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• Dying Light: The Beast x PUBG Mobile Collaboration Event Guide | Date, Missions & Exclusive Rewards

  Recently, Dying Light: The Beast launched its first collaboration event with the popular survival game series PUBG Mobile. This event brings the thrilling parkour and high-risk action of PUBG into the terrifying atmosphere of Dying Light. Players can not only enter the dangerous Castor Woods to experience a unique storyline and brutal missions, but also have the chance to win a series of PUBG Mobile-themed items!

  This collaboration event starts on October 31, 2025, and will continue until November 21. Want to get all the rewards in less than a month? Then you can't miss this event guide!

  

  How To Participate?

  1. First, you need to log in to your Dying Light Outpost account. If you don't have an account yet, create one now.
  2. Next, link your account to the platform where you are playing Dying Light: The Beast: Windows, PlayStation 5, or Xbox Series X/S. Please note that game content will not be displayed if you have not linked your account.
  3. After linking your account, you can access the official website and start your new mission before the event ends.

  Crossover Event Missions

  Now, let's quickly understand what you need to do after starting the event.

  First, to trigger the crossover mission, you need to complete the primary mission Power Gambit. This is the sixth mission you encounter in Dying Light: The Beast, unlocked after hunting Mist Chimera boss in First Blood mission. Its core objective is to help the survivors at Town Hall.

  After completing Power Gambit, you will unlock a new type of event, available in Castor Woods. You will also receive Survivor Reinforced Jeans, 500 Dying Light: The Beast Money, and 10,000 XP.

  Then, a prominent yellow icon will appear on Recreation Island. Head to this icon to find the first airdrop crate. Be careful, though, as enemies roam nearby. Defeat the enemies before you can pry open the crate and loot all the rewards. Then, fire a flare gun to spawn the next airdrop.

  Each airdrop provides weapons and ammo to pick up, helping you fight enemies near the next airdrop. There will also be a truck nearby for easy access to the next location.

  The route to each airdrop is the same, so simply follow the target marker. Of course, you don't necessarily have to take the truck. You can use Grappling Hook or activate Beast Mode to reach your destination quickly.

  Some airdrops have large numbers of human enemies equipped with bows and melee weapons like guns. Therefore, it's recommended to bring plenty of healing items for survival before starting the mission.

  Upon reaching the last airdrop, you'll find it has been moved to a warehouse. Opening the chest will trigger a cutscene. After the cutscene, you'll face waves of Virals and a Charger. Shortly after defeating them, waves of soldiers will flood the warehouse. Don't worry, use the ammo and weapons you obtained from previous airdrops to eliminate them.

  After eliminating all the smaller enemies, the last boss will appear - a soldier equipped with a grenade launcher. He will roam freely throughout the warehouse, sometimes difficult to spot, and he will also release large amounts of grenade smoke, making him unpredictable and hard to find. Therefore, it is highly recommended that you activate Beast Mode at this point and use melee weapons such as firearms to defeat him.

  It's worth noting that although each reward item shows an expiration date of January 15, 2026, this does not mean the rewards will disappear from the game. After the expiration date, the items themselves do not actually expire; it's more of a legal issue related to PUBG Mobile logo. Therefore, your event items will remain unchanged except for the absence of the specific logo.

  Event Rewards

  In this DL: The Beast and PUBG Mobile collaboration event, you can obtain rewards including Killing Pan, Battle Royale Bat, and Battleground Keychain, among others.

  You can upgrade Killing Pan and Bat blueprints to Legendary level. Battle Royale Bat is decent; although the damage isn't high, a precise headshot will definitely cause serious damage. While Killing Pan deals less damage, it takes down enemies faster and is more fun to use, especially with its sound effects.

  Keychain has a 20% chance to decapitate, dismember, or destroy an opponent's limbs, which is good, but compared to other weapon charms, it's less appealing.

  

  Next is Marked Man Outfit, a single piece of equipment that provides experience boosts, increased headshot damage, and stronger gun attacks. Compared to other in-game equipment, its stat bonuses are very small; its main purpose is to allow you to see your PUBG character in Dying Light: The Beast. However, as we mentioned before, because of copyright issues, it will be no different from regular equipment after its expiration on January 15, 2026.

  The ultimate reward is Airdrop Finder Car Skin obtained through the event. Frankly, I like its appearance, and we're also curious about how it will change in the subsequent logo update.

