, and wait for a pitch you like before unleashing a full swing.

Collections and Missions

Bonus My Legacy Collection awards 50 points, and you can submit 300 Home Run Icon if you have it. The system also asks you to complete various hitting missions, such as hitting home runs, accumulating total bases, or recording double plays with Red Sox or Dodgers players, as well as with any version of Mookie Betts. If you own Live Series Mookie Betts, you can use him in Conquest or other games to grind through these tasks.

96 OVR Milestone Mookie Betts Breakdown

Mookie Betts' form in June

Betts had struggled for much of the season, but his performance turned noticeably better after June began. The middle and later parts of the month, in particular, saw him break out.

Dodgers' coaching staff attributed his resurgence to a regained confidence. His adjustment mostly involved reducing ground balls and making harder, more solid contact, which led to better outcomes.

Beyond his offensive surge, Betts also remained vital on defense. In 300-homer game, he started at shortstop and turned in several spectacular plays.

In the fourth inning of Dodgers' away game against Minnesota Twins, Mookie Betts dove down the middle to catch a ground ball and, despite losing his balance, still managed a precise throw for the putback. In the 6th game, he again thwarted a Twins offensive run with a slide catch.

Those defensive efforts directly helped Dodgers secure the win. Betts is now playing his best baseball of the season, delivering All-Star caliber work on both sides of the ball, and that level of play is reflected in this card.

Milestone Mookie Betts Attributes

96 OVR Milestone Mookie Betts is clearly built for power hitting. He is also eligible at four positions: shortstop, second base, center field, and right field.

That versatility underscores just how flexible he is, especially since he is also one of only 30 players in MLB history with at least 400 doubles, 300 home runs, and 150 stolen bases.

His hitting stats are not the absolute highest, but they are very well balanced: he has 90 Contact versus right-handed pitchers and 91 versus lefties, while his Power sits at 95 against righties and an impressive 97 against lefties.

He also brings 80 Vision, and his Clutch rating reaches 99, which will prove valuable in the later innings. As a shortstop, however, his Fielding is only average, and his Speed and Arm strength are not exceptional.

Milestone Mookie Betts is one of the best free acquisitions to prioritize in the current meta, and he is best deployed at second base or right field. If your lineup still has room for improvement, this card is definitely worth adding. Just do not put him at shortstop.

World of Warcraft: TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 is coming this summer, and all players are eagerly anticipating it.

This anticipation stems from the many exciting new features coming in Phase 3, including two new 25-player raids - Black Temple and Battle for Mount Hyjal - new PvP content, and new mounts.

Below, I'll introduce four of the most discussed and interesting features:

Two New Raids

First up is the highly anticipated new content for WoW BCC Classic Anniversary Phase 3: Black Temple and Battle for Mount Hyjal.

These two raids embody some of the most classic characters and battles in WoW series - the fall of Illidan Stormrage and the final battle of Archimonde - leaving countless WoW players with unforgettable memories.

Black Temple

Located at the eastern end of Shadowmoon Valley, Black Temple is the core raid of Phase 3.

This raid consists of nine boss fights, starting with High Warlord Naj'entus and ending with Illidan Stormrage. Players must defeat each boss in sequence to progress; no boss can be skipped. This places high demands on the overall strength of the team.

Of these nine boss fights, the most famous is undoubtedly the final boss, Illidan Stormrage. He is one of the most iconic characters in the entire WoW TBC Anniversary and even the entire WoW series.

His fight is extremely complex, divided into five phases, and demands a very high level of tanking skill - your team must bring at least three tanks.

Battle for Mount Hyjal

Battle for Mount Hyjal is the second raid to be added in Phase 3. Located in Caverns of Time, it consists of five boss fights. Its overall difficulty is slightly lower than Black Temple, but it features a unique Trash Waves mechanic.

What is Trash Waves mechanic? Simply put, before attempting the first four bosses of Battle for Mount Hyjal - Rage Winterchill, Anetheron, Kaz'rogal, and Azgalor - your raid group needs to clear eight waves of trash mobs.

