General News

Players, as Diablo 4 Season 14 PTR concludes and the new season is about to launch, while Season 14 is more refined in many aspects, there are still numerous areas for optimization and improvement.

From the pacing of Season 14 gameplay itself, to the randomness of Mythic gear, and the challenges some classes face in skill and set balance, these factors significantly affect the overall playability and health of the season.

Below, we will systematically analyze these areas in Season 14 that most need adjustment and offer corresponding suggestions for changes.

General Functionality Improvements

From a general functionality perspective, Diablo 4 has not yet decided to make War Plans account-wide. Currently, it only allows sharing within a party and applies to the entire party after the leader activates it, but creating a new character still requires upgrading War Plans again.

We believe that making War Plans completely account-wide is a desire shared by most players.

Furthermore, Horadric Cube material pickup currently lacks automatic pickup like Forgotten Souls; Season 14 could even consider adding a pickup radius attribute.

While the gold cap has been increased to 25,000, Baleful Fragment cap seems to have been forgotten by the development team.

Frequent Diablo 4 players will notice many fragments falling to the ground during gambling or salvaging Diablo 4 items, which cannot be automatically processed. This cap should also be adjusted.

Grim Favors stack cap is currently only 10. If the number can be increased to around 50, players will be able to kill multiple enemies in Helltide without being forced to leave because their Grim Favors are full. The overall principle is to hope that Season 14 will remove as many unnecessary caps as possible.

Echoing Hatred Mode Starting Difficulty

The drop rate in Echoing Hatred mode has been doubled, which is a good change, but the mode has a design flaw: regardless of Torment difficulty the player starts with, the internal waves always start from Normal difficulty. This means that if you enter Torment 12, you'll need to waste about 10 minutes clearing the first 100 waves of easy mobs before you can access the more challenging content.

If the wave count directly matched Torment difficulty when the player started, a significant amount of time would be saved on the less challenging content.

Infernal Hordes Needs Increased Density

While experience gain in Infernal Hordes has been improved through War Plans, significantly increasing leveling efficiency, the gameplay itself remains too lengthy.

Currently, each Infernal Horde session requires 10 waves, taking approximately 10 to 12 minutes, which doesn't match the pace of other modes like The Pit and Nightmare Dungeons.

Season 14 could halve the total number of waves to 5, while allowing players to choose between two Boons after each wave, resulting in a similar total Cinders gain to the original 10 waves.

This not only shortens the overall duration of Infernal Hordes, but also allows for a more intense and exciting gameplay experience, making the player experience more compact and fun. 

The Randomness of Mythic Gear Reforging

The upgrade system for Mythic gear in Season 14 has been a subject of ongoing discussion because of the excessive randomness of reforging within Horadric Cube.

Adding a ring might result in an amulet, while adding pants might yield a helmet or chest armor.

Season 14 would be better off limiting this reforging mechanism to reforging within the same equipment type, or even further, fixing it to the same specific equipment.

Furthermore, the completely randomized affixes on Mythic gear significantly reduce its differentiation from Legendary gear, diminishing its uniqueness.

Original Mythic gear such as The Grandfather and Ring of Starless Skies should regain their special status, perhaps by adding a fifth affix or a fixed powerful effect. Otherwise, these once-ultimate gear pieces are now less appealing than some upgraded rare gear.

For example, the only fixed effect on Ring of Starless Skies is 10% Attack Speed, which is disappointing.

Barbarian-Specific Issues

Insufficient Vulnerable Coverage

First, Barbarians suffer from a severe lack of Vulnerable trigger sources. Almost all core and defensive skills in the skill tree do not generate Vulnerable. The only usable skill, War Cry, has a four-second duration and a 22-second cooldown, while Kick is almost never used in any build.

With numerous Vulnerable multipliers on gear, the lack of a stable source of Vulnerable leads to significant damage loss.

This problem doesn't only affect Barbarians; other classes experience similar issues, but Barbarians are particularly severely affected.

Outdated Basic Skill Builds

Secondly, Barbarian basic skill builds are declining.

Frenzy, Bash, and Lunging Strike builds were once favorites among many Diablo 4 players, but their current damage is about 10 times lower than other mainstream builds.

Previously, there was a Chaos Perk called Dual Threat, which caused casting a basic skill to simultaneously use another equipped basic skill, dealing 80% more damage. This mechanic completely revitalized basic skill gameplay.

It's unclear whether Season 14 will bring back similar effects as Legendary Aspects or Unique items.

Set Balance

Barbarians currently have multiple sets, but almost everyone uses Berserker's Crucible Set.

The problem with Bleed set is that it specifically enhances bleed damage rather than general damage over time.

Whirlwind, Rend, and Charge, which are related to fire damage, already exist in the skill tree, but the five-piece set bonus of Bleed set doesn't synergize with these fire damage over time effects, making fire-based bleed builds unusable with the set.

Even for pure physical builds, the five-piece set bonus is too weak compared to other classes' five-piece sets.

Season 14 would be better suited to changing Bleed set to general damage over time bonus, allowing it to support both bleed and fire damage over time effects. 

Hopefully, Diablo 4 development team will release an enhancement patch before Season 14 begins to create a positive atmosphere for the season. As long as the aforementioned issues regarding season mechanics and balance are partially resolved, Season 14 will still be a very interesting release.

It has been half a month since the launch of Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0. If you have been playing regularly, you have likely completed the campaign, and endgame farming will be your primary focus for at least the next three months.

However, the endgame content in Path of Exile 2 is inherently complex, and Patch 0.5.0 has introduced even more mechanics to master. While you may already understand the individual systems, effectively combining them is key to maximizing your farming efficiency.

In this guide, we will outline a concrete progression path for the endgame, starting from scratch (assuming the campaign is already complete), based on all available PoE 2 endgame mechanics. Read on if you're interested!

Starting with Precursor Towers

In the current game, Precursor Fortresses serve as the central hub of the endgame system; they unlock a vast network of interconnected maps, and completing these maps grants crucial Atlas Passive Tree points.

To make these fortresses appear, you must first complete Precursor Towers located on the preceding maps.

You will encounter other maps with additional content along the way, but if your priority is progression, we recommend skipping those for now and focusing on the towers and fortresses.

