With the launch of Frozen Trail, the major update for ARC Raiders, just around the corner, the official trailer has already dropped! However, simply watching the trailer isn't enough to fully prepare for the new content, as it reveals very little in terms of actual gameplay details. Based on everything we know about Frozen Trail, here are some gameplay tips tailored to the update's new features, ensuring you get the best possible loot-farming experience. Detonate enemy mines early Although ARC Raiders will pilot a pure PvE mode shortly after Frozen Trail launch, this won't apply to every combat scenario; you will still face PvP opponents when fighting on the new massive warship, Frigate. On a map like Frigate, characterized by complex layouts and rooms designed with verticality in mind, human players often employ a specific tactic: planting mines in loot rooms so that you get blown up the moment you step inside. Fortunately, you can easily avoid this trap by tossing a Blaze Grenade ahead of time. If you suspect a room might contain enemy mines, simply throw a Blaze Grenade in to detonate them beforehand. This won't interfere with your subsequent looting, and it might even damage unsuspecting enemies. If you want to play it safe and carry multiple Blaze Grenades, be sure to buy ARC Raiders items in advance. Make clever use of ziplines Ziplines are a handy tool in ARC Raiders; they attach to surfaces and allow for rapid movement between two points. Consequently, you'll frequently need to use ziplines when navigating the significant verticality of Frigate in Frozen Trail. While everyone has their own style, many players currently tend to ride the zipline all the way to the end, but that isn't necessary. In fact, doing so can put you in unnecessary danger if an enemy is lying in wait at the destination. Instead, you can simply press the side button and jump while sliding to detach from the zipline and move toward your target direction. If a zipline is taking you to a higher elevation, vaulting onto the platform edge just before reaching the end prevents anyone lying in wait at the top from catching you off guard. That brief climbing moment gives you a chance to survey your surroundings. Of course, if you're falling from a height, remember to use a zipline to break your fall or catch yourself. If there's a zipline below, simply grab it to keep moving. Just be aware that if the drop is too high, the impact force might cause you to lose your grip. Deploy Smoke Grenades in time Whether you're on Frigate or the new snow-themed map, Pendola Pass, you're bound to encounter ARC enemies. While not every type is lethal, getting swarmed is definitely a tricky situation. Aside from using high-damage firearms, Smoke Grenades are an excellent tool for dealing with them. Their value lies in creating smoke to break ARCs' lock-on. Specifically, ARCs lock onto and fire at the last position where they spotted you; if you drop a smoke grenade before they finish locking on, you'll be safe. However, if they've already locked on and started firing just as the smoke spreads, they'll fire blindly into the smoke until their attack sequence ends. This tactic works just as well in PvP combat against ARC Raiders: throw one or more smoke grenades in a completely different direction during extraction, and they won't be able to tell where you're going. Carrying a Crash Mat makes your escape even more effective. Place it down and set up a zipline on it; once you step onto the mat, a countdown begins, and the zipline vanishes completely after about five seconds. This trick is particularly useful when you need to change elevation, as it makes it impossible for enemies to catch you, unless they happen to be carrying a Snap Hook. Plus, if they fail to reach your destination in time, you might even cause them to take damage. Of course, these items only work effectively if you've stocked up on them beforehand through crafting or trading, so make sure to prioritize gathering resources. More efficient mantling techniques You've likely noticed that we've repeatedly emphasized the importance of mastering verticality during ARC Raiders Frozen Trail update. Beyond using tools, your own climbing and movement skills are crucial. Standard descent methods usually involve simply jumping from a height or taking the stairs. However, there are stylish ways to descend that save time, keep you alive, help you avoid potential PvP encounters, and are simply fun to execute. If you look closely, you'll find that many buildings offer faster, alternative descent routes, such as using nearby streetlights or utility boxes, by latching onto them for a quick, stealthy drop. Additionally, if you plan to use ARC Raiders Snap Hook for your descent, jump off the building first. As you accelerate downward, fire the hook back toward the structure you just left, using your momentum to swing or control your fall. The moment you feel your downward momentum halt, a very brief window, right-click to detach the hook. If you misjudge the height and detach a bit too high, don't worry; simply perform a roll upon landing to mitigate fall damage. Even without the roll, the damage taken is far less severe than a standard drop. Optimizing healing If we had to guess, when you get injured in ARC Raiders, you likely default to high-efficiency items like Herbal Bandages or Sterilized Bandages. However, you can actually stack items, such as Vita Spray, mushrooms, mixed fruit, or even expired pasta, to further boost your healing. You just need to distinguish between items that provide instant healing and those that offer healing over time. Generally, the simplest and most effective setup involves carrying a good supply of continuous healing items, such as Vita Spray and various bandages. By using Vita Spray while your bandages are already restoring health, you eliminate any downtime in your healing process. The techniques mentioned above are broadly applicable, though they are particularly effective when utilized with the new mechanics introduced in Frozen Trail. Be sure to master them before October 8th arrives!

