General News

With recent rumors circulating that GTA 6 is set to release more major news regarding the game this April, the player community has once again begun to stir with excitement.

Regardless of the veracity of these rumors, at this stage, the only way to get a truly firsthand look at GTA 6 is through the two trailers released so far, the first of which was actually released three years ago!

Consequently, the only material likely to entice you into a deeper dive right now is the trailer released last May.

Interestingly, most players have focused their attention on details such as lighting effects and character modeling, they have largely overlooked the significant upgrades Grand Theft Auto VI has implemented in terms of sound design.

In the following sections, we will analyze the sound design based on the audio cues presented in the second trailer, as well as other known information related to the game.

The importance of game sound design

Aside from gameplay mechanics themselves, graphics and sound design are the core elements used to evaluate the quality of a video game, with sound design being particularly critical.

Due to stylistic constraints, some single-player games, especially those with a pixel-art aesthetic, do not necessarily require ultra-high-fidelity graphics. However, every game must utilize sound effects and music to enhance realism and effectively establish the game's atmosphere.

Furthermore, while visuals may be more immediately intuitive than audio, sound often exerts a far more profound influence on the player experience.

If you don't believe me, try watching a horror movie with the sound turned off or with your eyes closed; you'll quickly understand what I mean.

GTA 6 Trailer 2: sound design analysis

This trailer centers on the partnership between GTA 6's two protagonists, Lucia and Jason, showcasing their daily lives, particularly their thrilling chase sequences.

Different genres of games place different demands on sound design; for instance, horror games require an appropriately eerie soundscape, while lighthearted casual games call for charming sound effects and looping background music that remains engaging without becoming repetitive.

For a title like Grand Theft Auto 6, a game devoid of supernatural elements and set almost entirely against the backdrop of contemporary American society, the paramount objective for its internal sound design is absolute realism.

Sound fidelity and texture

In everyday life, the exact same sound can vary significantly in terms of quality and acoustic perception depending on the distance from its source and the specific environment in which it is produced.

Consequently, GTA 6 must ensure that, while remaining consistent with the narrative, every single sound effect generated within the game aligns perfectly with the specific context and environment in which it occurs.

Fortunately, at least based on the content showcased in Trailer 2, the development team has indeed succeeded in achieving this.

For instance, whether Jason is driving down the road, robbing a convenience store, or working out on the beach, you will notice that music is playing in the background in every scene.

However, due to the varying playback devices, ranging from car stereos and in-store PA systems to portable speakers, the sonic quality of the music you hear differs completely in each instance.

Furthermore, when Jason goes to pick Lucia up from prison, he converses with a corrections officer through a pane of glass.

From the perspective presented in the trailer, Jason is positioned on the exterior side of the glass; consequently, his voice sounds entirely natural, whereas the officer's voice, coming from the other side of the glass, sounds slightly muffled and distorted.

Concurrently, a raucous commercial is blaring from an old television set in the background. The clash between these competing audio elements results in a soundscape that feels somewhat clipped and heavily compressed, qualities that, ironically, lend it an air of profound authenticity.

Beyond these much-lauded details, the trailer also features standard diegetic sounds, such as the roar of passing aircraft, the crashing of ocean waves, and so forth.

GTA 6 succeeds in authentically embedding these sounds within the fabric of the game world itself, rather than merely layering them superficially over the visuals.

A legacy of excellence in sound design

Given the trailer's brevity and its primary objective of highlighting the game's core updates, the showcase of character dialogue and specific background music is somewhat limited.

Nevertheless, while the exceptional diegetic sound serves as compelling proof of GTA 6's commitment to audio excellence, it is also worth noting that its predecessor, GTA 5, along with other titles from the same studio, have already established a stellar track record regarding both music and dialogue.

For instance, upon its launch, Grand Theft Auto V boasted a staggering library of over 75,000 distinct audio metadata objects, alongside nearly 90 hours of streaming audio content.

Red Dead Redemption 2, which from the same company, went even further; at 2018 The Game Awards, it swept both Best Audio Design and Best Score/Music categories, in addition to winning Best Audio award at Italian Video Game Awards.

Notably, GTA 5 introduced Gunfight Conductor system, a dynamic engine capable of seamlessly transitioning between narrative, interactive, and ambient music in real-time as the gameplay unfolds, thereby ensuring that the player's auditory experience remains consistently authentic.

Given this context, whenever a game series releases a new installment, it invariably represents a step forward, never a step back.

Therefore, you have every reason to believe that GTA 6, having undergone a comprehensive overhaul, will ultimately deliver an auditory experience that surpasses its predecessors.

Advancements in hardware and systems

In Grand Theft Auto 5, the game was capable of simulating the unique granular audio characteristics of vehicle engines; it also supported a dynamic system that could perform real-time, independent audio mixing for both the player's vehicle and the surrounding traffic environment during high-speed chases.

Now, 13 years later, GTA 6 emerges as a brand-new title built upon a next-generation hardware platform. Its primary target platform, PlayStation 5, represents an absolute quantum leap in audio processing capabilities compared to the systems and hardware utilized by its predecessor.

PS5 is equipped with Tempest 3D Audio Tech engine, capable of processing hundreds of independent sound sources, each with its own spatial positioning data.

This ensures that every single sound within the game possesses a distinct spatial dimension, often without even requiring developers to manually fine-tune or calibrate them individually.

Conclusion

Even with the limited content shown in the trailer, we can state with absolute certainty that, at least in terms of sound effects and music, GTA 6, set to launch later this year, will deliver a truly astonishing performance! Stay tuned!

Fully immersing yourself in the adventure of GTA 6, an experience crafted through cutting-edge audio and visual technology, presupposes that you have sufficient resources to freely unlock and access all the game's content.

Therefore, if you are determined to experience this title to the fullest, we highly recommend that you buy related services at trusted GTA 6 store IGGM right now. That way, once the game officially launches, you'll be guaranteed to progress much faster than your friends!

This weekend is bound to be incredibly busy as Monopoly Go: Posh Pets album draws to a close! Golden Blitz which is designed to help you collect gold stickers, and the ongoing Hello Kitty Racers event are happening simultaneously!

But that's not all; the daily events will continue as usual. The upcoming schedule includes a new tournament as well as the banner event: Turbo Tune Up.

To ensure you don't waste any time on missteps and to maximize your reward-earning efficiency this weekend, we've put together a detailed guide on how to complete Turbo Tune Up event.

