General News

Hi Tycoons! Pinocchio Racers is in full swing, and to win with your team, you'll need Flag Tokens. Sorcery Special banner event has you covered!

This Sorcery Special banner event only lasts one day, but the amount of Flag Tokens and dice rewards is unprecedented. However, you need to complete 100 milestones to unlock all the rewards!

Date

Sorcery Special banner event lasts for 24 hours, specifically:

• Start Time: May 21, 2026, 1 PM (ET)
• End Time: May 22, 2026, 1 PM (ET)

How to Make Progress?

The 100 milestones in Sorcery Special banner event require a total of 101,555 points. Obtaining all the rewards is obviously too difficult; we suggest you proceed with caution.

You need to land your pieces on Chance, Tax, or Utility squares to score points. Considering the high score requirement for this banner event, these few squares might offer more points.

Even if you don't get many tokens, don't worry, there's plenty of time in Pinocchio Racers, and you can continue collecting over the next few days

Sorcery Special Banner Rewards

While Sorcery Special banner has a higher number of milestones, the number of Monopoly Go stickers and flash events hasn't increased. Compared to the regular banner event with 62 milestones, the extra milestones offer cash, dice, and flag tokens. You can simply end at milestone 26 as usual.

The general rewards for Sorcery Special banner are as follows:

• 8,650 Flag Tokens
• 25,900 Dice
• 2 × Green Sticker Packs (1 Star)
• 1 × Yellow Sticker Pack (2 Stars)
• 1 × Pink Sticker Pack (3 Stars)
• 1 × Color Wheel
• 2 × Builder's Bash
• 3 × Cash boosts
• 1 × 40-minute Mega Heist
• 1 × Random Flash Event

Specific Sorcery Special banner event milestone rewards are as follows:

This is a general overview of Sorcery Special banner rewards. Hopefully, you can earn enough Flag tokens to win Pinocchio Racers!

Clearing dungeons is one of the primary methods for farming various resources in WoW Midnight; these dungeons can be broadly categorized into standard dungeons and Mythic+ Dungeons.

A Mythic+ Dungeon does not refer to a single specific instance, but rather to a rotating pool of eight distinct dungeons that become available for you to challenge on a regular schedule.

Compared to standard dungeons, Mythic+ Dungeons impose various restrictions and modifiers to significantly increase their difficulty; naturally, the rewards for completing them are far more lucrative!

This system has now been live for nearly two months. Even though it presents a formidable challenge, it is high time to tackle it head-on! We have prepared this guide to provide you with the assistance you need.

Mythic+ Dungeon basic mechanics overview

The rotating lineup of Mythic+ Dungeons includes the following instances. The first four on the list are new additions introduced in WoW Midnight, while the latter four are drawn from other classic WoW expansions:

• Magister's Terrace
• Maisara Caverns
• Nexus-Point Xenas
• Windrunner Spire
• Algeth'ar Academy
• Seat of the Triumvirate
• Skyreach
• Pit of Saron

Regardless of which dungeon is currently in rotation, you can only enter as a pre-formed 5-player group (consisting of 1 Tank, 1 Healer, and 3 DPS). Furthermore, the difficulty level of the dungeon is determined by Keystone held by the group members.

Mythic+ Dungeons must be completed within a specific time limit. Additionally, beyond simply defeating the bosses, the group is required to clear a minimum number of trash mobs throughout the dungeon.

During combat, the current Mythic+ Dungeon will feature a specific set of affixes designed to further heighten the challenge. Various forms of loot, including WoW Midnight gold, are awarded only upon the successful completion of the entire dungeon run.

Moreover, the operation of Mythic+ Dungeon system is closely tied to the seasonal update cycle: the current season dictates the specific rotation of dungeons, the active affixes, player rating calculations, and the exclusive seasonal rewards available.

What is Keystone?

Keystone also known as Mythic Keystone, can be thought of as the key required to access a Mythic+ Dungeon.

In addition to granting access, Keystone determines which specific dungeon you will enter and at what difficulty level. It also provides a preview of the dungeon affixes you can expect to encounter during the run.

If you currently do not possess a Keystone, you can form a group with a player who does have one to complete a Level 0 Mythic+ Dungeon run. Upon defeating the final boss of that run, you will typically be awarded your very own Keystone.

As you participate in more Mythic+ Dungeons, you can acquire additional Keystones by completing runs or through rewards from Great Vault. Additionally, interacting with Keystone Vendor will grant you one free Keystone.

Upgrading your Keystone

The default level of Keystone you receive depends on the high-level Mythic+ Dungeon you completed during the previous week; if you did not complete any, Keystone you receive will be one level lower.

The higher Keystone level, the more dangerous the enemies you encounter within the dungeon become; however, the loot you obtain will also be of higher quality. Therefore, we encourage you to challenge higher levels.

To do this, you must first find ways to upgrade your Keystone. A common strategy is to complete Mythic+ Dungeons as quickly as possible; by doing so, a single successful run can raise your Keystone level by up to three levels.

Every Mythic+ Dungeon features a built-in timer. The specific time limit usually depends on the number of bosses within the dungeon: the more bosses there are, the more time you are allotted.

Based on this, the specific conditions for upgrading your Keystone level are as follows:

• Less than 20% of the time remaining: +1 level
• Less than 40% but more than 20% of the time remaining: +2 level
• More than 40% of the time remaining: +3 level

It is worth noting that starting from Keystone Level 12, if you successfully complete a Mythic+ Dungeon at that specific level, your Keystone will no longer drop in level thereafter, even if you subsequently fail a run.

This is, in effect, Resilient Keystones mechanism introduced by the game to prevent you from suffering accidental setbacks while operating at high-level tiers.

Furthermore, if you complete the final Mythic+ Dungeon at your current level, you will also unlock a corresponding achievement.

However, if you do not possess Resilient Keystones status, meaning you have not yet successfully completed a run at your current level, then even if you clear the dungeon, your Keystone level will be downgraded by one tier if you exceed the time limit.