Upon entering a fortress, you will discover Burning Monolith. Here, you will face the pinnacle boss, Arbiter of Ash; defeating him offers a chance to obtain significant amounts of PoE 2 currency and other potential exclusive items.

Before that, however, you must collect a puzzle fragment from each of the fortress's two entrances, one east and one west, to gain access to the monolith.

After clearing some maps inside the monolith, you will encounter specific bosses, Count Geonor, Doryani, and Geminra, in puzzle chambers on the east and west sides. You must defeat them to unlock the final boss encounter.

Once Burning Monolith is activated, enter and head toward Origin Tower; you will find it in a damaged state. You need to locate two caves, one to the left and one to the right, and retrieve the fragments required to activate Origin Tower.

After successfully defeating Origin Tower, you can use it to clear all maps within the current Fortress zone, earning yourself approximately 50 Atlas points.

Waystones and Tablets

Waystones are the primary items used in PoE 2 map device to unlock endgame maps; they determine the map tier and modifiers for the areas you clear. Tablets, on the other hand, influence the league mechanics or challenges encountered within those maps.

Generally, there is no need to rush into upgrading your Waystone tier right away; you can start by playing lower-tier maps to acquire decent boots and armor. Next, tackle T7 maps to upgrade your rings, gloves, and helmets, before finally moving on to T11 maps to upgrade your weapons.

However, maintaining a stockpile of Waystones is crucial. If you run out, you will start losing currency, making it difficult to sustain your map progression.

As for Tablets, while they enrich the map-clearing experience, we do not recommend switching between different tablets when you hit a progression bottleneck. In most cases, tablets do not increase map difficulty, they primarily provide buffs.

Playstyle determines your progression strategy

The items mentioned above are central to progressing through PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0 endgame and mastering key item mechanics.

How you choose to proceed freely to maximize gains depends on whether you opt for Solo Self-Found (SSF) mode or are willing to engage in some trading.

If you intend to be self-sufficient, it is best to focus on endgame content that yields tangible rewards. For instance, if you need essential unique items, choose Ritual, Breach, or Abyss. Definitely avoid Delirium early on, as the difficulty is extremely high.

Abyss is great for crafting gear, and Breach is excellent for upgrading rings, making both mechanics highly valuable. Expedition is another solid choice; it offers great item drops and features moderate difficulty.

As for Atziri's Temple mechanic, carried over from the previous league, it offers wonderful rewards but is best saved for the later stages of the game.

If you are open to trading to strengthen your character when necessary, you should prioritize unlocking Masters of the Atlas.

This system features three masters. The first, Hilda, assigns tasks requiring you to hunt down gigantic monsters. Defeating four bosses unlocks all content associated with this master.

The various bonuses she offers might seem underwhelming at first, or even slow down your progress by increasing the difficulty, but once you unlock her full Atlas tree, they become incredibly valuable.

Unlocking and upgrading the second master, Jado, not only grants you his specific benefits but also allows you to obtain Lineage Support Gems through related combat encounters.

He improves the quality of loot drops and increases the likelihood of encountering random bonus content. This means you will face more Rogue Exiles and, after defeating at least three bosses, gain the chance to double the effects of modifiers on your tablets.

The third Master, Doryani, can be upgraded by purifying Corrupted Nexuses. You will find a node near the starting point; entering it and defeating the boss triggers the appearance of an additional boss.

Clearing out the corrupted monsters purifies the nexus. The area transforms into a purified zone and yields highly valuable loot.

Master Doryani now provides extra resurrection chances and applies a radiation effect to the area, resulting in richer and rarer rewards. If you engage in trading, selling these items can also generate significantly more currency.

Crafting the right endgame build

The above outlines the general progression for the endgame. Once you feel your character is strong enough and your resource reserves are solid, you can start exploring additional side-content endgame mechanics.

However, regardless of which Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 endgame content you tackle, it is crucial to focus on your build selection and execution from the very beginning; your build is the deciding factor in your combat effectiveness.

You can consult various guides to craft a build based on your preferred class, choose a top-tier endgame build directly, or modify your campaign leveling build. The key is simply ensuring that it works effectively.

That covers everything in this guide. If your endgame adventure hasn't started yet, why not use this guide to jump right in?

Guys, MLB The Show 26 will release its roster update today at noon (Pacific Time). This second roster update seems to be the most anticipated yet. We'll analyze who is most likely to jump from Gold to Diamond, who will be stuck at their current level, which Silver cards are worth investing heavily in before the update, and why Mike Trout is really leaving this time.

Due to a bug that disrupted the economic balance in MLB 26 a few weeks ago, many players received approximately 20,000 card packs. Therefore, we predict the development team might be dissatisfied, and this update may be stingy with player upgrades.

Meanwhile, with Legends and Flashback Collection also launching today, market volatility will be even greater.

Diamond Player Predictions

Yandy Díaz

Yandy Díaz is the top favorite for Diamond, with a 99.9% chance of upgrading.

While his overall stats warrant a +3 or even +4, considering MLB 26 development team's style, a +2 upgrade to 86 OVR is predicted.

His home run percentage and batting average are outstanding, and his current market price is around 3000 MLB 26 stubs, leaving room for profit.

Ben Rice

The second player almost certain to be upgraded to Diamond is Ben Rice, a shared wish among many players.

Ben Rice's ability is undeniable; his home run percentage and batting average are Tier S level. While a +5 upgrade is warranted, a +2 upgrade to 86 OVR is still expected.

If he does upgrade to Diamond, players holding his card will gain approximately 64,000 stubs.

Shea Langeliers

Shea Langeliers also has a high probability of upgrading to Diamond this time. Although he is the third Diamond candidate, he can still be ranked alongside Yandy Díaz and Ben Rice.

Elly De La Cruz

Elly De La Cruz didn't reach Diamond rank in the last update, only getting an OVR of +2, but his hitting performance remains excellent in this update cycle.

Elly De La Cruz should be able to become the fourth Diamond player, despite his current OVR of 83, he still deserves a Diamond upgrade.

Jacob Misiorowski

Jacob Misiorowski has the potential to be a fifth Diamond player.

If this update adds five new Diamond players, they should be the five mentioned above. However, Jacob Misiorowski also faces the risk of being downgraded to an OVR of 84.

