The long summer season is traditionally a period of fierce competition among major games. In ARPG genre, known upcoming summer updates include Diablo 4 Season 14, Path of Exile 3.29, and the subject of this article: Torchlight Infinite SS13. The theme for this season is Afterlight, and it will be preceded by a three-week warm-up phase. During this time, multiple trailers and a preview of Season 13 patch notes will be released. Below, we outline the release schedule for Torchlight Infinite SS13 and discuss the potential new content included in Afterlight season. When will Torchlight Infinite SS13 launch? The season is set to launch fully on July 16, 2026, at 7:00 PM PDT. Prior to that, on July 10 at 10:00 AM PDT, a preview detailing all new content and changes for Afterlight season will be released. In fact, Torchlight Infinite released the first teaser for Season 13 on June 26, and trailers showcasing the new hero arriving this season are expected later this week. This strategy ensures a steady stream of new information from the initial teaser through to the official SS13 launch, maintaining player interest and hype for the new season. Analyzing the first teaser The teaser is only one minute long and focuses more on the conceptual theme of SS13 rather than specific new mechanics or gameplay. The video opens with the appearance of a character who seems to be a guardian of spirits; he arrives at a graveyard to summon and soothe the spirit of a young girl. Subsequently, his companions appear to escort the spirit to an unknown destination. During the journey, a group of monsters led by a commander attempts to disrupt their path. A conflict ensues, and the spirit-guarding party appears to gain the upper hand. Based solely on this teaser, Season 13 mechanic might center around an escort mission. Frankly, if not designed well, such mechanics can easily become tedious. However, Torchlight Infinite has a strong track record with seasonal mechanics, successfully blending its unique style with standard ARPG gameplay. Given the impressive visuals in the teaser, there is good reason to be optimistic about Afterlight season. What content might SS13 entail? Naturally, the first highlight is the seasonal mechanic derived from the teaser; it will probably be named Afterlight directly and serve as a primary source for earning Torchlight Infinite Flame Elementium in Season 13. The second addition will probably be a new hero or a new Hero Trait. Considering that the ongoing SS12 Lunaria introduced a completely new, standalone hero, Scent Weaver Sage, it is probable that Season 13 will introduce a new Trait for an existing hero. Recent seasons (prior to SS12) have seen Trait updates for Gemma, Rehan, Erika, and Thea; therefore, we speculate that a new Trait for Youga might be next in line. Torchlight: Infinite has a tradition of integrating popular seasonal mechanics into the core game, so the current SS12 Lunaria mechanic might remain available in Season 13. However, if Lunaria remains dominant, the new seasonal gameplay might take the form of an out-of-map mechanic, similar to Mistville or Canvas, since most new mechanics in recent seasons have been in-map features. Additionally, as is customary, the new season will probably bring gear tailored to the new Hero or Trait, along with optimizations and adjustments to existing mechanics, items, and quality-of-life (QoL) features. Full details will be revealed in two weeks. TorchCon 2026 It is worth noting that the preview for Torchlight Infinite SS13 will take place at this year's TorchCon. This is the game's premier annual fan festival and community event; the inaugural edition was held last July in Shanghai, China. A special Seoul edition followed this past January. Now, the more formal second edition is set to take place, with events hosted in both Shanghai and Los Angeles. Beyond announcing further details about Afterlight season, developers are expected to reveal the game's development roadmap for the coming six months (or longer) and engage in fun interactions with attending players. Can Afterlight Season outperform its competitors this summer? The two major known competitors are Diablo 4 Season 14 and Path of Exile 3.29; more specifically, the former launches two weeks before Torchlight: Infinite Afterlight, while the latter arrives about a week later. This means that even if you are a fan of all three games, there shouldn't be any scheduling conflicts if you simply want to get a taste of the new gameplay in each one. However, if you plan to focus on just one of them in the long run, the choice will probably come down to which game offers the better overall experience. That said, while Torchlight: Infinite may be slightly less competitive overall, it differs significantly from the other two titles in terms of art style and combat mechanics. Therefore, as long as SS13 satisfies the game's hardcore fanbase, Torchlight: Infinite shouldn't be negatively impacted. That covers everything known so far about Torchlight Infinite SS13. Now, all that's left is to wait for more information to be released!

