General News

To provide players with more cost-effective gaming products and services, IGGM platform has officially launched a brand-new points system, designed to let you enjoy a superior shopping experience while spending less!

Below, we break down everything you need to know: how to earn points efficiently, use them for discounts or to redeem exciting rewards, and stack VIP benefits to maximize your savings.

Before Using the Points System - Registration Required

Please note that IGGM's new points system is available only to registered and logged-in users. If you haven't registered or logged in yet, you will need to do so to access Check-in and Points pages.

How to Earn Points?

Accumulating points at IGGM is simple and straightforward, primarily through two channels: daily check-ins and order rewards.

1. Daily Check-in

Simply click the "Check In Today" button on the IGGM Check-in Center page to complete your check-in; once the button changes to "️Checked In (Come back tomorrow)," your points have been successfully credited! Alternatively, you can also check in by clicking the current date on the calendar.

Please note that your check-in time is based on the time zone used when you registered your IGGM account. For example, if you registered your account in PDT (UTC-08:00) time zone, you can only complete the check-in within that time zone on the day in question.

You can view your account registration date on My Profile or Check-in page to ensure you don't miss a check-in!

One-tap check-in (Easter egg)

There's a little Easter egg here! If you forget to check in for the day and land straight on the coupon redemption page, just tap the "little rocket" emoji at the bottom of the list to check in instantly - no need to navigate back to the Check-in Center. You'll still get those incremental rewards for consecutive check-ins.

Please note the visual differences between PC and mobile versions! For PC users, the small rocket only begins to shake and emit flames when you hover your cursor over it; a single click launches the rocket and credits your check-in points. For mobile users, the rocket icon shakes continuously—simply tap it to check in and earn your points instantly!

Other Check-in Entry

In addition, IGGM provides the following access points for quick and convenient daily check-ins:

1. Click "Go Now" on the coupon redemption page to visit the check-in center.

2. Click the coupon section at the bottom of the homepage to access the check-in center.

3. Click the banner at the bottom of any product page on IGGM to access the check-in center.

4. Quickly access the Check-in Center via the My Account → My Orders page.

Incremental Rewards for Consecutive Check-ins

IGGM's check-in system rewards consistency. If you check in without interruption, your daily points will increase over time: 5 points on the first day, 6 points on the second, and 8 points on the third. From the fourth day onwards, as long as you maintain your streak, you will consistently receive the maximum reward of 10 points per day.

Notes: If you check in via the check-in banner on the product page during your shopping journey, you can return to your original page via Back Shopping at the bottom after completing the check-in and triggering the points accumulation. You don't have to worry about your shopping progress being affected!

Reset Upon Interruption

If you miss a day or break your streak for any reason, your progress will reset to zero. Your next check-in will start back at the Day 1 rate of 5 points. Please note that the daily check-in reset is based on the server's time zone; be sure to check in on time to avoid losing progress due to network issues or other interruptions.

2. Points for Orders

Additionally, whenever you make an order on the IGGM platform, the system will award you points based on your subtotal amount.

Point Accrual Rate: $1 = 1 Point

Under standard conditions, every $1 of your actual spending converts directly into 1 point. To simplify calculations for order amounts involving decimals, IGGM rounds to the nearest whole number when determining the points earned. For example, if you pay $17.35, you receive 17 points; if you pay $34.86, you receive 35 points.

To ensure system efficiency for small transactions, the subtotal amount paid for an order must be at least $1 to trigger point accrual; orders under $1 do not generate any points.

Furthermore, points for all orders will be automatically credited to your account by the system only after the order status has officially changed to "Completed"; the number of points corresponds to the amount of the qualifying purchase.

New User Perk: 10x Point Rewards

IGGM has a welcome gift for new users! Your first paid order on IGGM automatically qualifies for a generous 10x points reward.

However, if your first order's subtotal is less than $1, you will not receive any points, and your first-order privilege as a new user will be used up. Therefore, IGGM recommends buying higher-value items you need during your first order to make the most of the 10x point reward.

Due to the significant value of this offer, points for the first order will be credited after the order is successfully delivered and passes a security review, provided no refund occurs within 24 hours.

You can view the specific points added upon completion in the My Account → My Orders section of IGGM.com. If you have just completed a payment but do not see the points immediately, please do not worry - simply wait a short while.

Point Value and Validity

Understanding the value of your points helps you make the best use of them. In the IGGM point system, 100 points = $1 (meaning each point is worth approximately $0.01).

Please note that points are not valid indefinitely; each point expires 90 days from the date it was earned. IGGM employs a user-friendly rolling expiration policy: points earned on Day 1 will expire at the end of Day 91. The specific calculation time for rolling expiration depends on the time zone of your account's IP address.

You can check for notifications regarding points nearing expiration on the "My Points" page of your account at any time to ensure you don't miss out on benefits.

Multiple Ways to Use Points: Direct Cash Deduction and Coupon Exchange

When buying items on IGGM, you can choose to use your accumulated points to directly offset the cash cost of your order or exchange them for significant discounts at IGGM Coupon Redemption Center. The choice is entirely yours!

Option A: Direct Cash Deduction at Checkout

On the checkout page, you can use the points in your account balance to reduce the cost of your current order. The proportion of the order total that can be offset by points is directly linked to your order subtotal.

Please refer to the table below for specific deduction ratios based on order subtotal ranges:

Important notes on using points for cash deductions:

1. Points are awarded only for successfully completed orders; orders that are voluntarily cancelled, flagged for suspected fraud, or fully refunded are not eligible for points;
2. Points for your first order are not credited immediately; they will be issued within 24 hours after successful delivery, provided no refund has occurred;
3. If an order involving points undergoes a partial refund, the system will deduct the corresponding points (rounded based on the refund amount) and return any points that were consumed. Returned Consumed Points = Consumed Points × (Refund Amount / Subtotal Amount);
4. Points can be used in conjunction with VIP discounts;
5. Cannot be used in conjunction with discount codes or cash coupons;
6. Cannot be exchanged for cash;
7. Cannot be withdrawn as cash;
8. Cannot be transferred between accounts;
9. IGGM.com reserves the right of final interpretation for all points-related policies.

Option B: Redeem Discount Codes or Cash Coupons

You can also visit the points redemption page to exchange points (in tiers ranging from 100 to 500 points) for discount codes (various rates) or cash coupons (subject to minimum order requirements). For example, the $10 cash coupon can only be used if your order's subtotal amount is $95 or more. If your subtotal is less than $95, the coupon will not automatically appear at checkout.

By the way, if you forget to check in for the day, the little rocket emoji on this coupon page is your quick way to do so! With a simple tap, a shake of the little rocket, and your points are in the bag!

All discount codes and cash coupons are limited to 30 per week, first come, first served! All redeemable rewards reset every Friday at 4:00 PM (UTC+8)/1:00 AM PDT.

Different colors clearly indicate the current stock status: green for 21-30 remaining, orange for 11-20, and red for 1-10. When stock reaches zero, it will display "Out of stock." But don't worry, all redeemable prize inventory resets every Friday at 4:00 PM (UTC+8). Let's do it earlier next time!

While coupons are great, please keep in mind that all discount codes or cash coupons are valid for only 3 days. Redeem them carefully and ensure the items you wish to buy are in stock to avoid wasting your points.

Additionally, please note that all redeemed and used discount codes, cash coupons, and free orders are non-refundable, non-exchangeable, and non-restoreable. Therefore, please carefully check the items you wish to buy before using your coupons to avoid losing them due to subsequent refunds or other changes!

You can view your coupons and their current expiration status on the My Account → My Coupons page.

Note: You can now quickly access the coupon redemption page not only through REDEEM button in the product page navigation bar, but also through "Coupon Center" at the bottom of IGGM homepage. We recommend bookmarking this page for convenient future check-ins and redemptions - saving you time and effort.