Other Diamond and Gold Card Upgrade Opportunities to Watch

Julio Rodríguez

Players can still make a small investment in Julio Rodríguez, because while his stats against right-handed pitchers are average, his stats against left-handed pitchers are significantly improved.

Therefore, Julio Rodríguez has a certain probability of getting an OVR of +1, making him worthy of some attention from players.

Andy Pages

In the last roster update, Andy Pages was definitely undervalued; his OVR only rose to 85, and it should actually be higher.

Although recent data has slightly declined, his attributes in MLB The Show 26 are relatively low, and we predict his OVR has room for +2, making him a worthwhile investment.

Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Peña has been favored by many players, and he can be recommended alongside Andy Pages.

Cristopher Sánchez

Cristopher Sánchez's OVR deserves +3, or even +6, but considering the habits of MLB The Show 26 development team, Cristopher Sánchez may ultimately only rise to 87 OVR, which is just +2.

Although currently only about 1000 stubs higher than Quick Sell price, Cristopher Sánchez still has some profit potential and is worth investing in.

Additionally, while Matt Olson hit two home runs, it wasn't enough to push him to Diamond unless the total number of new Diamond players reaches 5-6.

Silver to Gold Upgrade Prediction

Meanwhile, many Silver players are likely to be upgraded to Gold in the upcoming roster update.

For example, Robert Suarez, Gavin Williams, Matt Brash, and Dylan Cease are all Tier S Silver players and have a very high chance of being upgraded to Gold.

Mickey Moniak and Erik Sabrowski also have a chance to be upgraded to Gold, while Ryan O'Hearn and Tanner Scott have an even higher probability.

Relegation Risk

Mike Trout will likely be downgraded from Diamond to Gold in this update, and we may really have to say goodbye to Diamond Mike Trout.

Other players who may be downgraded include Trea Turner, Will Smith, and Max Fried, etc. Players should check your holdings and cut your losses in time.

If you are indeed going to suffer losses, there are currently 3,000K MLB 26 stubs free giveaways on IGGM Discord, just participate and see if it can make up for your losses!

Investment Strategy

Don't expect MLB 26 development team to give players a boost of more than +2. They are very likely to suppress player ratings in this roster update because of previous economic loopholes.

It is recommended that players avoid heavily investing in high-rated players and prioritize the more stable options: Yandy Díaz, Ben Rice, Shea Langeliers, Elly De La Cruz, and Jacob Misiorowski.

For players like Cristopher Sánchez and Andy Pages, we only expect their OVR to be +2, not the +3 or higher they deserve.

Pay close attention to the number of new Diamond player cards that will be announced today. If it's less than four, cards like Matt Olson may see a significant drop in value.

In short, the latest roster update for MLB The Show 26 is about to be revealed. Lower your expectations, focus on the few confirmed Diamond player candidates, and be wary of the potential losses from the relegation of players like Mike Trout.

As the release date of FC 27 draws near, discussions about the new title are heating up in the player community. While each new installment brings new mechanics and gameplay, for many veteran players, the real anticipation isn't just about new content, but rather the return of the classic designs that once made FIFA series so captivating.

The community's expectations for the new game have become particularly clear: FC 27 needs more than just new features; it needs to rediscover the freedom, immersion, and realism that the series once possessed. Players hope EA Sports will listen carefully to feedback and allow the game to regain its unique charm in the world of football.

If EA Sports can make targeted improvements, then FC 27 has the potential to become the most popular installment in the series in recent years. Next, IGGM will review some of the key changes that the community most wants to see in FC 27.

Tactical Freedom

First, the player community believes that FC 27 needs to rediscover the freedom it once offered. In FIFA 19, you could freely position players based on their attributes. Even if a player was in a non-standard position, they could still perform well as long as their abilities were suited to the role.

This design gave FUT lineups more possibilities and allowed you to create your own tactical system. However, the current FC series has overly strict restrictions on player card positions. Players are significantly weakened when they leave their designated positions, greatly diminishing the tactical creativity and uniqueness of FUT.

Many players hope that FC 27 will reinstate this feature, allowing them to use FC 27 Coins to build more flexible and interesting lineups. Regarding the tactical system, IGGM hopes that FC 27 will offer richer customization options.

Currently, FC 26's tactical choices are relatively limited. In many cases, the attacking strategy focuses on creating opportunities for the forwards, while midfielders and wingers lack involvement. If EA FC 27 could allow midfielders to truly take on the responsibility of transitioning between attack and defense and making late runs, and give wingers more space to cut inside and make runs, you could create a more diverse playing style.

FIFA 27's formations also need comprehensive optimization. In real football, formations are the foundation of a team's tactical system, but in FC 26, only a few formations are truly competitive, such as 4-3-3 Holding Counter Tactic and 4-3-3 Attack Tactic.

In contrast, from FIFA 19 to FIFA 23, formations like 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 3-4-2-1, and 3-4-3 all had distinct characteristics and could function effectively in different tactical systems. If FC 27 can make various formations perform realistically and reasonably, it will allow players of different styles to find a suitable playing style.

Immersion

Besides tactical freedom, EA FC 27's immersion also needs improvement. Many veteran players still fondly remember the dynamic commentary systems of FIFA 14 and FIFA 15. During the matches, commentators not only provided on-field commentary but also provided real-time updates on other matches' scores, league standings, head coach performances, and the board's views on the coaches' future.

EA FC 27's custom match mode also needs a revamp. The player community wants to freely choose home/away settings, match seasons, weather conditions, and kickoff times to give custom matches a more realistic feel.

Furthermore, the career mode could incorporate a more in-depth club management system. For example, allowing players to set ticket prices, manage club finances, and influence fan satisfaction and board evaluations based on team performance. Poor management could even lead to bankruptcy.

The match presentation in FUT 27 is also a major concern for players. They want more realistic trophy celebration animations, including players wearing medals, different players taking turns raising trophies, and head coaches participating in the celebrations, creating a more authentic match atmosphere.

Another feature that players have been requesting for years is Trophy Cabinet. Many players wanted a dedicated system in FIFA 27 to showcase their career achievements, including all the trophies they'd won, such as Champions League, league titles, and domestic cups. This system would also record the number of wins in each competition and present them through a beautiful UI and animated displays.

Adding features like photos of the manager with trophies and championship retrospectives would greatly enhance the long-term motivation and sense of accomplishment for players of FC 27.