These mobs may spawn every two minutes, or immediately after a wipe of the previous wave. If your raid group wipes in any wave or during the boss fight, you'll need to clear all eight waves again before attempting the boss once more.

During the fight, two counters will appear on your screen: one showing the number of mobs remaining in the current wave, and the other showing the wave number, helping the raid group clearly track the progress.

This unique mechanic is the biggest challenge of Battle for Mount Hyjal, demanding high levels of DPS, tanking, and healing skill from your raid group. Your raid group should stockpile gold on consumables - such as food or potions - as you'll need them frequently.

If you're short on Gold, you can buy WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Gold from IGGM.com. We offer 24-hour service and the cheapest prices.

New PvP Season

Having covered PvE updates, let's look at PvP updates for WoW BCC Classic Anniversary Phase 3.

Specifically, Phase 3 simultaneously launches Season 3 of PvP Arena. As usual, this season introduces brand new gear, this time Vengeful Gladiator series.

However, unlike Seasons 1 and 2, where weapons had identical appearances with only stat improvements, Season 3 weapons receive completely new visual models.

This change is highly appealing to players who want to make their characters look cool, as unique weapon designs are often an important way for players to showcase their achievements.

As before, with the start of Season 3, Merciless Gladiator gear from Season 2 will be easier to obtain - the game will remove Arena Rank requirement for this gear, allowing players to redeem it simply with Arena Points.

Therefore, if you haven't collected Merciless Gladiator gear yet, you can prioritize collecting Arena Points instead of focusing on increasing your Arena Rank, and then exchange it for it in Season 3.

Furthermore, at the end of Season 3, players who obtain Gladiator title will receive Vengeful Nether Drake mount as a reward. This is a flying mount with a unique armor paint job, a symbol of status for top PvP players.

New Epic Gems and Crafting Materials

In addition to PvE and PvP content updates, WoW TBC Anniversary Phase 3 introduces new Epic Gems and the crafting material Heart of Darkness.

First, let's introduce the new Epic Gems. While we don't yet know the specifics of the new Epic Gems, their acquisition methods are known. They can be obtained in two main ways:

First, through Mining: Within Battle for Mount Hyjal instance, there are collectable Deposits, which may drop Epic Gems.

Second, by defeating monsters. Defeating monsters in Black Temple (excluding bosses) gives players a chance to directly obtain Epic Gems.

Next, let's introduce Heart of Darkness. This is a key material for crafting new Phase 3 Epic items; only players with crafting professions can use it for item crafting.

New Flying Mount

Finally, let's introduce a flying mount - Nether Drake, a very cool mount.

To obtain it, you need to complete Shadowmoon Valley questline and establish reputation with Netherwing faction, unlocking their Daily Quests.

Then, by continuously completing Daily Quests, you increase your reputation level. Once you reach Exalted reputation, you can exchange it for Nether Drake.

These are the interesting new features for Phase 3 of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary. Whether you're a PvE or PvP enthusiast, this content will satisfy you. Are you looking forward to Phase 3? If you want to participate in the two new raids, then you can start preparing now.

Raiders, the Chinese version of ARC Raiders launched its first test on June 24th. As we previously learned, the Chinese version does indeed have a friendly PvE-like mode, allowing for safer exploration - something players in the global version have been eagerly awaiting.

Of course, this mode is a major highlight of the Chinese version of ARC Raiders, but if you think this is the only thing worth paying attention to, you're sorely mistaken.

Next, we'll not only delve into how this PvE-like mode works, but also explain other highly anticipated mechanics and features of the Chinese version of ARC Raiders.

Core Gameplay

The common misconception that the Chinese version of ARC Raiders is simply a PvE mode is incorrect.

There is indeed a map condition in the game called Security Protocol. In this map condition, if you shoot a teammate, there will be a hit effect and blood splatter, but no actual damage will occur to their health.

However, we must recognize that this doesn't mean PvP has been completely eliminated, as the system provides each player with an active Rebellion switch.

