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• MLB The Show 26 May All-Position Hitter Rankings | The free reward that outplays collection legends

  In MLB The Show 26, assembling a top-tier team requires carefully weighing the strengths and weaknesses of players at each position. A single dominant player cannot stop the weak links on your roster from giving up runs, so you need to keep your overall lineup balanced.

  May didn't bring a huge amount of new content, and we might have to wait until June for more releases. In the meantime, let's take a look at the best hitters for every position in MLB The Show 26 during May.

  

  Catcher

  94 OVR Jorge Posada

  Jorge Posada is widely regarded as the best catcher in the game right now. At the plate, he posts a 95 contact against right-handed pitchers, a 119 against lefties, a 101 clutch rating, and excellent power on both sides.

  His fielding and arm strength are also above average. On top of that, he comes with First-Pitch Hitter and Dead Red quirks, giving him a fantastic swing feel. Although he is around 100k stubs, his performance more than justifies that figure.

  92 OVR Victor Martinez

  As a switch hitter, Martinez is the second-best option at catcher. He boasts high contact, great vision, solid clutch stats, and reliable power—further boostable with a power mod. His fielding is adequate for the position, and he also carries Dead Red quirk. Best of all, he is only 12,000 MLB The Show 26 stubs, making him accessible to almost any lineup.

  First Base

  99 OVR Albert Pujols

  A collection reward card, Albert Pujols is the ultimate first baseman that every player dreams of. His stats are nearly perfect across the board, and little more needs to be said. If you have him, every other first baseman takes a back seat.

  99 OVR Miguel Cabrera

  Miguel Cabrera is listed as a third baseman by default, but as a collection card he can also be slotted in at first base. His formidable stats make him unmatched at either position.

  93 OVR Ildemaro Vargas

  The top two options are collection rewards, which many players may not have unlocked yet. So let's look at the third choice. Ildemaro Vargas is only 30,000 stubs and can cover first, second, third, shortstop, and left field. His power is a bit weak at 60, so consider equipping a contact-and-power mod to boost it.

  Second Base

  99 OVR Troy Tulowitzki

  Troy Tulowitzki excels in every attribute except bunt, drag bunt, and stealing—there is no doubt about his strength. However, because he is an expensive collection card, many players cannot obtain him. So let's explore other options.

  95 OVR José Ramírez

  Though also a collection card, Mural series collection is fairly simple to complete: you can unlock this card with 170k stubs. He can play second base, shortstop, left field, and third base. With a speed mod, his speed reaches 95. He has a great swing feel, and while his defense is average due to his smaller frame, his excellent hitting more than makes up for it.

  Shortstop

  92 OVR Elly De La Cruz

  The best shortstop remains 99 OVR Troy Tulowitzki, so we'll skip him for now. 92 OVR Elly De La Cruz is the final reward from April Lightning program. He is a rare switch hitter, giving him an advantage against pitchers from both sides and greatly increasing his in-game flexibility. He is particularly strong against lefties, with key stats near 100: 95 contact and 97 power. After applying a speed-and-fielding mod, his defense becomes no problem at all. He is very tall and can leap to snag high fly balls, and his range for diving plays is also large.

  95 OVR Francisco Lindor

  95 OVR Francisco Lindor can be obtained at no cost through XP program. His contact, clutch, and power are all solid. The main issue is that his defense is somewhat average, and compared to Elly De La Cruz, Lindor is at a disadvantage in nearly every stat.

  Third Base

  99 OVR Miguel Cabrera, 99 OVR Albert Pujols, and 94 OVR Chipper Jones are all exceptional third basemen with fantastic swing mechanics—nothing to complain about. However, these cards are very hard to acquire.

  92 OVR Ian Happ

  92 OVR Ian Happ is a free reward from Cityscapes Program. He is a switch hitter with an excellent swing, strong contact, clutch, power, and various quirks. Highly recommended for players who do not have top-tier cards.