Affix variations

The effects of affixes within each Mythic+ Dungeon are determined by both the current season mechanics and Keystone level. The primary impact of Keystone level itself is a proportional increase in the enemies' health and damage output.

As for the other random affix effects, they cease to change once Mythic+ Dungeon level exceeds 12. The maximum level cap is 15.

Mythic+ rating and rewards

In addition to standard loot drops, at the end of each season, you can earn additional rewards based on your overall Mythic+ rating. This rating is calculated based on the levels of the dungeons you have completed, as well as the completion times for those runs.

Generally speaking, every season features one Mythic+ Dungeon that is easier to complete than the others; you can focus your efforts on optimizing your clear speed for that specific dungeon.

Further details

Once your party roster is finalized, you cannot alter the lineup, nor may you leave the instance prematurely while progressing through a Mythic+ Dungeon; doing so will result in a penalty. Furthermore, you are prohibited from changing any character's gear setup during the run.

The above covers the fundamental mechanics you need to master when farming WoW Midnight Mythic+ Dungeon. As for the specific strategies required to clear the dungeon itself, you will need to consult the corresponding dungeon-specific guides!

With Phase 2 of WoW TBC Anniversary live for a week, many players have already noticed that after the official adjustments, Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep have become remarkably straightforward. Almost every guild now clears these raids with very little effort.

What follows, therefore, is not about handling the mechanics of Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep. Instead, it's a collection of tricks to shorten your kill times and boost overall efficiency - especially for dealing with those irritating trash packs.

Serpentshrine Cavern

The Entrance

You can skip the 5 groups of trash right at the entrance, though some raids may still decide to clear them while gathering Nether Vortex.

Have your melee group stack tightly together and your ranged group stack as well, placing a Hunter behind the ranged clump. The reason is that Coilfang Hate-Screamers cast a silence effect; if the entire raid were piled up carelessly, that silence could easily lead to deaths.

Hydross the Unstable

When facing Hydross, the tank needs Frost Resistance gear or a Paladin's Frost Resistance Aura. Beyond that, using Petrified Scarab from AQ40 is highly recommended, as it simplifies this encounter immensely.

Activate the trinket roughly one minute into the fight, when the fourth Mark of Hydros lands on the tank, to grant an extra 100 resistance. Although the trinket loses 10 resistance each time a hostile spell hits its bearer, Hydross himself deals only melee damage to the tank - only the marks count as spells.

With the right totem and trinket combination, the tank can comfortably soak the boss's damage while the rest of the raid goes all out. It becomes entirely possible to defeat Hydross in Phase 1, skipping Nature phase altogether.

The Lurker Below

During Phase 2, never let the entire raid leave the platform, or the boss will simply despawn. Keep a handful of players on the platform at all times - this may well be a bug that awaits an official fix.

The boss's submerge can actually be delayed. Normally he goes down around the 1:30 mark, but occasionally, when Spout is available, he will cast it first, granting your raid an extra 20 seconds of damage time.

Morogrim Tidewalker

Before fully engaging Morogrim Tidewalker, activate the boss with an Eye of Kilrogg, a Rogue's Vanish, or a Hunter's Feign Death. Doing so causes the patrolling Murloc packs, as well as Shatterers and Coilfang Fathom-Witches in the corridor leading to Fathom-Lord Karathress, to despawn entirely.

Once the fight begins, the entire raid should focus all damage on the boss. While mages enjoy clearing Murlocs with Arcane Explosion, it's more effective to let them die naturally to melee cleaves. The more time you direct at the boss, the faster the kill.

Fathom-Lord Karathress

The simplest approach to this fight is to clear every add. If speed is your goal, however, kill Tidalvess and Sharkis first, then drag Caribdis far away - beyond his healing range - and have a Restoration Shaman tank him while the rest of the raid focuses on Karathress.

The downside to this strategy is that with Caribdis still alive, the boss gains Blessing of the Tides (65% increased damage) and Beast Within (30% increased damage), making his Cataclysmic Bolt utterly lethal and capable of nearly one-shotting players.

For this reason, you must not be stingy with your WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Gold. Besides stocking up on Shadow Resistance potions, equipping resistance gear is strongly advised. Ranged players can position themselves farther back, watch for the target of Cataclysmic Bolt, and apply protective abilities like Blessing of Protection in time.

Leotheras the Blind

Two small tricks help here. Before the pull, pre-spread your raid and begin pre-casting on the adds. There's no need to handle them separately; simply group them together and wipe them out with area burst damage - the adds fall very quickly.

During Leotheras's Demon phase, when the boss summons Inner Demons, Paladins can use Exorcism on these adds, relieving pressure on the DPS.

Lady Vashj

In Lady Vashj encounter, you can move along a straight line and have the entire raid stacked behind a pillar, maximising your damage uptime on the boss.

During Phase 3, Thornlings from Dire Maul or Goblin Landmines can be used to bait the boss into using her poison ability, reducing Vashj's movement as well as the likelihood of your raid being rooted or poisoned.

Tempest Keep

Trash

The trash in Tempest Keep doesn't require overly complicated handling. For Bloodwarder Legionnaires, simply tank them where they are clear of Whirlwind but still subject to Cleave.

Phoenix-Hawks in the room need not be dragged to the corner by the entrance. Instead, have a Protection Paladin stand on the ramp, positioned as far away from Dragonhawk on the ground as possible. Once engaged, cast Judgment on Dragonhawk - because of the maximum distance, it will attempt to charge Paladin, but line-of-sight issues prevent the charge from executing, completely disabling that mechanic.

Void Reaver

Don't let your tank sit idle on the platform during this fight. Assign a Bear Druid as the tank; they can use Sprint and Feral Charge to move swiftly between platforms and pick up the boss. Taking some fire damage while jumping from Platform 2 to Platform 3 is possible, but it isn't fatal. In addition, on the first platform, the ground tank can initially come up and deal damage before returning to the ground, effectively reducing the overall fight duration.

Kael'thas Sunstrider

When handling the 4 advisors, quickly eliminate the first advisor in Phase 1, then move on to Sanguinar on the left. After Sanguinar falls and before Caprician appears, the entire raid should stack to the left to avoid the disorient effect. When engaging Telonicus, stand at maximum melee range to avoid his bombs.