With the global servers of Aion 2 now officially live, new players may be joining Atreia. Regardless of which faction you belong to, the core goals are to level up and obtain better gear. So, how should you go about improving your gear as you level up? Let's take a look at what to focus on at each stage, from your early leveling gear to dungeon sets, crafted gear, and long-term upgrades. Early Game When you first start leveling, simply use the best gear available to you. Quest rewards, dungeon drops, and progression rewards will naturally replace your equipment. There is no need to waste materials or Kinah trying to perfect these early pieces, and you can even skip enhancing them entirely. Once you reach the mid-game, dungeon gear will become your main goal, and your progression will start to become more meaningful. Mid-Game By the mid-game, you should start building a dungeon set. PvE gear is divided into three tiers of Conquest Expeditions, with each tier containing two dungeons: one that drops weapons and accessories, and another that drops armor. You should start with 1-Star Expeditions. As your drops improve and your Gear Score increases, gradually move into 2-star Expeditions and eventually 3-star Expeditions. The main goal at 3-Star stage is Level 84 gear. This gear will provide a foundation for tackling more difficult PvE content later on. You may not be able to complete the full set through normal drops alone, so make good use of the dungeon reward system. Run dungeons normally and collect the drops. Once you are missing only a few pieces, use guaranteed rewards to target those missing parts instead of using your rewards randomly. At this stage, completing the full set is more important than perfectly optimizing every individual piece. Kromede Weapons Kromede Weapons are worth mentioning separately because they come with Extend, which increases attack range. This is particularly useful in PvE, especially when farming or handling mechanics, because the extra range makes positioning easier. Extend can benefit both melee and ranged weapons. However, compared with regular weapons, Kromede Weapons have one fewer Status Slot. As a result, their value depends on your class and build. Think of them as powerful and practical mid-to-late-game weapons rather than equipment that every build must use. Weapons for Long-Term Use Once you obtain gear that you expect to use for an extended period, you can start investing in it more seriously. This is when Enhancement, Manastones, and Soul Binding become more important. Enhancement increases the power of your gear, while Manastones and Soul Binding allow you to improve and customize its stats. You do not need to perfect every piece of gear immediately. Prioritize upgrades that provide the biggest improvements, then gradually refine the full set over time. Weapons are usually the first priority because higher damage also makes dungeon farming faster. After that, upgrade the pieces that provide meaningful benefits for your class. Combat Power & Stats Combat Power is one of the main progression requirements in Aion 2. More difficult content has higher Combat Power requirements, so keeping your overall Combat Power rising is important. However, Gear Score and Combat Power are not the only things that matter. Once you move past the early game, pay attention to the actual stats on your gear and whether they fit your class and build. A higher-level item does not automatically mean it is an upgrade. You need to check whether its stats actually provide a meaningful improvement. Likewise, a well-developed piece with useful stats may be worth keeping over an item with slightly higher displayed numbers but poorly suited stats. Your goal is to keep your Combat Power high enough to enter the dungeons, expeditions, and other content you need. Dungeon Gear Once you have established your dungeon gear set, you can start working on Potential. Potential provides additional PvE bonuses to dungeon gear. Potential materials come from dungeon gear through Substance Morph, so duplicate dungeon drops can still be useful. Suitable duplicate pieces can be used as materials for further progression. However, Potential does not transfer to new equipment. Therefore, Potential should be developed gradually. Once a piece of dungeon gear becomes part of your main set, it becomes more worthwhile to invest in its Potential. Potential also does not turn dungeon gear into your final PvE equipment. Instead, it helps your dungeon gear remain effective until you progress to the next stage. Crafted Gear Crafted Gear is a long-term PvE goal. Compared with dungeon gear of the same tier, Crafted Gear comes with a 5% PvE bonus and offers additional flexibility with Status Slots. A complete set of Crafted Gear provides a higher PvE ceiling. Potential can make dungeon gear quite powerful, but it does not completely eliminate the advantages of Crafted Gear. The downside of Crafted Gear is the resource requirement. Crafting requires materials, Crafting XP, and a large amount of resources, while obtaining the exact pieces and stats you want also takes time. You can buy Aion 2 Kinah to get the resources needed for crafting and speed up the process, or continue running dungeons while progressing your crafting at the same time. How To Replace Your Gear? When you start replacing dungeon gear with Crafted Gear, do not try to craft the entire set at once. You should replace your weapon first because it provides the largest direct increase to PvE damage. Then, gradually replace the other pieces as your materials allow. When replacing gear, do not immediately discard your old pieces. Dungeon gear can still be used for systems such as Substance Morph and Potential progression, so duplicate or outdated pieces may still have value. Transfer System Once you move into new content and higher-tier gear, Transfer system becomes particularly useful. Transfer allows certain forms of progression from existing equipment to be transferred to another item, including Enhancement levels, upgrade stages, and Soul Binding effects. This means that investing in a powerful piece of gear does not necessarily become completely wasted when you replace it with a better item. However, Potential cannot be transferred. Aion 2 will continue to introduce higher-tier dungeons and Crafted Gear, along with additional progression systems. In the early stages, your goal is to first obtain a reliable dungeon set, develop the pieces worth keeping, and gradually move those investments toward stronger Crafted Gear.