  Left Field

  93 OVR Mickey Mantle With a speed mod, 93 OVR Mickey Mantle reaches 99 speed. He also offers solid contact, good clutch, balanced power on both sides, reliable defense, and Situational Hitter and Rally Monkey quirks.

  92 OVR Carlos Beltran

  92 OVR Carlos Beltran has 96 contact against righties, 85 against lefties, and good clutch. A speed mod pushes him to 99 speed. His power versus righties is the main shortcoming, but he is among the best defensive center fielders in the game right now, with top-tier speed. If you can live with his lack of power, this card is very strong.

  Center Field

  95 OVR Ken Griffey Jr.

  Ken Griffey Jr. boasts one of the smoothest swing animations in the game, with quirks including Situational Hitter and Bad Ball Hitter. His contact and power on both sides are excellent, and his clutch is respectable.

  Right Field

  92 OVR Ken Singleton

  Ken Singleton has solid contact, clutch, and power on both sides. A power /speed mod can improve his defensive capabilities. The main drawback is his low speed, which makes his defense average. If you like his swing, he is definitely worth a try.

  The above is the recommended top lineup for all field positions in MLB The Show 26 during May. Looking forward to seeing even better players arrive in June.

• Forza Horizon 6 Performance Review: How Wristband and Stamp Systems Perfected Open-World Racing?

  Players, Forza Horizon 6 has consistently received positive reviews since its release, with many saying they are completely immersed and can't stop playing. This is partly because of the choice of Japan as the game's setting, but the main reason lies in the game's excellent progression system and exploration mechanics.

  The Game's Deeper Design

  While the long-awaited Japanese setting certainly constitutes a significant part of the game's appeal, the stunning map alone isn't enough to justify the high expectations players have for Forza Horizon 6.

  What truly captivates players is the ingenious progression system, exploration mechanics, and reward loop behind that map. These elements fuel the player's dopamine, seamlessly integrating with the adrenaline-driven gameplay, keeping players constantly aware that the next reward is just around the corner and a new path awaits exploration.

  

  Wristband System Refreshes Map Vitality

  Wristband, a familiar progression tracker for veteran Forza Horizon players, is seamlessly woven into every aspect of the player's interaction with Festival in this game.

  Wristbands are more than just flashy cosmetic items; they're tickets to more driving, more rewards, and more fun. Each experience point propels you closer to the next Wristband level, and unlocking a new level unlocks new vehicle categories, events, challenges, and new map areas, even adding more content to previously cleared areas.

  This design, simultaneously pulling you forward to explore and back to familiar locations, brings the world to life rather than creating a rigid to-do list, preventing players from feeling tired or bored.

  Discover Japan System

  In addition to Wristband system, there's the excellent Discover Japan system, tracking your actual visits to various parts of Japan through stamps.

  You can visit popular landmarks, take photos, and even take on everyday jobs like delivery drivers. These lighthearted activities allow you to slow down and appreciate the scenery.

  Considering that this game's map is not only the largest in the series but also highly interactive, feeling like a living world rather than just a backdrop for luxury cars, this rhythmic variation becomes an integral part of the progression loop, giving FH6 its unique flavor.

  Diverse Events and Track Types

  From neon-lit city streets to open plains highways, the game's transitions are seamless and visually stunning, often making players forget to use the fast travel system because they don't want to miss any surprises after the next corner.

  More importantly, the events you participate in are rarely repetitive. You might start with a track race demanding strict adherence to optimal racing lines, and then immediately face a level pushing drifting techniques to the limit on winding mountain roads.

  Despite the limited possibilities, the experience feels endless, which is another reason Forza Horizon 6 is so addictive.

  Highly Customizable Assists and Tuning

  Whether you're a casual player or a seasoned driver, you can showcase your skills in this game.

  If you just want to enjoy the thrill of standing on the podium and don't want to worry about details like vehicle weight distribution, the numerous tuning options and assistive functions will take care of the tediousness of simulated driving.

  Or if you want complete control over every aspect of your vehicle's performance to push it to the limit, the game also gives you complete freedom.