An additional key binding, not present in the global version of ARC Raiders, will appear on the right side of the screen. Pressing it will produce a larger and thicker piece of equipment, similar in appearance to Shield Recharger. This device requires a relatively long five-second induction time to activate, and the entire process is completely irreversible.

Once Rebellion is activated, players cannot deactivate it again, and the entire game will be in PvP mode.

To prevent unannounced backstabbing at close range, Rebellion activation process is highly distinctive: activation produces a long-lasting and loud unique sound effect, providing a clear audible warning to all nearby players.

Simultaneously, the player's inventory will flash a striking red light, and their location will be displayed in real-time on HUD compass of all players in the lobby, meaning the betrayer will be exposed to all opponents.

It's important to note that Rebellion mechanic isn't a standalone game mode, but a temporary, rotating map event. Therefore, it's not a completely new, permanent mode as some players on Reddit have mistakenly claimed.

Matchmaking Changes

The changes to the matchmaking system are another highlight of ARC Raiders China server.

Through the test server, we learned that when players first enter early matches, ARC Raiders will be heavily populated with AI bots. These bots behave very passively, almost never actively shooting at players, and even when shot at, they rarely retaliate. Their only possible target is attacking ARCs on the map.

This design isn't meant to deceive players, but as a clear tutorial step to help newcomers familiarize themselves with basic controls and the map environment.

This phenomenon is particularly noticeable in solo matchmaking, while teams entering together may encounter fewer bots because of their higher skill level.

However, the bot population will gradually decrease and eventually disappear completely as players play more matches; it's not all bot matches.

Second, the Chinese version of ARC Raiders introduces an optimized framework for gear intent tracking. This algorithm scans players' current gear configurations before matchmaking loads and groups players into similar matchmaking pools based on gear quality, rather than simply matching based on aggressive behavior or match history.

This means players with high-level gear are more likely to encounter equally well-equipped real opponents.

This mechanism is essentially gear-based matchmaking, unlike the purely random or skill-based matchmaking methods that the global version of ARC Raiders might employ.

Interface and Social System Upgrades

In addition, two highly valuable interface features are launched first in the Chinese version of ARC Raiders, which are not present in the global version.

Built-in Recruitment Board

Global version players will surely be envious, as the Chinese version of ARC Raiders features a native team-up tool directly integrated into the game's main interface, eliminating the need for third-party platforms to find teammates.

This recruitment board offers a wealth of filtering options, including player playstyle tags, leader level, and specific intention notes.

You can view currently available team slots in real time and apply to join with a single click - the process is simple and eliminates the need for manually entering complex specifications.

If only one feature could be ported from ARC Raiders China server to the global server, this would undoubtedly be the top priority.

Three-Slot Preset Gear System

In the game's custom menu, players can create and save up to three complete gear setups, each with a custom name and the ability to modify them at any time.

When you need to quickly change gear, simply click the preset button, and the system will automatically retrieve the corresponding ARC Raiders items from your inventory, completing the gear setup in one step.

If any necessary parts are missing from your inventory, the system will highlight the missing items in red and indicate the required crafting materials.

This design directly addresses a major problem of the global version: after dying, players often have to spend a significant amount of time manually searching their inventory and reassembling their gear.

The gear preset system allows players to almost instantly return to ARC Raiders battlefield after dying, significantly improving game smoothness and pace.

Inspiration of the Changes for the Global Version

The built-in recruitment board and pre-built gear system are purely quality-enhancing tools and do not affect the core PvPvE combat logic and economic system of ARC Raiders. Therefore, it is entirely worthwhile to directly introduce or develop similar features for the global version.

However, mechanisms like Rebellion, which can directly change the rules of game interaction, require careful consideration, as they may weaken the original tense extraction shooting feel of the global version of ARC Raiders.

The Chinese version of ARC Raiders has indeed done a great job, so let's hope that the global version will receive the same recognition in the future!

The arrival of another week marks the start of Forza Horizon 6 Series 2, Week 2. The game has rotated into the crisp, leaf-strewn Autumn season, and new weekly challenges await your completion!