MLB The Show 26 launched its June Countdown Program on June 26, bringing a fresh batch of free Stubs, XP, and a new diamond player card featuring Ronald Acuna Jr. The program's name alone signals that it will not linger into July, so time is of the essence. Below is a full breakdown of the program's content, mission structure, and some practical tips for tackling it. June Countdown Program Rewards Points Rewards 10 5,000 XP 20 MLB The Show 26 pack (x5) 30 5,000 XP 40 2,000 Stubs 50 95 OVR Standout Zack Britton 60 10,000 XP 70 Bullpen Bash 1 Choice Pack 80 10,000 XP 90 4,000 Stubs 100 96 OVR Awards Ronald Acuna Jr. 110 30,000 XP 120 5,000 Stubs 130 30,000 XP 140 Rising Rookies Choice Pack 150 75,000 Stubs The program offers a substantial amount of XP to help accelerate your progression, and its currency rewards are notably generous - you can collect 86,000 Stubs in total from this path. The 2 featured player rewards are also quite solid, representing both a left-handed pitcher and a position player. 95 OVR Standout Zack Britton ranks among the best left-handed relief options in the game, thanks to his excellent pitch arsenal and reliable command. Meanwhile, 96 OVR Awards Ronald Acuna Jr. brings powerful hitting and a smooth swing, though his defensive stats are merely average and his vision attribute leaves something to be desired; on lower difficulties, however, he becomes an exceptionally potent card. June Countdown Program Missions This event adopts a three-tier mission system, consisting of Easy Missions, Medium Missions, and Hard Missions. You must fully complete every task in the easy tier before Medium missions become available, and the same rule applies when moving from Medium to Hard - each new tier requires you to start from scratch and build up progress again. Easy Missions Each completed mission in either the easy or medium tiers awards 10 points. The Easy tasks are as follows: Win one game in any mode. Record 5 hits in a single game. Steal 2 bases in a multiplayer game mode. Strike out 3 batters in a multiplayer game mode. Play one game in any mode using 96 OVR Spotlight Nasim Nunez. This Nasim Nunez card is the reward from June Spotlight Drop 3, so you will need to obtain it first. His card is quite unusual because almost all of his attributes are near maximum except for power - and power happens to be one of the most critical stats in the game. Using him may require some adjustment, as you could end up hitting numerous weak grounders or harmless fly balls. Medium Missions After clearing the easy tier, Medium missions become accessible: Accumulate 10 strikeouts (can be done in multiplayer). Earn 1,500 PXP with Supercharged players. Win 2 Ranked Seasons games. Earn 2,500 PXP in a single game. Hit 10 home runs in any multiplayer mode. Gaining 2,500 PXP in a single game is quite difficult. It's recommended to play a nine-inning game on a higher difficulty level for easier completion. This program runs concurrently with Moonshot II Event, allowing players to progress in both activities simultaneously. Since Moonshot II features only bronze-or-lower rated pitchers, hitters will find it much easier to drive balls out of the park. Additionally, stolen bases are relatively straightforward in that event because opposing pitchers have weak moves; you can take advantage of their longer delivery windows to get a good jump. Hard Missions Once Medium tier is complete, the highest-difficulty tasks unlock: Secure 5 wins in Battle Royale. Record 10 hits in a single multiplayer game (Ranked, Co-op, Conquest, or Event modes all count). Accumulate 15 points in Ranked Seasons (not in a single game). Record 24 strikeouts in a single game. Earn 1,000 PXP using 96 OVR Awards Nick Castellanos. 96 OVR Awards Nick Castellanos card is a 50-star reward from the concurrent Moonshot II Event Program. It's not difficult to obtain; simply use him in Moonshot II event and assign him as the lead hitter to quickly accumulate PXP. This event heavily pushes players into multiplayer competition, which makes it rather unfriendly for those who prefer offline grinding. The 24-strikeout mission may seem daunting, but it can be completed in any mode. A recommended approach is to set the difficulty to Rookie against the computer and face weaker offensive teams like Colorado Rockies, Boston Red Sox, or New York Mets. The same strategy can also help with the strikeout tasks from the other difficulty tiers. Design Flaws in June Countdown Program The program is actually quite poorly structured in several ways. It expires at 3:00 AM Eastern Time on July 1, 2026, leaving only four days to finish everything, yet the mission list is extensive. The tasks force players to engage with both online and offline modes - single-game fans will find the multiplayer requirements a major hurdle, while online-focused players still have to invest time in offline PXP grinding. Moreover, there is a notable progression-tracking issue: Ranked Seasons wins you earn while working on Medium missions do not count toward Hard tier objective of accumulating 15 Ranked points, which means you will have to play extra matches beyond what feels necessary. Unless you have large blocks of uninterrupted time and solid competitive skills, completing the entire program before the deadline will be a tough challenge. For the majority of players, it is wiser to set realistic goals. Prioritize finishing Easy Missions and a portion of the medium ones to claim the earlier rewards.If your available time is limited, you may find it more efficient to simply acquire the desired reward cards from the in-game marketplace rather than sinking hours into a grueling grind. If you unfortunately miss June Countdown Program, don't worry. You can buy cheap MLB The Show 26 stubs at IGGM, which will ensure you don't fall behind any other players.