General News

Dear players, WoW Midnight events for this week haven't reset yet. We still have time to participate in World Quest Bonus Event, which will increase your reputation gain by 50%. If you're aiming to boost your Midnight reputation, be sure to take advantage of this bonus before the week resets. Let's check out these exciting events!

Darkmoon Faire

Darkmoon Island is now open, granting players a 10% reputation and experience boost, which stacks with World Quest bonus.

Rewards available:

• Mounts: Darkmoon Zeppelin, Darkmoon Dancing Bear, etc.
• Transmog: Full Scarlet Crusade set (requires completing island quests to unlock access)
• Toys, pets, and Heirloom upgrade items

Additionally, defeating rare mobs like Moon Goddess will drop weapon skins.

It's recommended that players who need to grind reputation or experience first go to Darkmoon Island to get the buff before doing World Quest.

The next weekly event is Battleground Rewards Week, which will increase Honor Points and Honor Badges earned, making it more suitable for PvP players.

Limited-Time Rare Mounts

The current special altar location is Broken Throne in Zul'Aman. The altar difficulty is level 2 or higher, and high item level is not required.

Void-Corrupted Hex Eagle (Blue Glowing Version)

First, enter Broken Throne altar, pick up the lost candle on the ground, and then place the candle on the skull in the scene. Click to summon the rare monster, then kill it for a 100% chance of obtaining the mount.

The original Void-Corrupted Hex Eagle required 5-6 hours of reputation farming, while the current version only takes a few minutes. It also has a blue glowing effect and is much rarer in appearance.

The mount will drop as long as the altar is active; if you miss it, you'll have to wait several weeks for the next rotation.

Ancestral War Bear

Crafting this mount requires 6 Practically Pork. You can obtain Practically Pork by killing wild beasts; it's not difficult and is usually quite cheap.

Simply find Lost Bear inside the altar, feed it a Practically Pork, and you'll get the pet Chubs. Lost Bear will be marked on the minimap.

After using it, the pet will be added to your collection. Then, go to another designated location within the altar, summon Chubs to walk around, trigger the rare monster Angry Amani Warbear, and kill it. Finally, use five Practically Porks on the corpse to obtain the mount.

This mount also has a 100% drop rate and can be obtained in the same altar as the Void-Corrupted Hex Eagle.

Warbear model is the same as the old Zul'Aman, but the color is brown with a woven pattern.

Both mounts are only obtainable during Broken Throne altar's activation this week. After the weekly reset, the altar location rotates to Eversong Woods, at which time you can obtain another mount: Void-Touched Snapdragon. If you miss this week's patch, you'll have to wait weeks or even months for the altar to rotate to Zul'Aman again.

Patch 12.0.7 Preview

We can glean some details from last week's Patch 12.0.7 release.

First, Patch 12.0.7 will be themed around the history of trolls, but the specific name has not yet been announced. Also, a new chapter will be unlocked after the patch goes live, connecting to the subsequent 12.1.

Turbulent Timeways are finally returning in Patch 12.0.7. Void Assault and the new altar area will both be available in the new Midnight area.

Of course, the patch will also include a large number of new mounts and a new Transmog system, which we can look forward to.

Developer Controversy and Player Opinions

Recently, there has actually been some controversy surrounding the game within the community. This cannot be ignored.

$75 House Decoration Bundle

This official bundle, priced at $50 for the appearance only and $75 for the complete decoration bundle including indoor and outdoor furniture, is contradictory. The 12.0.5 version was released with numerous bugs and incomplete features, and the developers had just apologized, stating players deserved better. Now, they've immediately launched this high-priced bundle, a move drastically detached from player needs, making it impossible for players to remain silent.

The bundle is even more expensive than the game itself, and the housing system hasn't yet incorporated enough in-game racial styles, such as human-specific appearances, yet the paid bundle is already included. This inevitably raises the suspicion that developer resources are being used for pure profiteering rather than game improvements.

$1600 Lich King and Invincible Statue

Targeting hardcore collectors, but public opinion suggests that the official news lately consists of only two things: apologies and overpriced items.

Diablo 4 Collaboration Set

Porting Warcraft Tier 2 set style to Diablo 4, available for a limited time.

Players are questioning why T2 is being sold again when it's already been overused and two more T2-themed versions are planned.

The weekly reset is just around the corner; if you see a reminder, please complete the quests immediately. Prioritize using the remaining time to acquire the two altar mounts and Darkmoon Faire bonus.

Also, let's look forward to the development direction of Patch 12.0.7 and hope WoW Midnight can provide a satisfactory explanation to players.

Last Friday, MLB The Show 26 received a major content update, most notably the debut of a brand-new card set - Cityscape Cards - in Diamond Dynasty mode.

The players in this set are positioned as fan favorites in their respective cities. Accompanying the new set is a wealth of in-game content, including new Programs, Conquest maps, a massive collection, and new card packs in the shop.

Cityscapes Program Reward Path

Along with Cityscapes Program comes a collection mission that requires you to collect 30 Cityscapes cards. If you intend to complete this mission, it's best to collect all the free players along the reward path.

How to Make Progress?

Complete 5 moments (25 points total, 5 points each)

Tasks:

This mini-season's objectives are not based on wins or losses, but on experience points and accumulated statistics. Therefore, don't worry too much about winning or losing.

It's recommended to quickly gain player experience on high difficulty in the early stages, and then lower the difficulty to rookie difficulty later to focus on home runs and extra-base hits. Alternatively, you can do the opposite.

Complete a total of 75 home runs, etc. You may need to play all 28 games. It's recommended to use a lineup composed of Cityscapes players throughout.