In Phase 2, the tank simply holds the axe. During Phase 3, prioritise killing Telonicus, have ranged focus down Caprician, and let melee cleave the other two advisors while remaining stacked throughout. Phase 4 splits the raid into a melee stack and a ranged stack; since everyone stays tightly grouped, Mind Control can be broken almost instantly.

These are the tips and tricks that can make a difference inside Serpentshrine Cavern and Tempest Keep - may they help your team push forward.

With the official launch of Forza Horizon 6, you'll find that you increasingly need the game's primary currency, credits! Whether you're looking to acquire better cars, upgrade parts, or unlock cosmetics, credits are absolutely essential!

Generally speaking, updates and new iterations of Forza Horizon series don't drastically alter the fundamental methods for earning credits; however, mastering the subtle changes in the details can definitely boost your farming efficiency.

In this guide, we'll show you how to quickly farm credits in Forza Horizon 6, ensuring you can unlock your favorite cars and resources in no time!

Utilizing the auction house

In Forza Horizon 6, the auction house serves as a player-to-player trading hub. Here, you can sell unwanted cars directly to other players rather than selling them back to the game system.

While you can certainly earn credits by selling cars haphazardly, doing so won't necessarily maximize your earnings, unless your sole objective is simply to clear out your garage.

For any player looking to earn substantial Forza Horizon 6 credits through the auction house, a more targeted sniping strategy is highly recommended.

To execute this, focus on identifying specific car models that currently have a large volume of listings available in the auction house.

Then, switch to the auction search page and set your maximum limit to a figure slightly below the current average market price for that vehicle.

If you manage to find a car that meets these criteria, don't hesitate, get it immediately, and then relist it for sale at the average market price you observed earlier.

If the car doesn't sell right away, don't panic. You can periodically make slight downward adjustments to your asking price, provided you keep it above the maximum limit you originally set for yourself.

While this method essentially involves exploiting market inefficiencies, there will always be players eager to offload their surplus vehicles, so rest assured, you aren't actually harming anyone else's interests by doing this!

However, if you wish to engage in market trading, you must first possess a substantial reserve of funds.

Therefore, before diving headfirst into the auction house, it is best to buy Forza Horizon 6 credits on IGGM in advance. This ensures that you can immediately acquire any desirable cars the moment you encounter them, thereby facilitating a smooth and successful auction process.

AFK Farming Colossus Race

FH6 brings back Wristband system as a means of tracking progression. This system features 7 distinct tiers, and to advance through them, you must earn points by participating in the following races and activities during your regular gameplay:

• Road Races
• Dirt Races
• Cross-Country Races
• Drag Races
• XP Boards
• Speed Traps
• Drift Zones
• Danger Signs
• Car Photos

Once you have earned at least 32,500 points to unlock the highest Gold tier, and provided your driving skills are up to the task, you can proceed to complete Horizon Legend Wristband Event at Ito Airfield. Doing so will unlock three even more advanced races:

• Colossus Road Race
• Gauntlet Dirt Race
• Titan Cross-Country Race

Colossus Road Race is particularly noteworthy because, if your primary goal is to farm credits rather than to secure a victory, you can actually go AFK and let the game play itself from start to finish.

To achieve this, you must first select a Forza Edition car that boasts both an exceptionally high top speed and ample downforce, as these specific vehicles come with built-in credit bonuses.

Generally speaking, the recommended vehicle for this method is Toyota Tacoma TRD Pro Forza Edition; however, do not forget to apply a proper tuning setup to it, otherwise this AFK farming strategy will not work.

The key criteria for your tuning setup are to select R Class performance tier and to ensure that the difficulty settings provide a +50% Difficulty Bonus credits modifier; you may configure all other settings according to your personal preferences.

Next, simply press the down button on your controller's D-pad to summon Anna assistant, then press the left button on the D-pad to activate the auto-steer feature. You can now sit back and let the game run automatically to earn credits for you!

The only manual input required on your part is to click Accept to race against a new set of opponents whenever a race concludes, thereby starting the next round.

It is worth noting that this farming method can only truly loop indefinitely if your AI opponents are faster than you are. However, in most instances, these bots are absurdly fast anyway, so there is no need to worry!

Finally, it is worth mentioning that as you complete various races to advance your Wristband tier, you will also earn credit rewards, and the higher the difficulty level you select, the greater those rewards will be.

Completing Discover Japan Challenges

Discover Japan is another, more casual progression system introduced in Forza Horizon 6. The tasks involved are generally quite relaxed, ranging from advancing through mini-storylines and taking photographs to locating specific collectibles.

Completing these tasks earns you Discover Japan points; as your total point count reaches specific thresholds, you will subsequently unlock corresponding credit rewards.

Furthermore, while driving in this mode, you can spot highlighted purple face icons on your mini-map; these represent special mascots.

Follow the map indicators to locate these mascots and smash into them; each one rewards you with 500 credits, and there are up to 200 of them to find!

The above covers some of the most efficient strategies currently available for farming credits in FH6. More importantly, however, do not consume your credits indiscriminately; instead, focus on maximizing their utility, otherwise, no matter how much you earn, it will all go to waste!

This Friday, the full EA FC 26 TOTS Ultimate lineup will be revealed. This squad brings together the absolute highest-tier player cards in the game, including names like Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal.

The official team has already released detailed stats for a few players, such as Antoine Griezmann. While the complete 60-player roster has now leaked, some major stars are conspicuously absent from the selection – let's take a look at the entire leaked list.

EA FC 26 TOTS Ultimate Squad Leaks

According to the leak, this TOTS Ultimate features 60 players, and surprisingly includes three cards rated 92 OVR. The developers likely included these low-overall TOTS Ultimate cards mainly as fodder, to prevent the market value of TOTS material cards from skyrocketing above 25,000 FC 26 coins again.

However, this has also led to the inclusion of many filler cards that dilute the pool. As a result, pulling a top-tier card has become even harder for players. The probability of getting a 97 OVR card is only 1%, while 90% of the pulls fall within the 92-93 OVR range.