Turbo Tune Up schedule

This banner event begins on March 27 at 10:00 AM PT and runs until 1:00 PM PT on March 29, spanning a total of 2 days and 3 hours. Across its 62 milestones, the event offers the following major rewards:

• 20,275 Free Dice Rolls
• 2,630 Flag Tokens
• 2x Green Sticker Packs
• 1x Yellow Sticker Pack
• 1x Pink Sticker Pack
• 15-Minute Builder's Bash
• 10-Minute Cash Grab Boost
• 15-Minute Color Wheel Boost
• 40-Minute Mega Heist
• 15-Minute Cash Grab Boost

Notably, flag tokens are essential for advancing your progress in Hello Kitty Racers event; so, if you and your teammates are still striving to secure first place, you absolutely cannot afford to miss out on these rewards!

Golden Blitz and Hello Kitty Racers events are scheduled to conclude on the 28th and 29th, respectively. To ensure you don't miss out on any rewards or boosts from either event, be sure to keep their end times in mind and plan your gameplay schedule accordingly.

How to participate in this event?

The process for earning rewards in a banner event can be summarized in the following steps:

1. Roll the dice to move a corresponding number of spaces across the board based on the roll's total.
2. Land on the specific tiles designated for the current event to earn points.
3. Accumulate enough points to reach the required thresholds for each milestone to claim your rewards.

Of these steps, the only two variables involved are the dice rolls themselves and the designated tiles.

While dice rolls are random, you can increase your multiplier to roll multiple dice simultaneously. This allows you to cover more ground within a limited timeframe - provided, of course, that you have a sufficient stockpile of dice.

This is because, even if you roll many dice, poor luck could still result in a low total score; ultimately, a shortage of dice later in the event might cause you to miss out on the high-tier rewards.

As for the tiles, the specific types designated for points vary slightly with each banner event. In Turbo Tune Up, the tiles that yield points are those marked with a small tire icon; each of these should provide 2 points.

All Milestone Rewards

While we have provided you with an overview of the main rewards, it is worth noting that the milestone tiers, and the number of points required to unlock them do not scale in a strictly linear fashion.

So, in case you are planning to selectively target specific rewards rather than unlocking all 62 items, we have listed all the rewards along with their corresponding milestone levels and point requirements below:

Milestones 1-10

• Milestone 1: 5 Points; 60 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 2: 10 Points; 25 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 3: 15 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 4: 40 Points; 1x Green Sticker Pack
• Milestone 5: 50 Points; 50 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 6: 40 Points; 80 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 7: 50 Points; 1x Green Sticker Pack
• Milestone 8: 40 Points; 45 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 9: 65 Points; 80 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 10: 160 Points; 160 Free Dice Rolls

Milestones 11-20

• Milestone 11: 90 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 12: 60 Points; 55 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 13: 90 Points; 100 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 14: 100 Points; 1x Yellow Sticker Pack
• Milestone 15: 500 Points; 415 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 16: 95 Points; 200 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 17: 100 Points; 75 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 18: 115 Points; Builder's Bash (15 Minutes)
• Milestone 19: 120 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 20: 775 Points; 615 Free Dice Rolls

Milestones 21-30

• Milestone 21: 135 Points; 200 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 22: 145 Points; 100 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 23: 140 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 24: 160 Points; 220 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 25: 1,325 Points; 1000 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 26: 175 Points; 1x Pink Sticker Pack
• Milestone 27: 185 Points; 220 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 28: 195 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 29: 850 Points; 620 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 30: 225 Points; 220 Flag Tokens

Milestone 31-40

• Milestone 31: 235 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 32: 255 Points; 150 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 33: 200 Points; Cash Boost (10 Minutes)
• Milestone 34: 295 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 35: 1,725 Points; 1,100 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 36: 300 Points; 240 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 37: 350 Points; 200 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 38: 545 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 39: 1,550 Points; 925 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 40: 415 Points; Cash Reward

Milestone 41-50

• Milestone 41: 435 Points; 240 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 42: 460 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 43: 2,550 Points; 1,550 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 44: 425 Points; Wheel Boost (15 Minutes)
• Milestone 45: 550 Points; 250 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 46: 665 Points; 385 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 47: 615 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 48: 3,450 Points; 1,850 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 49: 675 Points; 250 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 50: 550 Points; Mega Heist (40 Minutes)

Milestones 51-60

• Milestone 51: 785 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 52: 2,000 Points; 1,000 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 53: 855 Points; 270 Flag Tokens
• Milestone 54: 950 Points; 555 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 55: 1,200 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 56: 5,175 Points; 2,500 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 57: 615 Points; Cash Boost (15 Minutes)
• Milestone 58: 915 Points; 425 Free Dice Rolls
• Milestone 59: 1,200 Points; Cash Reward
• Milestone 60: 1,600 Points; 715 Free Dice Rolls

Milestones 61-62

• Milestone 61: 1,850 Points; Cash Rewards
• Milestone 62: 10,000 Points; 5,500 Free Dice Rolls

That wraps up everything we have to share with you this time. We hope you have a weekend filled with bountiful rewards!

New Threads series cards for MLB The Show 26 have been released, and these players who have moved to new teams will be the focus of Diamond Dynasty in the coming days.

Acquiring these players isn't particularly difficult - you can obtain all of them for around one hundred thousand stubs. But as you know, some of these cards are stronger than others, and the elite ones are better suited for your squad. Let's go from strongest to weakest and see which ones are worth your consideration.

Pitchers

87 OVR Ryan Helsley, Orioles | CP

Ryan Helsley is without a doubt the top card in this collection, and he's a strong recommendation for your bullpen. In the current game, elite right-handed relief pitchers are relatively scarce, and Helsley stands out as one of the best. He comes with Outlier II, and pairing his high-velocity cutter with a slider makes him essentially Rich Gossage from MLB 25. While he also has a curveball, it's best not to rely on it too heavily.

87 OVR Robert Suarez, Braves | RP

Robert Suarez can be viewed as a slightly toned-down version of Ryan Helsley. He adds a sinker to his arsenal, which might give him a slight edge against right-handed hitters.

88 OVR Ranger Suárez, Red Sox | SP

Ranger Suárez is no easy opponent. All of his pitches come in with below-average velocity and feature significant movement, and the slower speed adds an extra layer of deception, making him tough to hit. However, when facing high-level players in Ranked mode, his effectiveness drops considerably.

88 OVR Sonny Gray, Red Sox | SP

Gray's card features a pair of curveballs, and his delivery remains somewhat unconventional. Still, his overall performance is fairly average, with few standout qualities. His H/9 stats are underwhelming (81 vs. lefties, 63 vs. righties), and his Control is merely okay. As a typical cutter-sinker pitcher with two curveballs, he doesn't pose a major threat in high-level matchups.

87 OVR Edward Cabrera, Cubs |SP

Edward Cabrera's profile is similar to that of another Chicago Cubs right-hander, Jake Arrieta - his game centers on a hard sinker. His circle change comes in at 88, but in actual gameplay, that's not quite fast enough to place him among the top-tier pitchers.