  This player-driven design, centered on choice, doesn't impose harsh demands on players who just want fun, yet maintains enough challenge to keep even the most experienced drivers eager to pursue new milestones, thus creating an inclusive and sustainable gameplay loop.

  Smooth Open World Design

  The best open worlds don't overwhelm players with a plethora of icons, but rather entice them with seamlessly connected next actions.

  In FH6, what truly makes you a regular at Festival is how it cleverly connects the Japanese setting with the driving experience, reward feedback, and progression system. Wristbands are no longer just progress markers, but visible testaments to all the wonderful memories you have of becoming Japan's best driver.

  This game deeply understands and utilizes a simple principle: give you a reason to keep driving, and provide enough interesting stops along the way, allowing players to maintain their momentum.

  

  NVIDIA Game Ready Driver Support

  One crucial reason for the smooth experience in Japanese tracks is Forza Horizon 6's dedicated GeForce Game Ready driver support, another major reason why players find it hard to put the game down.

  The game launches with integrated DLSS 4.5 super-resolution and ray tracing, allowing every GeForce RTX player to enjoy the stunning scenery of Japan while experiencing higher image fidelity.

  For RTX 50 series users, DLSS multi-frame generation technology can boost the frame rate to 5.2 times at 4K resolution with maximum settings, enabling RTX 5090 to achieve a smooth performance of over 330 FPS.

  Even more impressive is the new DLSS 4.5 dynamic multi-frame generation mode, which dynamically switches between different frame generation multipliers, finding a perfect balance between frame rate, image quality, and response speed, and automatically syncing to the monitor's refresh rate.

  This technical refinement significantly eliminates lag and stuttering, allowing players to immerse themselves completely in the addictive cycle of starting another game, fully enjoying the thrill of driving, exploring, and progressing.

  NVIDIA's driver-level optimizations ensure the game won't be interrupted by any performance fluctuations.

  In short, Forza Horizon 6 has many compelling reasons to keep players hooked. Go explore the game and discover more of its excellent details!

• Helldivers 2 Optimizing Liberty Update Full Breakdown: Can DLSS 4.5 & FSR 4.0.3 Reverse the Crisis of Just 33% Positive Reviews?

  Since its launch, Helldivers 2 has swept the globe, driven by its electrifying multiplayer atmosphere and spectacular in-game moments. However, as game versions have evolved, frequent in-game bugs, a lack of transparency regarding weapon balance adjustments, and unannounced changes to enemy difficulty have plunged Helldivers 2 into an unprecedented wave of negative reviews. The Steam reviews section even saw a cumulative total of 11,440 negative reviews at one point, most notably, positive reviews over the last 30 days have plummeted to a dismal 33%!

  Faced with fierce criticism from the community and a looming crisis of player attrition, the developers have finally decided to take decisive action. The studio has officially announced that on May 27th, they will release a major technical update titled Optimizing Liberty, designed to fundamentally reshape the game experience.

  This is not merely a standard performance patch; it represents a pivotal step in Helldivers 2's commitment to enhancing development transparency and actively listening to community feedback. Here, we will take a closer look at the three core changes introduced by Optimizing Liberty update: stability improvements, reduced latency, and advanced upscaling technologies, as well as their potential impact on the future of the game.

  

  Upscaling Support

  Prior to Optimizing Liberty update, the game notably lacked support for mainstream, modern upscaling technologies. This often resulted in drastic frame rate drops for many PC players, even those equipped with high-end graphics cards, when attempting to fend off massive waves of high-difficulty enemies. Some players were even forced to rely on third-party software to artificially boost their frame rates by roughly 50%.

  Fortunately, the developers have finally heeded the players' calls. In the latest Helldivers 2 Optimizing Liberty update, the developers have thoroughly addressed a major pain point by introducing upscaling solutions tailored to the diverse hardware configurations of players across all platforms:

  For PC Users:

  • FSR (High-End): 4.0.3 (on supported GPUs)
  • Support for FSR 3.1.5, DLSS 4.5 and XeSS 3.0

  For Console Users:

  • PS5 Pro: PSSR 1
  • PS5: FSR 3.1
  • Xbox: FSR 3.1

  These changes are designed to ensure that game performance remains fluid and stable, even during critical moments with the highest performance demands, allowing Helldivers 2 to run robustly at 1440p resolution on every platform.