Notes on Points Redemption Coupons:

1. Only registered IGGM users are eligible to participate in points redemption.
2. Each reward is limited to the first 30 users per week on a first-come, first-served basis.
3. All discount codes, cash coupons and special items are subject to verification upon redemption.
4. Redeemed discount codes/cash coupons are valid for 3 days from the time of claim.
5. Only one discount code/cash coupon can be used per order. They cannot be combined with VIP discounts or points deductions.
6. Discount codes/cash coupons are not valid for gift cards and top-up services.
7. Redeemed discount codes, cash coupons, and free orders cannot be returned, exchanged, or restored once claimed or used.
8. Each account is limited to one redemption per special item per day.
9. Points required for special items are subject to change based on market price fluctuations.
10. IGGM.com reserves the right of final interpretation.

Option C: Direct Exchange for In-Game Currency/Items

In addition to coupons, IGGM will also add special points redemption options to the redemption page from time to time, allowing you to directly redeem specific in-game items with points, such as Monopoly GO cards, Diablo 4 materials, or POE 1/2 currency.

However, please note that each special item is limited to one redemption per account per day. Please choose carefully.

Note: Due to varying demand for special items and market price fluctuations, the number of points required to redeem these items may also change. Please monitor IGGM regularly to take advantage of low-point redemption opportunities.

Once you meet the points requirements and click to redeem, a pop-up window will prompt you to enter the necessary delivery details for the game. After accurately filling in the information and completing the verification, the system will automatically generate a free order and display it in Coupon Order list; you just need to wait for it to be delivered safely. More point redemption features and options are coming soon - stay tuned!

If you encounter errors during the redemption verification process, please check your network connection and try again using a reliable VPN.

Furthermore, given the nature of virtual items, returns or exchanges are not possible once an order begins processing; however, if delivery fails due to issues on the IGGM platform, the points used will be fully refunded.

VIP Ranks & Benefits

For VIP members, IGGM offers tiered discounts to all users based on accumulated spending. Once your cumulative spending hits a specific threshold, you automatically unlock a permanent VIP discount:

VIP 1: Your Spending (<$1,000), Get a 1% discount.

VIP 2: Your Spending (≥ $1,000 and < $3,000) , Get a 2% discount.

VIP 3: Your Spending (≥ $3,000 and < $6,000), Get a 3% discount.

VIP 4: Your Spending (≥ $6,000 and < $10,000), Get a 4% discount.

VIP 5: Your Spending (≥$10,000), Get a 5% discount.

Discount Stacking Rules:

• VIP Discounts CAN be combined with Points Deductions.
• VIP Discounts CANNOT be stacked with Discount Codes or Cash Coupons.

At checkout, you may apply either:

• Option A: Discount Code or Cash Coupon (Alone)
• Option B: VIP Discount + Points Deduction (Note: Discount Codes and Cash Coupons are not valid for Gift Cards or Top-up services.)

Stacking Discounts and Maximizing Savings

How can you get the most savings when checking out? IGGM has designed a smart checkout system based on our VIP ranks and point-redemption rules.

At IGGM, VIP discounts stack perfectly with direct point deductions. However, please note that redeemed discount codes or cash coupons cannot be combined with VIP discounts or point deductions. Additionally, only one coupons may be used per order.

At checkout, the system automatically compares the final costs of "Option 1 (VIP Benefits + Direct Point Deduction)" and "Option 2 (Single Discount Codes or Cash Coupons)" to select the most cost-effective choice for you, saving you the trouble of manual calculations. Which option offers the best deal will be displayed next to that option (Best Value). Of course, if you have your own preferences regarding coupon and point usage, you are free to select your preferred discount method.

Refunds and Point Returns

IGGM's refund policy allows you to request a refund at any time prior to the completion of delivery. However, we have specific rules regarding the refund and rebate of your points in this situation:

Situation 1: Full Refund

If you cancel your order for personal reasons, orders suspected of fraud or requiring a full refund will not be awarded points; furthermore, points already used in such orders will not be refunded.

However, if a full refund is issued due to reasons attributable to IGGM, the points consumed for the order will be fully refunded to your account.

Situation 2: Partial Refund

If an order involving awarded points undergoes a partial refund due to special circumstances, the system will refund a portion of the consumed points on a pro-rata basis relative to the refund amount. Naturally, the points rebate you would have originally received upon order completion will also be adjusted; the corresponding points will be deducted based on the refund amount, with the figure rounded to the nearest whole number.

Here is the formula for calculating point returns during a refund:

• Returned Consumed Points = Consumed Points × (Refund Amount / Subtotal Amount)
• Deducted Earned Points = Subtotal Amount - Refund Amount (rounded to the nearest whole number)

The all-new IGGM member point system is designed to offer you more viable discount options for your long-term gaming purchases. Every point accumulated is a sincere token of our appreciation for your support.

Log in to your IGGM account now, visit the Check-in Center to start accumulating points, and experience a smarter, more rewarding checkout process like never before!

Frequently Asked Questions about IGGM Points System

Q1: Can I transfer my VIP 5 perks from my old account to a newly created account and start accumulating check-in points there?

A: No. To ensure account security and platform fairness, VIP tiers and points are treated as exclusive assets of an individual account. According to our system security rules, transferring, merging, or gifting perks across different accounts is strictly unsupported.

Q2: My account currently has 277 points. If I buy items worth $34.68 and use up all my points to get a $2.77 deduction, but later receive a partial refund of $15.44 due to certain factors, how many points will I end up with?

A: Your original $34.68 order generates 35 points based on rounding. Due to the partial refund of $15.44, the system will proportionately deduct 15 points (rounded to the nearest whole number). Therefore, the net points earned from this purchase will be: 35 - 15 = 20 points. Additionally, the system will return the points you consumed. Based on the calculation formula: Consumed Points × (Refund Amount / Total Purchase Amount), you will get back 123 points. As a result, your final account balance will be 123 + 20 = 143 points.

Q3: Can I create unlimited new IGGM accounts and place small orders to exploit the 10x points newcomer reward?

A: No. IGGM strictly prohibits the malicious registration of multiple accounts, utilizing technical exploits, or engaging in order manipulation to farm newcomer benefits. Our system is equipped with rigorous anti-fraud and risk control mechanisms: the 10x points multiplier for the first order will only be credited after the order is successfully delivered and passes a 24-hour anti-abuse system review. If the risk control system detects multi-account farming linked by the same IP, same device, same payment method, or malicious account associations, the platform reserves the right to permanently ban the related accounts and clear all accrued benefits.

Q4: I just registered an account and my first order was a small item for $0.9. Because it was under $1, the system didn't give me any points. Then, my second order was for $100. Why didn't my second order get the 10x points? My first order didn't receive any points anyway, shouldn't this second order count as my actual "valid first order"?

A: No. The system strictly identifies the "New User First Order" based on the very first paid order under your account, regardless of the transaction amount. The threshold ruling out points for subtotals under $1 is a foundational platform policy. Therefore, we highly recommend that new users consolidate their shopping carts on their first purchase and bundle higher-value items into the first order to fully maximize the value of the 10x points perk.

Q5: If a website error prevents me from checking in for the day, causing my check-in streak to break, what measures will IGGM take to compensate for my points loss?

A: We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. The daily check-in resets based on a specific time matching the server's time zone. If the streak is broken due to network latency or missing the refresh window, the system will strictly execute the automatic reset policy. We recommend completing your check-in as early as possible each day and ensuring a stable network environment. If the interruption is conclusively caused by a large-scale server outage on the platform, an official site-wide points compensation announcement will be issued once resolved. Please note that support agents do not have the authorization to manually alter individual check-in histories. Thank you for your understanding.

Q6: I spent 300 points to redeem a $5 cash coupon, but the game items I wanted have been out of stock on the platform for the past few days. As a result, the coupon expired within 3 days without being used. The stockout is the platform's issue, so why should my 300 points be deducted for nothing?

A: We apologize, but once a reward is redeemed at the Rewards Center, the corresponding points will be deducted and cannot be refunded. Because each reward is strictly limited to the first 30 users per week on a first-come, first-served basis, and the cash coupons are valid for 3 days, we highly recommend verifying current product stock and your purchase intent before making a redemption to avoid accidental cash coupon expiration.

Q7: Can I still request a refund if my order status is "Completed"? Can the points be refunded?