Hitters and Fielders

91 OVR Kyle Tucker, Dodgers | RF

Kyle Tucker is the highest-rated card in this collection. He comes with some wonderful Quirks such as First-Pitch Hitter and Dead Red. In terms of hitting attributes, aside from power, his stats range between 85 and 90.

90 OVR Pete Alonso, Orioles | 1B

Pete Alonso is a right-handed first baseman with decent stats. His 97 power and 72 contact resemble those of 87 OVR Travis Hafner, but Pete has better Contact and Clutch ratings. However, his swing doesn't feel as smooth as last year's, and his 31 Speed is very low.

Still, he currently ranks as the best right-handed first baseman aside from 99 OVR Albert Pujols. Thanks to this year's Parallel Mod system, you can easily boost his defense into the 70s and his speed into the 60s or even low 70s, freeing him from his previous role as a one-dimensional hitter and making him more effective than before.

88 OVR Marcus Semien, Mets | 2B

Marcus Semien is a pure right-handed second baseman. He's on par with Gleyber Torres but offers better defense. Torres has a slightly smoother swing, while Semien can still hit home runs against right-handed pitching. For players working with a limited budget, Marcus Semien is a very solid choice.

90 OVR Jorge Polanco, Mets | 1B (2B, 3B)

Jorge Polanco is a switch hitter with stats that include 71 Contact vs. righties, 97 Contact vs. lefties, 85 and 76 power, and 108 Clutch. His defense is poor, his speed isn't great, and he has a smaller frame. In MLB 26, first-base defense has become more important, as taller, longer-limbed players can prevent more hits.

Although he's quite popular right now, in terms of value, a similarly performing card like Carlos Santana is currently going for around 20,000 stubs, while Jorge Polanco commands as much as 70,000 stubs due to his hype. If you're looking to be more economical with your MLB 26 stubs, there's no need to go after this card right away.

91 OVR Bo Bichette, Mets | 3B (2B, SS)

As the collection reward, his stats show 101/100/110 in Contact and Clutch, but his power sits at just 70 against righties and 82 against lefties. Bo Bichette is a very poor defender and lacks speed. His role likely fits as a powerful pinch hitter against left-handers in your top-tier lineup. If you enjoyed the feel of his Moonshot card from last year, this one might suit you well.

You'll notice that several New Threads cards weren't mentioned. That's because they either lack standout qualities or come with fatal flaws. You might use them in casual play, but in Ranked mode, their weaknesses become magnified. The cards highlighted above represent the most valuable ones from MLB The Show 26's New Threads collection. Keep in mind that some of these cards can't be acquired through the marketplace - you'll need to complete specific objectives to earn them.

It has been over a month since the launch of Reign of the Warlock DLC for Diablo 2 Resurrected. Given that it introduced a substantial amount of new content and gameplay changes to Season 13, if your playtime is limited, you may not yet fully explore everything.

Among all the new mechanics introduced, Colossal Ancients stand out as a particularly unique feature. This is because they are deeply interwoven with classic elements of the base game, effectively breathing new life into familiar boss encounters.

Therefore, whether you are a new player just diving into the game thanks to the expansion, or a longtime fan who has finally managed to carve out some time to play, starting your journey with Colossal Ancients is an excellent choice.

What are Colossal Ancients?

Colossal Ancients is a collective term for the new Uber bosses added to Diablo 2 Resurrected as part of the new DLC; consequently, they are also frequently referred to as Uber Ancients.

If you have previously completed the main storyline of the game, or are at least familiar with its progression, you will recognize that Colossal Ancients are, in fact, upgraded versions of Barbarian Ancients found in Act 5.

Who are Barbarian Ancients?

The entire main campaign of D2R consists of five acts, with Act 5 containing six specific quests that drive the narrative forward. Barbarian Ancients are the central figures of Quest 5: Rite of Passage.

The three Ancients are Korlic, Madawc, and Talic. The most effective strategy for defeating them is to take them down one by one, or to utilize freezing and stunning effects to keep them under crowd control.

Upon achieving victory, you are rewarded with a massive amount of XP and unlock Quest 6, paving the way for the final showdown against the ultimate boss, Baal.

How to unlock Colossal Ancients?

The specific enemies comprising Colossal Ancients, the three Barbarians themselves, remain unchanged. However, unlocking the corresponding boss battle no longer occurs automatically as part of the linear main storyline.

Instead, you must first collect the specific Colossal Ancient Statues associated with each individual boss. These statues are obtained from the main storyline bosses distributed across the various acts.

However, you must defeat these bosses specifically while a Terror Zone is active in their respective areas to acquire the statues:

• Talic's Anguish from Andariel in Act 1
• Korlic's Pain from Duriel in Act 2
• Madawc's Ire from Mephisto in Act 3
• Bul-Kathos' Nightmare from Diablo in Act 4
• Worusk's End from Baal in Act 5

What are Terror Zones?

This is one of the new mechanics introduced in Ladder Season 13. Once you have completed the main storyline by defeating Baal, you can participate in Terror Zones in two ways:

First, every half hour, a random area within the game world will transform into a Terror Zone, remaining active for one hour.

Alternatively, you can farm Worldstone Shards yourself to manually designate a specific act as a Terror Zone; this effect will persist until you exit the game.

There are five distinct types of these shards, each dropping exclusively in one of the five acts:

• Act 1: Western Worldstone Shard
• Act 2: Eastern Worldstone Shard
• Act 3: Southern Worldstone Shard
• Act 4: Deep Worldstone Shard
• Act 5: Northern Worldstone Shard

Terror Zone effects grant enemies various stat bonuses and significantly boost the quality of loot dropped, making this one of the primary methods in Season 13 for acquiring high-level runes to craft rare D2R Runewords.

Furthermore, to ensure you are equipped to handle these empowered enemies, Terror Zones also provide you with a level-up boost based on the current overall difficulty setting.

Based on this, the specific attributes of the five main storyline bosses are as follows:

• Andariel: Resists cold, lightning, and poison damage.
• Duriel: Resists cold damage.
• Mephisto: Possesses high resistances to all damage types except magic damage.
• Diablo: Resists physical damage.
• Baal: Possesses high resistances to all damage types; physical damage is the most effective against him.

How to defeat Colossal Ancients?

Each of the three Ancients is associated with a specific elemental type, which determines their immunities, attack patterns, and the final rewards they yield:

• Talic the Defender: Immune to fire damage and deals fire damage; primary skill: Whirlwind.
• Korlic the Protector: Immune to cold damage and utilizes cold-based spells; primary skills: Bash and Frenzy.
• Madawc the Guardian: Immune to lightning damage and deals lightning damage; primary skill: Double Throw.