  Advanced Visual Optimizations and GPU Load Reduction

  Beyond resolution enhancements, Helldivers 2 Optimizing Liberty patch introduces several cutting-edge graphics rendering technologies aimed at smoothing frame rates and effectively alleviating GPU strain during high-load scenarios:

  Variable Refresh Rate (VRR)

  Deeply optimized specifically for PS5 and PS5 Pro. The addition of VRR effectively eliminates screen tearing and stuttering caused by frame rate fluctuations, allowing players to bid farewell to the high input latency typically associated with traditional V-Sync, thereby delivering a much smoother visual experience during intense combat.

  Variable Rate Shading (VRS)

  VRS is an intelligent visual optimization technology. It precisely evaluates on-screen content, dynamically lowering the shading rate in areas where the player's attention is less focused, such as shadows, distant scenery, or areas of rapid motion, thereby significantly reducing GPU workload without sacrificing core visual fidelity.

  Dynamic Resolution Scaling (DRS)

  DRS is now supported across all platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. When the battlefield erupts with heavy bombardments or other GPU-intensive visual effects, the system automatically and seamlessly adjusts the game's resolution to maintain a stable frame rate. This ensures that players do not suffer a needless death because of lag during those split-second, life-or-death moments.

  

  Reduced Latency

  As a fast-paced shooter, Helldivers 2 features high-difficulty missions where a reaction time difference of mere tenths of a second can often determine the survival or demise of an entire squad. To this end, the developers have committed to completely eliminating input latency in Optimizing Liberty update:

  • NVIDIA Reflex: For users with NVIDIA GPUs, enabling this technology will drastically reduce internal system rendering latency, ensuring that every shot fired and every dive executed feels instantly responsive to the player.
  • AMD Anti-Lag 2: Offering full support for AMD GPU users, this feature ensures that players' keyboard and mouse commands are instantly and without any lag translated into action on the battlefields of Super Earth.

  The Future of Helldivers 2 is tied to Community Feedback

  Optimizing Liberty update has garnered significant positive feedback from community content creators. In reality, many independent media outlets often seem eager only to jump on the bandwagon when criticizing negative news, yet fall collectively silent when the developers actually implement positive changes. 

  However, while the community should be outspoken when the developers make mistakes, they must be equally ready to offer praise when things are done right; only in this way can a healthy feedback loop be established. The destiny of Helldivers 2 lies in the hands of its community players.

  That said, Optimizing Liberty serves merely as the opening salvo in Helldivers 2's ongoing campaign to boost game performance. Following the release of this patch, the developers have explicitly stated their plans to launch a dedicated, technically focused deep update later this summer, an update designed to push these performance improvements to entirely new heights.

  While this update has reshaped Helldivers 2 gaming experience, it regrettably did not address the issues players care about most: weapon balance and changes to damage mechanics. Yet, do not be discouraged; as the first step in a broader performance-enhancement initiative, all of these matters remain firmly within the developers' plans! Regardless, let us look forward to May 27th, a day when every single frame of Helldivers 2 runs with rock-solid stability!

• Diablo 4 Players Furious over Season 13 Bugs | Can Sanctuary Sitdown Save Season 14?

  To deliver a sufficient surprise to players, the official team has decided not to launch Diablo 4 Season 13 PTR. That's way the number of bugs in this season has reached an unprecedented level, severely harming game fairness.

  Since Season 13 primarily focused on the campaign storyline of Expansion 2 and numerous system and class updates, there was no seasonal mechanic or exclusive content. The next season will be the first content season of Lord of Hatred era, and you can look forward to learning about it during Season 14 Sanctuary Sitdown.

