Monster Hunter Rise: More Details About Pre-Order Bonuses And Special Editions

Recommended Article

• MLB The Show 26 Jackie Robinson Day Players Tier List | A few low‑overall surprises outshine the rest

  This year's Jackie Robinson Day in MLB The Show 26 brings an unprecedented wave of new content, including multiple Storylines cards, several Rookie of the Year cards, a brand-new Collection Reward, and a number of Pack guys.

  Even without using any Stubs to acquire new players, you'll be able to get plenty of free ones. But for Diamond Dynasty, the real question is: do these new cards actually improve your squad? Which ones are worth using? Let's take a closer look.

  

  D Tier

  • 88 OVR Luis Gil: A four-pitch pitcher who underperforms. He can just barely handle CPU opponents, but not recommended for use against human players.
  • 88 OVR Smokey Joe: Similar to Luis Gil. Good velocity but lacks pitch mix; poor overall utility.
  • 88 OVR Dontrelle Willis: Poor control, fastball only 92 mph, and an unimpressive pitch arsenal.
  • 89 OVR Bill Foster: Even slower than Dontrelle Willis, with mediocre control.
  • 88 OVR Jackie Robinson: A giveaway card. Mediocre power potential, not much value.
  • 90 OVR Willie Mays: Hitting stats are average, 86 speed, overall rating propped up mainly by defensive reaction.

  Tier C

  • 88 OVR Michael Fulmer: Good pitch mix, but poor per-nine stats.
  • 88 OVR Leroy Matlock: Most stats on this card are weak, though he has some extra-base ability. Can be used in casual games.
  • 88 OVR Ray Dandridge: Solid defense, consistent contact but no power, not suited as a core hitter.
  • 89 OVR Toni Stone: A contact-oriented second baseman, but severely lacking in power.
  • 89 OVR Judy Johnson: High contact, no power, defense and speed unremarkable. Barely serviceable.
  • 89 OVR Monte Irvin: Can play many positions, but neither offense nor defense stands out. Not effective.
  • 89 OVR Leon Day: Has five pitches, but overall pitching stats are mediocre.
  • 90 OVR Bullet Rogan: Poor per-nine stats, max fastball only 94 mph, pitch metrics average. Contact is decent but power is low.
  • 89 OVR Rap Dixon: Swing is okay, but hitting and defensive numbers are unimpressive.
  • 90 OVR David Justice: Very strong against lefties, but defense and consistency are too poor for a long-term starter.

  Tier B

  • 88 OVR Drake Baldwin: This card is mostly average, but players will use him as a full-time starter rather than platooning, so his ability to hit lefties is a plus. Power numbers aren't the worst, but not good enough either.
  • 88 OVR Andy Cooper: Andy Cooper has five pitches and a nice mix: 4-seam fastball, slurve, screwball, changeup, and sinker. This allows for some variety on the mound, so overall he's usable.
  • 89 OVR Larry Doby: Larry Doby is excellent as a second-base platoon player. He has a good swing and useful quirks. Good stats against righties, but weak against lefties.
  • 89 OVR Oscar Charleston: His swing has always been solid. The rest of his stats aren't the worst, he has some power, and his speed is decent.
  • 90 OVR Hank Thompson: Overall power and contact are not as good as Oscar Charleston's, but like Charleston, he's a left-handed power-type batter.
  • 90 OVR Scott Rolen: His contact and power numbers are decent, but his swing is somewhat poor; otherwise he'd be in A Tier.

  Tier A

  88 OVR Willard Brown

  Low contact, high power, with acceptable speed and defense. Can perform at All-Star or even Hall of Fame difficulty, especially suited for lower-difficulty players.

  89 OVR Ryan Howard

  Excellent as a pinch hitter off the bench. Very good against righties with great power, but struggles significantly against lefties and in low-Vision situations.