In addition to their unique traits, all Ancients will cast self-buffing enchantments to boost their damage output at the start of combat. Furthermore, they continuously radiate a Conviction Aura effect, which reduces your corresponding elemental resistance by 100%.

During the battle, each boss can summon up to 5 Protector Spirits to inflict additional damage to you. They will also enter the enrage state when their own health drops to 50% and 25%, as well as sequentially after each of their two allies has been defeated.

Building upon this, the enrage state triggered by the death of an ally grants the remaining Colossal Ancients two new skills:

• Talic the Defender: Whirlwind now generates additional Fire Twisters; summons additional Colossal Volcanoes.
• Korlic the Protector: Casts Cold Fissure upon landing after using Bash; casts Blizzard, which can stack with Cold Fissure.
• Madawc the Guardian: Summons additional Charged Bolts after successfully landing a ranged attack on you; casts Colossal Thunder Storm.

The key to defeating these bosses lies in equipping gear or consuming potions that provide resistance against their specific elemental damage types, and constantly monitoring whether a boss is about to enter its enrage state.

What are the rewards?

The primary incentive for defeating Colossal Ancients in D2R Season 13 is that each of them drops two Colossal Jewels bearing the boss's own name. These special jewels offer a wide array of powerful bonuses:

• Increases your damage output and resistance for a specific elemental type.
• Increases XP and gold you gain after combat.
• Increases your chance of finding Magic Items.

Although you can only equip one Colossal Jewel at a time during a single battle, collecting the complete set allows you to swap jewels to suit the specific characteristics of the next boss you face, thereby unlocking a wider range of possibilities for crafting and optimizing your character builds.

That concludes our guide for today. We hope you successfully defeat all Colossal Ancients and, by optimizing your character and builds, rise to become a top player in D2R Season 13!

Based on player feedback, a significant gold bug has emerged in WoW TBC Classic Anniversary. This issue does not allow you to amass more gold - on the contrary, it results in losses.

The bug occurs in Shadowmoon Valley, Outland, where players have discovered that the gold rewards from completing quests appear to be malfunctioning. This issue has persisted for several days without an official fix.

Specifics of the Bug

Before understanding this bug, you should first know that once a character reaches level 70, any XP from quests are converted into gold rewards. Many players rely on this mechanic to accumulate gold after hitting the level cap by finishing quests.

A post on Reddit points out that, at level 70, turning in quests marked as level 70 seems to involve a bug. These quests fail to convert the intended XP into the corresponding gold.

For instance, the quest The Ata'mal Terrace rewards only 11 gold and 40 silver at level 70 - an amount identical to what players receive before reaching the cap. If a player completed all quests in Shadowmoon Valley at level 70, the total gold earned would be roughly 600 gold. However, when accounting for the gold that should come from converted experience, the total would theoretically be 1,600 gold.

Another player shared that they waited until level 70 to tackle quests. They completed 10 quests in Hellfire Peninsula, leveled to 70 while finishing quests in Nagrand, and spent the remaining time grinding Sporeggar dailies and dungeons for experience. The leftover quests should have provided around 5,400 gold, but they ended up with only about 3,900 gold. The level 70 quests failed to convert XP into WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold, which precisely explains the 1,500 gold shortfall.

Below that post, many other players reported encountering the same issue, all noting that gold rewards from quests in Shadowmoon Valley were far lower than expected. It can be confirmed that level 70 quests are indeed not converting experience into gold. As a result, each quest in Shadowmoon Valley yields 5 to 10 gold less than it should, leading to a considerable cumulative loss for players.

Why Is This Issue So Severe?

Shadowmoon Valley is a popular zone that many players flock to upon reaching level 70, aiming to gather the gold needed for epic riding and an epic flying mount. Players typically complete a large number of quests here and in Netherstorm to save up the substantial sum required.

The gap of 700 to 1,600 gold means players are losing nearly 1,000 gold simply by completing quests - a massive amount. For those planning to rely on questing to accumulate the gold for epic riding, this bug severely hinders their progress.

If you count only the gold rewarded from quests and sell the most valuable item among the available choices, simply finishing all quests in Netherstorm and Shadowmoon Valley would yield nearly 3,400 gold. However, due to this bug, players only receive pre-level 70 reward amounts in Shadowmoon Valley. Based on the information gathered so far, Netherstorm does not appear to be affected.

Root of the Bug

In subsequent discussions, one player analyzed that the problem seems to stem from quests that can be accepted at level 68 but are themselves classified as level 70. For such quests, since the character has not yet reached the cap upon completion, the potential experience reward is never generated, and thus, after hitting level 70, that experience cannot be properly converted into gold.

Interestingly, the gold amounts are precisely calculated from experience, leading to two possibilities: either the gold reward at level 70 should be doubled outright, or by design, the system was never intended to provide converted gold for completing level 70 quests when already capped. This has led some players to speculate, with a touch of conspiracy, that the developer deliberately designed it this way to reduce the gold players receive.

Regardless, the issue underscores the significant frustration it causes for players trying to save up for epic riding. Many players rely on these quests to amass a large amount of gold, especially when leveling alts, where the gold shortfall is pronounced. Earning gold through open-world grinding or dungeon runs can take many hours in comparison.

What Should You Do?

If you have already fallen victim to this bug, the only option is to report it to the developer and hope for a swift fix. However, do not expect any compensation, and in most cases, they will decline to issue reimbursements, citing concerns about disrupting the in-game economy.

If you have not yet started the quests in Shadowmoon Valley, it is best to avoid the area for now and wait for an official announcement on whether the issue will be resolved. If you have not reached the level cap, you can still complete quests in the zone to level up, as you will not lose anything in that scenario.

Regardless, this is a severe bug, and you might unknowingly lose hundreds of gold. If players actively report the issue to the developer, perhaps a fix will come sooner.

In ARC Raiders, if you occasionally notice new changes that aren't explained in any official patches or hotfixes, don't second-guess yourself, these are very likely hidden changes implemented by the development team!

While these adjustments may not always be significant enough to warrant a standalone entry in the patch notes, missing out on them, especially changes that boost loot drop rates, would be a real shame.

For instance, players recently discovered that the probability of finding rare items seems to have increased within one of the locked loot rooms on Dam Battleground map, specifically, a room that requires Dam Surveillance Key to open.

Based on this discovery, we've conducted some testing to verify this claim. In this guide, we'll show you how to obtain the necessary key and provide other useful information to help you successfully raid this room.

Locked rooms in Dam Battleground

The core gameplay loop of ARC Raiders revolves around conducting repeated raids, engaging in PvEvP combat while scavenging as much loot as possible from your immediate surroundings.

To add variety and challenge, the buildings within each map feature several locked rooms. You must invest extra time to locate the corresponding keys to open them; in return, the items found inside are of significantly higher value.