  

  Sanctuary Sitdown Date

  The official team has announced that Sanctuary Sitdown developer Q&A event is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, 2026. This will be an important information release ahead of the official launch of Season 14. You can watch the livestream by joining the official Sanctuary Discord server at the following times:

  • BST: May 28, 21:00
  • CEST: May 28, 22:00
  • PDT: May 28, 13:00
  • EDT: May 28, 16:00

  Replays or summaries of the livestream are typically posted by the official team on the community website or YouTube channel after the event ends, so you can search for them later. In late June, there will also be an official developer update livestream that goes into more detail about Season 14.

  Additionally, with the upcoming of the Season 14 PTR, don't forget to keep an eye on Diablo 4 giveaway channel on the IGGM Discord. IGGM will be hosting free item giveaways, so be sure to participate actively, you just might be the lucky winner!

  PTR and Season 14 Date

  The core of Sanctuary Sitdown will be introducing the upcoming 3.1 PTR. Based on past experience, PTR server will very likely open on the same day as the event or within the following few days. Considering that Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 is set for release on May 29, 3.1 PTR might open about one week after Sanctuary Sitdown concludes - around June 4.

  Note that this event differs in format from Campfire Chat. Sanctuary Sitdown focuses more on direct communication between players and developers. While you will receive information about Season 14, the amount of content will certainly be less than what a Campfire Chat provides. If you want more details, keep following the official announcements after this event.

  Although the official start date for Diablo 4 Season 14 has not been announced, by looking at the end date of Reliquary, it is expected to go live around June 30. Apart from a slight delay in Season 12 (which was only two days late), this estimation has almost always been accurate.

  What to Expect from Sanctuary Sitdown?

  Since Sanctuary Sitdown will primarily feature developers answering questions from players, certain aspects of Season 13 that seriously hurt the gameplay experience will surely be a major focus of the livestream. Let's take a quick look at the most highly requested issues in the player community right now.

  War Plans

  The bonuses provided by War Plans have almost completely transformed the gameplay experience (Of course, it is certainly a positive aspect). However, the biggest problem right now is that War Plans are not account-wide.

  Diablo 4 is a highly diverse game with many different classes and builds to try. Yet every time you create a new character, you must re-unlock the entire War Plan system, a process that can take days or even weeks - extremely inconvenient. Nearly all players hope this becomes account-wide, and they'd like to see that change in the new season.

  Stash Space

  Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred has brought an unprecedented amount of loot (thanks in part to War Plans). The game introduced a great talisman system, including set items, uniques, mythic talismans, and seals - but players have nowhere near enough room to store them.

  These items cannot be stacked, nor do they have dedicated stash tabs. If you play multiple characters and want to keep one piece of each set, plus sigils, talismans, gems (which are usually not salvaged because the shard yield is too low), and other Diablo 4 items, your stash fills up instantly.

  Players desperately need more storage space. Perhaps quad tabs like those in Path of Exile could be added, or specialized tabs could be introduced. Recently, Diablo 2 added similar functionality. This is currently the most impactful quality-of-life issue, especially for those trying multiple characters and builds.

  Class Balance

  With the addition of the new classes - Warlock and Paladin - strange phenomena have appeared on the leaderboards. The performance of the new classes has been disappointing. Warlock, in particular, feels very clunky without certain specific bonuses. Warlock's animations are beautiful, but they are excessively long, making skill usage feel sluggish. Almost every skill interrupts your current action.

  The same issue applies to Paladin. Last season, Paladin was very strong, but many interesting builds have been nerfed. Now, Paladin might be ten times weaker than Sorcerer. While players don't expect perfect class balance, having one class a thousand times stronger than another is clearly unreasonable.

  Bug Fixes

  The current bug situation is quite serious. A month after release, Rogue still has infinite damage, and other classes suffer from similar problems. There are also progression bugs, snapshot bugs, infinite reset exploits for certain activities, plus numerous tooltip errors. Hopefully, these issues will receive concentrated feedback and be resolved during PTR.