Collection Missions

Below are the rewards for Cityscapes series collection missions, and the number of cards required:

• 92 OVR Clay Buchholz: 12 cards
• 93 OVR Jimmy Rollins: 24 cards
• 93 OVR Mickey Mantle: 30 cards

In addition to Cityscapes Program missions, there are two main single-player modes offering substantial rewards, allowing you to unlock approximately 16 Cityscapes players after completing all the free content.

Cityscape Conquest Mode Map

This new map, themed around the city skyline, requires you to conquer the Strongholds of eight teams, including Red Sox, Yankees, Phillies, Brewers, Cubs, Pirates, Mariners, and Rangers. Rewards for completing the map include:

• Cityscapes Deluxe Pack
• 90 OVR Richie Sexson
• A Deluxe Pack

Mini Season

Mini Season is a replayable reward mode, with each game consisting of three innings. It features a chain of missions:

1. Strike out 12 with any relief or closing pitcher to unlock 90 OVR John Franco.
2. Make two saves with John Franco to unlock 90 OVR Ian Kinsler.
3. Hit 4 Extra Base Hits with a 90 OVR to unlock 90 OVR Jim Edmonds.
4. Accumulate 20 Total Bases with Jim Edmonds to earn a Ballin as a Habit Pack.
5. Accumulate 22,000 Parallel XP in Mini Season with any player to unlock 91 OVR Edgar Martinez.
6. Accumulate 32 Bases with Edgar Martinez to earn another Premier Choice Pack.

Winning Mini Season will earn you a bundle of 10 card packs. There's also a repeatable mission during the season: accumulate 10,000 Parallel XP with Cityscapes players to repeatedly earn Deluxe Pack. This is the best way for free-to-play players to repeatedly farm card packs and MLB The Show 26 stubs.

How to Acquire The Remaining Players?

If you plan to complete all three collections, you'll also need to trade 12 Cityscapes cards on the trading market, which will require approximately 200,000 stubs.

If you only want Jimmy Rollins, not Mickey Mantle, it will only take around 53,000 stubs.

Mickey Mantle isn't a game-changing super card. While his stats are excellent, he won't completely transform your team. Therefore, it's not recommended to grind for him on day one. The cost of collecting him will decrease significantly over time.

Most of the free players in this Cityscapes Program are actually mediocre, while the players in the packs are better, some even surpassing Mickey Mantle. It's recommended to repeatedly play mini-seasons to accumulate Stubs and packs, and eventually use the free Stubs earned to directly get players from top-tier and ultimate packs on the market.

Hey Tycoons! Villainous Partners event is underway, and you and your partner must be working hard to collect event tokens! Then the banner event and tournament milestone rewards are what you need to aim for.

Monopoly Go is hosting a three-day Puppet Party banner event, which is definitely something you need to chase for the next while. Let's see how many Villainous Partners tokens are found/available in the milestones.

Date

Puppet Party banner event lasts just over three days, starting at 1 PM EST on May 4 and ending at 4 PM EST on May 7, essentially ending at the same time as Villainous Partners event. Therefore, whatever method you used to acquire Partners tokens, remember to use them all before the event ends.

How to Make Progress?

All milestones in Puppet Party banner event require a total of 46,650 points to unlock, which isn't an easy goal to achieve relative to the points you can earn each time.

The reward squares for this banner event are still randomized, indicated by special icons on the board. You only get 2 points when you accurately land on a square instead of just passing by it. This means that even if every square is a scoring square, you'd need over 20,000 dice to get all the rewards, and in reality, you might need far more.

Therefore, you should be mindful of your dice consumption, and using multipliers appropriately can effectively reduce it. It's recommended to set a multiplier only when the board has a high density of scoring squares; this will significantly increase your chances of scoring successfully, and compared to automatic dice rolling, this method will definitely save you some dice.

Puppet Party Banner Event Rewards

While the rewards for Puppet Party banner event seem very tempting, unlocking all milestones is clearly not a wise decision. If you observe the milestone rewards for the banner event, you'll find that the points for each milestone are not evenly distributed, especially for the last few milestones, which are not worthwhile compared to the points required.

You can decide which stage to stop at based on your dice count, and based on the return rate, milestones 25, 35, and 43 are the most worthwhile ranges to focus on.

The milestone 25 reward is suitable for players with fewer dice; although you won't even get all Monopoly Go stickers by then, the return on dice and Partner tokens is the highest. For most players with a decent dice reserve, stopping at milestone 35 is a good option. If you have a large number of dice and a high need for Partner tokens, you can stop at milestone 43. The remaining milestone rewards are likely only pursued by whales.

Overview of Puppet Party banner event rewards:

• 13,205 dice
• 4,100 Partner event tokens
• 2 Green Sticker Packs
• 1 Yellow Sticker Pack
• 1 Pink Sticker Pack
• Random Boost at milestone 3
• Builder's Bash at milestone 18
• Cash Boost at milestones 33 and 57
• Color Wheel Boost at milestone 44
• Mega Heist at milestone 50

Puppet Party Banner Campaign Milestones:

This concludes the complete guide to Puppet Party banner event. Remember to use your Partner event tokens promptly.

In WoW TBC Classic Anniversary, tank players have been in chronically short supply. Although the initial frenzy around Heroic Dungeons has gradually cooled and many players now log off right after finishing their weekly raids, one might assume the much-talked-about tank drought would have eased by now.

Instead, the opposite has happened. This pain point has become a thorn that simply cannot be pulled out, periodically jabbing the community in new ways. Even though everyone knows tanks are scarce, the game environment itself keeps driving away players who might otherwise be willing to take on the role.

The Struggles of New Tanks

Unlike DPS players, who mostly just focus on dealing damage, tanks in both dungeons and raids have to constantly keep track of far more things - mob threat, the timing of their defensive cooldowns, and much more. Since every dungeon has its own mechanics, new tanks naturally need time to learn how to handle them.