Leaked Player List:

1. 97 OVR Lamine Yamal RW
2. 97 OVR Claudia Pina LW
3. 97 OVR Harry Kane ST
4. 97 OVR Vitinha CM
5. 97 OVR Temwa Chawinga LW
6. 97 OVR Tabitha Chawinga LW
7. 97 OVR Bruno Fernandes CAM
8. 97 OVR Khadija Shaw ST
9. 97 OVR Luka Modrić CDM
10. 97 OVR Klara Bühl LM
11. 96 OVR Luis Suárez ST
12. 96 OVR Pedri CM
13. 96 OVR Mariona Caldentey CM
14. 96 OVR Kylian Mbappé ST
15. 96 OVR Juan Mata CAM
16. 96 OVR Michael Olise RM
17. 96 OVR Marco Asensio CAM
18. 96 OVR Lionel Messi CAM
19. 96 OVR Florian Thauvin RW
20. 96 OVR Ibrahim Sangaré CM
21. 96 OVR Erling Haaland ST
22. 96 OVR Alexia Putellas CM
23. 96 OVR Joey Veerman CM
24. 96 OVR Gabriel Magalhães CB
25. 96 OVR Declan Rice CM
26. 96 OVR Nico Paz CAM
27. 96 OVR João Félix CAM
28. 96 OVR Federico Dimarco LB
29. 96 OVR Tripic RW
30. 96 OVR Casparij RB
31. 96 OVR Matsukubo CAM
32. 96 OVR Hackney CM
33. 95 OVR Leo Scienza LW
34. 95 OVR Georgia Stanway CDM
35. 95 OVR Cristiano Ronaldo ST
36. 95 OVR Sakina Karchaoui CM
37. 95 OVR Ousmane Dembélé ST
38. 95 OVR Marcos Llorente RB
39. 95 OVR Lorena GK
40. 95 OVR Gregor Kobel GK
41. 95 OVR Manuela Giugliano CM
42. 95 OVR Melchie Dumornay CM
43. 95 OVR Maya Le Tissier CB
44. 94 OVR Mauro Junior LB
45. 94 OVR Jacobo Ramon CB
46. 94 OVR Bart Vuskovic CB
47. 94 OVR Jakub Kiwior CB
48. 94 OVR Leroy Sané RM
49. 93 OVR Mourino RB
50. 93 OVR Udol LB
51. 93 OVR Thomas Palestra RB
52. 93 OVR Strahinja Pavlovic CDM
53. 93 OVR Paula Fernandez CM
54. 93 OVR Nathan Patterson RB
55. 93 OVR Maria Mendez CB
56. 93 OVR Marlon Luhrben LB
57. 93 OVR Saki Koga CB
58. 92 OVR Kevin Mühlhaus CAM
59. 92 OVR Alphonso Davies CB
60. 92 OVR Igor Thiago ST

Every player in this TOTS Ultimate has at least three Playstyle+ traits. Those with 97 OVR all come with four Playstyle+ traits. Among the remaining 50 players, only Lionel Messi (96 OVR) also boasts 4 Playstyle+ traits; stars like Mbappé and Erling Haaland have only three. While they remain elite cards, their value may not match that of the 97-OVR ones.

What frustrates players even more, however, is the absence of some of the most anticipated names – Virgil van Dijk, Saliba, and Jude Bellingham, for instance, are not included. This might be linked to the underwhelming performances this year from teams like Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

With many top stars missing and so many fodder cards stuffed into the squad, a lot of players feel that the developers have acted in bad faith. In their view, this lineup is even worse than UTOTS squad from FUT 25.

End of an Era SBC

Arriving this Friday alongside UTOTS, some of End of an Era SBC's player list and Playstyle+ traits have also been leaked – though we cannot confirm their exact stats yet.

95 OVR Mohamed Salah, RW/RM

• Playstyle+: Finesse Shot+ / Rapid+ / Technical+

96 OVR Antoine Griezmann, ST/CF/CAM

• Playstyle+: Finesse Shot+ / Incisive+ / Quick Step+

95 OVR Bernardo Silva, RW/CAM/CM

• Playstyle+: Low Driven+ / Technical+ / Pinged Pass+

91 OVR John Stones, CB/CDM

• Playstyle+: Intercept+ / Pinged Pass+ / Anticipate+

End of an Era series is among the most commemorative card types in FC 26. In this release, Salah and Griezmann are undoubtedly the biggest highlights. Even though their precise stats remain unconfirmed, their Playstyle+ combinations already look quite impressive.

Furthermore, these End of an Era cards feature Icon chemistry. This means that no matter which squad you put them in, chemistry will be easily satisfied. You could even place them all in the same starting eleven without any chemistry issues at all.

How the developers set the requirements for these cards will directly affect their value for players. It is advisable to stock up on Team of the Week and Team of the Season fodder cards in advance to prepare for potentially high-cost SBCs.

That covers all the leaked EA FC 26 TOTS Ultimate squad and SBCs. If you find it hard to pull good cards from packs, turning your attention to End of an Era SBC might just be a solid alternative.

Players, it's been two months since MLB The Show 26 was released, and it's now presenting a somewhat complex situation. On one hand, the development team has made some delightful innovations in certain systems; on the other hand, the game is revealing increasingly deeper problems in areas such as the economy and gameplay. Has the development team already turned their attention to the next generation of games?

Three Commendable Aspects

Mini Seasons Customizable Upgrades

Mini Seasons are no longer as frustrating as last year. This year, new features have been added, including customizable season length and match duration, along with recurring objectives and item exchange systems, significantly increasing re-playability.

While the game still forces players to invest a significant amount of time grinding Mini Seasons, the mechanics themselves represent a huge improvement. Hopefully, future updates will allow for fully immersive customization, such as replacing other teams with real MLB teams instead of fake rosters.

Amazing Number of Cards

Even if not every card is top-tier, the number of diamond cards released this year is astonishing. Almost every team has at least eight diamond cards, with each update releasing over thirty cards at once.