These details would make you feel truly immersed in a vibrant football world, not just playing an isolated match. Currently, similar content has been significantly reduced in FC series, causing the game to lose much of its realism.

Gameplay

However, the gameplay itself remains the most important aspect for players. Many felt that FC 26's match pace was too chaotic, the number of goals was excessively high, and it lacked the balance between attack and defense expected in realistic football. Many stated that scoring a dozen goals in just a few minutes of gameplay had become commonplace, while FC's defensive system felt ineffective.

In past FIFA titles, good positioning, defensive timing, and teamwork effectively limited the opponent's attack, making 1-1 or 2-1 draws common. Now, many players feel that no matter how well they defend, opponents can still easily score, causing FUT matches to lose their competitiveness and realism.

Therefore, the community hopes that FC 27 will rebalance the offensive and defensive mechanics, making defense a crucial factor in determining the outcome of matches again. The player instruction system also needs improvement, especially for the full-back positions.

Many players have reported that AI ​​for the left and right full-backs in FUT often exhibits problems such as confused runs and incorrect positioning when executing tactical instructions, failing to accurately complete offensive runs or defensive retreats. Improving AI's understanding and execution efficiency will help enhance the overall match experience.

Overall, the demands of FC player community are not complex. They hope that EA Sports will refocus on the design principles that were successful in the past, restoring the game's freedom, immersion, and realism. With time remaining before the official release of FC 27, if EA Sports can seriously listen to the players' voices and truly understand the community's needs, perhaps they can create a football game that satisfies players.

Since the release of WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2, the two raids have likely been the most perplexing aspect, as there's a significant gap between mastering their mechanics and truly conquering them.

Therefore, to clear them quickly with your teammates, you need to carefully select the most suitable gear setup based on your class and specialization. The most powerful gear may not be suitable for you, and an incorrect setup can lead to less effective results.

Based on this, this guide analyzes the best gear setup for playing Retribution Paladin, one of the generally popular DPS specializations. Even if you don't play this specialization, you can still try it by switching or creating a new character!

Retribution Paladin overview

Paladin class has three specializations, with Retribution Paladin belonging to DPS category. While DPS is a more scarce raid teammate in Phase 2 tanks, it remains essential to ensure sufficient damage output during combat.

This specialization is characterized by not only generating significant individual damage output in combat through Crusader Strike and other optimized skills, but also providing a critical strike chance bonus to the entire raid group through Improved Seal of the Crusader.

Most of the time, being in a melee raid group will allow you to contribute more as a Retribution Paladin, and the high-level buffs you need are relatively scarce in 10-man raids, but this is generally not a concern in most 25-man raids.

Of course, this class isn't perfect. Its problems lie in the high difficulty of operation due to the tedious seal twisting rotation, and weak mana regeneration. You'll need to experiment with various methods to balance these issues.

Retribution Paladin Phase 2 gear core requirements

Before choosing specific items, you first need to clarify which attributes your BCC Anniversary character gear setup needs to improve the most. For Retribution Paladins, hits and expertise are paramount.

This is because if your attack misses or is dodged by the enemy, all seal effects will be ineffective, resulting in a significant drop in damage output and potentially causing raids or other dungeon farming to fail.

For TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 2 raids, you need to achieve at least a 9% hit cap and a 6.5% expertise cap through skill combos, gear, and potential buffs from teammates of other classes.

Therefore, the following skills are essential:

• Maxed-out Paladin Precision: Increases hit chance by 3%.
• Improved Faerie Fire from Balance/Resto Druid: Increases hit chance by 3% (provided the enemy has a debuff).
• Heroic Presence from Warrior/Paladin/Hunter of Draenei race: Increases hit chance by 1%.

The remaining hit chance and all expertise increases will come from your gear. In WoW TBC Classic Anniversary, expertise is typically only gained through gear or racial traits.

Choose the right faction

Aldor or Scryers are the two factions in the game, and you can only join one at a time. While they are available from Phase 1, you can switch later as needed.

The reason for emphasizing these factions is that increasing your reputation level with them unlocks the ability to trade with quartermasters, allowing you to buy WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold on IGGM to exchange for useful gear among the items they sell.

Fortunately, for Retribution Paladins, the potential gear gains from choosing either faction are roughly the same. However, if you must choose, we recommend Aldor because it offers better shoulder enchantments.

If you want to extend your playtime and try out as many enchantments and tradable item bonuses as possible from different factions, consider participating in IGGM WoW Game Time 60 Days Giveaway on Discord!

Optimal gear choices

Based on the essential prerequisites mentioned above, to begin a truly effective Retribution Paladin gear setup in Phase 2 raids, the first item to add should be the head armor, Furious Gizmatic Goggles.

This item not only improves your hit rate, but it's also easily obtainable through crafting in Phase 2, as long as you ensure Engineering is enabled in your profession and you've collected the necessary materials.

For shoulder armor, we recommend Shoulderpads of the Stranger. It provides increased expertise and DPS, so you can even use it in later phases if you're still playing Retribution Paladin.

For back armor, you can choose between Thalassian Wildercloak and Razor-Scale Battlecloak, but if your agility-based teammates are already equipped with the former, you should avoid it.

The best Retribution Paladin chest armor for BCC Anniversary Phase 2 is Bulwark of Ancient Kings, and it works even better when paired with the weapon Twinblade of the Phoenix.

As for bracers, if you've been using Bladespire Warbands since Phase 1, congratulations, you've saved yourself the trouble of changing them, unless you can't gain enough expertise from other gear and abilities.

In that case, it's best to switch your bracers to Bracers of Eradication.

Next, your choice of gloves greatly affects your ability to improve expertise. Ideally, you should complete Tempest Keep raid with the help of teammates and obtain Gloves of the Searing Grip. If that's not possible, Grips of Deftness are also a viable option.

Shattrath Leggings, as leg gear, can further improve your expertise, provided you haven't chosen Human race.

The following are the optimal Retribution Paladin gear options for other slots:

• Feet Armor: Cobra-Lash Boots
• Neck Jewelry: Pendant of the Perilous
• Ring Jewelry: Shapeshifter's Signet
• Trinket: Dragonspine Trophy
• Libram: Libram of Avengement

It's worth noting that the optimal gear we've listed isn't the only solution. As long as you consistently focus on improving hit rate and expertise, and ensure effective synergy between gears in different slots, other items are also viable.