  In short, this limited-time free collaboration between Dying Light The Beast and PUBG Mobile, offering exclusive rewards including a new story mission line, a chance to win a special frying pan, and unique cosmetic items, is definitely worth participating in. This event allows you to experience the exciting fusion of two survival games, perfectly combining the intense combat of PUBG with the terrifying parkour experience of DL: The Beast.

• Elden Ring Best Weapons For PvE | Top Overpowered Weapons In Base Game And Shadow Of The Erdtree DLC

  As the largest Souls-like game currently available, Elden Ring boasts an enormous arsenal of weapons. However, many of them can be considered mere "toys"—their weapon arts may be flashy, but their damage can be lower than a standard attack from another weapon.

  With the release of Shadow of the Erdtree, some incredibly overpowered weapons have emerged, capable of making the game feel like easy mode. So, which weapons can truly revolutionize your PvE experience?

  

  Commonly Used Top Weapons

  • Dark Moon Great Sword
  • Blasphemous Blade
  • Moonveil Katana
  • Executioner's Sword

  These Elden Ring items have been proven by numerous players to be extremely powerful. They deal high damage or can easily knock enemies off balance and down. If they suit your character's attributes, you can use them to complete the game.

  However, one more weapon deserves special mention: Sacred Relic Sword. This sword is obtained by defeating the main game's final boss and exchanging it for the sword. Its weapon art has a large range, extremely long distance, and deals very high damage.

  Besides allowing you to farm Elden Ring Runes in Mohgwyn Dynasty, it becomes exceptionally useful after entering the DLC, and you can try using its Weapon Art to attack Ghostflame Dragon from a distance.

  Moghwyn's Sacred Spear

  Moghwyn's Sacred Spear is a classic, easy-to-play weapon. It's well-designed and incredibly powerful. Its main damage comes from its Weapon Art, which inflicts three instances of blood loss and has a chance to instantly unbalance enemies.

  Furthermore, its Weapon Art deals AoE damage, allowing you to kill enemies even through walls. Even after all the updates and patches, it remains a top-tier weapon. It's a weapon obtainable only through complex side quests, a perfect example of a powerful weapon.

  Rivers Of Blood And Eleonora's Poleblade

  Both of these weapons inflict accumulated blood loss on opponents, and as you know, blood loss is the most powerful status ailment in Elden Ring.

  Eleonora's Poleblade is better against humanoid enemies with low poise, allowing you to apply a Stagger Lock. Rivers of Blood is better against large enemies; simply spamming Weapon Art from a distance can easily defeat most bosses, provided you have enough FP.

  Bloodfiend's Arm

  Bloodfiend's Arm was incredibly overpowered when the DLC was first released, and although it has been nerfed, it's still a monster. Its unique charged heavy attack splashes twice, allowing for double stacking of status effects like poison and frost. Even without considering status effects, its charged heavy attack excels at breaking stances.

  Backhand Blades

  Backhand Blades are one of the strongest DLC weapons. Lightweight and highly versatile, they are agile and fluid to use, and suitable for almost any build. Whether it's dexterity blood loss, flame art infusion, or cold affinity triggering frost, it's a viable side weapon choice.

  Fire Knight's Great Sword

  Also from DLC, Fire Knight's Great Sword features unique light attacks and a charged, heavy attack. Its Flame Art infusion provides the highest damage boost, making it one of the strongest Pyro and Faith weapons. Any enemy prone to Bleed or Stagger is easily defeated.

  Nagakiba

  Nagakiba is considered the true king of katanas. It boasts an extremely long attack range and can be paired with many builds. Simply enchant it with Lightning or Bloodflame Blade, then use its Weapon Art to return Spinning Strikes, and you can easily complete the entire game.

  Antspur Rapier

  Antspur Rapier excels at rapidly applying status effects and can apply Scarlet Rot. Combined with the blood loss effect, these two negative effects quickly reduce enemy health. Its power stance move set, especially the second rapid three-hit combo, can trigger status effects extremely quickly.

  Great Stars

  Great Stars is one of the best weapons in its class. Besides its built-in blood loss effect, it restores 1% health with each hit. It synergizes perfectly with various Ash of War builds, such as Wild Strikes, Stormaller, and Savage Lion's Claw, and becomes even more devastating after being enchanted with Bloodflame Blade.