A: If IGGM has successfully completed the delivery and you have confirmed the order's completion, we unfortunately cannot honor refund requests. The points spent will not be returned. However, if IGGM fails to complete the service due to our own issues (for example, if Tycoon Racers carry service fails to help you achieve Rank #1), we will refund the points you spent according to the refund ratio.

Q8: Why do I keep encountering errors when trying to redeem a coupon?

A: Coupon redemption errors typically occur due to network instability or system security protocols. Your IP address might be flagged as originating from a high-risk region. We recommend adjusting your VPN settings or connecting to a different network, then trying again. If the issue persists, please reach out to our 24/7 Customer Support team for further assistance.

Q9: Can I use a script or plug-in to claim the weekly limited 30 discount codes/cash coupons available each week?

A: To ensure fairness for all players, we have implemented strict security measures. Redeeming any discount codes or cash coupons requires passing verification, rendering any script-based simulated clicks ineffective. IGGM reserves the right to void coupons and impose account restrictions on any account found using irregular methods (such as multi-instance farming, emulators, or third-party software) to forcibly claim coupons.

Q10: If I use points to offset the cost but later receive a refund due to special circumstances, will the validity period of the returned points be extended?

A: No. Returned points retain their original acquisition date and continue to follow the 90-day expiration rule; the IGGM platform will not reset or extend the expiration date due to a refund. Please use the returned points as soon as possible to avoid expiration!

Q11: Will the points required to redeem specific special items on IGGM change?

A: Yes. Considering that the prices of specific items in the game may fluctuate with game updates and changes in market demand, the points required for redeeming special items offered by IGGM will also be adjusted accordingly. However, rest assured that even with these adjustments, the points cost for redeeming items on IGGM remains far below the market price.

Monopoly GO has gradually started collaborating with other franchises since 2024. These crossovers have not only attracted more players, but also helped maintain the game's popularity.

The official team clearly saw the benefits of these collaborations and subsequently began working with even more IPs. This has almost become the norm for Monopoly GO, while album seasons without a crossover can feel comparatively dull. So, let's take a look at which franchises Monopoly GO has collaborated with so far.

Let's list all the collaborative albums in chronological order:

1. Marvel GO!
2. Star Wars GO!
3. Summer Escape
4. Harry Potter GO!
5. Posh Pets
6. The Simpsons
7. Happy Harvest with Looney Tunes

Marvel GO!

• Duration: September 26, 2024 to December 5, 2024

Marvel GO! was Monopoly GO!'s first major IP crossover, bringing players a more-than-two-month celebration of Marvel universe, and the response from players was extremely enthusiastic.

Monopoly GO introduced 20 Marvel-themed Sticker Albums, along with Racing events, Partner events, and Digging events. It also brought a large number of Marvel character tokens and Shields featuring characters such as Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Deadpool.

As the game's first major crossover, it successfully attracted a large number of Marvel fans and new players, making it a highly successful collaboration for Monopoly GO. For both the official team and the players, this was a crossover that delivered a satisfying experience.

Star Wars GO!

• Duration: May 1, 2025 to July 2, 2025

About 6 months after the success of Marvel GO!, Monopoly GO teamed up with Star Wars again, and this collaboration showed a more mature approach.

The album included 22 exclusive Sticker Sets, along with multiple themed events such as Pod Racers, Rebel Racers, Hyperspace Partners, and Tatooine Treasures. It also offered a large collection of themed collectibles.

The official Monopoly GO stickers and board design show many details that respect Star Wars, making players feel the developers' respect for the franchise.

To some extent, the careful design is exactly why Star Wars GO! was even more popular with players than Marvel GO! However, its success also benefited from the experience gained during Marvel GO! album.

Summer Escape

• Duration: July 2, 2025 to August 27, 2025

This was Monopoly GO!'s second collaboration with Marvel, focusing on promoting the movie The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Although players could probably guess that it was another crossover album as soon as they saw the album's name.

Unlike the first Marvel crossover, which covered the wider Marvel universe, this collaboration was much more focused. The events revolved around the four members of Fantastic Four, with each character being obtainable through different mini-games, such as Invisible Woman from Deluxe Drop and the Mister Fantastic Token from Fantastic Treasures.

Fans of Fantastic Four could specifically collect the characters they liked. Unfortunately, Fantastic Four did not receive its own Sticker Album, and because the collaboration was closely tied to the movie's promotional campaign, its overall impact may have been slightly weaker than Marvel GO!.

Harry Potter GO!

• Duration: December 10, 2025 to February 4, 2026

As one of the most influential IPs in the world, the announcement of Harry Potter collaboration attracted considerable attention from the moment it was revealed. Like Star Wars GO!, this was another major crossover.

Mr. M and his friends traveled to Platform 9¾ to explore the magical world, including Hogwarts, Diagon Alley, and Gringotts. The collaboration included 23 Sticker Sets, as well as Racing mini-games themed around Quidditch and Gringotts Mine Carts. However, the relatively high collection difficulty also led to complaints from some players.

Posh Pets

• Duration: February 4, 2026 to April 8, 2026

After collaborating with major IPs such as Marvel and Star Wars, Monopoly GO switched things up and teamed up with Sanrio's Hello Kitty.

Like Summer Escape, this was a relatively light collaboration. Although the official team introduced themed events and cosmetics, the crossover itself was not the main theme, but rather one part of the broader pet-themed content.

The official team clearly hoped to attract more female players through the collaboration, although players who are less interested in Sanrio may not have been particularly excited about it.

The Simpsons

• Duration: June 3, 2026 to July 29, 2026

The Simpsons album was the deepest and largest crossover Monopoly GO has had so far, with even Harry Potter and Star Wars collaborations unable to match its scale. Both sides brought a great deal of commitment to the project.

This crossover was not simply about adding stickers and themed content. Instead, it transformed the world of Monopoly GO into Springfield. A brand-new Episode was introduced every two weeks, telling original stories set in Springfield.

The official team also released more than 50 Simpsons-themed Chance Cards, exclusive Monopoly GO stickers, and original animated shorts.

Some players directly called it their favorite crossover and said that The Simpsons Album was the first time they were willing to put more resources into the game. Even after The Simpsons Album ended, players began missing its visual style and content.

Happy Harvest with Looney Tunes

• Duration: July 29, 2026 to September 23, 2026

Following The Simpsons, Monopoly GO teamed up with the classic animated IP Looney Tunes. However, like Posh Pets, this was not a particularly deep collaboration, with only part of the sticker collection being connected to Looney Tunes characters.

Many players felt that there were too few Looney Tunes elements, making the crossover feel rather thin compared with the recently concluded Simpsons collaboration. Overall, player reception was clearly weaker than that of The Simpsons. Still, it can give some players a chance to take a breather.

If you want to easily complete Happy Harvest with Looney Tunes album, you can buy Monopoly Go Stickers at IGGM.com to complete your collection of missing cards.

Additionally, registered IGGM users can use points earned from IGGM check-ins to redeem stickers for free with IGGM coupons. Note that stickers are limited in quantity and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

With just a little observation, it is easy to see that Monopoly GO tends to collaborate with franchises that have broad audiences and appeal to players of different ages. We may eventually see franchises such as Disney and Super Mario appear in Monopoly GO.

How was your experience during WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 PTR, which concluded on August 17? While three days might not have been enough to master every nuance, you likely identified the most challenging aspects of the encounter.

Unsurprisingly, Illidan Stormrage encounter is the most troublesome part of Phase 3. However, he cannot be bypassed; he is not only the final boss of Black Temple raid but also the sole source of the ultimate weapons, The Twin Blades of Azzinoth.

If your PTR experience and existing information haven't yet provided you with a reliable strategy for facing Illidan Stormrage, don't worry, we've got you covered with just one week left until Phase 3 launches!

How to unlock Illidan Stormrage encounter?

Black Temple raid in BCC Anniversary Phase 3 features nine bosses, with Illidan Stormrage being the final one. The boss order is linear, meaning you cannot skip the other bosses to fight Illidan Stormrage directly.

Consequently, unlocking this boss fight boils down to two steps: completing Black Temple attunement and defeating the eight preceding bosses.

Illidan Stormrage boss fight phases and mechanics

This TBC Classic Anniversary boss fight consists of five phases, requiring coordinated efforts from DPS, tanks, and healers. However, the encounter demands a higher number of tanks, who must also ensure they have adequate Fire and Shadow resistance.