That concludes this guide. If you're interested in Retribution Paladin specialization, this guide should be helpful!

The spotlight for this Friday through next week will be on EA FC 26's Festival Football Path to Glory Team 2, with several high-value cards entering the promotion from Friday onward. In addition to the officially announced Path to Glory Team 2 squad, a number of SBCs and new Icons have also been leaked.

For these leaked cards, the official team has only confirmed a portion of their stats so far, without verifying which Playstyle+ upgrades they will receive. Even so, that is already enough to excite players.

Free Icon

95 OVR Samuel Eto'o Icon ST

• Pac: 94
• Sho: 92
• Pas: 82
• Dri: 91
• Def: 48
• Phy: 83

Legendary striker Samuel Eto'o will arrive next week. He will not be an SBC player but rather a reward from Gauntlet mode. This mode starts next Monday, and players must win five consecutive matches using five different squads. The challenge allows for losses, but only a perfect run will earn Eto'o.

According to the leaks, this card will most likely come with only three Playstyle+ traits instead of the 4 many hoped for. However, given his elite shooting, his exceptional pace, and the fact that he is completely free, this is still a pleasantly surprising reward.

Leaked SBCs

94 OVR Aaron Wan-Bissaka RB

• Pac: 93
• Sho: 70
• Pas: 87
• Dri: 90
• Def: 95
• Phy: 95

Aaron Wan-Bissaka will receive an SBC next week. The stats on this card are very impressive: as a full-back, he boasts excellent defending attributes, great physicality, and superb speed. The leaks do not yet include his Playstyles, but the official team will likely give him Bruiser and Quick Step.

Nevertheless, his biggest drawback is the national team he represents: Republic of Congo. That side is not a strong contender in World Cup, so unless they unexpectedly advance through multiple rounds, this card's upgrade potential remains very limited. For this reason, SBC's value is also limited, and its expected fodder cost is around 50k to 60k FC 26 coins. While he may not be a top-tier option in the current meta, he can still serve as a solid evolution candidate.

96 OVR Alexia Putellas CM

• Pac: 91
• Sho: 95
• Pas: 95
• Dri: 96
• Def: 89
• Phy: 88

This is an End Of An Era SBC, created for Alexia Putellas as she prepares to leave Barcelona Femení and transfer to an English club. Previously, Barcelona Femení won UEFA Women's Champions League, and Putellas already received a 96 OVR UWCL Road to the Finals tradeable card. This SBC version has extremely similar attributes to that tradeable one, with even slight improvements in some categories.

The tradeable 96-rated Putellas card is currently worth around 500k coins on the market. If SBC's construction requires roughly 250k to 300k coins in fodder, then it will be well worth completing.

94 OVR Pedro Neto RM

• Pac: 97
• Sho: 92
• Pas: 89
• Dri: 94
• Def: 53
• Phy: 86

The first SBC arriving this Friday with EA FC 26 Path to Glory Team 2 squad is Pedro Neto. This dynamic card already has excellent base stats. More importantly, Portuguese national team is very strong in this World Cup, with a realistic chance of reaching the semi-finals or even the final. As Portugal advances each round, this card will receive upgrades. Should they make it to the final, Pedro Neto's stats would become truly lavish.

Considering that a similar Cody Gakpo SBC cost around 300k-400k coins in fodder, Neto's SBC will likely be in the 500k coins range. Even so, players can accumulate fodder cards without too much difficulty, so this is almost a must-complete SBC for everyone.

94 OVR Alexis Mac Allister CAM

• Pac: 93
• Sho: 94
• Pas: 95
• Dri: 94
• Def: 93
• Phy: 91

This Alexis Mac Allister SBC has virtually no weaknesses: his lowest attribute is 91 Physical, while every other stat is 91 or above.

As the midfield core of Argentinian national team - another tournament favorite - Mac Allister already boasts a strong base card. With upgrades, this SBC card will be one of the very best in Path to Glory Team 2. If Neto's construction costs 500k coins, Mac Allister's will only be higher. Any Argentina fan would likely not want to miss this SBC.

Other Leaked Players

Besides SBC leaks, there are some other leaked players whose specific stats are currently unknown, but they could be very strong:

• 95 OVR Noni Madueke (RW) - National Pride Red (Token Reward)
• 95 OVR Kim Min Jae (CB) - National Pride Red (Token Reward)
• 95 OVR Maghnes Akliouche (CAM) - National Pride Red (Token Reward)
• 94 OVR Giorgian de Arrascaeta (CAM) - Path to Glory (Token Reward)
• 94 OVR Djibril Sow (CM) - Path to Glory (Token Reward)
• 94 OVR Sadio Mané (LM) - Path to Glory (Token Reward)

These are the main leaked SBCs and new players for the second week of EA FC 26 Festival Football Path to Glory. Most of them are dynamic cards, so their stats have room to improve further. Choose the team you trust the most, and go complete those SBCs.

While Helldivers 2 has not yet announced a specific date for upcoming updates, promotional efforts for the new Warhammer 40K Legendary Warbond, as well as short- and long-term roadmaps, began in late May and early June.

Much of this content is set to launch sometime in June and will be bundled into Update 6.3. With June already halfway through, your curiosity and anticipation for the new content are likely growing.

Here, based on information released by Helldivers 2 team, we speculate on what Update 6.3 might include and the game's future direction.

Update 6.3 Overview

Based on leaks from earlier this month, we can make preliminary predictions about the new content coming to Helldivers 2 Patch 6.3:

• New Biome
• New Warbond
• New Galactic War Campaigns
• Quality-of-Life Improvements and Balancing
• And More

New Biome

The many planets in Helldivers 2 feature unique biomes, characterized by distinct climates, terrain, and other geographical features. These not only determine the planet's appearance but also directly impact your combat experience.

For instance, in the jungle biomes already present in the game, dense vegetation allows both you and the enemy to stay hidden, often leading to stealth-oriented combat. Meanwhile, scorching deserts and freezing polar biomes affect your movement and weapon performance.