  Star Fist

  Star Fist's charged heavy attack is incredibly powerful, easily knocking down enemies. Its light attack move set excels at successful hits and quickly triggers Blood Loss. It combines rapid bleed attacks with powerful heavy bombs, excelling in both aspects. Its only drawback is the relatively short attack range of the gauntlets.

  Pota

  Pota, as a gauntlet weapon, is a severely underrated secret weapon. Its power is almost equivalent to Star Fist, but its attack range is closer to a throwing sword, breaking the balance of short range common to gauntlet weapons. It is extremely powerful in both PvP and PvE.

  Bloody Helice

  Bloody Helice is the longest thrusting sword and a quintessential Arcane build. Its weapon art is both vicious and elegant, allowing for a quick return to safety after an attack. While perhaps less effective in cities, it's highly effective against bosses. Its combat art, along with the DLC weapon Obsidian Scythe, inflicts a total of 55 stance damage, making it very effective against breaking stances.

  These are some of the most powerful weapons currently available in PvE, but the order is not ranked. Which weapon you choose depends on your preferred playstyle and your character's attributes.

• Mobile Legends Bang Bang Best Heroes Tier List For Each Role In November–December 2025

  Currently, Mobile Legends Bang Bang features 130 playable heroes across only 6 role types. This means you have a high degree of freedom in hero selection, regardless of your preferred role.

  However, due to version updates, the game environment and some mechanics will change. Therefore, if you want to improve your performance, especially in ranked matches, you'll need to change your main hero in a timely manner.

  Based on this, we will recommend the best heroes to choose in each role during November-December 2025 to help you smoothly transition to 2026 in MLBB.

  

  Best Assassin - Yi Sun-shin

  This Jungler's return to the main roster is due to the rework of his ultimate ability, Mountain Shocker. Now you can use this skill to reveal enemies in a larger area and charge at them, stunning them and dealing AoE damage.

  This means Yi Sun-shin can be a key damage dealer in team fights. Combined with his other skill, Traceless, which grants brief immunity to crowd control, you can control him to perform both ranged and melee attacks simultaneously to maximize damage output.

  However, choosing this hero requires sufficient familiarity with him. While his skills are powerful, they are also difficult to master. Insufficient practice can lead to mistakes in battle, hindering the entire team.

  It's worth noting that regardless of the hero you choose, simply mastering their skills isn't enough. You'll also need to consume Mobile Legends Bang Bang Diamonds to exchange for upgrades and better gear to improve the hero's overall strength.

  Best Fighter - Fredrinn

  This hero can play both Jungle and EXP Lane roles, but in the latest season, he reaches his full potential only when the team has a utility support hero like Mathilda or Floryn.

  While Fredrinn is a fighter hero, he can also function as a Tank Jungler by taunting enemies and absorbing damage. His advantage over typical tank heroes lies in his ability to convert incoming damage into gray health, increasing the damage of his ultimate.

  Therefore, if you're unsure about the timing of Retribution, you can combine it with Fredrinn's ultimate to deal more damage and secure more resources by unexpectedly attacking enemies.

  Best Mage - Pharsa

  This mid-lane champion's unique advantage in recent seasons lies in combining powerful damage output with high speed, delivering sudden and overwhelming attacks to the enemy.

  This is primarily due to one of her abilities, Wings by Wings, which allows Pharsa to transform into a bird, circling more quickly and nimbly across the arena while unleashing damaging abilities.

  More importantly, her ultimate, Feathered Airstrike, further restricts the enemy's movement, making it difficult for them to dodge your or your teammates' attacks and forcing them to engage, thus accelerating the end of the battle.

  Best Marksman - Kimmy

  One of the past advantages of this champion was her ease of use: mastering just a few basic attack buttons was enough to quickly weaken enemies.

  In the new season, the game has added more control skills and escape mechanics for Kimmy, making her more versatile and effective in more combat scenarios, allowing for more fluid skill loops or combos.

  For example, you can first use her ultimate skill, Traction Pulse, to pull enemies into a central point and gather them together, then use Starlium Beam to suppress them, allowing your teammates to launch a more focused attack and create AoE damage.

  If you plan to face a single opponent alone, or unfortunately get surrounded by multiple enemies, Anti-Grav Thruster skill can briefly increase your speed to help you escape, while simultaneously launching homing projectiles to attack enemies.