Phase 1

In this phase, Illidan Stormrage cycles through abilities such as Shear, Flame Crash, Draw Soul, and Parasitic Shadowfiend to attack your raid. The fight transitions to the next phase once the boss's health drops to 65%.

Shear primarily targets the main tank. If you are fulfilling this role, prioritize boosting your block, dodge, or parry chances. Flame Crash deals AoE damage and leaves behind a persistent zone of blue flames that inflict damage to anyone standing in them.

The best way to handle Draw Soul is to avoid standing directly in front of the boss and to apply a healing-reduction debuff to him beforehand. Parasitic Shadowfiend possesses parasitic and contagious properties, requiring ranged DPS to manage the mechanic.

Phase 2

In this phase, the boss uses standard abilities: Fireball, Dark Barrage, and Eye Blast. Simply dodging these and maintaining sufficient Fire and Shadow resistance is enough to handle them; the real challenge lies in Flames of Azzinoth.

These are special TBC Classic Anniversary enemies summoned by the two Warglaives thrown by Illidan Stormrage. You must ensure these enemies do not stray too far from Warglaives, or they will gain a buff.

The primary ability of Flames of Azzinoth is Flame Blast, which unleashes a cone of green fire in front of them; standing in this area causes damage. You must defeat both Flames of Azzinoth enemies to proceed to Phase 3.

Phases 3 & 4

These two phases are grouped together because Illidan Stormrage cycles between the forms associated with Phases 3 and 4 until his health drops to 30%.

The mechanics of Phase 3 are largely identical to Phase 1, with one key difference: the boss gains a new ability called Agonizing Flames. This deals Fire damage to a random player and any allies within 5 yards of them.

After Phase 3 mechanics have played out for one minute, the boss transforms into a massive demon, marking the start of Phase 4. He remains in this form for 60 seconds before reverting to Phase 3.

In his massive demon form, the boss initially deals Shadow damage to players within 15 yards via Aura of Dread. Consequently, everyone must maintain distance from the boss and rely primarily on ranged DPS.

Another troublesome ability in the demon form is Summon Shadow Demons. Illidan summons four demons; each randomly locks onto a player, stuns them, and fires a beam at them.

If you are targeted, the demon will move toward you; contact results in instant death, after which the demon seeks a new target. Therefore, you must kill the demons before they reach any player.

Phase 5

This phase is essentially a continuation of Phases 3 and 4, but The Warden Maiev Shadowsong appears as your ally. In addition to her standard attacks, she periodically uses Shadow Trap.

If the boss is lured onto a trap, he becomes stunned and takes increased damage for the next 15 seconds. However, the boss also gains a new ability in Phase 5 called Enrage, which increases his attack speed and damage output for 20 seconds.

This boss fight is quite a long encounter. Therefore, regardless of your role, in addition to mastering the mechanics mentioned above, you should come prepared with plenty of consumables to replenish your mana or health as needed.

If you find yourself running low on supplies, you can buy WoW TBC Classic Anniversary gold to acquire more consumables.

Furthermore, as a registered and logged in IGGM user, you can earn points by IGGM check-in, and then save money by using the points to offset order costs or redeem discount codes and cash coupons!

Illidan Stormrage exclusive loot

In addition to the legendary set of Warglaive of Azzinoth mentioned earlier, The Twin Blades of Azzinoth, and standard gold rewards, defeating Illidan Stormrage yields tokens that can be exchanged for a Tier 6 chest piece.

Other gear drops include:

• Shard of Azzinoth
• Crystal Spire of Karabor
• Zhar'doom, Greatstaff of the Devourer
• Shroud of the Highborne
• Stormrage Signet Ring
• Cowl of the Illidari High Lord
• Cursed Vision of Sargeras
• Faceplate of the Impenetrable
• Black Bow of the Betrayer
• Bulwark of Azzinoth
• Memento of Tyrande
• The Skull of Gul'dan

We hope this boss guide helps you conquer Black Temple raid and tackle all the new content arriving in WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3! Get a head start on your preparations now!

Forza Horizon 6 brings the stage to Japan. For many players, this is a long-awaited choice. Japan boasts a rich array of car brands, a unique tuning culture, a tradition of mountain driving, and a globally influential JDM culture.

Whether it's the neon-lit streets of Tokyo at night or the winding roads of Mount Akina, Japan seems a natural fit for Forza Horizon. But here's the problem: while FH6 perfectly integrates Japan into the game's geography, it doesn't seamlessly integrate Japanese car culture into the gameplay.

Car Tuning Culture

One of the most captivating aspects of Japanese car culture isn't a few famous JDM cars, but rather how enthusiasts transform ordinary cars into entirely different things through modification.

Japanese streets have witnessed a diverse array of tuning styles: Bōsōzoku, Kaido Racer, Shakotan, VIP Style, and various extreme lowriders, widebody kits, and street styles. These cultures are rooted in their own aesthetics, history, and owner communities.

However, in FH6, while players possess a considerable number of Japanese car models, they aren't necessarily able to truly customize them into these styles.

For example, a Toyota Crown, Celsior, or other large Japanese sedan, with more comprehensive customization options, could be transformed into a true Japanese VIP vehicle through exaggerated wheels, extremely low stances, air suspension, camber, and body kits.

This illustrates a crucial point: the existence of a Japanese car in the game and allowing players to create a car rooted in Japanese culture are two different things.

Underglow is another prime example. While it doesn't represent the entirety of Japanese car culture, it undeniably alters the visual appearance of modified cars at night. For a game that perfectly recreates Japanese city streets at night, adding this feature is highly suitable.

Therefore, rather than simply adding a few already familiar JDM classics, FH6 should perhaps focus on providing existing Japanese vehicles with more customization possibilities reflecting Japanese car culture.

Japanese Car Enthusiast Life

Car culture is never just about cars. True Japanese car culture also includes car enthusiasts, parking lots, tuning shops, mountain road rest areas, and nighttime car meets. Where does someone go after modifying their car? Who do they talk to? What cars are others driving? These elements collectively constitute what we call car culture.

The Daikoku Parking Area is a mecca for car enthusiasts worldwide not just because it has a parking lot, but because it fosters a unique car social scene: different types of cars, tuning enthusiasts, and fans appear in the same space, with the vehicles themselves becoming a medium for communication.

If Forza Horizon 6 can further utilize this culture, the game's portrayal of Japan will feel completely different. Imagine: a player drives their modified car to a large parking area at night, surrounded by various JDM, VIP, Kei Cars, and supercars. The player can get out to admire, take photos, exchange car designs, and even participate in impromptu virtual car meetups - completely different from participating in a race.

Because players aren't aiming for rankings or completing festival playlists, but simply to enjoy cars with other enthusiasts - that's the true essence of car culture.

If a game depicts Japan with only beautiful streets, Mount Fuji, cherry blossoms, and convenience stores, it represents the scenery. But when a game starts showcasing car meetups, tuning shops, nighttime parking lots, and player interaction, it begins to represent Japanese car culture.

Touge Culture on Mountain Roads

When discussing Japanese car culture, mountain roads and drifting are almost unavoidable. The immense influence of Japanese touge culture isn't just due to the suitability of mountain roads for driving, but also because it has fostered a unique car culture: uphill and downhill driving, routes, vehicle selection, driving techniques, and the chases between two cars.

Forza Horizon 6's track design inherently provides an environment perfectly suited for this gameplay style. If more specialized touge activities were added, such as tandem drifting, downhill time trials, nighttime mountain road challenges, or more free-flowing tandem drifting, then Japan's geography would no longer be just a visual backdrop, but would genuinely influence the player's driving style.

A modified AE86, Silvia, or RX-7 drives along a dimly lit mountain road, two cars chasing each other, with only city lights and headlights visible in the distance - this scene itself is a quintessential visual symbol of Japanese car culture. Forza Horizon 6 possesses most of the necessary elements to create this scene, but it lacks the gameplay elements to further integrate it into Japanese touge culture.