This high density theoretically does increase roster diversity, but it was subsequently stifled by an unbalanced meta and a reduction mechanism. However, in terms of sheer volume of content, it's still commendable.

Parallel Mods

Parallel Mods are this year's most valuable innovation, allowing players to focus on improving a player's specific ability. For example, enhancing the outfielder's defensive speed or specifically boosting the batter's strength. This greatly encourages players to experiment with different cards and play according to their personal style.

More importantly, players can turn off these mods at any time, reverting to the traditional +1 to all attributes per level. This truly allows players to play the way they want.

However, Parallel Mods have a significant flaw: the requirements for relief pitchers are extremely unreasonable. Unlocking a certain mod requires pitching 90 innings, which practically excludes relief pitchers from enjoying the system, exposing a crude design threshold.

A Barrage of Deep-Seated Negative Issues

Menu Lag

While the new menu escaped the aesthetic fatigue of previous years, the actual experience was disastrous. The menu is extremely laggy and slow, often requiring more than ten seconds of waiting after an action to register. It's even difficult to tell whether the game has crashed or is still loading.

This inevitably raises suspicions that the development team used AI to generate the menu architecture, but regardless, their design logic was utterly chaotic. Multiple performance updates failed to fundamentally solve the problem, representing a failure at the most basic level.

Shrinkage Mechanism

Shrinkage is like a cancer in online games, forcibly shrinking the player's hitting radius and increasing the difficulty of hitting the ball. It directly led to the current meta being dominated by ambidextrous hitters.

A healthy online game would proactively balance overly strong metas, but MLB 26 development team did nothing. This severely damaged the diversity and immersion of online matches, becoming one of the most infuriating design decisions.

Strike Zone Penalties

The initial adjustments to the strike zone were met with fierce criticism from players. In the early stages of the game, players genuinely found the strike zone penalties annoying. After two months, players have gradually accepted the adjustment.

The new mechanism awards more balls that touch the edge as strikes, forcing batters to take more initiative. Gameplay is smoother, and the game's realism has actually increased.

A Monotonous Gameplay Cycle

Aside from the previous Egg Hunt Program which offered some surprises, almost all content updates have been geared towards the same goal: playing matches, grinding stats, and unlocking player cards.

For high-ranking players, their strongest lineups are already set; new cards are merely decorative, with the vast majority never getting a chance to be used.

Market Manipulation

The game's economy system has reached new heights of exploitation this year. The developers limit each player to investing in only 20 cards, drastically reduce the frequency of player stat updates, and even keep players whose performance has plummeted at high-priced diamond cards. The aim is likely to increase the difficulty of completing collectible sets.

The most extreme example is Shohei Ohtani. After the price cap on MLB 26 stubs was removed, its price skyrocketed to 13 million stubs, compared to the original cap of approximately 500,000. This effectively forced players to abandon normal market trading.

For ordinary players, this is blatant suppression, and this trend continues and worsens every year.

Operational Communication

MLB 26's community communication also plummeted this year.

A typical example is that the official team initially announced the removal of a mechanism strongly opposed by players, stating that they had heard their voices.

However, after the game's release, the mechanism remained, and they later posted an arrogant statement saying they simply wouldn't change it.

This approach of appeasement followed by mockery completely destroyed player trust, and the quality of communication within the development team fluctuates annually, seemingly depending entirely on who was in power at the time.

While the flaws of MLB 26 may not be substantially changed this year, we still hope to see reforms to provide a unique experience for players who love baseball games.

Gems are a crucial item type in Diablo 4; they can be socketed into gear to provide specific bonuses tailored to the type of gear slot they occupy. With the launch of Lord of Hatred expansion, a new category of gems, Horadric Gems, was introduced.

Theoretically, no single Horadric Gem is inherently superior to another; however, due to their varying bonus effects, different gems are better suited to different types of players.

Overall, in the current Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred landscape, Flawless Horadric Skull stands out as one of the most sought-after Horadric Gems. In this guide, we will provide a detailed overview of this specific gem and explain exactly how to obtain it.

What are Horadric Gems?

Before diving into the specifics of Flawless Horadric Skull, you must first understand the broader category of Horadric Gems.

Standard gems in Diablo 4 fall into seven distinct categories:

• Amethyst
• Diamond
• Emerald
• Ruby
• Sapphire
• Topaz
• Skull

Each of these categories is further subdivided into five tiers, ranging from lowest to highest:

• Chipped
• Base
• Flawless
• Royal
• Grand

Standard gems are typically acquired by clearing various endgame events to obtain gem fragments, which can then be combined with gold and other required materials at Jeweler to craft the actual gems.

As for Horadric Gems, they can only be obtained after you have acquired a Grand tier gem of any type, by utilizing the Item Transmutation feature within Horadric Cube.

More specifically, this mechanism encompasses several functions for different item types; the specific function applicable to Horadric Gems is known as Amalgamation.

Once you have obtained five Grand tier standard gems, you can use Amalgamation process to craft one corresponding Horadric Gem. Subsequently, five Horadric Gems can be further combined to craft one Flawless Horadric Gem.

How to obtain Flawless Horadric Skull?

Based on the information above, the primary prerequisite for obtaining a Flawless Horadric Skull owns Lord of Hatred expansion and having unlocked Horadric Cube.

After meeting those requirements, you must first acquire at least 25 Grand Skulls. These are then combined to craft 5 Horadric Skulls, which are finally combined to craft a single Flawless Horadric Skull.

How to unlock Horadric Cube?

Upon entering Lord of Hatred expansion and beginning your progression through the campaign, you will encounter No Gods, No Masters quest; completing this quest grants you access to Temis in Skovos.

Next, use your mini-map to locate Horadric Cube; interacting with it will open its associated menu. Once you have viewed and closed the menu, this feature will be unlocked for use.

It is worth noting that later in the campaign, during Horadrim quest you will encounter Horadric Cube once again.

At this stage, you must use the item rewarded from a preceding quest to open the gate leading to Horadric Cube. After defeating any enemies you may encounter, enter The First Vault, where you will fuse the pieces of Lilith's Blade to banish Mephisto.