Many tanks try to learn those mechanics on the fly inside the dungeons, but instead of patience, they often find the rest of the party backseat-driving from behind. Some players nitpick every single pull, some keep hurrying them along, and others flat-out rip threat without a second thought. There is rarely any tolerance for someone still learning, and for many players who want to give tanking a shot, this feels like a bucket of ice water being poured over their enthusiasm.

The Clash Over Pace

Inside Heroic dungeons, pacing often becomes the sharpest point of friction. TBC Heroic dungeons rely heavily on crowd control - sheep, freezing trap, sap, banish, even shackle undead. The encounters were literally designed around that philosophy.

DPS players typically want to blitz through, grab their Badges of Justice, and leave. The tank, however, needs to feel out the pressure points of each pull, and the healer also needs time to regain mana.

When crowd control is used properly, the tank's job remains manageable. The moment control breaks down, the tank is forced to facetank six mobs at once, eating enormous damage, while the healer is forced to frantically spam max-rank Holy Light just to keep the tank from hitting the floor.

What makes it even more disheartening is that those same DPS players would rather leave the group and endure another thirty-minute wait in the group-finding tool than slow down for a single pull. They are perennially racing against the clock, and if the tank cannot keep up, then it is the tank's fault.

This mismatch in pacing gets magnified to an extreme degree for new tanks. They already need extra time to learn dungeon routes, mob abilities, and threat mechanics. If, on top of that, their party members are constantly remote-controlling them from behind or even deciding how to pull on the tank's behalf, the experience can quickly spiral into a mental ordeal.

Whose Responsibility Is Threat?

Some DPS players may grumble that they already held back for several seconds before engaging. And yet, threat has never been the tank's job alone.

In WoW TBC, damage-dealing classes are entirely capable of - and responsible for - managing their own threat. Using a threat monitor like Tiny Threat, keeping an eye on their own threat bar, easing off when they are about to pull aggro, or using threat-reducing abilities and items are all fundamental skills for any DPS.

Sure, some tanks have all the right gear and flawless execution, and no matter how much DPS unloads, threat will never be ripped away. Other tanks, due to gearing choices, rotational issues, or limited resources, may struggle with mobs running all over the place.

But the real problem is that even a tank whose threat is shaky does not deserve to become the target of mockery. A new tank might not yet know the finer points of specific gear setups or threat rotations. What they need is advice and guidance, not ridicule and blame.

Economic Burden

The economic side of things only makes the tank's situation worse. The cost of consumables and materials in WoW TBC is absurdly high. This may be tied to GDKP ban - while intended to clean up the economy, GDKP runs had also served as an enormous in-game gold sink.

The vast sums of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold that once circulated through raid distributions never really vanished; they simply got redirected elsewhere. An enormous amount of gold is now sitting in the auction houses, constantly driving up the value of every flask, every primal material, and every enchanting ingredient.

And no one feels this more acutely than tanks. On top of having to acquire the same consumables as everyone else, they are also bearing the repair costs of plate armor with their own hard-earned gold. When a pull in an un-nerfed Heroic dungeon goes sideways - because a DPS broke crowd control and pulled half the room - and the group wipes, that repair bill lands squarely on their shoulders. This might just be one of the most underrated reasons why so few people want to tank today.

Growing in the Right Environment

For a tank who is still learning and adjusting, the ideal practice environment is absolutely not queuing into a random group full of overgeared DPS who are desperate to clear the dungeon in ten minutes. A much better approach is to prioritize running with guild members or friends you already know - people with whom you can communicate at a relaxed pace and where mistakes are allowed. This lets a new tank steadily build confidence, and it also spares veteran players the friction that often arises from mismatched efficiency expectations.

For players who simply want to knock out a few Badges of Justice quickly and log off for the night, it might be worth clearly stating speed run or experienced group when forming a party, rather than pushing a learning tank to cope with a tempo they have not yet mastered. That approach respects both your own time and the experience of others.

In the end, the tank shortage is not any single person's fault; it is the cumulative result of the entire game ecosystem. Every player who steps up to fill the tank role deserves to be treated with decency.

Guys, we can finally show off our skills in Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred! Mythic Unique items have always been highly coveted by players, and now your chances of obtaining them are greatly increased, but some efficient methods are still needed. Let's delve into the details.

As players know, you need to be at least at Torment 1 difficulty to have a chance of obtaining Mythics; lower difficulties won't drop them. Therefore, as the difficulty increases, the drop rate of Mythic items will also increase.

This season, the power of Mythic Unique items is fixed at the highest roll value, stable and reliable, eliminating concerns about random fluctuations.

New Item: Horadric Seal

This new item differs slightly from Mythic Unique items we'll discuss next, but it possesses immense potential. Players are advised to learn more about this novel item before farming for Mythic Unique items.

Horadric Seal occupies one slot in Charm system and determines the number of Charms you can have around you, typically a maximum of six. It also comes with a powerful affix bonus, such as increasing Critical Strike Chance.

Its special effect is that you can only have a maximum of five Charm slots, but you can equip two Unique Charms simultaneously. However, the downside is that if a particular five-piece Charm set effect is crucial, then Horadric Seal might become useless.

Horadric Seal cannot be directly crafted through the rune crafting system; it can only be obtained through drops.

As a core component of the Talisman system in the new season, Horadric Seal like regular Mythic Unique items, only drops in Torment 1 and above, with a significantly increased drop rate in Torment 10 and above. It can be farmed in events such as Nightmare Dungeons and The Pit.

The best sources are still the chests from the new final boss, Mephisto, and Kurast Undercity.

Opening Mephisto's chests with a special key has a very high chance of obtaining Horadric Seal; while not 100%, it's the highest known single-time drop rate.