  90 OVR Biz Mackey

  Biz Mackey is a switch-hitting catcher with elite defensive stats across the board. All his defensive attributes are around 90, with 93 arm strength, making him the best defensive catcher in the current game meta. His hitting stats aren't bad either.

  90 OVR Corbin Carroll

  Corbin Carroll has maxed-out speed, high contact, and can hit righties. His home-run power is weaker in lefty-on-lefty matchups, but that's not what he's used for.

  92 OVR Carlos Beltran

  Carlos Beltran is a switch-hitting center fielder. His contact numbers are decent, power is a bit low (63 vs RHP), speed reaches 80, making him better suited for a corner outfield spot.

  

  Tier S

  90 OVR Kris Bryant

  Kris Bryant has 91/77 contact, but high clutch makes up for it. His power vs both sides is around 80, with excellent defense and reaction, and he can play multiple positions. He has quirks like First-Pitch Hitter, Dead Red, and Breaking Ball Hitter, and with his excellent hitting attributes, he performs well on All-Star or Hall of Fame difficulty.

  91 OVR John Donaldson

  He doesn't have Outlier Slider or Outlier Fastball, but his 101 mph fastball paired with an 80 mph forkball creates a massive speed differential, making him one of the most effective strikeout pitchers in the current meta.

  94 OVR Jackie Robinson

  Jackie Robinson is clearly S Tier. His attributes are strong across the board, and after parallel upgrades he reaches 105/106 contact, 81/80 power, combined with speed and defense. He can play second base or even shortstop. He also has two core quirks—Dead Red and Breaking Ball Hitter—that make his swing even more effective. Compared to previous years, this may be one of the best Jackie Robinson cards ever.

  This Jackie Robinson Day is the most content-rich in MLB The Show series history. You should prioritize completing Storylines missions to unlock Jackie Robinson Collection Reward card. For players who just want to quickly finish the event program, focus on using the higher-rated Storylines players, while D and C Tier cards can simply serve as filler for missions.

• Windrose Naval Combat Guide: From Skiff to Galleon! Master Reputation & The Unsinkable Ship Meta

  Windrose, a survival adventure game set in the pirate era, not only blends base building and island exploration with intense naval combat. Each player must assemble a loyal and powerful crew and build the strongest ships to survive the brutal naval battles!

  As one of Windrose's core modes, naval combat forms the core gameplay loop for players to progress, gather resources, and consolidate territory in this competitive open-world sea. It seamlessly connects sailing, combat, boarding, and looting; players acquire the various resources needed to upgrade their ships, gradually transforming their vessels from small speedboats into magnificent galleons.

  But in this chivalrous adventure, will you ultimately defeat the powerful pirate leaders and plunder their treasure, or will you unfortunately become a prisoner? In reality, every battle requires players to precisely control ship speed, positioning, and cannon reloading timing, making naval warfare more tactically deep than simply mindless firing.

  Therefore, we'll discuss how to survive intense naval battles and become the ultimate winner, from initial preparation to proper combat, and how to avoid being sunk. Remember, combat in this game, whether on land or at sea, is extremely challenging.

  

  Build a Workshop and be fully prepared

  First, once you have a warship, you need to build Shipwright's Workshop. With it, you can craft cannons, full suits of armor, boarding gear, and upgrade these items.

  Next, you'll need to collect a large amount of materials, including Wood, Plant Fiber for Fabric, and a large quantity of Copper Ores. You'll need to continuously upgrade these items until the required materials change, as this means you need to progress through the game, and this is a good time to consider setting sail. If you don't have much time to gather materials and level up, Windrose boosting for sale on IGGM might be a lifesaver. A professional booster will help you prepare everything, so you can just start fighting anytime.

  Before setting off, there are two more things to craft: a Repair Kit at the workbench, which acts like a bandage for your ship, providing a continuous repair buff over time; and a Grog, also a buff that increases your and your crew's damage, reload speed, or reduces damage taken.

  Now that everything is crafted and upgraded, you're ready to set sail.