The Contradiction Between Horizon's Global Formula and Japanese Culture

Of course, Forza Horizon 6 is still just a racing game; it can't completely become a Japanese car culture simulator. Open world, vehicle collection, racing, and various entertainment events are the core features of the Horizon series, and these elements themselves are not problematic.

But when Horizon arrives in Japan, is Japan merely a map, or should it further influence gameplay?

If, after arriving in Japan, players still only drive Ferraris in off-road races, perform stunts in Lamborghinis, participate in activities unrelated to Japanese car culture, and even encounter road signs only in English, then Japan, to some extent, is just the game's background - no different from driving in a Japanese theme park in America.

This doesn't mean the FH6 should remove Horizon features, but rather that it should incorporate more Japanese-specific elements into its existing framework. Custom cars can have their own car clubs, mountain roads can offer unique touge experiences, and the city at night can become a stage for custom car culture. In this way, Japan won't just be placed within Horizon, but will truly become a part of it.

If you want to craft your character's ideal gear early in Path of Exile 3.29, you'll essentially have to deal with Orb of Fusing currency during the crafting process. Its sole purpose is to alter the connection between the sockets on a piece of equipment, thus determining whether you can link your core skill gems and support gems to unleash your character's true potential.

Understanding how to acquire and use Orbs of Fusing in PoE is essential for any character aiming for high damage.

Acquisition Methods

Random Drops

There are many ways to obtain Orbs of Fusing in the game, but the most direct methods are opening chests or killing monsters. Among these, Arcanist's Strongbox often drops more PoE currency, so the probability of obtaining several Orbs of Fusing at once is the highest.

Stable Trading

However, for most players, the truly reliable and sustainable farming method is trading with the fixed NPC merchants in the game.

You can exchange four Jeweller's Orbs for one Orb of Fusing at a merchant in any town. Conversely, if you sell any piece of equipment with six sockets to a merchant, he'll give you seven Jeweller's Orbs - essentially trading a six-socket item for the raw material for nearly two Orbs of Fusing.

Even more enticing is that if you're lucky enough to obtain a six-link item in Path of Exile and are willing to sell it to the merchant, he'll pay you 20 Orbs of Fusing - a considerable windfall.

Redeem with Divination Cards

Another method is to redeem Orbs of Fusing using specific Divination Cards, as follows:

• 5 Loyalty Cards: 3 Orbs of Fusing
• 7 Lucky Connections Cards: 20 Orbs of Fusing

Beastcrafting

If you enjoy hunting beasts in PoE, some Beastcrafting recipes can also produce Orbs of Fusing - sacrifice a Craicic Sand Spitter to obtain one Orb of Fusing.

However, compared to the previously mentioned method of farming and selling six-link gear, Beastcrafting is far less efficient and is more suitable as supplementary farming after already possessing Orbs of Fusing.

How to Use It?

Mechanism of Action

In PoE 3.29, to use an Orb of Fusing, simply right-click it and then left-click the target gear. The system will then randomly generate a new set of socket linking patterns for that gear.

The key is that this process doesn't change the total number or color of equipment slots; it only focuses on one thing: shuffling and rearranging the connections between slots.

For example, a chest armor piece that originally had five slots and was already linked in a quadruple pattern might instantly lose that precious quadruple connection if you recklessly use Orb of Fusing on it.

See? Orb of Fusing can be your hope for creating a god-tier piece of equipment, or it can wipe out all your hard-earned gear overnight!

Usage Tips

The Importance of Quality

Most experienced Path of Exile players will repeatedly remind you to ensure your equipment's Quality is at least 20% before using Orb of Fusing.

Whether you're using Armorer's Scrap to enhance armor or Blacksmith's Whetstone to refine weapons, every point of Quality on your equipment will genuinely increase your chances of getting more links at a ratio of one to one.

In other words, a chest armor piece with 20% Quality has a 20% higher chance of being six-link than a plain piece of gear.

While this doesn't guarantee success, extensive player testing shows that ignoring Quality and using Orbs of Fusing directly often depletes your PoE currency reserves much faster.

If you can obtain more than 20% Quality (e.g., through Crafting Bench), the success rate will increase further, but regardless, 20% Quality is the minimum requirement and should not be ignored.

Crafting Bench

As mentioned earlier, Orbs of Fusing can sometimes produce frustratingly random results, but PoE Crafting Bench provides a guaranteed, fixed-price solution.

You can use a fixed number of Orbs of Fusing at your hideout or at Crafting Bench in various towns to craft a specific number of links without equipping the item. Specifically:

• Two-link: 1 Orb of Fusing
• Three-link: 3 Orbs of Fusing
• Four-link: 5 Orbs of Fusing
• Five-link: 150 Orbs of Fusing
• Six-link: 1500 Orbs of Fusing

Don't be intimidated by these numbers; they simply provide a clear upper limit. When you've already invested thousands of Orbs of Fusing into a top-tier base item and still haven't achieved your goal, then Crafting Bench is your last resort.

Many sensible players will set a safe budget of 1500 Orbs of Fusing beforehand. Once Orb of Fusing consumption approaches this number, they will decisively switch to Crafting Bench to avoid bottomless losses.

Cost and Risk

According to long-term data compiled by Path of Exile player community, manually unlocking six-link gear on 20% quality gear also costs approximately 1500 Orbs of Fusing on average.

However, this is just an average. How many players succeeded with only a few dozen Orbs of Fusing, and how many have tried over two or three thousand without success? How can we know?

Therefore, we must be aware of the randomness of Orbs of Fusing. Every time we use one, the current slot linking status is completely changed.

It's recommended that you prepare a spare piece of transitional gear before attempting five-link or even six-link gear, or ensure you have sufficient reserves to cover potential losses.

In short, sufficient reserves are the foundation for your continued use of Orbs of Fusing to craft gear. You can participate in the ongoing PoE 1+2 currency free giveaways on IGGM Facebook for a chance to be one of ten lucky winners to share the rewards!

Although using Orbs of Fusing is inherently random, with wise planning, it can become a powerful boost in PoE 3.29!

MLB The Show 26 released a free Thank You Pack in the game store yesterday, available to all players until August 31st.

The official statement says this is a thank-you gift to MLB 26 community and all players for their continued efforts in maintaining a fair and just gaming environment. For players, the first thing to consider is what's in Thank You Pack, and secondly, how it will affect their in-game roster and gameplay.

Besides this, it's worth considering whether the timing and reason for Thank You Pack's release indicate that the official team is starting to pay attention to unfair practices in the game and the efforts of players.

Thank You Pack

All MLB 26 players who log in to the game store before the deadline can claim a Thank You Pack containing 22 Chase Boss player items. You can choose one as a reward:

If your MLB 26 roster isn't strong enough, you can choose one player from 99OVR; if your team is already strong enough, you can fill in the gaps or choose a player you're interested in as a reward.

Significance

From the perspective of reward content, this is crucial for players' gaming experience.

The reward players in Thank You Pack, especially those with maxed-out OVR like Stan Musial and Adrian Beltre, would likely require a significant amount of MLB The Show 26 Stubs to acquire through regular gameplay.

Especially for Diamond Dynasty players, a high-value player card signifies a significant boost to team strength and a victory advantage; these players are essentially essential to their rosters.

Now that these players are available for free, it not only provides a genuinely positive gaming experience but also conveys a more heartfelt sense of gratitude than simply adding a few low-OVR players to a card pack.

Timing of Launch

The emergence of Thank You Pack seems to demonstrate that Developers is beginning to seriously prioritize game fairness and the healthy development of MLB The Show community.

Since April of this year, the issue of cheating has come to the forefront of the community's attention. Reddit communities even created a dedicated Cheating/Exploiting News Mega Thread, exposing a cheat server with over 40,000 members. Moderators explicitly stated they would lead the fight against cheating.

In May, Mini Seasons Pack Glitch controversy arose. Community discussions focused on players exploiting a Mini Seasons reward loophole to repeatedly obtain packs, demanding official punishment for cheating.

MLB 26 officials have explicitly stated that these cheating behaviors violate Terms of Service, and they have taken appropriate measures, emphasizing that ensuring a fair gaming experience remains a top priority.