  After the first new season following the release of the expansion Vessel of Hatred in October 2024 - Season 7 - players enjoyed Tree of Whispers and Witch Power, which received widespread praise. Will Season 14 address many of the issues of Season 13 and deliver equally interesting seasonal content? We'll have to wait and see.

• Monopoly Go May 25-27 Beastly Beauties Event Schedule and Rewards

  Tycoons, it's been almost a month since the last Monopoly Go Beastly Beauties event! Today, Beastly Beauties returns, bringing you another Beauty and the Beast story at the end of Monopoly Ever After album.

  Beastly Beauties Schedule

  Beastly Beauties started today at 1 p.m. on Monopoly Go and will run until 1 p.m. on May 27(Eastern Time), for a total of two days.

  Gingerbread Partners event is also running concurrently until May 30th. Overall, these two days will be a very fulfilling gaming experience for Tycoons, a good time to try and collect all Monopoly Go stickers in the current album.

  

  How to Play Beastly Beauties?

  The gameplay is the same as the last Beastly Beauties event. You need to roll the dice and land them on tiles with Event Pickup to score points.

  Since you get two points for each Event Pickup, it's important to activate the dice multiplier at the right time. Once you enable dice multipliers, your score for each event pickup is the event pickup's base score of two points multiplied by your multiplier. For example, a 10x multiplier would award 20 points.

  However, it's important to note that the event pickup icons are not fixed. Each time you roll, these scoring icons will rearrange, potentially disrupting your current plan. Therefore, don't roll blindly; pay attention to the changing scoring icons before deciding how to roll.

  It's best to focus on areas with multiple event pickups clustered together. When you think you're close to scoring, increase your dice multiplier, especially if you have few dice left. This will greatly increase your chances of getting a high score. And remember to decrease your dice multiplier if the board conditions are unfavorable.

  What rewards do Beastly Beauties offer?

  This two-day Beastly Beauties event will bring you up to 18,205 dice, 3,780 Beach Balls, multiple sticker packs, cash prizes, and more! Check it out:

  1. 5 Points: 80 Beach Balls
  2. 10 Points: 25 Dice
  3. 15 Points: Cash Rewards
  4. 30 Points: One Star Green Sticker Pack
  5. 50 Points: 50 Dice
  6. 35 Points: 100 Beach Balls
  7. 35 Points: One Star Green Sticker Pack
  8. 45 Points: 40 Dice
  9. 55 Points: 140 Beach Balls
  10. 170 Points: 150 Dice
  11. 50 Points: 10 Minutes Cash Boost
  12. 50 Points: 50 Dice
  13. 75 Points: 180 Beach Balls
  14. 100 Points: Two Star Yellow Sticker Pack
  15. 450 Points: 375 Dice
  16. 75 Points: 200 Beach Balls
  17. 75 Points: 70 Dice
  18. 100 Points: 15 Minutes Builder's Bash
  19. 100 Points: Cash Rewards
  20. 725 Points: 575 Dice
  21. 100 Points: 220 Beach Balls
  22. 125 Points: 95 Dice
  23. 125 Points: Cash Rewards
  24. 125 Points: 250 Beach Balls
  25. 1,225 Points: 925 Dice
  26. 150 Points: Three Star Pink Sticker Pack
  27. 175 Points: 260 Beach Balls
  28. 150 Points: Cash Rewards
  29. 800 Points: 575 Dice
  30. 200 Points: 300 Beach Balls
  31. 200 Points: Cash Rewards
  32. 225 Points: 150 Dice
  33. 175 Points: 10 Minutes Cash Boost
  34. 250 Points: Cash Rewards
  35. 1,600 Points: 1100 Dice
  36. 275 Points: 350 Beach Balls
  37. 300 Points: 200 Dice
  38. 500 Points: Cash Rewards
  39. 1,425 Points: 925 Dice
  40. 350 Points: Cash Rewards
  41. 375 Points: 380 Beach Balls
  42. 400 Points: Cash Rewards
  43. 2,400 Points: 1400 Dice
  44. 375 Points: 15 Minutes Color Wheel Boost
  45. 475 Points: 400 Beach Balls
  46. 625 Points: 350 Dice
  47. 525 Points: Cash Rewards
  48. 3,200 Points: 1650 Dice
  49. 600 Points: 420 Beach Balls
  50. 475 Points: 40 Minutes Mega Heist
  51. 700 Points: Cash Rewards
  52. 1,925 Points: 800 Dice
  53. 750 Points: 500 Beach Balls
  54. 875 Points: 500 Dice
  55. 1,000 Points: Cash Rewards
  56. 4,800 Points: 2200 Dice
  57. 550 Points: 15 Minutes Cash Boost
  58. 850 Points: 375 Dice
  59. 1,025 Points: Cash Rewards
  60. 1,475 Points: 625 Dice
  61. 1,600 Points: Cash Rewards
  62. 10,675 Points: 5000 Dice