If you manage to acquire this item in the new season, your builds will be far more powerful than you imagine after farming Mythic Unique items.

Methods to Obtain Mythic Unique Items

New Final Boss Mephisto

Mephisto will be your first target during progression. However, first, we need to unlock Lair Boss keys. The key needed here is called Crux of the False Prophet.

Defeating Lilith in Torment 8 completes the season Rank 8 capstone reward, granting you a key. Note that this only applies to Lilith on Torment 8 difficulty.

Next, your first use of the key to open Mephisto endgame chest will guarantee a new key drop, allowing you to immediately re-challenge Mephisto.

Additionally, The Greater Lair Bosses in Torment 10 and above have a very low chance of dropping Diablo 4 Mythic Uniques. They can also drop from War Plans rewards and World Bosses, but are extremely rare.

This boss fight has three phases, with the third phase being extremely difficult, and most builds will be one-shotted. Therefore, it's recommended to maximize Armor, Resistances, and Damage Reduction.

Chests may contain a large number of Ancestral items with powerful affixes, a high probability of Mythic Unique Items, and a high probability of Horadric Seals. The first key is a must-have. After completing the challenge, use the returned second key to fight again; the double rewards are extremely high.

War Plans Nemesis System

This is the most stable way to obtain items. Choose the middle path in War Plans tree, focusing on unlocking Two by Two as quickly as possible, as it unlocks Nemesis Lair. After defeating the boss and opening the chest, there's a chance to encounter a Nemesis Portal.

In the beginner stage, two entry-level Lair bosses will fight simultaneously. You only need one key and one opening to obtain one original reward plus two Nemesis rewards, for a total of three boss rewards. Mythic drop rate is significantly higher than that of normal bosses.

After triggering Greater Nemesis Lair, two higher-level Lair bosses will appear, further increasing Mythic drop rate. Testing shows that at least one Mythic item is guaranteed every 1-2 Nemesis attempts.

If you defeat Ultimate Nemesis Lair, it will drop items equivalent to 10 Hoard Chests. One Nemesis Lair kill is equivalent to the total loot from killing 10 bosses in a row. Mythic Unique Items can even drop multiple items at once, which is not uncommon.

The process is as follows: First, farm normal Lair bosses to accumulate a few keys, at least 5-10. Then, trigger Greater Nemesis Lair, and try to get as many Ultimate Nemesis Lair as possible.

After starting the boss fight and completing the kill, you can open the chest and have a chance to trigger a Portal, allowing you to re-enter the fight. If it doesn't trigger, continue to the next boss. Triggering it even once is a huge win.

Rune Crafting

Through rune crafting, you can selectively craft any Mythic Unique item.

You will need 6 specific magic runes, 6 specific rare runes, 6 specific legendary runes, and 1 Resplendent Spark. Then, in Jeweler's rune crafting interface, select Mythic Uniques tab to begin crafting. Craft Mythic item you want directly, including weapons, armor, and jewelry, but not Horadric Seals.

Resplendent Sparks can be obtained through rewards given during multiple season journey phases, and disenchanting any Mythic Unique Item will also yield one.

Additionally, you can trade runes with other players to advance your game.

By utilizing these methods effectively, Mythic Unique Items are no longer rare this season, and you can even easily farm double or even ten Mythic items. Good luck!

One week after the launch of Riven Tides, ARC Raiders' various periodic updates have begun to return to a more consistent schedule. Accordingly, Week 27, which also marks Week 1 of the new Season Trials, went live on May 4th and will conclude one week later on May 11th.

This week's five Trial missions remain heavily combat-oriented; however, several features entirely new objective types never before seen in the game. These warrant your close attention, as overlooking their specific requirements could lead to errors or setbacks while attempting to complete the trials.

Below, we have provided a detailed breakdown of all Week 27 trial objectives to ensure you can complete them whenever you have the time.

Destroy Fireballs

If you haven't just recently joined the ranks of ARC Raiders, Fireball should be a familiar enemy type. Spherical, it is a heavily armored unit, making it difficult to penetrate, and its offensive power increases significantly at close range.

Once it spots you and decides to attack, Fireball will begin rolling forward; it then opens its front panel to extend a flamethrower, unleashing a stream of fire to inflict damage upon you.

If you are caught in the flames, you will continue to suffer burn damage over time, even after you have successfully destroyed Fireball.

However, for seasoned Raiders, defeating a Fireball is actually quite manageable, provided you employ the right tactics.

First, as previously mentioned, Fireball is a heavily armored adversary; the key to defeating it lies in destroying the core hidden beneath its plating.

Therefore, the optimal offensive strategy is to first maintain a safe distance between yourself and Fireball. Then, continuously fire at it using weapons chambered for medium or heavy ammunition to pierce through its armor until its vulnerable core is exposed.

If, due to the recent start of a new expedition cycle, you have not yet acquired weapons of this caliber, it's fast and safe t o buy ARC Raiders blueprints on IGGM to immediately craft any gear you urgently need!

Furthermore, during the engagement, to ensure you maintain a safe distance from Fireball and avoid being scorched by its flames, it is advisable to constantly utilize the evasive roll maneuver to stay mobile.

Destroy ARC Enemies in the Swamp

Although this mission confines the action to the swamp area within Dam Battlegrounds map, a relatively small zone, rest assured that the game will spawn a sufficient number of enemies within the allotted time to allow you to successfully complete the objective with a coveted three-star rating!

Furthermore, since there are no restrictions on enemy types, if you find that taking down high-point targets, such as Rocketeers and Leapers, is too difficult for you, you can choose to focus exclusively on easier enemies; the only downside is that doing so will take up more of your time.

It is crucial to note that the points you earn during this trial mission are only validated if you successfully extract from the map after eliminating your targets. Therefore, do not let your guard down once the fighting ends.