This Thank You Pack demonstrates the shared goal between the official team and players: maintaining fairness and impartiality. It also serves as a crucial link between players and the official team, building trust and connection. Beyond game resources, players gain a deeper sense of recognition.

Why is Recognition Important?

A long-term player invests more than just money in the game; they invest time and effort every single day.

Players need to learn the game mechanics, follow roster updates, build their teams, and complete challenges and missions, repeating this process every time new content is released.

Many players are longtime MLB fans, their relationship with MLB 26 built through repeated gameplay experiences.

Faced with unfair cheating, they didn't choose to denigrate or abandon the game, but instead provided timely feedback and led the resistance with unwavering commitment. This spirit of perseverance deserves to be seen, recognized, and rewarded.

However, this doesn't mean the official team needs to frequently reward players. In fact, if they did, the reward system would lose its meaning. Occasionally, a developer directly expressing gratitude to the community feels more special because it's not part of the daily gameplay.

Therefore, Thank You Pack possesses an emotional value that's difficult to measure using MLB 26 Stubs or player ratings.

Current Game Status

Fairness and impartiality are crucial for MLB The Show 26.

It's not just because Diamond Dynasty is a competitive game mode with an independent economy built around player cards, packs, stubs, and team development; it's also because rampant cheating using exploits or tools affects more than just the game itself - it erodes other players' trust in the time and effort they've invested.

Now, the official stance is that they are taking measures to combat cheating, while also reminding players that fair competition remains a crucial part of the game's future development. In this context, Thank You Pack carries even greater significance.

It's not compensation for any single cheating incident, nor is it due to a specific exploit. It's more like the developers sending a positive signal to players: MLB 26's future development will adhere to fairness and justice, and they will work hand-in-hand with players.

What to Do Next?

A simple Thank You Pack isn't enough. To maintain the game's healthy development, the official team should create an environment where players are convinced that following the rules still has value.

1. Timely Response

One of the biggest challenges for any online game is addressing exploits before they become widespread. This is even more crucial in MLB 26 Diamond Dynasty. Cheating affects more than just a single match; it can impact the entire game economy.

Therefore, timely and rapid responses to bugs can significantly reduce the impact of cheating.

2. Clearer Rules

Players need to understand the line between playing normally, exploiting game mechanics, and intentionally cheating.

A clearer understanding of officially prohibited behaviors, bug exploits, and potential penalties will encourage legitimate players to adhere to the rules and avoid unnecessary disputes.

3. Protection and Punishment

Protecting the achievements of legitimate players and punishing cheaters is the true value of following the rules.

Ordinary players need to spend hours completing tasks and earning rewards to progress, while cheaters can bypass these steps, raising doubts about the value of time invested in MLB The Show 26.

Therefore, if the official studio consistently demonstrates that exploiting game bugs will be punished, while legitimate participation will still be rewarded, it will enhance player confidence in Diamond Dynasty in the long run.

Returning to reality, while Thank You Pack can't solve all the problems facing MLB The Show 26, it can create a positive start.

For the game itself, a free gift pack gives players something today, while creating a stronger, fairer competitive mechanism will keep them playing tomorrow.

EA FC 26 will hand over to FC 27 in September. Although the overall reception of EA FC 26 has been mixed, with negative opinions even outweighing positive ones, the fact remains that EA FC 26 has performed quite well commercially.

Looking back at how FUT 26 changed over the past year is still worthwhile, as it can provide a useful reference for players planning to play FC 27. Starting with several of the more important Promos and updates, let's take a look at what the official team actually did throughout the year.

Ultimate Scream (Title Update v1.1.0)

The first month after EA FC 26 launched was when player sentiment was at its strongest. Many of the issues players had complained about in FC 25 were changed or fixed by the official team. The on-pitch gameplay felt like some of the best in recent years, dribbling became more fluid and responsive, and the overall attacking experience was arguably the smoothest in the series.

Even more surprisingly, Ultimate Scream Promo returned on October 24 after a 6-year absence. It brought unexpected and exaggerated boosts to player attributes without breaking the game's balance too early, and many players enjoyed this Promo.

However, Title Update v1.1.0 released almost alongside Ultimate Scream Promo received a much less favorable response.

It slightly increased the speed and responsiveness of Sprint Jockey for user-controlled players, but significantly weakened R1 Dribbling.

Many players and content creators felt that the official team had overcorrected, pushing the game away from an attack-heavy meta and back toward a more defensive style in which scoring goals became more difficult. Around 68% of players reportedly disliked the update.

However, Title Update v1.2.0, released on November 11, managed to turn things around to some extent. It fixed overly strong AI defending as well as strange goalkeeper mistakes, which was exactly what players had been asking for.

Overall, although Title Update v1.1.0 was somewhat problematic, the first two months after EA FC 26 launched still offered a fairly enjoyable gameplay experience.

TOTY Promo (Title Update v1.4.0)

By early 2026, FC 26 was approaching the biggest Promo of the year. This was a crucial turning point because player cards were about to receive a major increase in overall power, and most players were entering the middle stage of the game.

However, let's move slightly backward first and take a look at Title Update v1.4.0, which was released on January 5.

The core of this update was a reduction to overly strong AI defending. The reaction speed of AI defenders was lowered, giving attackers more room to operate. It also fixed an issue in Squad Battles where the computer AI would maintain possession excessively.

If this update had arrived during the early stages of FC 26, it probably would not have caused much concern. However, players had already been playing FC 26 for more than three months, and Ultimate Teams they had built around the existing gameplay were significantly weakened after the patch. The meta players also changed, which disrupted the in-game economy, leading many players to strongly dislike the update.

TOTY Promo, which launched on January 16, 2026, did little to ease the frustration. Many players reported that even after saving and opening a huge number of packs, it was still extremely difficult to see a single TOTY player.

Another issue during FC 26 TOTY Promo was the absence of something similar to the repeatable 82×20 Upgrade SBC from FC 25. That SBC allowed free-to-play players to turn a large amount of gameplay time into opportunities to open packs. Free players simply did not have enough FC 26 Coins to open large numbers of TOTY packs.

TOTY Promo also removed the traditional TOTY-themed packs and replaced them with a token-based system with lower overall rewards, leaving free-to-play players almost completely shut out from the top-tier rewards.

Overall, this period produced the most concentrated wave of negative feedback for FC 26, and the gameplay experience was no longer as enjoyable as it had been shortly after launch.

FUT Birthday (Title Update v1.5.0)

Title Update v1.5.0, released on March 4, was particularly important because it once again changed the way the game played.

The update weakened one-dimensional approaches that relied heavily on PlayStyles, such as Tiki Taka and Incisive Pass. This made matches more dependent on how well players judged space and timing rather than simply relying on specific abilities.

At the same time, players' base attributes became important again. Players with high Passing attributes gained a clearer advantage in short passing, making squad building more strategic.

This was another highly polarizing update. Although it delivered on some of the promises made when FC 26 launched, it changed the meta in much the same way as Update v1.4.0, causing the value of relevant players to fall from several hundred thousand FC 26 Coins to the low hundreds of thousands of FC 26 coins.

Perhaps as a way to make up for this, FUT Birthday Promo, which began on March 6, allowed players to choose which PlayStyle+ to add to a player card through Choose Your Own Adventure EVO. Overall, however, Promo was not particularly impressive.

TOTS Promo

TOTS Promo officially began on April 17 and continued through May 22. It was a 6-week event and, like TOTS in previous years, was one of the most important Promos in FC 26.

The official team did not release another Title Update that fundamentally changed the core gameplay during this period. Most updates focused on bug fixes, but TOTS Promo itself was still worth discussing.

TOTS consistently introduced some of the strongest player cards of the year. Players such as Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and Bruno Fernandes all received extremely powerful cards. However, player interest in TOTS was not particularly high.

On one hand, the absence of some elite stars, such as Vinicius Jr., disappointed players. On the other hand, the player cards introduced during FUT Birthday Promo already had extremely high attributes and multiple PlayStyles+, which made the improvement offered by TOTS cards feel relatively limited. As a result, players gradually lost interest in TOTS.

At least based on this Promo, the official team had not delivered on its promise to control power creep.