How to obtain Grand Skull?

To craft a Grand Skull, you must consume 1,000,000 Skull Fragments, 300 Forgotten Souls, and 10,000,000 gold.

Furthermore, to ultimately upgrade this into 1 Flawless Horadric Skull, you must multiply the required input of all three aforementioned materials by a staggering 25 times!

If you are familiar with the methods for farming crafting materials in Diablo 4, you will realize that this represents a truly massive investment of time and effort!

Therefore, the most time-efficient and effortless solution is undoubtedly to simply buy Diablo 4 Flawless Horadric Skull from IGGM!

However, if you prefer to farm the materials yourself, or simply wish to gain a deeper understanding of how to acquire these three specific resources, please note that the drop rates for gem fragments are randomized; consequently, you cannot specifically target and farm just one particular type of fragment.

Fortunately, sources for acquiring gold are quite abundant, so we recommend farming both gold and gem fragments simultaneously to save time. Sources that yield both types of resources include:

• Infernal Hordes
• Helltides
• Tree of Whispers Bounties

As for Forgotten Souls, while the three methods listed above may occasionally yield a few, the most reliable sources for farming them are Legion Events and Nightmare Dungeons.

Alternatively, if you possess a sufficient quantity of Veiled Crystals, you can visit Alchemist to convert your entire stock into Forgotten Souls. And various raw crafting materials can also be synthesized into Veiled Crystals.

Finally, it is worth noting that you can trade 100 fragments of each of the three different gem types to receive 200 fragments of a specific, desired type. When you are exclusively seeking Skull fragments, you can utilize this exchange method to streamline your farming process.

By the way, if you're interested, consider joining IGGM Diablo 4 Facebook Group! We periodically host giveaways there, offering you an easy and completely free way to acquire a wealth of materials!

While our current giveaways feature Lair Boss Keys, we may very well introduce giveaways for standard or Horadric Gems in the future! Furthermore, if you're lucky enough to win a key, it provides an indirect boost to your efforts in farming gem fragments!

What is the use of Flawless Horadric Skull?

Regardless of how you ultimately acquire this gem, you can socket it into your weapon, armor, or jewelry as needed. The corresponding bonus effects are as follows:

• Weapon: +32% Physical Damage Multiplier
• Armor: +38% Healing Received
• Jewelry: +4,375 Physical Resistance

As is evident, this gem is ideally suited for builds that prioritize physical damage output, and it proves particularly effective in battles dominated by enemies that deal this specific type of damage.

Finally, a quick reminder: the acquisition method for the other six types of Horadric and Flawless Horadric Gems is identical to that of Flawless Horadric Skull, they must be crafted using Horadric Cube by combining them in multiples of five.

We hope this guide proves helpful in your quest to upgrade your gear and enhance your character! After all, in Diablo 4, the pursuit of greater power is a never-ending journey!

Although ARC Raiders is unlikely to release monthly updates within the next six months, the optimization of core game mechanics remains an ongoing priority. So, a developer note regarding adjustments to the matchmaking system was released this week.

Given the game's inherent PvPvE nature, ARC Raiders player base has historically and organically divided into two camps: those who welcome high-intensity PvP encounters during raids, and those who prefer to avoid them.

Consequently, to ensure that a wider range of players can enjoy their ideal combat experience, the development team has been continuously refining the matchmaking system, specifically by implementing a mechanism based on player aggression.

So, what exactly do these latest adjustments entail? And will they succeed in further enhancing your overall match experience in ARC Raiders? Let's take a closer look.

Deep dive into the matchmaking mechanics

Simply put, the game's matchmaking logic is predicated on your level of aggression, or, more broadly, your playstyle.

For instance, if you prefer a more casual approach to the game, the system aims to match you with other players who share that same mindset within the same raid session.

However, playstyle is not a binary, black-and-white concept. In other words, it is not merely a simple dichotomy between pure PvP matches and pure PvE matches; the reality is far more nuanced.

To account for this complexity, ARC Raiders utilizes a proprietary style spectrum. When you are queued for a match, the system attempts to assemble a lobby of players whose styles closely align with yours, specifically, those who fall within the same specific segment of this spectrum.

Naturally, this style classification system is primarily categorized based on varying levels of aggression. Broadly speaking, these categories include cooperative players, hybrid players, and PvP-focused players.

As for how your specific level of aggression is determined, the system primarily evaluates the amount of damage you have dealt to other players across your most recent matches.

However, this serves merely as a baseline classification; after all, there is no telling when a typically casual player might suddenly decide to go on a rampage. But then again, a little unpredictability is part of the game's charm!

Therefore, ARC Raiders matchmaking system can essentially be summarized by two core principles: ensuring a high probability of matching you with Raiders who share a similar playstyle, and ensuring that your in-game actions directly influence the matchmaking environment you encounter in future sessions.

One important caveat to note, however: if there are insufficient players in the lobby to fill a match during your specific queuing window, the system may be forced to broaden its search parameters.

This could result in you being matched with players whose playstyles do not align as closely with your own.

What specific changes are being made?

The recent adjustments to the game's matchmaking system do not involve adding entirely new elements; instead, they focus on optimizing existing features to address known shortcomings.

First, the system will now more intelligently distinguish whether your aggressive actions toward other players constitute self-defense or an act of provocation.

This allows the system to assess your level of aggression accurately, ensuring you are not mistakenly categorized as a player who actively seeks out PvP combat.

This change is crucial because, even in matches with a generally friendly atmosphere, you may still encounter Raiders who enjoy preying on others. It would be truly unfair to be lumped in with such players simply because you had to defend yourself.

The second adjustment involves reducing the weight assigned to low-activity rounds within your historical gameplay profile.

These rounds are defined as those involving minimal interaction on the ground, for instance, rounds that end almost immediately due to a quick respawn followed by a surrender.

Typically, such rounds occur due to unforeseen circumstances or accidents; consequently, if they were given too much weight, they could distort the data and fail to accurately reflect your true gameplay style.