Damage Any ARC Enemies

This is likely the least innovative objective in this week's trials, as you are effectively doing this during almost every single raid you undertake. The upside, however, is that it can be progressed simultaneously with other trial objectives.

For instance, while you are eliminating enemies in the swamp zone, you are also passively contributing to the progress of this specific objective.

Even if you haven't yet achieved a three-star rating for this task by the end of your last run, the amount of dedicated time you need to invest in it later will be significantly reduced.

On the other hand, beyond the final trial rewards, eliminating ARC enemies also yields various crafting materials dropped by the foes themselves, resources that are highly valuable for crafting additional gear at your current stage of progression.

Deal Melee Damage to ARC Enemies

Broadly speaking, this objective does not differ significantly from the previous one and can also be progressed concurrently.

However, the critical distinction lies in the requirement to deal melee damage, which effectively, albeit indirectly, imposes restrictions on the types of enemies you should target.

Theoretically, you could use appropriate weapons to deal melee damage to any enemy; however, if you target a particularly fragile ARC unit, such as a Tick, you will probably eliminate it after dealing only a minuscule amount of damage.

Since the key to this objective lies in the total damage dealt rather than the number of enemies killed, the most efficient strategy is to prioritize larger, high-health enemies.

These larger foes allow you to directly latch onto them and launch attacks, ensuring that every hit registers as melee damage.

Furthermore, the sheer amount of damage required to take down a single one of these enemies is substantial, more than enough to help you successfully complete this trial objective.

Search Kitchen Cabinets

Much like the melee damage objective, the task of searching kitchen cabinets is a new type of objective introduced in this week's trials. This specific task requires you to locate and search a sufficient number of cabinets across any of the available maps.

Inevitably, while undertaking this task, you will encounter randomly roaming ARC units as well as rival PvP players who are also vying for the loot hidden within those cabinets.

Therefore, you should remain fully prepared for combat at all times. Generally speaking, kitchen cabinets can be found on all maps; however, the areas where they spawn most frequently include:

• Dam Battlegrounds: Apartment Buildings.
• Buried City: A second-floor kitchen within Santa Maria Houses.
• Stella Montis: Medical Research and Security Office.

That covers everything you need to know to complete all of this week's trials. In fact, it shouldn't be difficult for most experienced players to accomplish; even if you are a beginner, simply following this guide step-by-step should ensure you have no major issues! Good luck!

With the implementation of the major Arc Raiders update, Riven Tides, the weapon durability mechanic underwent a controversial adjustment.

The official statement clearly indicates that the core goal of this change is to address the excessively high maintenance costs of higher-tier weapons, while simultaneously allowing higher-tier weapons to have a longer lifespan than lower-tier weapons.

However, following the update's release, numerous discussions quickly emerged within the community regarding the imbalance in the weapon economy system, particularly the surge in the durability consumption rate of lower-tier weapons, causing concern among many players.

The following will examine the true impact of this Arc Raiders change on the weapon durability system from three dimensions: the adjustment logic, actual test data, and potential errors.

Adjustment Logic

Arc Raiders patch notes emphasize that higher-tier weapons should have a longer battlefield lifespan than lower-tier weapons.

This premise aligns with the typical Arc Raiders Items progression curve; players who invest more resources to acquire legendary or Epic weapons should logically receive a positive return in terms of durability.

However, Arc Raiders didn't simply increase the durability of high-tier weapons; instead, it significantly accelerated the wear and tear on low-tier weapons.

This dual-track adjustment led to a sharp increase in the repair frequency of both Common and Uncommon weapons in actual combat, sparking community-wide questioning of the weapon economy system.

According to test data, Common-quality weapons like Stitcher require approximately 10.24 sets of light ammunition to be completely destroyed, Kettle 9 sets, and Pharaoh 3.1 sets of heavy ammunition.

Anvil, a weapon that performs well in both PvE and PvP, now only requires 215 rounds to become completely unusable.

This means that in a relatively intense encounter, a player might run out of weapon lifespan before even retreating. For novice players or those with limited resources, this penalty significantly increases the cost of maintaining combat effectiveness.

Test Data

Based on the highest durability level four, the following data represents the test results for each weapon level from full durability to zero.

Among Common-tier weapons, the number of ammunition required for complete destruction varies significantly, mostly ranging from several hundred to over a thousand rounds.

Uncommon and Rare-tier weapons also exhibit considerable fluctuations, with some models requiring only a little over a hundred rounds to deplete their durability, while others exceed a thousand.

Epic-tier weapons range from extreme values ​​of over two thousand rounds to rapidly depleted models requiring only a little over two hundred.

Comparing community test records before and after the update reveals that the actual durability adjustments to almost all weapons were less than stated in the patch notes.

This phenomenon may stem from a conversion error between the underlying calculation formula and the percentage representation, or maybe the development team temporarily used a unique set of parameters before the patch went live.

Nevertheless, when translated into actual gameplay scenarios, the majority of players will rarely fire enough rounds in a single deployment to completely degrade even the most fragile Common weapons, except for a few outliers like Anvil.

Potential Error

From a design logic perspective, only excessively high maintenance costs for higher-tier weapons was explicitly listed as an adjustment target. Therefore, imposing faster durability loss on Common, Uncommon, and even Rare weapons essentially addresses a non-existent problem.

These lower-tier weapons are inherently inexpensive to manufacture and easy to repair, their economic burden is not a major source of player complaints.

The collateral penalty imposed by Arc Raiders at this level actually reduces players' options during resource-scarce phases, forcing them to rely on high-tier gear earlier or endure greater logistical burdens.