The World's Game(Title Update v1.6.0)

Normally, FC 26 would gradually enter its late stage after TOTS, with the active player base slowly declining. However, 2026 was a World Cup year, and that helped keep FC 26 relevant.

Although it did not have FIFA license, FC 26 still used licenses for various national teams, clubs, and players to launch a World Cup-style event called The World's Game on June 4.

In addition to adding 53 licensed national teams, it introduced several well-received Promos, including Path to Glory and Glory Hunters. Both the player cards and token system received generally positive feedback.

From July through August, the Festival of Football shifted the official team's focus toward FC 27, so there were no major changes during this stage.

Will FC 27 Be Better Than FC 26?

To be honest, although EA FC 27 makes several changes based on FC 26, they are not enough to make it feel like a true next-generation experience. Throughout the entire FC 26 lifecycle, several gameplay adjustments frustrated players, but World Cup helped keep the game active and relevant for almost the entire year.

The full year of EA FC 26 brought players frustration, enjoyment, and fatigue. Once World Cup hype fades, FC 27 may find it difficult to replicate the situation seen with FC 26, and there is a strong chance that player enthusiasm will gradually decline after TOTS.

Beyond the upcoming Gamescom 2026, ExileCon 2026, taking place in November, is undoubtedly the major event that Path of Exile 1 and 2 players should be most excited about!

In addition to the announcement of the latest news, ExileCon 2026 will feature various in-person events, including the race finals. To determine the competitors for the finals, Path of Exile 2 race qualifiers are currently in full swing!

Beyond just qualifying for the finals, securing first place in a qualifier earns you incredible prizes that go far beyond your expectations! Read on to ensure you don't miss out!

Race qualifier schedule

Path of Exile 2 race qualifier series consists of four races, held every other week. The third race, scheduled for August 20, is currently underway. The full schedule is as follows (PDT):

• Qualifier 1: August 6, 2 PM
• Qualifier 2: August 13, 2 PM
• Qualifier 3: August 20, 2 PM
• Qualifier 4: August 27, 2 PM

If you missed the first two races or didn't achieve the results you wanted, we recommend setting your device's time zone to PDT to avoid missing future events due to time differences and participating as soon as a new qualifier begins.

Participation rules and rewards

Path of Exile 2 ExileCon 2026 race qualifiers are open to all players for free. You can join the active race at any time during Qualifier 1-4 period, and the event supports both PC and console platforms.

While the participation rules are straightforward, there are specific requirements for claiming the ultimate prizes.

Most importantly, only the first-place winner of each race receives the grand prize; if you win any of the first three qualifiers, you are ineligible to participate in subsequent races.

To avoid disqualification or having your results voided, you must adhere to basic game rules, link your PoE 2 account to Twitch, and ensure your entire run is streamed live on that platform.

One easily overlooked detail regarding PoE 2 race qualifiers is the mandatory 16:9 aspect ratio requirement; altering this setting, intentionally or otherwise, will result in disqualification and a game account ban.

Additionally, if you secure first place but are unable to utilize ExileCon 2026 in-person event rewards (including the ticket, accommodation, and flights) for personal reasons, these benefits will be transferred to the runner-up; you do not have the right to dispose of them yourself.

The specific prize list is as follows:

• Flights to Auckland, New Zealand for ExileCon 2026
• Accommodation during ExileCon 2026
• Entry into PoE 2 ExileCon 2026 Race Finals
• ExileCon 2026 Super VIP Ticket
• Demigod's Virtue Golden Visage Unique Helmet (in-game virtual item)

What do the qualifiers entail?

PoE 2 ExileCon 2026 race qualifiers 1-4 take place within the game's current Runes of Aldur league. You must create a new character from scratch in SSF mode, complete Acts 1 through 4 as quickly as possible, and be the first to defeat Act 4 boss, Tavakai.

Solo Self-Found mode means that during the qualifier, you cannot engage in any form of partying, trading, or borrowing of resources. All gear, gems, and other items must be farmed independently.

Fixing the map layout to Runes of Aldur configuration significantly minimizes the impact of random map generation on the race's progression and outcome.

It is important to note that while the race is not Hardcore, a unique penalty mechanism has been introduced to balance speed-running against the risks of high-pressure gameplay: if your character dies during the race, they will be forcibly frozen in place for 2.5 minutes.

Since there can be only one winner, speed and efficiency are paramount, making it crucial to avoid death at all costs. Even a single freeze penalty could be enough to completely dash your hopes of victory.

If you haven't participated in a qualifier yet, consider joining IGGM PoE Facebook Group to connect with experienced players. There are also PoE 1 & 2 currency giveaways currently underway, definitely worth checking out!

Strategies for a fast run

Beyond the challenging boss fights, efficiently clearing the standard paths and enemies across the first four acts of Path of Exile 2 is crucial for improving your completion speed.

To this end, it is recommended that you practice repeatedly before the race begins. You should accurately memorize the locations of all key quest items and waypoints across the four acts, building muscle memory to avoid inefficient routing during the actual competition.

Additionally, since currency is limited in SSF mode, you must select the most suitable gear based on the specific build-crafting needs of each stage. Prioritize rerolling items to obtain modifiers related to movement speed, base damage, and core resistances.

As the boss marking the final stage of the run, Tavakai the Chieftain serves as a rigorous test of both your Path of Exile 2 race qualifier build's strength and your own mechanical skill ceiling.

This boss features multiple phase transitions and AoE clearing skills; therefore, you must stack sufficient specific elemental resistances and physical damage mitigation before entering the fight.

Furthermore, the encounter involves constantly spawning dangerous minions and environmental hazard zones created by Tavakai's AoE attacks, placing high demands on your positioning and your ability to handle different types of incoming damage.

Qualifiers Twitch Drop and more tips

Path of Exile 1 race qualifiers are expected to begin shortly after Path of Exile 2 qualifiers conclude. If you are familiar with both games but fail to achieve your desired results in Path of Exile 2 event, be sure to keep an eye out for updates and participate in Path of Exile 1 qualifiers.

Even if you lack the confidence or interest to participate in the race qualifiers yourself, you shouldn't ignore the event entirely. Instead, once a qualifier begins, watch Path of Exile 2 streams on Twitch that have Drops Enabled tag.

By watching for just 30 minutes, you can earn Coliseum Helmet Attachment drop reward and automatically unlock eligibility to claim it.

To successfully add the item to your game account, ensure your Path of Exile 2 account is linked to your Twitch account, and remember to manually click Claim on Twitch Inventory page after meeting the viewing time requirement.

Likewise, corresponding Twitch Drop rewards will be available when Path of Exile 1 race qualifiers begin, don't miss out on those either!

Although EA FC 27 hasn't officially launched yet, it's already planning for the new Ultimate Team cycle. The first Football Ultimate Team Campaign - Destined for Glory - has been officially announced.

Unlike past campaigns that simply announced the full Promo roster, this time the player community will participate in player selection. Players can vote from FC 27 Ratings Database for players they believe will have a significant impact in the new season, and the final Destined for Glory squad will be influenced by the community vote.

What is Destined for Glory?

Destined for Glory is the first campaign of the new FIFA 27 Ultimate Team cycle. Its official purpose is very clear: to allow players to vote for players who have the potential to define the season - players they believe will become breakout stars in the 2026/27 season, players who quickly make an impact after transfers, team leaders, or one of the most important stars of the entire season. This means that the pool of candidates for Destined for Glory isn't as strictly limited as traditional transfer-themed promos. Every player in Ratings Database is eligible for voting; we don't need to choose from a pre-released, fixed list of candidates.

Furthermore, Player Items that are officially selected for Destined for Glory Squad will receive live upgrades based on real-world performance. In other words, these cards aren't in their final form at release; a player's performance in real-world matches will determine their future potential for growth.

Conceptually, it shares some similarities with the dynamic card approach players are familiar with. The key difference is that this campaign incorporates community voting from the player selection stage, and the candidate pool covers the entire Ratings Database. This naturally gives it a higher level of discussion and uncertainty than a typical static promo.

Timeline

The timeline for Destined for Glory is now relatively clear.