  Best Support - Kalea

  This hero was released in Season 36 this March, making her a relatively new hero, so it's not surprising that she remains strong. As an excellent support, Kalea's strength lies in her ability to heal teammates through empowered basic attacks.

  If you're not good at head-on confrontations, playing Kalea is a great choice, as most of her skills function through knock-ups and grabs, allowing you to control enemies and move them to positions where your teammates can easily unleash their abilities.

  However, this also makes mastering Kalea's skills somewhat difficult, as you need to time and angle your hook throws precisely to catch enemies; otherwise, all your and your teammates' efforts will be wasted.

  Best Tank - Uranus

  The latest buffs further enhance this hero's damage output, meaning that as a tank, he can sustain himself and taunt enemies while relieving some of the damage pressure on DPS teammates.

  Although Uranus doesn't deal a lot of damage, his overall Jungle clearing ability has been improved. Combined with his fast movement speed, Uranus allows you to safely engage in normal combat in Jungle or EXP lane.

  Other Hero Choices

  The heroes mentioned above are selected based on their overall performance in various roles, but they are not the only options, given the vast number of heroes in Mobile Legends Bang Bang.

  If you're looking for more fun and breakthroughs in the recent season while also boosting your ranked performance, the following heroes are worth considering:

  • Assassin heroes: Julian, Hayabusa, Joy
  • Fighter heroes: Phoveus, Arlott, Badang, Lapu-Lapu
  • Mage heroes: Zhuxin, Harith, Valentina
  • Marksman heroes: Granger, Karrie, Wanwan, Obsidia
  • Support heroes: Floryn, Angela, Mathilda, Diggie
  • Tank heroes: Baxia, Gatotkaca, Hylos, Gloo

  We hope our MLBB hero list and introductions are helpful, whether for improving your ranked rank or enjoying casual gameplay. Thank you for reading.

• PUBG Mobile Gameplay Tips In 2025 | Best Settings And Pro Combat Guide

  As a mobile game that has been online for seven years, PUBG Mobile still boasts a huge fan base. This is not only because the game is constantly releasing new events, but also because its combat gameplay still has a lot of room for exploration.

  If you think you can easily become a survival master in PUBG Mobile because you think mobile controls are limited, you're mistaken! To defeat more opponents within the time limit, you need to constantly learn and master new skills.

  Therefore, if you want to continue playing this battle royale game and plan to improve your skills before the end of 2025, keep in mind the new combat and game setting tips we're about to introduce!

  

  Maintain A Suitable Distance From Enemies

  While being closer to enemies increases your accuracy, it also increases your chances of being hit. Therefore, you need to maintain a reasonable distance from enemies based on your situation, especially when they have strong firepower.

  For example, if an enemy team forces you into a building, don't enter their firing range. Instead, conceal yourself and force them to find you, bringing them into your firing range.

  Next, you need to concentrate, anticipate their likely locations, and aim your gun at them. The game usually provides sound cues, so pay close attention to everything in your headphones.

  Before the enemies appear, find reliable positions and hold them until you can roughly pinpoint each enemy's location. Then, use your primary and secondary weapons to execute perfect assassinations.

  Generally, having teammates is better, but if you have to fight alone against an enemy squad for any reason, always remain concealed, make no sound, and attack unexpectedly.

  It's worth noting that you can pause your attack periodically to lure the enemy into thinking you've retreated or changed cover, causing them to approach you more closely, allowing for more precise kills.

  Proper Use Of Weapons

  While there are many weapon types to choose from, the most effective weapon varies depending on the combat scenario. For example, assault rifles are better when surrounded by multiple enemies or when engaging long-range targets.

  Generally, when sniping at long-range enemies, to avoid bullet drop, you should aim slightly above the enemy's head for a higher success rate of headshots.

  However, if you are engaging in a one-on-one fight or trying to hit an enemy vehicle, shotguns are more effective for suppression. In this case, you should aim the crosshair forward for accurate shots.

  It's worth noting that proper recoil during firing is a necessary aid. While keeping the crosshair aligned with the enemy's head, gently shake the gun left and right, repeating this fire-shake pattern to quickly eliminate enemies.