  We can see some bonus events in these rewards, such as Cash Boost, Color Wheel Boost, Builder's Bash, or Mega Heist, which are very important bonuses.

  Cash Boost allows you to earn more cash when rolling dice, giving you the opportunity to accumulate money. Using it in conjunction with Builder's Bash will yield even better results, allowing you to easily upgrade landmarks.

  Mega Heist not only boosts your cash but also your tournament score, so even if you don't land on a scoring tile during this boost, you'll still gain something.

  

  Game Tips

  In the game, if you feel the board situation is favorable, act immediately without hesitation and use the dice multiplier you deem appropriate.

  Of course, multipliers shouldn't be used arbitrarily. It's best not to waste high multipliers on tiles with only one scoring tile around the board, as you might end up with nothing.

  If the redistributed board situation is unfavorable, remain patient, use lower multipliers, and try not to consume too many resources, waiting for the board distribution to improve.

  Finally, players should know that Auto Roll offers no advantage in Beastly Beauties. The board is not fixed, so Auto Roll cannot recognize the board. Even if you have enough dice, don't waste opportunities this way.

  Beastly Beauties is currently underway on Monopoly Go and comes with so many in-game bonuses. Take advantage of these rewarding events before Monopoly Ever After album ends!

• Why is Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 Runic Ward a Total Game-Changer for Pure Life Builds? | Zero Startup Delay Completely Crushing ES!

  In the upcoming 0.5.0 update for Path of Exile 2, players have been introduced to a highly anticipated new defensive mechanic - Runic Ward. This mechanic essentially works like a Reverse Energy Shield; when your life is depleted, Runic Ward activates to help you withstand damage.

  This introduction is widely seen as a major adjustment by the developers to break the current stalemate of Pure Life build, which is largely rejected and forced towards the rigid Energy Shield build system.

  Next, we'll examine the workings of Runic Ward, its advantages and disadvantages compared to ES, its practicality for early game progression, and whether it can truly solve the life crisis of the right-side skill tree classes, based on the latest 0.5.0 trailer materials.

  

  Runic Ward Explained

  Runic Ward isn't a specific skill, but rather a special affix that can be added to any base defense gear using a new league currency. It applies to core armor pieces such as chests, helmets, gloves, and boots.

  More importantly, it's not limited by the original base of the gear. Whether your gear is pure armor, energy shield, evasion, or any hybrid, you can apply Runic Ward stat through a crafting table.

  Its core mechanism, as mentioned earlier, is similar to Reverse Energy Shield. Simply put, a regular Energy Shield deducts ES before life when the character takes damage. Runic Ward, on the other hand, directly deducts life from the damage taken. It only activates and begins absorbing subsequent damage when your life is reduced to 1.

  However, it's important to understand that Runic Ward doesn't provide invulnerability; it's merely a second health bar following life.

  Runic Ward vs. Energy Shield

  In Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, it's difficult to maximize life through talents and gear for right-side skill tree classes like Ranger, Monk, and Mercenary. Pure Life/Evasion builds are extremely prone to dying quickly, forcing many players to switch to an Energy Shield build. However, the emergence of Runic Ward offers a completely different advantage:

  Damage Absorption Priority

  For pure Energy Shield builds, Burning Grounds or other types of DoTs are extremely detrimental. Energy Shields typically require a delay before automatic regeneration begins, and DoTs constantly interrupt this process, forcing players to invest heavily in gear just to maintain basic survivability.