While the exact nature of the new biome in Update 6.3 remains unclear, it will likely differ in style from Deciduous Forest and Desert Oasis biomes introduced earlier this year, aiming to further enrich the gameplay experience.

New Warbond

As of now, Helldivers 2 has not released a new Warbond since the start of June; therefore, we predict that Warbond arriving with Patch 6.3 will be the previously announced Warhammer 40K Legendary Warbond.

In fact, based on various sources, we had previously predicted a launch window between mid-June and mid-July. If Update 6.3 does indeed launch in June as expected, that timeframe narrows significantly.

Unlocking this Warbond is expected to require at least 1,500 Helldivers 2 Super Credits; subsequently, you will need to continue earning medals to unlock specific rewards found on each page, such as new weapons, armor, or various cosmetics.

Galactic War Campaigns

Major Orders have long been a key mechanic in Helldivers 2. They function as a progression system requiring the entire community to work together toward specific objectives to advance progress and unlock rewards.

However, Helldivers 2 plans to introduce Galactic War Campaigns via Update 6.3, positioning them as an evolved version of Major Orders.

This is essentially a comprehensive system where a new campaign launches roughly every 1-3 weeks; you can view specific objectives, campaign progress, and other details at any time.

Upon completing a campaign, both you and the rest of the community earn exclusive rewards. Importantly, the development team has stated they will continuously innovate reward types to incentivize ongoing participation in this system.

Other short-term update plans

Beyond Update 6.3, Helldivers 2 plans to add more features in the near future. Given the game's roadmap for later this year, the following content is likely to go live sometime between August and October.

Planet Warfronts

This feature aims to bridge individual effort with community progress by introducing missions based on specific zones across various planets; completing these missions requires cooperation with others to capture key locations.

Notably, like Major Orders and Galactic War Campaigns, this mechanic is managed by the game master, ensuring a dynamic experience.

Personal Progression Updates

In addition to the community-focused progression changes mentioned above, Helldivers 2 plans to introduce Personal Campaign Progression, ensuring you can still unlock rewards through individual effort even if team objectives aren't met in time.

Other planned updates

Beyond the major features listed above, Helldivers 2 will introduce the following detailed mechanical updates following Update 6.3:

• Allowing the use of the assisted reload function when equipped with the appropriate backpack.
• Increasing the emote slot limit to 8.
• Reducing dead inputs when using stims.

Long-term roadmap

In Helldivers 2, Super Destroyer serves as your base of operations, a hub for handling routine tasks and a source of support during missions, making it a crucial game system.

With this in mind, the development team plans to expand Super Destroyer's progression and customization systems later this year, giving you greater freedom to tailor the ship to your preferences and needs.

Another significant change is raising the player level cap to 300. This offers the chance to earn new rewards and titles through leveling, though the process will be more arduous and time-consuming.

Beyond new features and optimizations to existing mechanics, the team has formed a dedicated group to address long-standing issues, specifically Stratagem bouncing and Hellpod steering, within the year.

While this is welcome news, it must be said that Helldivers 2's response is long overdue; players began raising these issues on social media as early as a year ago.

Other planned fixes and improvements include:

• Refining movement mechanics for both enemies and players.
• Improving the economy and resource systems.
• Optimizing Warbond and Superstore menus.

To ensure smooth performance, Helldivers 2 will conduct closed testing for new features and changes prior to their official release, allowing for necessary adjustments based on player feedback.

Overall, Update 6.3 and the broader Helldivers 2 roadmap look promising, but the key will be whether the development team can deliver on these promises on schedule.

In recent months, Helldivers 2 has faced criticism over repeated delays in bug fixes and new content releases. We look forward to seeing these plans come to fruition, or at least getting a confirmed release date for Update 6.3 soon!

Players, Diablo 4 Season 13 is drawing to a close, and the various efficient configurations of War Plans system have been thoroughly tested. Whether you're aiming for a final push for key resources in the final stages of the season or simply want to understand the optimal War Plans solution, the following strategies and leveling tips are worth your careful consideration.

Meanwhile, the confirmed changes to War Plans for Season 14, such as the team quest synchronization feature and experience point increases, will also be explained at the end to help you prepare for the next season.

War Plans Leveling Core Techniques

In War Plans system, completing a currently active event quest grants a considerable amount of experience points.

However, there's an efficient team mechanic: when other members of your team also set your currently active quest as their own, upon completing the quest, you not only gain your own experience but also simultaneously receive the experience bonuses triggered by each of your teammates for completing the same quest.

This means that if you form a party using the party finder with all four members activating the same War Plan mission, the total experience gained from a single mission will be increased to four times that of solo play.

While Diablo 4 Season 13 doesn't allow players to manually synchronize War Plans missions, and you can't force the system to assign the entire party the same objective, you can achieve this experience multiplication effect by effectively using the party finder to find more compatible objectives.

Endgame Optimal Skill Point Allocation

Tree of Whispers

In Tree of Whispers, the essential part to invest in is Exposed Root series nodes on the left-hand path. Exposed Roots spawn corresponding enemies and bosses in different areas, and the loot drops from these enemies vary depending on the area.

Using this mechanism, we can link Exposed Roots with Gauntlet nodes in Nightmare Dungeons, triggering Exposed Roots within Nightmare Dungeons to achieve two to four times the reward output.

Remaining points are recommended to be invested in the right branch of the middle route, ensuring Tree of Whispers reward is completely fixed as a material cache.

Nightmare Dungeons

As mentioned above, Gauntlet node is the foundation of many efficient farming methods and is a must-have. Following that, it's recommended to invest in Fearless Conviction node at the bottom left to obtain the important Attuned Primordial Dust.

If you frequently farm Escalating Nightmare Dungeons, after investing in the Gauntlet, you should prioritize maxing out the three middle nodes to obtain Escalation Sigils.

Helltide

If you want to farm experience, prioritize investing in the two core nodes in the middle of Helltide. These will frequently spawn Maggots in Helltide, and killing Maggots will drop a large number of Experience Orbs.

Players should note that Wretched Vermin node on the right consumes Maggot spawn points, so if you mainly use Helltide for experience farming, absolutely do not invest in Wretched Vermin.

An alternative suggestion is to choose Night Terrors, which allows Hellborne to spawn in Nightmare Dungeons. Combined with Meat Brothers' effect, this will spawn Burning Butchers in Nightmare Dungeons.