Meanwhile, some daily challenges from Week 1 are still active, as are various tasks and events available throughout the entire Series 2, don't forget about them!

Below, we provide a detailed breakdown of the four-step Week 2 challenge, along with tips on other FH6 content you should tackle soon.

Horizon Decades Week 2 weekly challenge

This week's challenge centers on a specific vehicle: 1991 GMC Syclone. You will need to unlock it and then drive it to complete various designated races or special objectives.

Upon completion, you will earn 25,000 credits and 5 points toward your Series/Season 2 progression, points that can be used to unlock exclusive Series 2 car rewards.

Step 1: Unlock 1991 GMC Syclone

Currently, this car does not appear to be obtainable through standard races or other events. The simplest and most direct method is to visit Autoshow, locate 1991 GMC Syclone, and unlock it using credits.

However, if you have time throughout the week and aren't in a rush to finish the challenge immediately, you might want to wait and see if other players list the car on the auction hhhouse.

In the first few days, some savvy players might try to mislead newcomers, disrupting the market by making 1991 GMC Syclone appear harder to acquire on the auction house than it actually is in Autoshow.

This behavior tends to subside as the challenge progresses; players who have already completed the challenge may look to sell the car to recoup their credits. That is your opportunity to acquire 1991 GMC Syclone for less than Autoshow needs.

Once you have the car, remember to drive it a short distance; otherwise, the game may not register that you have completed Step 1.

Step 2: Complete two races at Irokawa Quarter Mile Drag Meet

Drag racing is a game mode in FH6 that takes place at three designated meet locations; Irokawa Quarter Mile is one of them. This location is in the southern part of Nangan Region; you can drive 1991 GMC Syclone there directly, or use any other car you prefer.

It is even easier if you have already visited Irokawa Space Center, as you can use the fast-travel feature to teleport straight to the drag racing starting line. Look for Drag Meet icon to join the event; you simply need to complete two races.

Note two things: first, you must reach Green Wristband level to access this mode; second, entering a specific grid slot, rather than joining a public event with other players, ensures the challenge objective tracks correctly.

Additionally, if you want a better drag racing experience while completing the challenge, you can turn off Traction Control and Stability Control in the difficulty settings to optimize your car's launch.

Step 3: Earn 3 Awesome Wreckage Skill rewards

Every car in Forza Horizon 6 has a dedicated skill list. Unlike in ARPGs, these skills aren't activated during races; instead, they provide indirect reward bonuses.

Wreckage Skill requires you to smash roadside objects, such as streetlights or signs, at high speed while driving the car (in this case, 1991 GMC Syclone).

To complete this step, you need to smash three objects while achieving an Awesome rating for each (earning three rewards in total). Be aware that if your speed exceeds approximately 90 mph, your rating will be upgraded to Ultimate.

While an Ultimate rating demonstrates superior skill, it does not satisfy the challenge requirements, so be sure to manage your speed carefully.

Step 4: Win a Street Race

Street Races are Forza Horizon 6 events that take place exclusively at night, offering high levels of freedom and difficulty.

There are no restrictions on the car type for these events, but to complete Week 2 challenge, you must use 1991 GMC Syclone. You will be racing on city streets, populated by civilian traffic, without track barriers or visual racing lines to guide you.

To win a Street Race, you must stay focused; visibility is naturally lower at night, and unpredictable AI traffic can easily lead to collisions that waste your time.

Additionally, the cornering physics in this mode are extremely aggressive; a single slip-up can send you flying off the track, so make sure to slow down appropriately at the right moments.

There are multiple tracks available for Street Races; you can choose a location you're familiar with or simply complete at Irokawa Quarter Mile race nearby (you can also complete Step 3 there).

There is a Street Race in Irokawa called Rainbow Bridge Descent. If you want to play it safe, and provided you've already unlocked it, you can set the race difficulty to the lowest level in the custom settings to try to complete Step 4 in one go.

Other content available during Week 2

First, note that Daily Challenges from last week will expire starting June 25 (the start of Week 2) one by one, so hurry up and finish them if you haven't already.