  If you lack suitable powerful weapons before starting a battle, you can buy PUBG Mobile UC and use them to try your luck with Crates and Lucky Spins to get new weapons, or consume UC to unlock weapon rewards in Battle Pass.

  Adjust The Joystick Layout For Perfect Movement

  Comparatively, the accuracy of moving with a joystick on a mobile phone is slightly lower than using a keyboard, mouse, or controller. Therefore, to avoid affecting your combat efficiency, you need to precisely set your PUBG Mobile joystick layout.

  First, you need to find the most suitable joystick size from 90 to 120 based on your usage habits. Then, place the joystick at the bottom of the screen and determine its horizontal position - usually where your thumb naturally rests.

  After completing this basic setting, you can manipulate your character's movement to test if it feels comfortable, such as whether you can easily jump forward or move backward immediately. If you feel it's working well, then your joystick position has completed.

  Further Sensitivity Settings Adjustments

  Besides the joystick, PUBG Mobile has many sensitivity settings, which you also need to adjust one by one to find the most suitable state. These sensitivities and what they represent are as follows:

  • Camera Sensitivity: The sensitivity when you move the camera with your finger.
  • Aiming and Shooting Camera Sensitivity: The sensitivity when you move the camera with your finger while firing.
  • Gyroscope Camera Sensitivity: The sensitivity when you move the camera while tilting your device.

  You can adjust each of these sensitivities to your liking. It's worth noting the sprint sensitivity, as some people may still not understand its function.

  Simply put, sprint sensitivity is related to your joystick control. The higher the sensitivity, the easier it is for your character to move, even if you only slightly touch the joystick.

  Being too sensitive is not a good thing, as it can cause your character to become over-responsive and move "mysteriously" on its own, which is actually due to excessively high sprint sensitivity. Therefore, setting this sensitivity to around 60-70 is recommended.

  Choose Appropriate Marker And Aiming Settings

  First, mark style is a visual representation of the game's Universal Mark system. It uses specific markers to indicate the location of enemies or supplies, allowing you to locate your targets more quickly.

  Currently, PUBG Mobile commonly uses two mark styles: Classic and Modern. Classic style is clearer but may obstruct your view, while Modern style is more versatile.

  To improve your throwing accuracy, you should enable the show throwable trajectory line option in the settings. This allows you to preview the trajectory of a thrown item when equipped, helping you plan its use.

  Other settings that should be enabled or adjusted include:

  • Setting the home screen audio markers to "Classic" makes it easier to find enemies.
  • Enabling auto-mark hit locations automatically marks enemies while firing.
  • Setting the reload interruption method to "fire interrupt" allows you to interrupt reloading by tapping the fire button and immediately begin firing.
  • Disable all options under recording settings to reduce frame rate drops.

  These settings modifications will help you smoothly and clearly complete the process from searching for enemies to firing during combat.

  If you want to further enhance the visuals, you can enable "Colorful Style" and switch to "Efficiency," then disable all options that might degrade graphics - provided your devices can handle it.

  As you can see, improving your PUBG Mobile experience depends not only on your skill level but also on your understanding of every aspect of the game, including its various settings. Hopefully, our suggestions will help you continue playing!

• WoW Classic 20th Anniversary Vs TBC Classic | Should You Start Playing Now Or Wait For The Pre-Patch?

  WoW Classic 20th Anniversary is currently in its 6 phase, Shadow of Naxxramas. The first undead invasion battles took place in Silithus and Eastern Plaguelands, where Horde and Alliance clashed.

  Following this event was WoW's most famous expansion, The Burning Crusade. The dark titan Sargeras led his army to invade Azeroth. Undoubtedly, many players have been eagerly anticipating WoW TBC Classic.

  However, we can only confirm that it's coming, not exactly when. It might arrive in December 2025 - or worse, sometime in 2026. So, should we wait for WoW TBC Classic or play WoW Classic 20th Anniversary to prepare?

  

  Play Now

  Starting WoW Classic 20th Anniversary now will allow you to prepare in advance and be in better shape for the arrival of WoW TBC Classic.

  Hoarding Gold

  Pre-patch events typically last only 2–4 weeks, making it difficult even for new players with experience boosts to complete leveling, gear progression, professions, and gold farming within that period. Many players underestimate the significant amount of gold needed to remain competitive in TBC.