The Undercity

On the left side of The Undercity, select at least the third node, Gutter Filth. This will give a chance to spawn a Portal Prankster for each activated Beacon. Portal Prankster provides a full chest of extra rewards at the end of the event, which is very worthwhile.

If you want more Diablo 4 items, select the bottom Idols of War node on the middle path to make Ancestral Tribute of Armaments drop.

Alternatively, if you value the final value of your existing tributes, select all four nodes on the right side to achieve a higher Attunement level at the end of the event.

Lair Bosses

Lair of Runes and Lair of Plenty nodes on the left are practically essential for players, as they allow you to open multiple chests and increase boss strength, resulting in better rarity gear.

The ultimate goal of all Lair Boss farming strategies is to unlock the three nodes in the middle path to trigger additional bosses, which in turn grants a significant amount of extra loot.

The Pit

Finally, for The Pit's War Plans tree, if you prioritize experience and efficiency, you can unlock Choron's Haste and Heart of Stone on the left. These provide extra leveling chances and increase the chance of progress orbs dropped by monsters, significantly speeding up your completion of The Pit.

Fully unlocking the four nodes in the middle path grants you more leveling opportunities and a higher chance of triggering Butcher as the final boss to end the challenge instantly.

Known Changes to War Plans in Season 14

First, it has been confirmed that Diablo 4 Season 14 will add a synchronized War Plans feature, allowing the entire team to easily align mission objectives, thus greatly improving leveling efficiency.

This, combined with the previously mentioned experience multiplier mechanism, will significantly improve the leveling experience for team players.

Second, the experience gained from Nightmare Dungeons and Helltide events will be increased.

In fact, Diablo 4 development team should also consider allowing players to actively choose which event types to prioritize or avoid, for example, allowing players who dislike Helltide events to reduce their frequency.

Currently, the design that forces all players to participate in all events fails to cater to individual preferences; further personalization would be more welcome.

The true efficiency of War Plans comes from players' accurate judgment in choosing which nodes to prioritize. Now that Diablo 4 Season 13 is nearing its end, it is believed that everyone can clearly understand their needs, wrap up Season 13 effectively, and prepare for Season 14!

Building upon its robust core mechanics and content-rich Patch 0.5.0, Path of Exile 2 has consistently focused on releasing new patches and hotfixes to ensure timely bug fixes and optimize your gaming experience.

Following Patch 0.5.1, this week saw the release of Patch 0.5.2. We'll introduce the specifics of this patch to ensure you stay informed about the changes and enjoy a smooth PoE 2 gaming experience in the coming week.

Patch 0.5.2 overview

This patch was released on June 11, comprises six parts, with the overall goal of optimizing your farming experience:

• Endgame Changes
• Delirium Changes
• Runes of Aldur League Mechanics Changes
• Monster Changes
• General Changes
• Bug Fixes

The changes that will have the greatest impact on farming are likely the ritual-related aspects of the endgame and the overall modifications to Delirium, which appear to be easier than before. Of course, the specifics will depend on your builds.

However, we speculate that obtaining Headhunter Heavy, Mageblood, and other valuable drops will become easier after Patch 0.5.2 is released. Selling duplicates or items that don't significantly benefit your builds will allow you to quickly accumulate PoE 2 currency!

Endgame changes

The new patch first fixes the lag issue with Azmerian Wisp, ensuring they can properly leave their current monster and head for the nearest available target.

Previously, they always prioritized enemies far away on the other side of the map as new targets, forcing you to spend time traveling, significantly impacting farming efficiency.

Additionally, Patch 0.5.2 adds a multi-choice Keystone Atlas Passive called On the Wind for Azmerian Wisp.

It provides two effects: a 50% increase in Wisp movement speed and prevention of them disappearing when no players are nearby. You can choose one as the bonus.

Patch 0.5.0 introduced Masters of the Atlas mechanic, allowing you to choose from three masters to unlock more available skills.

Partial Translations bonus has been adjusted. Its chance to double the tablet's Explicit Modifiers effect has been changed to a random chance ranging from 0% to 40% to increase Explicit Modifiers effect.

The regular Ritual Atlas Tree, based on Mysterious Rites passive skill added in patch 0.5.0, previously had an 8% chance to transform a regular Ritual encounter into Queen's Rituals, allowing you to obtain more loot by defeating The Queen in the Mists.

Based on this patch 0.5.2, the first set of Favours obtainable through Queen's Rituals now includes 10 additional Omens. Furthermore, unlocking Mysterious Rites grants access to all previous Queen's Rituals bonuses.

More endgame changes include:

• Mortuary Map allows you to replace limbs after a map boss fight.
• A guide to using the Ancient mechanism is provided after defeating Arbiter of Divinity.
• The new Necrotic Catalyst and Refined Necrotic Catalyst can be unlocked through Genesis Tree.

Delirium changes

This section reduces the overall difficulty of Delirium encounters. For example, the toughness gained from unique enemies is halved; the damage increase from normal, magical, and rare enemies is also halved.

Furthermore, Delirium Shards will only spawn when you reach a certain Delirium depth, and their spawn locations have been optimized to avoid appearing where your character is located.

The third change is that after a Delirium encounter, even if you hit a depth target, Delirium Mirror Shards will no longer exist.

Runes of Aldur League mechanics changes

This section contains a lot of changes, but the changes related to Remnant are the most noteworthy. The developers stated that Remnant rewards were previously insufficient after reaching the highest map tier.

Therefore, Patch 0.5.2 removed many lower-value rewards from Tier 15 maps, preventing 3-slot runic inscriptions from appearing on that tier map, or starting with a low probability from Tier 10 maps.

Additionally, you can now unlock 8-slot runic inscriptions, Runefather's Alloy and Runebinder's Alloy, through Remnant encounters.

Other rune changes include reducing the total number of rare monsters spawned by Bond Runes, but increasing the number of affixes monsters can possess.

Prismatic Runes no longer provide monsters with the guaranteed shock effect, and the resistances gained from it have been reduced.

Other notable league mechanic changes include:

• New seas unlocked through Expedition Logbook will contain at least one Grand Expedition.
• The body armor stat bonus of Runemastered Ornate Ringmail has been significantly increased.
• The energy shield value provided by Runemastered Venerable Defender Shield has been significantly increased.
• You are now allowed to invite Farrow into your hideout.
• Transcendent Alloy does not work on Foci and Wands.