Second, a new batch of Daily Challenges will unlock one by one each day throughout the week, continuing until next Thursday.

In addition to the exclusive weekly challenges, 7-day FH6 Series 2 Autumn season features one photo challenge and one collectible challenge.

The former requires you to take a photo of any 1990s Jaguar, while the latter tasks you with driving into a bamboo forest and smashing at least 30 bamboo stalks. Completing these rewards you with the Jaguar Growl car horn, a Super Wheelspin, and 5 Series 2 points.

If you don't own a 1990s Jaguar, check Autoshow or the auction house. As for the bamboo forest in Forza Horizon 6, this refers to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.

It isn't a single specific point on the map but rather an area located at the border of Minamino and Ito regions. Since there is no set route to get there, you are free to choose your own path.

You have until the end of Week 4 to complete the other seasonal events and challenges, but it's best to get them done sooner rather than later so you don't accidentally forget about them!

That covers everything for this update. Manage your playtime wisely so you don't miss out on any rewards, but remember not to burn yourself out!

It must be said that since the launch of Patch 0.5.0, the speed at which Path of Exile 2 responds to player feedback and the efficiency of game optimization have improved significantly, with patches being released steadily over the past few weeks.

On June 24, a preview for PoE 2 Patch 0.5.4 was released. Although the actual implementation might wait until next week (to avoid overlapping with the launch of PoE 1 Return of the Ancestors league this weekend), the content is well worth a sneak peek.

Below, we detail everything expected in Patch 0.5.4 to ensure you don't make mistakes due to unfamiliarity with the new changes when playing Path of Exile 2.

All-new Atlas Passive Tree

The original Atlas Passive Tree was already expanded at the launch of Return of the Ancients to offer a more diverse combat experience. Now, Patch 0.5.4 introduces yet another new passive tree!

This new Atlas Passive Tree is exclusive to Runes of Aldur. This is both the name of the current league and its core mechanic; simply put, it allows for more gear enhancement options through the newly added Kalguuran runesmithing and Runeforging systems.

The specific nodes and effects in this new tree relate to Remnant encounters, Expedition, and Grand Expeditions. There are 24 unlockable nodes in total, half of which are Notable nodes.

These nodes do more than just increase enemy difficulty/quantity or final loot yields; they creatively introduce new gameplay elements. For instance, some nodes let you choose between triggering more Remnants or more Expeditions.

Alongside Remnant-based nodes, Farrow will sell a new currency that can be exchanged from existing Verisium. If you are dissatisfied with the rewards from Runic Inscriptions, you can use this currency to reset them.

Unlocking Expedition nodes grants access to effects such as finding more logbooks or encountering new Verisium Sentries that infuse other Expedition enemies with Runic Power.

Defeating enemies empowered this way yields better rewards. Additional Remnant node effects allow you to accelerate the pace of Remnant encounters by reducing the number of monsters that must be killed before advancing the detonation chain.

Furthermore, you can control the danger level of Remnant chains; if a situation becomes unmanageable, you can prevent runic modifiers from propagating further along the chain.

Alternatively, if you seek greater rewards through riskier challenges, you can give Remnants a chance to pass on additional modifiers. Under this configuration, even ordinary monsters can drop exceptionally valuable loot.

This gameplay style encourages you to activate as many Remnants as possible and leverage the propagation mechanic to chain modifiers. You must carefully plan to craft long modifier chains that ramp up the combat difficulty and the potential rewards to the maximum.

While the specific items that drop ultimately depend on luck, this strategy allows you to increase your odds of obtaining the gear you desire.

In short, the new Runes of Aldur passive tree revolutionizes PoE 2 league mechanics, allowing you to customize the difficulty and rewards of the league just as you would other endgame activities.

Although we cannot guarantee satisfaction without hands-on testing, this approach of integrating the passive tree with league-specific features is a refreshing innovation.

It is also worth noting that IGGM has launched PoE 1 & 2 currency giveaways on Discord. As a PoE 2 player, you have the chance to win 300 Divine Orbs for free and better experience the game following the adjustments made in Patch 0.5.4!