The update specifically mentions that Arc Raiders Items looted from downed enemy players will reduce durability loss by 15%. This design attempts to create a more interesting loot and reuse cycle in PvP combat: enemy-dropped weapons are relatively newer, encouraging players to actively change gear and reduce reliance on fixed builds.

However, considering the high elimination rate and low survival rate in PvP, the actual trigger frequency of this benefit may be limited. Players can only enjoy the durability reduction benefit if they successfully extract with looted weapons.

Given the precedent of several instances of unexpected values from the official release, these durability figures will likely be corrected in subsequent weekly updates.

Based on actual testing results, the overall durability balance in the current version is not as extreme as the percentages suggest, but there are indeed several design flaws that significantly deviate from the average for low-tier weapons.

Riven Tides' adjustments to Arc Raiders Items durability appear on paper to severely penalize low-tier weapons and moderately reward high-tier ones. However, real-world testing shows the actual impact is much milder than the patch notes suggest, with some weapons even receiving unexpected buffs.

Visual assessments in terms of ammo stacks indicate that the vast majority of weapons are not completely destroyed during a normal extraction, but the vulnerability of a few models, such as Anvil, does warrant attention. Future fixes are more likely to focus on numerical discrepancies rather than overhauling the entire system.

In Diablo 4, the legend of Secret Cow Level has always captivated players. With the release of Lord of Hatred, a hidden questline has finally been revealed. It won't be updated in the logbook; players need to carefully record it.

This article will detail the entire process from starting the quest to approaching the secret level, based on the discovered complete walkthrough. All steps have been verified. As of the time of writing, the actual Cow Level has not yet been unlocked, but the prerequisites and key clues are complete.

Phase One

The trigger point is located on the east face of Mount Hefaetrus. There, there's a strange interaction point with a strange diary and a bottle of alcohol. The inside back cover reads: "Blind are those that deny their own sins."

Burning Pride's Sin

In Kyovashad, go to the gatehouse, where Holy Cedar Tablet can be found. Choose to carve Pride and burn it. Note that the order in which you burn it is crucial.

Returning to the journal, a new text prompt appears: ... these machines make short work of even the vilest beast Hell can spawn, as though the Heavenly Father himself was hurling his mighty spears.

Obtain Amazonian Bolt

The only machine in Skovos capable of severely damaging Demon is Ballista. Go to Akarat's Bulwark, where there is a corrupted Amazon. Destroy Ballista to obtain Amazonian Bolt.

Cross the Hidden Rope

Open Skovos map. A manatee drawing is visible in the western sea. The nearby island of Philios has a partial outline resembling a bull's head. Go to Idyllic Reach on that island. Near the entrance, there is an unloaded Ballista. Use Bolt; it will launch a rope that leads to a secret area.

Defeat Jailer of Angels

At the end of the area is an Inarius statue. Interact with it to summon Jailer of Angels. Defeating them will drop Father's Chains. Head to Antia's Flame in the northern part of Philios Island and burn the chain with the brazier.

Phase Two

Collect a set of training armor and obtain new sacrificial items.

Burn Sin of Wrath

Return to the gatehouse of Kyovashad and burn Anger.

Journal Update: ... the lifeless effigy stood uncowed, but once battered by anger's relentless blows, it finally bowed its head, and Amazon earned the first piece of her panoply. Head to Temis training grounds and hit the dummies to obtain Amazon Training Helm. Equip it immediately.

Collect Armor

Return to Akarat's Bulwark and fight the corrupted Amazon. Rare Diablo 4 Items include: Amazon Training Tunic, Amazon Training Pants, Amazon Training Gauntlets, and Amazon Training Boots.

Equip each item immediately upon acquisition. After collecting all the items, find Elite Corrupted Amazon Captain southeast of the fortress and defeat him to obtain Mother's Rose. Go to Athulua and burn Temple of Courage with a brazier. You can then revert to your original equipment.

Phase Three

This involves areas where combat is not possible and the remains of key characters.

Burning Sin of Fear

Return to the gatehouse and burn Fear; the journal will update. Go to Ruins of Brocken Reason on Lycander Island. The enemies here will not attack unless provoked, but do not engage them.

There is a giant raven near the fountain in the southwest of the ruins. Interact with it, and it will fly away; follow it. If there is no raven here, it may be because you previously engaged in combat with an enemy.

This raven will cross some inaccessible terrain, so if you lose it, you can teleport back to Temis to start over. The raven will return to the starting point and drop a Skull; pick it up to obtain new clues.

Obtain the Key

Follow the new clue to Temple of Life on the same island. Interact with the brazier outside to obtain a special key.

Obtain Neyrelle's Hand

Go to Creaking Hulls, north of Hawezaar. Its ship's hull resembles a bull's head. At the end, where the original coffin was, is now a fishpond. Fish for the coffin. Use the key to open it and enter Rathma's Temple. Run to the altar where Elias's finger is located; find Neyrelle's Hand nearby. Pick it up to complete the questline.

Final Step

This requires combining the two prerequisite quests: Stamina Potion obtained from Cow Level quest in the main game, and Rusted Bardiche obtained from Lord of Hatred.

Crafting the Item

Place Stamina Potion, Rusted Bardiche, and Neyrelle's Hand into Horadric Cube. The recipe will display three question marks. Craft to obtain a Bull Skull Treasure Chest, namely the Trophy of the Faithful.

Rewards and Uses

Open the treasure chest to obtain Torn Page and complete the challenge for the title "MOO" and MOO emote.

Travel to Hidden Island and Unfinished Cow Level

Follow Torn Page's clues to the cow-head terrain area on Philios Island. Find Outcast's Boat and sail to the hidden island. The island features a Skeleton Horse, statues of humanoid cows, a dilapidated hut with a sign saying "Do not feed the animals," and a desolate cellar.