Monster changes

Patch 0.5.2 reduces damage output from several monster types to ensure a smoother combat experience. Path of Exile 2 has always been known for its high difficulty, so this significant difficulty reduction is truly rare.

However, this doesn't mean you can easily complete the game; it's just slightly easier than before. Therefore, we still recommend participating in IGGM PoE 2 free currency giveaway on Discord to win free Exalted Orbs and Divine Orbs to quickly upgrade your gear and build.

The main monsters and bosses affected by the changes include:

• Azmadi, the Faridun Prince
• Siora, Blade of the Mists
• Diamora, Song of Death
• Syvora, Daughter of the Deep
• Jamanra, the Abomination
• Veynar, the Frostbane
• Malgor, the Nautilord
• Serath, the Scaled One
• Tendril Sentinel Monster
• Cecaelian Ravager Runic Monster
• Krell Skullcrawler Runic Monster
• Starlit Harvester Runic Monster
• Cultist Archer Monster
• Blackblooded Elite Abyss Monster

General changes and bug fixes

These two sections primarily address issues that arose in the past week, as well as those not resolved by Patch 0.5.1 and other hotfixes, optimizing for minor inconsistencies that could disrupt your gameplay experience.

Furthermore, the developers stated that they will release Patch 0.5.3 sometime next week to further improve PoE 2, and will continue to maintain it to ensure the quality of the early access experience before the official release.

It must be said that since the release of Return of the Ancients, Path of Exile 2 has responded to player feedback much faster than before. Hopefully, they can maintain this pace!

All players are eagerly awaiting new information about Grand Theft Auto VI. As a globally renowned game, everyone is hoping for its early release.

While anxiously awaiting its official launch, players have made some interesting speculations about the gameplay based on the available information, such as realistic body shape changes, various random events, vehicle maintenance, and more.

Today, let's take a look at some of these interesting speculations.

Realistic Body Sculpting

First, let's talk about body sculpting. In most open-world games, you often control a "tool": a fixed physique, fixed abilities, and can carry whatever equipment you want. But GTA 6 might break this stereotype.

For example, the game might introduce a dynamic body sculpting system, allowing the protagonist's physique and appearance to visibly change based on your actions.

If you frequently send your character to gym, their muscle mass will increase, and their strength attributes will improve; conversely, if you indulge in fast food and beer in the game, your character will develop a belly, which might make them more durable, but their stamina will decrease.

This speculation isn't unfounded. A similar mechanism appeared in another game developed by the same developer, Red Dead Redemption 2, so adding it to GTA 6 is entirely plausible.

Equipment Restrictions

Die-hard GTA fans know that in GTA 5, you could carry a weapons wheel and pull out an entire army's equipment from your pocket at any time: rocket launchers, sniper rifles, submachine guns - you name it.

While this setup is exhilarating, it lacks realism. Therefore, some players have boldly speculated: what if you couldn't carry all your weapons in Grand Theft Auto VI?

This would raise two questions: First, where would weapons be stored? Perhaps most heavy weapons and spare equipment would need to be stored in the trunk of a vehicle.

Second, how would you carry your weapons? Perhaps the game would include backpacks and duffel bags for carrying weapons. If you're planning a large-scale heist, you might need a special backpack to carry weapons and loot.

This design will enhance game's realism and add to its fun, but it will also increase difficulty to some extent.

Realistic Vehicle Crime System

One of the core gameplay elements of GTA series is "crime simulation", but the crime gameplay differs in each installment. Therefore, players speculate that in GTA 6, this crime system will become more realistic and complex - especially regarding vehicles.

Car Theft

In previous GTA games, cars on the street were like public bicycles; you could just drive them away if you wanted. But in the world of GTA 6, stealing cars may become more difficult - because vehicle anti-theft systems will become an obstacle you must overcome.

Players speculate that some cars parked on the street might be equipped with anti-theft systems. For these cars, simply pulling the door handle won't work; you'll need to force open the door or use electronic devices to hack into anti-theft system.

And if you plan to use a stolen car long-term, or are being pursued by the police, you'll need to install some kind of device to block police's GPS tracking signal - it looks a lot like real-world crime.

Vehicle Maintenance

In GTA 6, vehicles may no longer be just means of transportation; they will have more realistic physical attributes: such as fuel consumption systems, vehicle durability, and driving feel.

First, let's talk about fuel consumption systems. If cars in the game have fuel consumption systems, while they won't need to refuel as frequently as in real life, if you neglect your fuel level for a long time, the car will actually break down.

Vehicle durability makes cars in the game behave like real-world cars. If you drive them for a long time, or have them in a collision, and don't maintain or repair them, the car's performance will decline, and cosmetic damage will be permanently retained.

Furthermore, according to leaks on player forums, the driving feel of vehicles in GTA 6 will be somewhere between the heaviness of GTA 4 and the lightness of GTA 5. You can clearly feel the weight of the vehicle and the changes in grip on muddy roads or in rainy weather.

Random Events and Activities

Based on player speculation, Grand Theft Auto VI will also include a large number of random events and activities to enhance the map's realism.

Random Events

While walking on the game map, you might see police traps set up on the street, two gangs fighting, or even a Skunk Ape lurking in the swamp.

And that's not all. In previous GTA games, only the protagonist could rob stores. However, what if other NPCs could also rob stores?

Imagine: you might be walking down the street when suddenly you see a thief running out of a convenience store, followed by a shouting clerk.

Leisure Activities

In the currently released trailers, NPCs are seen engaging in various activities on the map: playing tennis, fishing, riding jet skis... Perhaps we can also participate in these activities.

For example, if you enjoy sports, you can play golf, basketball, and tennis in the game; if you like fishing, you might be able to participate in Spear Fishing; and if you're into underground activities, you might be able to join a street race.

These are some predictions from players regarding the gameplay of Grand Theft Auto VI. In any case, when it officially launches, you will need some in-game resources to participate in those activities.

If you need in-game currency or resources in the future, you can follow IGGM GTA 6 store. We offer 24-hour service and the most affordable prices to help you quickly master the game.

The game is rumored to officially launch in November; perhaps we will see more game information soon.