This mechanic is most prominent on Blue Gate map, where Locked Gate event allows you to use keys to access a greater number of locked rooms while the event is active.

As for Dam Battleground map, here are the locked rooms and their corresponding keys:

• Dam Control Tower Key: Door to Control Tower
• Dam Staff Room Key: Door in Research and Administration Building
• Dam Surveillance Key: Door in Water Treatment Control Building
• Dam Testing Annex Key: Door in Testing Annex
• Dam Controlled Access Zone Key: Door in Controlled Access Zone

The last entry on this list, Controlled Access Zone, was added during Shrouded Sky update in February. To enter the corresponding room, you must first solve a puzzle to unlock the entire zone. Dam Surveillance Key and its associated room are the specific focus of this guide.

It is also worth noting that keys, like other in-game items, possess their own rarity tiers; the higher the rarity level of the key, the more valuable the loot found within the corresponding room tends to be.

Dam Surveillance Room and Key

This locked room is located within Water Treatment Control Building, situated near the southern entrance of Dam Battleground map. To find the exact location of the room, simply follow these steps:

1. Enter the building and locate a desk.
2. Find and enter the doorway situated to the right of the desk.
3. Proceed until you spot the next doorway, then turn right to find your target room.

The loot found in this room primarily consists of Red Lockers, Raider Containers, and Electrical Components; opening these allows you to unlock even more items.

We highly recommend farming this room specifically during high-tier map events, such as Night Raids or Hurricanes, as this significantly increases your chances of finding the specific ARC Raiders blueprints you are looking for.

Secret improvements

Since the farming value of Dam Surveillance Room during standard raids is typically quite low, we decided to enter this area during Hurricane events and test whether the developers had quietly boosted the loot quality.

To ensure the reliability of our findings, we conducted four test runs. The key loot items obtained during each run are listed below:

• 1st Run: Burletta, Snap Hook, Wolfpack, Magnetic Accelerator, Seeker Grenade, and various medical supplies.
• 2nd Run: Toaster, Deadline, Volcano, Torrente, Il Toro, Snap Hook x2, Advanced Electrical Components, a Medium Shield, and various ammo and grenades.
• 3rd Run: Wolfpack, Burletta, Deadline, Snap Hook, Showstopper x1 (weapon) and its blueprint x1, and Tempest.
• 4th Run: Wolfpack, Il Toro, Snap Hook, Kettle, Bobcat, Tempest, and various ammo and weapon parts.

While luck may certainly have played a role, the fact that we found a Snap Hook in every single run is truly remarkable! Even if you don't need that many for yourself, selling the duplicates can net you a substantial amount of coins.

Furthermore, every time you loot this room, you are bound to acquire weapons that boast both high combat effectiveness and popularity, making them valuable assets whether you choose to keep them for yourself or sell them off.

Overall, while the total quantity of loot didn't see a drastic increase, the quality of the items obtained was undeniably much higher than in the past. For a room that requires only a green Uncommon rarity key to access, Dam Surveillance Room is now absolutely worth farming.

How to get Dam Surveillance Keys?

Now that you've established the value of Dam Surveillance Room, your next step is to find the key required to unlock its door. Since this key is not particularly rare, the difficulty involved in farming for it is relatively low.

Almost no keys are exclusive to a single specific map; they can typically be found across multiple locations. Currently, the most common drop locations for Dam Surveillance Keys include:

• Dam Battlegrounds: Pattern House, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments.
• Buried City: Grandioso Apartments and the cluster of houses located east of Abandoned Highway Camp.
• Stella Montis: The Lobby, Security Checkpoint, and Business Center areas.

Additionally, there is a guaranteed method to obtain this key in ARC Raiders: completing Greasing Her Palms mission assigned by NPC Celeste, as the mission explicitly requires you to enter this specific room.

Incidentally, the primary objective of this mission involves entering designated locations across three different maps to scavenge for supplies. These locations offer excellent opportunities for extra loot; the other two locations are:

• Spaceport: Rocket Assembly Rocket Thrusters area
• Buried City: Space Travel Building

That wraps up everything we have to share with you in this guide! We hope this walkthrough helps you enrich your loot inventory, and we look forward to seeing even more such hidden secrets and optimizations added to the game in the future!

Following the offseason moves of numerous MLB stars to new teams, MLB The Show 26 has introduced New Threads Program, showcasing these players in their fresh uniforms.

By completing New Threads Program, you can earn several complimentary New Threads players, along with the coveted New Threads Deluxe Pack. However, these rewards aren't simply handed out - let's take a look at how you can earn them.

New Threads Program Rewards

1. 5 Points: 1,000 XP
2. 10 Points: MLB The Show 26 pack
3. 15 Points: 250 Stubs
4. 20 Points: 87 OVR New Threads Devin Williams
5. 25 Points: 1,000 XP
6. 30 Points: MLB The Show 26 pack
7. 35 Points: 250 Stubs
8. 40 Points: 87 OVR New Threads Brandon Lowe
9. 45 Points: 2,000 XP
10. 50 Points: MLB The Show 26 pack
11. 55 Points: 2,000 XP
12. 60 Points: 88 OVR New Threads Ranger Suarez
13. 65 Points: MLB The Show 26 pack
14. 70 Points: 2,000 XP
15. 75 Points: MLB The Show 26 pack (x2)
16. 80 Points: 89 OVR New Threads Dylan Cease
17. 85 Points: MLB The Show 26 pack (x2)
18. 90 Points: 2,000 XP
19. 95 Points: New Threads Deluxe Pack
20. 100 Points: 90 OVR New Threads Pete Alonso

Complimentary Players

While the rewards include some MLB The Show 26 stubs, the focus is undoubtedly on whether the free players are effective on the field.

87 OVR New Threads Devin Williams, CP / Mets

• H/9 Right: 99
• H/9 Left: 98
• K/9 Right: 108
• K/9 Left: 90
• Control: 75
• Pitch Clutch: 101
• Stamina: 24
• Velocity: 71
• Break: 99
• Stuff: 92
• HR/9: 75
• BB/9: 67

Devin Williams, the former star relief pitcher for Milwaukee Brewers, has transferred to New York Mets for the new season. His card boasts solid dominance: a 108 K/9 against right-handed batters and 90 against lefties. His pitch repertoire includes a screwball, splitter, and cutter.

The issue lies in the similar velocities of his splitter and cutter, and he lacks the signature changeup and slider he was known for during his Brewers tenure. As a result, this card may not replicate the dominance of his peak versions, but it still stands as an effective arm out of the bullpen.