  Runic Ward, however, triggers only after life is depleted. Therefore, when facing sporadic damage or DoTs, damage will first deduct life. But in Path of Exile 2, restoring life is extremely easy; having a Life Flask allows you to easily maintain life, keeping Runic Ward in the backline unharmed.

  Recovery Speed

  Furthermore, even from the official 0.5.0 preview, we can see that Runic Ward possesses an astonishingly fast natural recovery speed, seemingly with no activation delay. Once Runic Ward begins absorbing damage, it instantly and rapidly regenerates to full health almost immediately upon being hit. This extremely fast self-starting recovery characteristic makes it highly forgiving against high-frequency, continuous attacks.

  

  Investment Cost

  This is also Runic Ward's most devastating advantage over Energy Shield.

  The current predicament of Energy Shield lies in the fact that, in the 0.5.0 update, the developers have revealed their intention to weaken Energy Shield's recovery methods. Moreover, Energy Shield stacking builds require a large number of percentage-based Energy Shield nodes in the skill tree to achieve scale, making it difficult for players to fully utilize its potential in the early game.

  In contrast, Runic Ward requires almost no skill support or additional recovery affix investment. You only need to imprint Runic Ward onto your gear during the early game, and it will immediately be 100% effective, providing a great experience thanks to its inherent natural energy regeneration mechanism. 

  For Rangers and other Dexterity-based classes, going straight for Energy Shield build in early PoE 2 campaigns or when first entering Atlas is extremely painful, because you don't have enough gear to provide base Energy Shield (ES) or enough Evasion Rate to synergize with Ghost Dance.

  But Runic Ward changes this. Introduced in Path of Exile 2 Act 1 through Verisum Runeforging system, this means that even if you've just entered the game, you can enchant your newly acquired regular gear with Runic Ward stat. This extra high-value buffer, unconditionally available early in the game, will greatly improve the high mortality rate of low-life classes during the early progression phase.

  Can Runic Ward truly save life builds?

  While Runic Ward seems incredibly appealing, whether it can completely replace ES and become the perfect savior for life builds depends on two key factors: the total amount of Runic Wards that can ultimately be stacked and whether it provides immunity to Energy Shield builds.

  First, whether patch 0.5.0 will add new dedicated Runic Ward nodes to the class skill tree or whether unique or endgame gear will exist to provide substantial Runic Ward bonuses are crucial factors determining the actual effectiveness of Runic Ward.

  For example, a typical Ranger build usually has around 2,000-2,500 life. If, in PoE 2 0.5.0, players can easily acquire 1,000 Runic Ward points from gear, combined with existing Evasion and Deflection, this combination will become extremely comfortable and resilient.

  Conversely, if Ward cap is locked at around 500, or stacking higher Wards requires a significant investment in PoE2 currency or even sacrificing more damage affixes, many players may reluctantly return to ES build.

  On the other hand, it's clear that Runic Ward offers almost no benefit to a pure ES build. Because a character with 10,000 Energy Shield (ES) will never have their life drop to 1. And as long as life doesn't reach zero, Runic Ward will never activate. This paradoxical design ensures that this mechanism is truly a benefit exclusively for life-based builds.

  Final Thoughts

  In short, Runic Ward is a highly promising new defensive mechanism in PoE 2 0.5.0 update. It precisely avoids the suppression of traditional shields by damage over time, and through its extremely low entry barrier and excellent, zero-delay native regeneration, it brings a new turning point for fragile, pure life-based builds!

  While whether the dominance of the conventional Energy Shield build will be completely shaken before patch 0.5.0 officially goes live depends on the development team's specific nerfs to ES regeneration affix, at least in the early stages of exploration, Runic Ward is destined to become an irreplaceable and powerful transitional solution for life-based builds.