Lowering the minimum equip level for unique items

Previously, you might have acquired a high-level unique item, whether through trading or a lucky drop, only to find yourself unable to use it immediately due to level restrictions.

By the time you finally met the requirement, you might have already found a superior alternative, rendering that piece of gear completely wasted.

This issue has long been a source of frustration for PoE 2 players, but the developers have finally taken action: starting with patch 0.5.4, Unique items will allow their skill levels to scale automatically to suit lower-level characters.

Let's look at Sylvan's Effigy Stoic Sceptre as a specific example. Previously, this item required a minimum character level of 84 to equip.

This was because it granted a level 19 skill, and in PoE 2, characters must reach level 84 to equip a level 19 skill gem. However, under the new system, you can equip it as early as level 62, though the attached skill will initially function at level 14 strength.

The skill's effectiveness will scale up as your character levels, meaning you can use it continuously from level 15 through 19 without any tedious extra steps.

Of course, once you reach level 19, upgrading the item to level 20 or higher requires a special currency called Perfect Flux. Since this item has a low drop rate and is highly sought after on the trading market, it is best reserved for the core gear of your build.

This new mechanic allows more builds to become viable in the early game and greatly benefits the leveling of new characters. However, if you attempt to strengthen this gear by re-rolling its affixes early on, you might run into currency shortages.

If you have joined IGGM PoE Facebook Group, you can keep an eye out for and participate in relevant giveaways. With a bit of luck, you could easily score many free orbs!

Introduction of new gear

In addition to overarching mechanical changes, Patch 0.5.4 introduces a new unique item: The Master's Reach Tethering Bands.

Equipping it grants you a level 15 skill called Untether. This skill can damage enemies or cause their hearts to explode, dealing splash physical damage to surrounding foes in the process.

Even more unique is one of the item's affix effects, which reveals the deep-seated weaknesses in the souls of Rare and Unique enemies; striking these weaknesses allows you to devour their souls.

While an enemy is in Open Weakness state, 100% of the damage you take is converted into health regeneration.

It is worth noting that the soul-devouring stacks should last long enough to safely bridge the gaps when no weaknesses are available to exploit, allowing you to rebuild stacks before the existing ones decay.

While this mechanic requires further testing to confirm the details, it appears that with well-timed attacks, you can accumulate a significant number of stacks and deal increased damage to enemies.

Further optimizations for Atziri's Temple

Although it originated in a previous league, Atziri's Temple remains highly popular, prompting Path of Exile 2 development team to continuously work on optimizing it.

Patch 0.5.4 introduces a brand-new currency for this mechanic that can be used to enhance corrupted gear: it randomly removes one explicit modifier while upgrading the existing corruption enchantment.

If your gear has been double-corrupted and features two enchantments, you can consume two of these special currency items to upgrade both simultaneously. While the outcome carries risk, that is precisely the thrill of this kind of high-stakes, gambling-style enhancement!

Additionally, the developers have stated that Patch 0.5.4 is the final major update before Patch 0.5.5, which will launch a month-long new event and introduce a completely new economic system. Could this be a major teaser for 1.0 release? Let's wait and see!

Dear players, have you noticed? In Diablo 4 Season 14 adjustments released on June 23rd, the developers nerfed Signet of Pelghain, which was almost ubiquitous in Season 13. This was a core item that defined the mainstream playstyles for virtually every class.

The reason Signet of Pelghain was a cornerstone of most class builds was its theoretically unlimited damage stacking mechanism. As long as players could continuously apply Freeze effect to enemies, the longer the enemy remained frozen, the higher the damage bonus.

Even in boss fights, if we could use Freeze effect to bring the boss to an unbalanced state, we could still benefit from this damage increase.

However, in Season of Death Awakening changes, we see that the effect of Signet of Pelghain has been significantly narrowed. Now, it almost exclusively applies to pure Freeze builds.