87 OVR New Threads Brandon Lowe, 2B / Pirates

• Contact Right: 94
• Contact Left: 64
• Power Right: 106
• Power Left: 80
• Vision: 66
• Discipline: 51
• Clutch: 93
• Bunt: 35
• Drag Bunt: 25
• Durability: 91

Pittsburgh Pirates have bolstered their roster by bringing in Brandon Lowe. This card has a very distinct profile: it features powerful hitting stats of 94/106 against right-handed pitchers, but its effectiveness drops noticeably when facing lefties. While you could theoretically offset its weaknesses with various boosts, this card likely won't be a permanent fixture in your lineup.

88 OVR New Threads Ranger Suarez, SP / Red Sox

• H/9 Right: 70
• H/9 Left: 91
• K/9 Right: 73
• K/9 Left: 90
• Control: 73
• Pitch Clutch: 73
• Stamina: 92
• Velocity: 70
• Break: 99
• Stuff: 80
• HR/9: 36
• BB/9: 90

Ranger Suarez allows 9 hits per nine innings (H/9) against right-handed batters, a rather poor statistic. This becomes a significant disadvantage against the switch hitters who remain prevalent in the current game. His performance against left-handed batters is much stronger, but his overall velocity is low, and he lacks an effective changeup. Overall, it's difficult for him to be considered a top-tier starting pitcher.

89 OVR New Threads Dylan Cease, SP / Blue Jays

• H/9 Right: 84
• H/9 Left: 82
• K/9 Right: 97
• K/9 Left: 92
• Control: 67
• Pitch Clutch: 83
• Stamina: 87
• Velocity: 99
• Break: 99
• Stuff: 83
• HR/9: 63
• BB/9: 65

Dylan Cease features two types of fastballs and three breaking balls, but lacks a changeup or any off-speed offering. More critically, the velocities of his curveball and slider are very similar, making his pitches easier for opponents to read. While his H/9 and control ratings are respectable, the limitations in his pitch mix prevent him from reaching the elite tier of starting pitchers.

90 OVR New Threads Pete Alonso, 1B / Orioles

• Contact Right: 97
• Contact Left: 72
• Power Right: 100
• Power Left: 85
• Vision: 70
• Discipline: 62
• Clutch: 102
• Bunt: 35
• Drag Bunt: 25
• Durability: 99

Pete Alonso is a quintessential power-hitting right-handed batter, boasting excellent contact and power ratings of 97 and 100 respectively against right-handed pitching. While his contact drops against lefties (72), his power remains a solid 85. As a first baseman, his defensive abilities aren't the primary concern. This card features a smooth swing and multiple Quirks, making it a likely cornerstone for many lineups and one of the top rewards in this program.

How to Make Progress？

You'll need to complete various tasks to earn points, or Stars, to unlock rewards. There are multiple ways to accumulate points. As long as you're willing to invest some time, reaching all the rewards is not difficult.

Moments

Complete 12 Moments: 60 points total, 5 points each.

Missions

• Pitch 21 innings with any pitcher(s) (5 points)
• Accumulate 38 total bases with any player(s) (5 points)
• Accumulate 18 extra-base hits with any player(s) (5 points)
• Hit 9 home runs with any player(s) (5 points)
• Accumulate 2,000 PXP with New Threads players (5 points)
• Accumulate 4,000 PXP with New Threads players (5 points)
• Accumulate 6,000 PXP with New Threads players (10 points)

BONUS XP Missions

Earning 500 PXP with each of the following players will grant 5 points:

• Devin Williams
• Ranger Suarez
• Dylan Cease
• Pete Alonso
• Nolan Arenado
• Edwin Diaz
• Kenley Jansen
• Alex Bregman
• Eugenio Suarez
• Kazuma Okamoto
• Luis Arraez
• Willson Contreras
• Owen Caissie

New Threads Player Collection

Collecting the following 88 OVR New Threads players will award 30 points:

• Marcus Semien
• Cedric Mullins
• Sonny Gray
• Framber Valdez
• Nick Castellanos

Collecting the following 90 OVR New Threads players will award 70 points:

• Tatsuya Imai
• Taylor Ward
• Jorge Polanco

It's recommended not to go out of your way to acquire these player cards at high costs just to complete these collections. If you happen to have them, use them to finish the tasks. If not, feel free to skip them, as Moments and tasks alone provide enough progress to reach the end of the program.

That concludes the overview of MLB The Show 26 New Threads Program. Hopefully, you'll secure the players from your favorite teams.

FC 26 Festival of Football: Answer the Call promo, held to celebrate the new World Cup, is set to conclude this Friday. With barely a moment's rest, the new Road to the Final (RTTF) promo will launch immediately thereafter!

This promo is also designed to celebrate real-world football competitions; so if you are a fan of the featured players or simply enjoy watching the matches, this is an event you absolutely do not want to miss!

Road to the Final release date

The promo will go live this Friday, March 27th, adhering to the standard FC 26 game update schedule. As it features only a single squad release, the event will run for just one week, concluding on April 3rd.

RTTF overview

Road to the Final is a recurring annual event that has taken place almost every year since FIFA 19.

Its purpose is to celebrate the knockout stages of UEFA Champions League, UEFA Women's Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League by releasing limited-edition player cards.

During the competition period, RTTF player cards replace the corresponding players' standard base cards. Subsequently, if a player's team advances in the actual real-world tournament, their RTTF card will receive upgrades to its overall rating and stats.

It is worth noting that even if a player selected for Road to the Final promo does not personally participate in a match for any reason, their RTTF item remains active and eligible for upgrades, provided they do not transfer clubs mid-event and their team continues to advance in the competition.

Road to the Final Squad in FIFA 26

The players selected for this event are categorized into two groups: the first consists of players whose cards can be unlocked only by opening packs and pulling them via the drawing.

The second consists of players available as specific rewards for completing designated SBCs or Objectives.