Inside the cellar, many seated human skeletons look at the altar at the end of the room which depicts a large cow, and twelve cows are arranged in a circle staring at a symbol.

The final room provides the biggest clue: a map of Skovos Highlands and Gonnagal's Guide to the Hecatomb, which depicts seven portal images, presumably the entrance to Cow Level. These are all the clues discovered so far.

Through this hidden questline, players can obtain rewards such as Hand of Neyrelle, Minotaur Skull Chest, MOO title, and emotes, which are not only symbols of status but also contain key clues to the true Cow Level.

For a long time, players have grown accustomed to the endless grind of WBC Mini Season, even though, compared to previous iterations, it felt noticeably half-baked and riddled with bugs. After all, it has historically been one of the fastest ways to earn currency in MLB The Show 26. However, with the sudden rise of Diamond Quest, that status quo is clearly about to be disrupted; a far more efficient method for farming Stubs has now emerged.

Players returning to MLB might understandably be skeptical, recalling that last year's debut of Diamond Quest was utterly devoid of fun. Furthermore, unless you played on the highest difficulty settings - Legend or G.O.A.T. - you could barely hope to earn any worthwhile rewards. While the player card rewards themselves remain largely unchanged this year, a recent MLB 26 update introduced an Egg Hunt event. Through this event, players can now earn two additional Ballin' is a Habit packs, packs that boast some of the highest odds in Diamond Dynasty for pulling Gold and Diamond-tier players.

If you don't want your team's progress to be stifled by a lack of stubs, this money-making method is one you absolutely cannot afford to miss! Today, we're going to share exactly how to leverage Diamond Quest to rake in tens of thousands of stubs in just one hour! Let's dive right in.

Why is Diamond Quest worth playing in MLB 26?

Diamond Quest is a single-player, roguelike-style board game mode. Players roll dice to navigate a map, triggering random events, completing Moments and Showdowns, and ultimately challenging a Stadium in a 3-inning game to win lucrative rewards, such as high-tier Diamond player cards.

In the past, Diamond Quest faced heavy criticism for its steep difficulty curve. However, in MLB The Show 26, the developers have adjusted the reward thresholds. Now, even when playing on Rookie difficulty, every completed challenge boosts your reward rarity odds by 3%–5%. By the time you reach the final Stadium challenge, these cumulative odds can stack up to nearly 100%, meaning you have a genuine opportunity to secure top-tier rewards.

More importantly, as new events, such as the aforementioned Egg Hunt, rotate in and out of the game, the developers occasionally place Stadium nodes on the map that offer guaranteed rewards. This specific feature forms the very core of our money-making strategy.

How to rapidly farm packs? 

Here, the core of our strategy lies in hitting only the key objectives, refusing to waste a single moment. Simply put, you don't need to capture every single square on the map; you have only one goal: reaching the final Stadiums.

Once you enter Diamond Quest, utilize your dice rolls to move across the board as quickly as possible. While landing on various Mystery and Challenge spaces along the way to gain attribute boosts, such as Contact Boosts, is certainly a nice bonus, do not go out of your way or take detours just to reach them.

Although no other nodes on the map matter aside from the final Stadiums, there is one exception. If your path crosses Zone Sweeper, do not skip him. Defeating him not only grants you a powerful Exit Velocity Boost, but, more importantly, it immediately rewards you with 5 The Show Packs.

Finally, head straight for the stadium! During Egg Hunt event, two Stadiums are scattered across the map, and each game requires you to play only 3 innings.

Challenge the first stadium and secure a victory to claim 1 Ballin' is a Habit Pack. Don't hesitate, immediately head straight for the next stadium to claim another pack.

Compared to the traditional WBC Mini Season, which takes an hour to yield roughly 10 The Show Packs and 1 Ballin' is a Habit Pack, this strategy takes just 15–20 minutes to net you a full haul of 5 The Show Packs and 2 Ballin' is a Habit Packs. It's an absolute steal!

Flipping Player Cards

Now that you've acquired these packs, go ahead and open them to test your luck! If you aren't in a rush to build your active roster, you can choose to sell these player cards on Trading Market to earn MLB The Show 26 Stubs, which happens to be arguably the most reliable source for generating significant income within Diamond Quest.

In particular, cards like the 86 OVR Bobby Grich and All-Star Jonathan Broxton remain incredibly popular on the market. Furthermore, because these cards have been available in MLB The Show for quite some time, their market prices have remained relatively stable, hovering around 6,000–7,000 stubs. If you happen to pull one of these cards, selling it is practically guaranteed profit.

Based on a completion rate of 2–3 runs per hour, even if your luck with pack pulls is merely average, you can still reliably earn 25,000 MLB 26 stubs every hour.

What's more, the all-new Diamond Quest mode will undergo continuous updates, at which point the list of available player card rewards will be completely refreshed. Regardless, seizing the moment is the key to maximizing your earnings. This is especially true during the first few hours after new cards are released, when market supply is extremely low; at this time, their unit prices often skyrocket to between 10,000 and 15,000 Stubs.

Therefore, if you can maintain a completion rate of three runs per hour on the first day new missions go live, your hourly earnings will easily exceed 35,000–40,000 stubs.

In MLB The Show 26, blindly grinding through Diamond Quest will only leave you with depleted resources. If you want to get rich quick, efficiency is paramount. Don't wander aimlessly across the map; instead, precisely target Zone Sweeper and Stadium to secure every card pack and make a massive profit. Get moving now!

Tired of the high-intensity firefights in Riven Tides? Why not try your hand at being a beachcomber instead? Have you noticed? The new Beachcombing map condition recently added to ARC Raiders is actually quite fascinating. You can grab a metal detector and head to the coast to try your luck; that sense of accomplishment, digging up rare treasures after hearing that telltale beep-beep-beep, is truly even more addictive than going head-to-head in direct combat!