This means that most non-freeze-based classes that rely on this equipment will directly lose this powerful damage multiplier, while those classes that rely on Freeze effect will receive an indirect buff.

Explanation of Freeze and Chill Effects

First, we must clarify the working logic of Freeze and Chill effects in Diablo 4.

Chill is a stacking status effect. Each time a player applies Chill to a target enemy, this value accumulates. Once it reaches the 100% threshold, the target is forced into a Frozen state.

For example, when we use Hemorrhage skill to apply a three-second Freeze effect to a Training Dummy, a character equipped with Penitent Greaves does not receive a damage bonus against Chill. However, once a skill with a Chill effect hits the target, the damage is immediately increased.

This shows that the damage increase mechanism of Penitent Greaves is very strict; it only recognizes Chill effects explicitly applied by skills, rather than automatically equating Frozen to Chilled.

Bugs Related to Freeze and Chill

Among Diablo 4 items and skills closely related to Freeze and Chill mechanics, there are numerous troubling anomalies.

Penitent Greaves

First, there's Penitent Greaves. While it provides a damage bonus to targets affected by Chill, it completely fails to recognize the target's Frozen state as Chilled. This means that if players rely solely on Freeze effect and lack a direct means of applying Chill, the damage-boosting affix of this item is essentially useless.

Azurewrath

Second, Azurewrath presents a more complex problem. This item's effect requires the player to deal damage to the target after it has been Freezed in order to trigger additional damage feedback.

However, this effect doesn't apply to damage-over-time abilities. Neither channeled spells nor area-of-effect damage-over-time effects will trigger Azurewrath's damage echo when Freeze effect ends.

Even more perplexing is that even though Necromancer's Cold Mages can inflict Chill on their targets and ultimately cause Frozen, the damage they deal themselves doesn't trigger Azurewrath's effect. Only Freeze effects applied by the player themselves grant the minion's damage bonus from Azurewrath.

Frostburn

Frostburn, as an item that increases damage against Freeze targets and provides Lucky Hit Chance to Freeze enemies, theoretically seems perfect for Freeze builds. However, in Diablo 4, its application suffers from severe coverage issues.

Most monsters in Diablo 4 enter a five-second control immunity state after being Freezed, during which no control effects can be applied again. This means that Frostburn's damage bonus is only effective for less than half the time in actual combat.

More importantly, in boss fights, before the boss is Staggered, it is completely immune to Freeze effects. Frostburn's damage affix is ​​almost useless in the early stages of the boss fight.

We can anticipate that this limitation will make Frostburn's actual benefits far less appealing than its literal description suggests.

Necromancer's Soulrift Skill

Among Necromancer's class-specific skills, Soulrift's synergy with Freeze and Chill is very limited.

The skill description states that it absorbs a soul from an enemy every 0.25 seconds, and if the target is in a Frozen state, absorbing a soul triggers a shattering explosion that deals damage.

However, in actual testing, we find that throughout the entire Frozen state, regardless of how many souls Soulrift absorbs, Shatter and Explode only trigger once, completely contradicting the multiple triggering mechanism implied in the description.

Therefore, the actual combat contribution of this effect is almost negligible. Even though it can trigger Azurewrath's damage feedback as a single instance of damage, since Soulrift's primary damage source is damage over time, and this damage cannot be amplified by Azurewrath, the synergy between the two is also very limited.

Bloodless Scream

In short, among the many items and skills, Bloodless Scream lives up to expectations.

This weapon allows Darkness Skills to apply Chill effect and deals extra damage to Frozen targets and bosses. Its built-in periodic Freeze effect reliably synergizes with Signet of Pelghain and can properly trigger Azurewrath's damage feedback; all mechanisms are interconnected and function smoothly.

Therefore, we can foresee that in Diablo 4 Season 14, Bloodless Scream will probably become a core item in many Freeze builds and appear in various strategy guides.

The changes to Signet of Pelghain in Diablo 4 Season of Death Awakening have indeed opened up new possibilities for Freeze builds, and Necromancer now possesses the potential for a truly viable pure Freeze build for the first time.