Team 1：

• GK - Diogo Costa - OVR 91
• RB - Nahuel Molina - OVR 90
• RB - Andrei Rațiu - OVR 90
• CB - Piero Hincapié - OVR 91
• CB - Irene Paredes - OVR 90
• CB - Ingrid Syrstad Engen - OVR 89
• CB - Lucas Beraldo - OVR 88
• CB - Carl Starfelt - OVR 88
• CB - Chris Richards - OVR 90
• LB - Ricardo Rodríguez - OVR 88
• LB - Sara Holmgaard - OVR 88
• CDM - Ryan Yates - OVR 91
• CM - Aurélien Tchouaméni - OVR 92
• CM - Alexis Mac Allister - OVR 91
• CM - Vicky López - OVR 90
• CAM - Jamal Musiala - OVR 92
• CAM - Frida Maanum - OVR 89
• CAM - Morgan Gibbs-White - OVR 90
• CAM - Yuito Suzuki - OVR 88
• CAM - Teun Koopmeiners - OVR 90
• CAM - Orbelín Pineda - OVR 89
• CAM - Ismaïla Sarr - OVR 90
• CAM - Sebastian Nanasi - OVR 89
• RM - Johanna Kaneryd - OVR 89
• RM - Federico Bernardeschi - OVR 91
• RM - Víctor Gómez - OVR 90
• RM - Jack Harrison - OVR 90
• RM - Pedrinho - OVR 88
• RW - Mohamed Salah - OVR 93
• RW - Désiré Doué - OVR 92
• RW - Naomie Feller - OVR 88
• LM - Klara Bühl - OVR 92
• LM - Maximiliano Araújo - OVR 88
• LW - Jadon Sancho - OVR 90
• ST - Kylian Mbappé - OVR 93
• ST - Marcus Rashford - OVR 92
• ST - Alexander Sørloth - OVR 91
• ST - Thijs Dallinga - OVR 90
• ST - Troy Parrott - OVR 91
• ST - Armindo Sieb - OVR 90
• ST - Elisabeth Terland - OVR 90

SBC and Objective Rewards:

• RB - Konrad Laimer - OVR 90
• CB - Pau Cubarsí - OVR 91
• CAM - Eberechi Eze - OVR 91

How to obtain RTTF cards?

First, special card rewards can only be obtained by participating in SBCs and Objectives released over the coming week. These events are updated almost daily; in addition to individual player cards, the rewards also include card packs.

Card packs serve as a primary method for acquiring Team 1 players. While they appear as in-game rewards, you can also unlock additional packs in the in-game store by consuming FC 26 coins.

Alternatively, if you prefer not to rely on luck and wish to acquire specific RTTF player items you desire as quickly as possible within the limited timeframe, you can wait for the optimal moment to get them on the transfer market.

How to participate in SBCs and Objectives?

As one of the most important daily activities, SBCs require you to assemble a squad that meets various specific criteria, such as including a certain number of players from the same country or club, or achieving a specific total chemistry rating.

As for Objectives, they are primarily categorized into long-term Objectives (which can be completed at any time) and limited-time Objectives (which change with each new season update).

It is worth noting that some Objectives require you to complete a specific number of SBCs; therefore, you can plan ahead by keeping an eye on upcoming tasks to maximize your efficiency through smart scheduling.

Participating immediately in FC 26 Road to the Final giveaways hosted on IGGM Discord is also an effective way to acquire player cards or card packs. We will be drawing 10 lucky players to share a prize pool of 5 million coins - you just might be one of the lucky ten!

Card upgrade tips

All FUT 26 RTTF items launch with ratings and stats that are superior to standard player cards. Subsequently, these items undergo a unified stat update every Friday evening, following the conclusion of the corresponding real-world match fixtures. The specific upgrade effects are as follows:

UEFA Men's Champions League / Europa League / Conference League:

• Win/Draw in the Round of 16: +1 OVR
• Qualify for the Quarter-Finals: +1 OVR, +1 Role++
• Qualify for the Semi-Finals: +1 OVR, +1 SM or WF
• Qualify for the Final: +1 PS+ (+2 PS+ if the player currently possesses only 1 PS+)
• Win the Final: +1 OVR (or 96 OVR), +5 SM or WF

UEFA Women's Champions League:

• Win/Draw in the 1st Quarter-Finals match: +1 OVR
• Qualify for the Semi-Finals: +1 OVR, +1 Role++
• Win/Draw in the 1st Semi-Finals match: +1 OVR, +1 SM or WF
• Qualify for the Final: +1 PS+ (+2 PS+ if the player currently possesses only 1 PS+)
• Win the Final: +1 OVR (or 96 OVR), +5 SM or WF

In addition to the above, these limited-edition players will also be eligible for an additional upgrade mechanism based on their team's performance in their first match.

If a specific player card is released after the conclusion of their team's first knockout stage match, its first match upgrade outcome will instead depend on the results of the next knockout stage match.

Road to the Final is just around the corner! If there are any coveted Answer the Call cards you have yet to acquire, be sure to make a final push to get them before the last day ends! Good luck!

The release date for Phase 2 of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary has not yet been announced, so most players have shifted their attention to WoW Midnight. However, given the relatively short overall timeline of TBC Anniversary, it is expected that the date for Phase 2 will be revealed soon.

For players looking to catch up with their main characters or level up a new alt, this is undoubtedly a golden period with very little competition. The following strategies will help you make the most of this time.

Leveling Strategy

You Should avoid repeatedly running Slave Pens or Mana Tombs all the way to level 70. While this may grant reputation with The Consortium and Cenarion Expedition, this approach does more harm than good.

The reason is that by leveling this way, you will not have acquired any useful gear by the time you reach max level. You will be left wearing only Uncommon items from Auction House, resulting in a severely underpowered character.

A wise leveler will research pre-bis gear in advance and choose more valuable dungeons. For instance, Sethekk Halls offers Lower City reputation, while Old Hillsbrad Foothills and The Black Morass provide reputation with Keepers of Time.

In particular, do not skip Keepers of Time reputation. Reaching Revered with this faction provides a pre-bis leg piece, a pre-bis weapon, and an extremely powerful enchant that helps you reach the defense skill hit avoidance cap. If you mindlessly grind Mana Tombs solely for experience, you may end up needing to spend an extra 15 hours at max level backtracking through these dungeons, disrupting your leveling momentum.

New Characters

This is an excellent time to try playing a tank or healer role. If you have a hybrid class such as Druid, Paladin, or Shaman, you will rarely encounter issues finding a group at max level, especially for 25-man raids.

However, for most hybrid classes, you will be expected to join groups in a healer specialization for 5-man dungeons. Even with subpar healing gear, you will receive far more group invitations as a Restoration Druid compared to a Balance Druid.

For those looking to try tanking, normal dungeons serve as the perfect environment to learn without worrying about mistakes. Heroic dungeons are not recommended at this stage; even your main character might encounter setbacks in heroic content.

Rested Experience

After playing for a few hours, log out in a city to accumulate rested experience. You can accrue a full 1.5 levels of rested experience over 10 days. If Phase 2 arrives in five weeks or more, you can easily gain 2-3 levels through rested experience alone, saving 30% of your leveling time.

Be sure to check if your alt's rested experience bar is full. The maximum is 1.5 levels; once full, it stops accumulating. At that point, log in with your alt, run Hellfire Ramparts once or complete a few quests in Hellfire Peninsula to use up the bar, then return to a city to continue building it up.

Gearing Up

When you reach max level, you might feel your character's gear is too far behind to enter Tempest Keep and Serpentshrine Cavern in Phase 2. However, that is not the case. Here is what you can do before Phase 2 goes live.