Compared to the nerve-wracking pace of previous firefights, this treasure-hunting mode brings a refreshing change of pace to Riven Tides. Want to know how to make a quick fortune along the coast while Beachcombing map condition is active? This guide is all you need, we've highlighted all the key points just for you!

Unlocking Dockmaster's Detector

However, before you can start your treasure hunt, you need to acquire a specific piece of gear: Dockmaster's Detector. This is the key tool that helps you quickly identify buried treasures on the beach; whenever there is loot nearby, the detector will emit a beeping sound and flash yellow.

There are two ways to obtain Dockmaster's Detector in ARC Raiders: The first method is to simply pick one up directly within the game world. When Beachcombing map condition is active, you can find these detectors inside shipping containers located in the coastal zones, or scattered in other corners of the map, it all comes down to your luck! The second method is to obtain one by completing the first phase of the new Player Project introduced in Riven Tides.

Completing Phase 1 of Avian Alarm Project

That's right, the new Player Project we're referring to here is Avian Alarm. In fact, this Beachcombing event is closely tied to Avian Alarm Project, and the reward for completing its first phase is none other than a Dockmaster's Detector.

It's worth noting that the process of completing this first-phase objective feels very much like undertaking a standard side quest.

First, head to Seabed zone located at the southern edge of Riven Tides map. Scattered throughout Seabed area, you will find numerous buoys. These buoys are massive metal structures that typically stand at a tilted angle within the seabed terrain. Any one of these buoys can serve as your designated objective for the mission. 

Next, as you approach one of the buoys, a blue holographic marker will appear, indicating the exact spot where you need to place the bird trap. Simply interact with it to complete this objective.

Upon returning to Base Speranza, all you need to do is confirm and submit your mission progress at the terminal. If you haven't already picked up Dockmaster's Detector elsewhere on the map, the system will now award it to you as a mission reward, along with 25 Raider Tokens!

How to pinpoint the treasure?

Once you have Dockmaster's Detector, head straight for Seabed area. Note that the darker sections of the map represent restricted zones; however, a line of buoys serves as a clear marker, delineating No Entry boundaries or the edge of the map.

Next, follow this route until you reach Wave Breaker area. This entire zone is teeming with loot just waiting to be unearthed.

If you have the detector equipped, an energy bar will appear on your screen, accompanied by a rhythmic beeping sound. As you draw closer to a buried object, the frequency of the beeps will accelerate, and the pitch will rise.

When the beeping reaches its most rapid, high-pitched intensity, stop in your tracks and slowly rotate 360 degrees. When the indicator bar turns green, it signifies that the treasure is directly beneath your feet; simply press the interaction key to begin digging. 

However, keep in mind that Dockmaster's Detector consumes energy with each use; once the energy bar is depleted, you must wait for it to automatically recharge before you can resume your search.

Digging for Loot

I must warn you: don't expect to unearth nothing but goodies. Occasionally, you may dig up something truly nightmarish, a dangerous threat that will make your skin crawl. Therefore, you must remain constantly vigilant while engaging in this activity.

Rare Chests

The most coveted find during your excavation is the blue suitcase. Additionally, you stand a chance of unearthing various Raider Caches, weapon crates, and even ARC Raiders blueprints. Since the chests yielded during Beachcombing are generally of a higher tier, this method ranks as one of the best ways to farm for weapons and blueprints.

Ship Models

Another key reward to look out for during the digging process is Ship Models. During Last Resort event, held from April 28 to May 25, players can earn Merits to unlock a series of brand-new cosmetic items and in-game resources. Collecting these Ship Models is one of the key methods for accumulating more Merits:

• Wind Sprite: 5 Merits
• Twilight Compass: 10 Merits
• Velocity: 25 Merits
• Sirena Dorata: 50 Merits
• Leviathan's Crown: 250 Merits

It is highly recommended that you do not immediately sell any Ship Models you unearth to the in-game store. It is very likely that subsequent stages of Avian Alarm event will require you to submit these Ship Models as quest materials.

Potential Threats

As previously mentioned, there is a chance that digging will trigger traps or attract enemies, specifically Mines, as well as ARC Ticks and Leapers.

If you unearth a Mine, you must dodge out of the way immediately; otherwise, it will instantly obliterate approximately one-quarter of your total health and shields. As for Ticks and Leapers, while these small units rarely pose a serious threat to your survival, they are undeniably annoying. Therefore, please remain alert to ambient sounds while digging to avoid inadvertently attracting them.

Survival Strategies & Gear Selection

Finally, there is one last point to consider before venturing into this area: the terrain here is extremely open and offers absolutely no natural cover. Consequently, you may occasionally find yourself completely exposed to enemy fire with nowhere to take shelter, or even nowhere to run. 

In such situations, equipping a Photoelectric Cloak is an excellent choice. However, keep in mind that the developers recently nerfed this item; its duration is no longer quite as long as it used to be. Even so, it should still be more than sufficient to help you extricate yourself from immediate danger.

If Photoelectric Cloak isn't an option, you might consider using a few Smoke Grenades to provide cover for your retreat. As for weaponry, a Hullcracker and a Renegade are all you need to fully enjoy your treasure-hunting expedition.

In summary, Beachcombing introduces an entirely new dynamic to ARC Raiders Riven Tides map. It serves not only as a prime opportunity to acquire high-tier blueprints and a wealth of coins, but also offers players a progression path that is imbued with a genuine sense of exploration and discovery. 

Grab your detector and keep an ear out for those beeps, but don't forget: while you're scouring the ground for treasure, always keep an eye on the skies above for incoming ARC aircraft. May every Raider return from the beaches of Riven Tides with a bountiful haul!