  To get off to a good start in TBC, you'll need approximately 20,000 WoW Classic 20th Anniversary gold for your each character. This money needs to be used for flying mounts, epic flying mounts, early-game high-quality gear, enchanting, and consumables. If you start taking a few hours each day grinding gold now, you can accumulate the necessary gold before the patch.

  Additionally, a large influx of returning players is expected once the pre-patch date is announced. If you hoard resources in advance, you can sell them when the large influx of returning players earns you a huge gold profit.

  Social Advantages

  If you start leveling now, you can join guilds or make friends early, building your social network before the pre-patch influx. Having a stable group of friends means you can participate in current Endgame Raids and acquire gear helpful for TBC leveling.

  Another crucial element is a stable guild for future TBC Raids; joining now ensures your raid team spot.

  Nostalgia Value

  This is also your last chance to experience the authentic WoW Classic. After the pre-patch, the game's mechanics and atmosphere will change permanently. You can enjoy the classic leveling experience at your own pace, without crowded areas.

  If you want to play WoW, there's no need to wait for TBC Classic. Nobody knows how long the wait will be, and even after the current content has been available for some time, the server population remains substantial, ensuring a great gaming experience.

  Wait For The Pre-Patch

  Waiting for the pre-patch is perfectly reasonable, as it significantly increases player numbers and provides various catch-up benefits, saving considerable leveling time.

  Accelerated Leveling

  The pre-patch greatly improves overall efficiency. The total experience required to level from 20 to 60 is reduced by 15%, and the experience gained from all quests is increased. Additionally, all elite mobs are converted to normal mobs, making questing routes - especially those involving elite zones - smoother and faster.

  Furthermore, TBC Classic increases the number of available quests and slightly tweaks some Dungeons, making them faster to complete and improving item drop rates. The level required to obtain a Mount is reduced from 40 to 30, significantly reducing early-game map exploration time. All of these factors accelerate the leveling process. Overall, the leveling time from 20 to 60 will be shortened by approximately 35%.

  Furthermore, data mining indicates that TBC Anniversary will probably introduce a character level boost service (not free), and it will most likely be released alongside a pre-patch.

  Class Changes And New Talents

  TBC Talents and spell updates will make leveling many classes faster, with shorter health and mana regeneration times.

  This makes AoE leveling more efficient for mages, as Blizzard is affected by Haste stat in TBC, and Mana Shield absorbs all types of damage, not just physical damage.

  New Race Unlocks

  The pre-patch will unlock the new Horde race, Blood Elf, and Alliance race, Draenei. This means both factions can choose the new Paladin and Shaman classes. Players can immediately experience the new Starting Zones, which have excellent storylines and good loot.

  Quality Of Life Updates

  Meeting Stones will be reworked, and only two players need to be near the stone to summon the entire party to the dungeon entrance.

  This makes entering low-level dungeons like Dead Mines or Blackfathom Deeps incredibly convenient, eliminating the need for long journeys. The early availability of Jewelcrafting profession will also align with TBC Gem System.

  Community Atmosphere

  As one of World of Warcraft's greatest expansions, the pre-patch will attract a large number of returning players, making the servers very lively. Various events will be held, providing a fresh experience for both veteran and new players.

  PvP Gear System Changes

  TBC Classic will naturally add gear catch-up. PVP epic gears (up to Rank 14, including weapons, sets, and trinkets) will be directly exchanged for gear using currency in TBC. This makes it easy to acquire an epic set even without participating in any raids, making TBC leveling process much smoother.

  Whether you choose to wait for TBC or start playing WoW Classic 20th Anniversary now, there are good reasons for both. If you plan to prepare in advance, you can play multiple characters at the same time, rotating between them. This way, you can avoid getting burnt out on a single class and keep the leveling journey fresh.

• Diablo 4 Season 11 Gear Upgrade Changes | Masterworking, Tempering & Sanctification Explained And Reviewed

  In Diablo 4, besides upgrading characters and Paragon Board, another crucial way to enhance a character's overall capabilities is by continuously acquiring better gear and upgrading it.

  To ensure your gear always has room to improve throughout the season, Diablo 4 introduced several gear upgrade mechanisms, primarily Tempering and Masterworking.

  However, these two mechanisms have long been criticized for their excessive randomness, meaning that even consuming a large amount of upgrade materials may not yield the desired gear benefits.