Building Reputation

Instead of wasting time pursuing specific rare drops, focus on reputation reward gear that is guaranteed. Keepers of Time reputation is crucial for Paladins.

Upon reaching Honored with each faction, you gain access to a rare item viable for raiding. These items are quite strong yet often overlooked by players.

Quest Reward Gear

This does not mean completing every quest, which would be a significant time sink. Search for your class's pre-bis gear list, and you will be surprised to find that a considerable portion comes from quests.

All you need to do is locate those specific quests and spend anywhere from ten minutes to half an hour completing them.

Raiding

With the player base shrinking, the requirements for pickup groups are actually lower than you might think. Some raid groups may not even actively inspect your gear.

As long as you have equipped reputation rare items and quest rewards, you can attempt to join raids and acquire upgrades. You can also hone your skills, which will provide plenty of positive feedback.

Preparing for Phase 2

Attunement Quests

In the coming weeks, it is best to gradually complete the attunement quests for Tempest Keep and Serpentshrine Cavern. This will not only reward a substantial amount of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold and Badges of Justice but also grant account-wide access to these raids.

If you are concerned about the difficulty of Heroic The Arcatraz or Heroic Shattered Halls, you can wait until these dungeons are the daily Heroic, when more players will be running them, making it easier to form a group suitable for your class.

PvP Daily Accumulation

If you do not want to miss out on PvP arena, or if you wish to acquire top-tier gear immediately when Phase 2 begins, you should complete the daily tower quests in Terokkar Forest and Hellfire Peninsula each day. This yields 2,000 honor daily, allowing you to reach the honor cap by the time the new season starts.

In summary, this period is ideal for training alts or catching up. Phase 2 of TBC Anniversary will not begin immediately after its official announcement, so you can comfortably accomplish everything without pressure.

In recent days, Diablo 4 has not only released a new patch to further optimize Season 12 experience but has also introduced two limited-time events, Mother's Blessing and Gift of the Tree, to help you accumulate more resources during the mid-season.

Naturally, you wouldn't want to miss out on these excellent opportunities! To make the absolute most of these events, the best approach is to utilize an incredibly powerful build!

While every class in Season 12 has its standout features, Paladin remains the most reliable choice in terms of overall strength. In this guide, we will introduce a brand-new and highly entertaining build: Ice Skating Paladin!

Ice Skating Paladin Build overview

The core mechanic of this build revolves around utilizing specific skills and gear to maximize enemy aggregation, pulling them together into a tight cluster, and then wiping them out in a single strike using AoE damage or crowd control effects.

Consequently, the indispensable skill for crafting this build is Condemn, while the essential gear pieces are Godslayer Crown and Penitent Greaves.

If you have already been playing Paladin for a while, you likely already possess some of these key components, as well as the other complementary options we are about to discuss, allowing you to complete this build much more quickly!

More skill options

Regarding the core skill, Condemn: 1.5 seconds after casting it, you can pull enemies toward you, briefly stunning them and dealing 240% damage. This skill can be upgraded to a maximum of Rank 5.

Following that, the first additional skill you should acquire is Divine Sora. As for Blessed Shield, simply ensure that Arbiter Form remains active at all times to continuously benefit from its effects.

To achieve this, you must first obtain a Tempering affix that grants increased Arbiter Form duration. Subsequently, when performing Tempering process, simply ensure that you specifically roll for affixes related to Critical Hits.

Fanaticism can be added at your discretion; however, the truly critical skill is Clash, not for its primary damage output, but specifically to trigger and benefit from the thorns damage buff it provides.

From a practical gameplay perspective, the core strategy of this build involves maintaining the continuous uptime of Arbiter Form while constantly cycling through casts of Clash, though you shouldn't forget to utilize your Evade ability in conjunction with these actions!

Specifically, this is because, thanks to the boon provided by Argent Veil, dodging causes you to fire two Shielded Retribution projectiles outward.

This simultaneously triggers Thorns damage and utilizes Clash mechanic to further activate the buff effects of Ward of the White Dove.

It is worth noting that since this build's primary source of damage comes from Thorns retaliation effects triggered by gear affixes (which will be discussed later), you do not need to allocate any points to core active skills within your skill tree.

Gear and affix combinations

Godslayer Crown pulls all nearby enemies toward you whenever you stun, freeze, or immobilize elite enemies, dealing additional damage to them over 3 seconds. When facing a boss, this effect triggers simply by dealing damage.

Building upon this foundation, incorporate Penitent Greaves boots. This item inherently applies crowd control effects to enemies; furthermore, it triggers its special effect whenever you use Godslayer Crown to pull enemies together.

Specifically, applying the chill effect to all enemies directly satisfies the crowd control trigger condition for Penitent Greaves. This, in turn, activates the associated skill synergies, ultimately allowing you to repeatedly trigger crowd control effects in rapid succession.

Regarding the affixes on these boots, you need only prioritize chill/slow potency. However, do not worry if you cannot find these specific affixes; the boots' base effect, combined with the overall mechanics of this build, remains highly effective at freezing all enemies solid.

It is crucial to note that Aspect of the Arbiter's Zephyr must be socketed into your Amulet slot to achieve maximum cooldown reduction. This is the secret behind this build's ability to spam skills continuously.

Even without incorporating any Mythic items, Ice Skating Paladin Build stands as a top-tier gameplay configuration. In fact, even if you possess Mythics, you need not include them; doing so would merely create unnecessary bloat.

The gear listed above is more than sufficient to allow you to achieve both high mobility and astonishing damage output simultaneously.

Additionally, you should continue to stack Thorns attributes, prioritizing your Armor pieces to ensure you reach the maximum Block Chance. This is because a maxed-out Block Chance not only significantly boosts your survivability but also indirectly translates into increased damage output.

Adding the Aspect of Chastisement to your chest armor increases the damage you deal to enemies under crowd control effects, a condition you have already instantly applied to all enemies thanks to your crowd-grouping mechanics.

Furthermore, once enemies are grouped together, they are instantly frozen; this significantly boosts your survivability.

How does it perform in actual combat?

Ice Skating Paladin Build prioritizes speed to optimize farming efficiency. Consequently, while it is viable for tackling most Diablo 4 content, it is not well-suited for challenging high-difficulty endgame activities, such as The Pit levels exceeding Tier 100 or Bloodied events.

In the case of Bloodied events, the primary challenge lies not in dealing sufficient damage, but rather in the fact that you cannot simply activate your Arbiter Form to unleash damage as you normally would.

Instead, you are compelled to switch to a form that grants you greater survivability, which inevitably increases both the difficulty of the encounter and the time required to complete it.

Above is everything we can share with you this time. If you are a Paladin player looking to experiment with a fresh playstyle, this build is currently your absolute best choice!