These changes have already been implemented in the live game environment. Furthermore, based on player feedback, the game plan to release additional updates and refinements to the matchmaking system in the future.

Addressing matchmaking rumors

Since mechanics are not tangible in-game objects, unlike ARC enemies or weapons, they are prone to becoming the subject of vague speculation that eventually evolves into full-blown rumors.

Taking this opportunity to announce the recent optimizations, ARC Raiders would like to directly address several common rumors regarding our matchmaking system to ensure you are not misled.

The first misconception was effectively debunked the moment we introduced the concept of the spectrum. It is now evident that matchmaking lobbies do not fall into purely friendly or purely hostile, they exist along a continuous spectrum.

Furthermore, the notion that a single PvP kill will automatically shunt you into a PvP-exclusive lobby is completely false. The matchmaking system's data analysis relies on your performance over a sustained period, not on isolated, instantaneous events.

A related rumor suggests that the game intends to introduce pure PvE servers. As long as ARC Raiders remains a PvPvE title, such a feature simply cannot be implemented.

In fact, it is precisely the unpredictability introduced by human players that keeps the game engaging and fresh; a version of Topside inhabited solely by ARC entities would be a dull and lifeless place.

Also Read: ARC Raiders Patch 1.29.0 Breakdown: New Trader, Rascal Launcher, Weapon Buffs & Stash Upgrade Guide

Finally, players have expressed concern that the feedback prompts, which appear after every match, might directly influence their matchmaking results for the very next round.

Please rest assured that this is not the case. The feedback you provide is used solely to help the developers identify general trends and inform future design decisions; it has absolutely no direct bearing on the specific matchmaking parameters for your upcoming games.

Furthermore, gear rarity determines only your combat power; it does not influence matchmaking. Similarly, simply looting gear from fallen players will not cause your matchmaking to be weighted toward PvP encounters.

When it comes to team-based matchmaking, the system takes into account the aggressiveness profile of every member of the squad, rather than relying solely on the leader's playstyle.

Finally, the release of new patches and updates will not trigger a re-evaluation of your playstyle that could alter your matchmaking parameters; nor will your choice to enable or disable cross-platform play have any such effect.

In short, aside from whether you directly eliminate other players during a match, virtually no other factors will influence the calculation and operation of the matchmaking system, so you can rest assured!

As the fundamental basis for initiating matches, optimizing the matchmaking system is essential for fundamentally safeguarding the combat experience for a wider player base; therefore, regular updates are indeed a necessity.

If you haven't yet experienced these changes firsthand, why not hop into the game and queue up for a match in Topside to see for yourself?

The studio behind GTA 6 did not open pre-orders on May 18, as many players had hoped, and its parent company's stock took a noticeable hit. That is a headache for shareholders, though - right now, players are simply waiting for any scrap of news about the third trailer.

Almost the whole of May has been thick with impatient anticipation for that third trailer, yet players still have received nothing concrete - only unconfirmed leaks. The latest leak concerns the music for GTA 6 trailer 3.

Trailer 3 Music leak

By now, the third GTA 6 trailer has been missing for about ten days. Over that period, speculation has repeatedly pointed to one date after another, each time coming to nothing. Recently, however, a new leak surfaced.

At its heart is the claim that the trailer will feature "Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo (Heartbreaker)" by The Rolling Stones. The information comes from a Reddit user who is not a GTA or gaming enthusiast, but someone with ties to the music industry.

A common way to judge the credibility of such rumors is to check whether the poster used a throwaway account to avoid harming their main profile. This particular user has been active for nearly a decade, has amassed over one million post karma and close to 400,000 comment karma, and displays numerous trophies in their case - all signs that this is their main account, not a burner.

What Is Its Connection to GTA 6?

The Song

The lyrics tell two stories: one about a boy mistakenly shot in the heart by New York City police, and another about a 10-year-old girl who dies in an alley from an overdose.

The song obviously does not line up perfectly with GTA 6 plot, but its themes strike a similar chord. Both tales center on a man and a woman, each marked by intense struggle and tragedy. The setting is New York City, which in GTA universe corresponds to Liberty City.

Liberty City

On the studio's official website, Lucia is described as yearning for the good life her mother had been dreaming of ever since their days in Liberty City. She is not one to get lost in fantasy; instead, she is ready to take control of her own destiny. That the developers chose to explicitly lay out Lucia's backstory suggests it is likely an important narrative thread.

Moreover, Liberty City license plates appeared in the second trailer, and a screenshot shows a man wearing a "Liberty City Cycles" cap. All of this indicates that Liberty City will be heavily referenced in GTA 6 and could even play a key role in the story - perhaps as a prologue setting, or by allowing players to travel between Vice City and Liberty City.

Trailer Content

Looking at the studio's trailer release habits, both GTA 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 used their third trailers to focus on character introductions, giving players a better understanding of the two leads' identities and backgrounds.

GTA 6's protagonists, Jason and Lucia, are a couple - a significant departure from the bachelors of past titles. Their relationship may well sit at the heart of the story, and the third trailer will likely shed light on their romantic history. The chorus of "Heartbreaker" perhaps hints that their bond is not always harmonious; we might even see arguments or betrayal unfold in the trailer.

When Will The Trailer 3 Arrive?

So we inevitably circle back to that question: when will the trailer drop? Rather than hoping it arrives unannounced today or on some random day soon, it makes more sense to look at when the studio is likely to make major moves.

Summer Marketing

First and foremost is the summer marketing push. The studio has previously made it clear that summer will be the main window for GTA 6's marketing. We are not yet in summer, so it is hardly a surprise that the big bets placed on this week - for the third trailer, pre-orders, the cover reveal, and everything else - ultimately did not materialise.

CEO of the parent company, Strauss Zelnick, recently reaffirmed that November 19 remains the target date and that the project is on track. He will very likely repeat that message during the upcoming earnings call. This means June, July, and August will be packed with promotional and marketing activity.

Other GTA 6 details

Although the large-scale marketing blitz will not begin until summer, that does not mean there will be complete silence before then. The earnings call later this week could reveal a more precise marketing timeline, mention the pre-order window, or give a rough outline of the next trailer's schedule.