Official confirmation: Voting begins on August 21st at 9:00 AM PT and continues until September 10th at 8:00 AM PT. Destined for Glory Campaign itself runs from September 25th to October 9th. Based on this information, the entire process can be understood as three stages.

Stage 1: Community Voting (August 21st - September 10th)

Once FC 27 Ratings Database opens, players can search the database for players they believe deserve to be included in Destined for Glory and vote. This stage is not about players choosing a pre-made special card, but rather participating in the formation of the final squad.

Stage 2: Voting Results and Squad Determination (After September 10th)

Community voting will help determine the final Destined for Glory squad, while also incorporating the official selection process. In other words, the players with the most votes are not necessarily all selected; therefore, the final squad should not be viewed as a simple vote leaderboard.

Stage 3: Campaign Launch (September 25th - October 9th)

On September 25th, Destined for Glory officially entered Ultimate Team, meaning there's approximately a two-week gap between the end of voting and official campaign confirmation. This window is crucial for FUT 27 players, as the market undergoes changes from prediction to confirmation, potentially affecting basic and special player cards, as well as market demand.

How to vote correctly?

Voting Process

The voting process for Destined for Glory is straightforward:

1. Visit EA SPORTS FC 27 Ratings Database
2. Find the player you believe will shine in this year's FUT
3. Click Vote button next to your chosen player

Voting is open to everyone, and there's no limit to the number of votes; players can vote for any number of players. But more importantly, who should we vote for?

Voting Logic

Because there's no fixed candidate list, players can theoretically support a world-class star or a young player who has just gained more playing time. Therefore, this vote actually incorporates two different logics:

1. Fan Voting: Players vote for whoever they like and who they want to receive a special card for.
2. Season Prediction: Players carefully consider who is most likely to be a key figure in the 2026/27 season in real-world football.

If you simply vote according to the first logic, the results can easily be dominated by player popularity; however, if you're considering the theme of Destined for Glory, you should pay more attention to the second logic.

Meanwhile, if you're already planning your Ultimate Team roster based on Destined for Glory, remember to prepare enough FC 27 coins to unlock your favorite players as soon as the game launches.

Which players should you choose?

From Ultimate Team's perspective, the most important factor in the vote isn't simply OVR, but rather the player's potential playing time in the new season, their role in the team, and their potential performance ceiling.

Category 1: Core Players After Transfers

This category best fits Destined for Glory theme. A player who joins a new team and immediately becomes a starter or even the tactical core possesses potential in both real-world performance and FUT popularity. Especially for players who need to shoulder more offensive organization, finishing, or defensive responsibilities after a transfer, their potential to define the season is more pronounced than for regular rotation players.

However, a transfer itself doesn't necessarily make a vote worthwhile. What truly matters is whether he can secure a regular starting position and whether the new team will build their tactics around him.

Category 2: Promising young players

The biggest advantage of young players is their growth potential. Even if an already top-tier player performs well, player expectations are already high, so their live upgrades might not be as impressive as anticipated.

On the other hand, a player about to transition from a promising young star to a core member, if they quickly establish themselves at the start of the season, may have greater potential for growth in their special cards.

Category 3: Proven top-tier stars

Of course, top-tier stars are still a reasonable choice. For FUT players, the biggest advantage of these players is their consistency. If a player is the absolute core of the team and consistently has a high playing time, their performance is relatively predictable. Compared to young players who heavily rely on opportunities, the performance floor of top-tier stars is usually easier to judge.

With voting underway, which players will truly gain community support will be one of the most anticipated topics before the start of the new FUT 27 season. Now, choose the player you think has the best chance of defining the season and vote for him.

The major update to Devoid of Liberty received further content updates on August 18th, adding Void areas, new enemies, and random missions to Helldivers 2. We'll explain the changes you'll experience in the game after this update to help you better handle Illuminate threat on the front lines.

Campaign Rewards

Following the release of Devoid of Liberty, the subsequent campaign missions quickly followed. In Operation Void Piercer, Super Earth leadership added extra rewards to motivate frontline troops.

Successfully completing Galactic War Campaign will reward all Helldivers with the new IX-Voidwalker helmet.

This helmet looks incredibly cool, and its color scheme perfectly matches the purple cape given after defeating Illuminate, providing another stylish option for your Helldivers 2 character build.

While IX-Voidwalker doesn't currently offer a unique passive skill, given the game's update schedule, a complete set of armor is likely to be released later, at which point its passive effect will probably become a major focus for players.

This reward is a result of Major Orders system introduced in the August 18th update, allowing players to earn rewards through collective effort while completing main quests.

If you want to unlock more cosmetics or future Warbonds, accumulating some currency beforehand is a good idea. You can accumulate it through in-game missions, but choosing to buy Helldivers 2 Super Credits from IGGM.com will save you considerable time.

Furthermore, IGGM Coupons will make your Super Credits orders cheaper; simply register, earn points through daily check-ins, and then redeem them.

Missions and Objectives

Before Devoid of Liberty update, while Illuminate's mission list already included tasks like investigating and recovering high-value data, these were not normally available.

With the release of Devoid of Liberty, these missions were officially activated and can now be found in the action list in Devoid area.

In actual gameplay of Helldivers 2, while these missions follow a similar logic to previous ones, their appearance fills gaps in Illuminate mission line and makes the entire campaign more complete.

Meanwhile, the development team quietly reduced the number of objectives in some missions.

For example, Seize Industrial Complex and Destroy Command Bunkers missions for Automatons, which previously required completing four objective points, were reduced to three after Devoid of Liberty update.

Confiscate Assets mission for Illuminate side also saw its objectives reduced from four to two.

Furthermore, the number of objectives in missions such as Annex Untapped Mineral Sites was also reduced.

These adjustments are actually reasonable for players, as they effectively shorten the duration of a match, reducing the fatigue of repeated running around and making combat more efficient and compact.

New Uses for Sentry

In several maps of Void, players have discovered some noteworthy details.

For example, in Gazer mission, there's a platform players can stand on. Various sentry weapons, including Gatling guns, mortars, Grenade Launchers, and even Gas Mortar Sentry, can be placed directly on top of this platform, and it will slowly move with Gazer.

While this isn't a core gameplay element designed by the developers, it can indeed be used as a flexible firing point in Helldivers 2's defensive missions, which is quite interesting.

Additionally, the recording operation for Conduct Geological Survey mission has changed slightly after the update. Pressing the button doesn't start recording immediately; there's a delay of about half a second.

However, this delay doesn't significantly affect the overall flow and is likely just to accommodate the new mission's timing logic.

Furthermore, on Super Helldive difficulty, Sabotage Supply Bases mission can now potentially spawn outside of Megafactories and Mega Cities, meaning the target distribution on higher difficulties is much richer than before the update.

Narrative Updates

In addition, the August 18th update for Helldivers 2, Devoid of Liberty, includes not only gameplay changes but also a series of narrative connections both inside and outside the game.

SEAF medics who inject you with healing agents on the battlefield now have an official nickname - Stimmothy. This name, originally a joke in the player community, has now been officially adopted. Frontline soldiers should find it somewhat endearing.

Meanwhile, the development team has also released background reports on Void worlds through in-game publications such as Scientific Citizen, including fictional news about Void's impact on the food chain, anatomical analysis of Crusher, and ten terrifying discoveries of Void, further intensifying the atmosphere of terror for Illuminate faction.

Current Battle Situation and DSS Anomalies

Currently, on Galactic Map, we can see that Illuminate is attempting to expand Void's reach, launching attacks on two planets.

Furthermore, after completing its Void traversal, Democracy Space Station has been reported to be experiencing rhythmic knocking sounds.

Although Super Earth executives explained that the sound was merely from localized thermal contraction, it grew increasingly louder, and all shuttles traveling to and from the game were suspended.

While the game is Helldivers 2, the atmosphere evokes the terrifying feeling of Dead Space.

Perhaps we can't rule out a future limited-time event centered on the space station - if we could actually log into DSS to fight unknown enemies, it would be a significant breakthrough for the existing mission types in Helldivers 2!

Overall, with the addition of new content to Helldivers 2 Devoid of Liberty, we have much more room to explore in terms of campaigns, missions, and narrative. Good luck in thwarting Illuminate's conspiracy!