  To address this, Diablo 4 plans to radically change these two mechanisms starting with Season 11 and add a new Sanctification mechanism, further raising the room for gear upgrades.

  We will now introduce these changes based on their performance in 2.5.0 PTR and analyze whether this overhaul is necessary.

  

  What Is Masterworking?

  This is an endgame crafting mechanic in Diablo 4. You need to farm gold and available materials beforehand and then craft them at the blacksmith to upgrade your gear's affixes by 8-12 levels.

  It's generally not recommended to Masterworking items below level 750, as they are easily replaceable, and Masterworking them wastes materials.

  Furthermore, Diablo 4 items between 750 and 800 can have their affixes upgraded by eight levels, and those above 800 can be upgraded by 12 levels. Therefore, the rarer and higher the level of your gear, the greater the value increase after Masterworking it.

  However, this valuable mechanic has a tricky aspect: every four levels, only one random affix receives a 25% upgrade. This means that if you're unlucky, you might end up with useless affixes applied in three such upgrades.

  While you can reset Masterworking by salvaging the gear, you only get a portion of the crafting materials back, not including gold, which is undoubtedly a waste of your resources.

  What Changes Will Season 11 Bring?

  To avoid potential waste from random upgrades, starting with Season 11, Masterworking will no longer boost gear affix effects, but will directly increase the gear's base stats.

  Based on this, each Masterworking will randomly increase the gear's stats by 2-5 levels, up to a maximum of 20 levels. After that, you can perform one last Masterworking to obtain the ultimate affix bonus.

  This ultimate bonus will upgrade a random non-high-level affix on the gear to Greater Affix. This upgrade result is changeable and will not affect the gear's existing Masterworking bonuses.

  What Is Tempering?

  This mechanism is more widely applicable than Masterworking. You can add relevant affixes to your gear by finding Tempering Manuals during your exploration. Furthermore, Tempering only requires materials, not gold.

  The randomness of this mechanism lies in the fact that the affixes included in each Tempering Manual appear randomly. You might perform multiple Tempering runs but still fail to obtain your desired affix.

  If you don't intend to waste time and materials gambling and think that obtaining an affix is ​​enough to "make do," you're mistaken, because a meaningless affix will actually lower the value of your gear.

  Changes In Season 11

  After the update, when Tempering your gear in Season 11, you can directly specify the affixes you want each time using the recipe in Tempering Manual, eliminating the frustration of randomness!

  However, to balance this, a gear can now only have one Tempering affix instead of the previous maximum of three. But honestly, getting the best one faster is always better than endless gambling, isn't it?

  

  What Is Sanctification?

  This system, added in Season 11, allows your gear to continue to improve after Tempering and Masterworking! Once sanctification is complete, the gear is permanently "finished" and cannot be modified further.

  The benefits of sanctification are random; they might include gaining a Sanctification affix or new powers, or even making your gear's durability never deplete. Regardless, they are well worth the investment.

  How Are These Changes Reviewed?

  While the performance and experience on PTR may not fully represent Season 11, it's sufficient to evaluate these new mechanics.

  With the reduced randomness of the benefits from Tempering and Masterworking, you'll notice a subtle decrease in the amount of materials dropped, such as Obducite.

  This is understandable, as the reduced or eliminated randomness means a lower chance of needing to reset Tempering and Masterworking results, while the materials required to complete the upgrade haven't increased.

  Therefore, from this perspective, these changes allow the updated Tempering and Masterworking mechanics to function better, preventing imbalances.

  Furthermore, Season 11 will allow you to craft some Tempering materials yourself. For example, Veiled Crystals and Forgotten Souls.

  As for Sanctification system, because its buffs are random and the gear cannot be changed after completion, player opinions are mixed. After all, if you randomly get a useless Sanctification affix, you can't even reset it.

  However, before 2.5.0 PTR ended, according to the player community and other statistics, the percentage of unlucky players was not large; most people could obtain the desired buffs through Sanctification.

  Therefore, after Season 11 goes live, if these gear upgrade mechanisms in PTR don't undergo significant changes, you will be able to upgrade your gear and even your entire build more efficiently, resulting in a better season experience.

  Season 11 is expected to officially launch on Tuesday, December 9th. At that time, you will be able to personally verify whether these new mechanisms will bring positive effects! Let's look forward to it!