Furthermore, even before summer officially starts, the studio could release the full cover art, unveil details about different editions and the date pre-orders go live, then follow up with the third trailer, and cap everything off by opening pre-orders.

Another date worth keeping an eye on is May 26 - originally floated as a possible release date for GTA 6. The studio might also choose this day to release something to calm the fanbase.

The game's official launch is still roughly six months away. Until the summer marketing period truly arrives, we must remain patient.

GTA Online is also set to receive a major update in the summer - possibly its last big one - which could include content tied to GTA 6. That said, you may be looking forward to GTA 6 Online even more. Whatever kind of mayhem you plan to unleash in Vice City, IGGM GTA 6 Store can set you up with everything you need to become the city's legendary outlaw or financial kingpin.

Raiders, ARC Raiders has just released Patch Notes 1.29.0. Keen-eyed players have likely already noticed the addition of a new Special break-action Grenade Launcher called Rascal. Is this blue Grenade Launcher worth getting? Let's take a look.

As a Rare-quality Grenade Launcher, Rascal is cheaper and easier to craft than the purple Hullcracker, essentially a weaker version. Its key advantage lies in its weight of only 4 kg, compared to Hullcracker's 7.25 kg, and its faster equipping speed.

Especially when compared to Hullcracker without lightweight attachments, Rascal serves as an emergency secondary weapon, specifically designed to quickly eliminate small ARC enemies such as Wasps, Hornets, or Shredders.

Blueprint and Acquisition Methods

The most reliable way to obtain ARC Raiders Rascal blueprint is by scavenging various containers, including backpacks, weapon cases, medical bags, grenade tubes, and security lockers. Some players have also found blueprints in regular containers in locked rooms.

In fact, the probability of directly finding a Rascal is extremely high compared to searching for a blueprint. It might just be lying there in a container, waiting for you to discover it, a pleasant surprise. This is especially common in Night Raid, breachable rooms, and locked rooms.

Therefore, you don't need to deliberately spend time searching for blueprints, as you can find a finished product every day.

If you plan to craft a Rascal, you will need 5 Canisters, 3 Heavy Gun Parts, and 2 Advanced Mechanical Components.

Subsequent upgrades add one Mechanical Component and 2 Gun Parts per level. Upgrading from level 3 to level 4 requires 2 Advanced Mechanical Components and 2 Heavy Gun Parts.

From this perspective, the overall cost of crafting Rascal is similar to other weapons of the same rarity. However, given that the finished product is not difficult to obtain, its practical significance is limited, and there's no need to obsess over crafting Rascal for now.

Key Comparison between Rascal and Hullcracker

Ballistics and Effective Range

While Rascal seems decent, we must acknowledge its significant bullet drop.

At 45 meters, Hullcracker can generally hit its target at the 20-meter mark, while Rascal, when aiming at the same spot, will result in a significantly lower bullet impact point.

Therefore, if you're aiming to attack long-range enemies like Rocketeer or Vaporizer, Rascal isn't ideal. It's better suited for close-quarters combat.

Rate of Fire and Single-Shot Damage

We can also compare the time it takes to fire all 10 rounds of ammunition for Hullcracker and Rascal. Hullcracker takes approximately 9.5 seconds, while Rascal takes approximately 17 seconds. Clearly, Rascal's reload time between each round is significantly longer.

When killing Shredder, Hullcracker can reliably kill with two shots, while Rascal requires three shots to directly hit Shredder's body. However, if the two thrusters, Shredder's weak points, are precisely targeted, Rascal can also kill with two shots, which is quite surprising.

Looking at Bastion, Hullcracker's single-shot damage is approximately 427-650, while Rascal's single-shot damage is approximately 300-400, with an average damage per shot that is about 30% to 50% lower than Hullcracker.

Even so, Rascal is still much more efficient than ordinary weapons like Anvil. One Rascal shot deals roughly the same damage as five Anvil shots against a high-armor ARC enemy.

Equipment Speed

Equipment speed is also a key difference between Rascal and Hullcracker.

Rascal is significantly faster to draw and aim than the standard Hullcracker, matching its speed with a lightweight attachment. This allows you to instantly pull out Rascal and eliminate swarms of Wasps while running around the map with a single shot, instead of lugging around the bulky Hullcracker.

Practical Performance and Usage Recommendations

Advantages

Rascal's advantages are already quite clear.

First, it's very easy to obtain; you can find it almost every game, making it ideal for those who have just completed Expedition, haven't upgraded their workbench, or cannot afford Hullcracker because of economic constraints.

Second, its lightweight allows for quick draws, making it a great secondary weapon specifically for dealing with small ARC enemies.

When fighting Shredders, hitting their thrusters can result in a two-shot kill, surprisingly efficient.

Therefore, in PvP lobbies or other high-risk areas, using a found Rascal instead of the expensive Hullcracker is a safer choice.

Disadvantages

As mentioned before, Rascal's bullet drop is extremely severe. For long-range targets like Wasps and Snitches, extensive practice is essential; otherwise, you might miss a single Wasp after five shots, which is both embarrassing and frustrating.

Furthermore, Rascal's overall damage output against large ARC enemies like Bastions and Bombardiers is significantly lower than Hullcracker's .

Overall, Rascal isn't suitable as a primary weapon against ARC enemies, but rather for guerrilla tactics involving firing a shot from cover and then retreating.

Is Rascal worth getting?

You don't need to search for Rascal blueprint; its high drop rate means you can likely obtain one after playing a few games a day.

You also don't need to craft it specifically, as its crafting cost isn't low. Found units are usually Tier 1-2, and a few upgrades will give you a faster reload speed.

Rascal isn't a particularly amazing weapon, but it's certainly not as bad as some players claim. For a blue-quality hero, its damage and utility have exceeded expectations. If you can easily use Hullcracker, then Hullcracker is the obvious choice. However, if you're on a tight budget or prefer a lighter loadout, Rascal is a very reliable alternative.

Go online now and try to acquire Rascal!