  But don't forget to go to the dock before departure, equip all these items on your ship, and make sure to add them to your hotkeys. Now, you're about to embark on your first battle.

  Finding the Combat Rhythm

  Now, make sure you drink the Grog at the start of the battle so you can receive the buff. Then, depending on the number of enemies you encounter, you can choose several different approaches to deal with your first fight. However, the key is to find the right rhythm for shooting and movement.

  Generally, in the early game, we find that using only the sides of the ship is the optimal choice. Each side has its own set of cannons with independent cooldowns. Therefore, we primarily use the front cannons, then the left-side cannons, alternating between them. This is very effective in the early game.

  Of course, if there are many enemies around, you can also use the right-side cannons. Show off your skills! The only thing to note is that this might be disadvantageous when facing a single boss, as you might not be able to turn quickly enough.

  However, you might consider using Chain Shot. This is a type of auxiliary ammunition specifically designed to destroy the sails of enemy ships. To use it, simply aim at the sails at a slightly higher position. If you hit them enough times, a debuff icon will appear on the enemy ship. This indicates that the enemy ship's movement speed is impaired, and its movement range will be significantly reduced. You can use this opportunity to shake it off or continue attacking its rear while it struggles to turn.

  Here's an advanced tip for multiplayer combat: While you can board and loot all the valuable loot once you've destroyed an enemy ship, be aware that not all ships are worth exploring. In fact, just aim for ships with the Pirate Chest icon; if not, fire a few more shots and send them to the bottom of the sea.

  Once you defeat them, you'll not only get the dropped Pirate Insignias, but you can also loot the wreckage and pick up the Repair Kits they often drop, which will help you survive longer in combat.

  Building Reputation 

  Next, as part of the main storyline, you'll arrive in a place called Tortuga. Here you'll encounter two very important types of NPCs: Bounty Agents and Provisioners. You can turn in Pirate Insignias to Bounty Agents to increase your reputation. Once your reputation reaches a certain level, Provisioners will sell powerful items, including full sets of armor and ship upgrade components.

  Provisioners have a variety of materials and items you'll need, including cannons, full suits of armor, and high-level items like Naval Tactics, which provide passive bonuses to your entire ship, such as increased health, increased damage, or even automatic health regeneration when not under attack.

  Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, to unlock items at Provisioners, you'll need a premium currency called Piastres, which is practically essential for trading with all merchants. You can obtain them by killing pirates on land and at sea, or by scavenging lost items floating on the surface. However, the best way to acquire these items is actually by selling the artifacts you loot to merchants.

  As the story progresses, once you enter Tortuga, you'll have more opportunities to obtain these artifacts. They can be obtained by killing enemies, appear in some interesting locations, and even Tortuga's inhabitants and pirates will sell them.

  After selling them, you'll have enough Piastres to start unlocking equipment and upgrading your ship.

  All other equipment is up to you; the only thing you really need is blueprint, the key materials for crafting equipment. Be sure to learn these skills in your journal, then craft them at the dock and equip them on your ship. Make sure to make the most of them.

  The beauty of this equipment is that items of blue quality and above gain new passive effects. Ultimately, you'll gain higher damage, faster reload speed, or better damage reduction. Finally, as you delve deeper into the game, you can also upgrade equipment to higher rarities.

  So, if you have a piece of equipment you particularly like and appreciate its passive effect, consider saving up some rare materials to upgrade its rarity. This will upgrade blue equipment to purple and unlock an additional passive effect, making it even more powerful.

  By increasing your reputation and acquiring new equipment, see what interesting configurations you can ultimately create. Ready to begin your pirate legend in the mysterious waters of Windrose? Don't set sail blindly; take this naval combat guide with you and make your pirate career a breeze from day one.

• EA FC 26 TOTS Week 1 SBCs, EVO, Players Leaks | Your team roster needs an immediate upgrade

  Team of the Season release in EA FC 26 this Friday is without question the most significant promo of the year. It will introduce a wave of substantially upgraded players, several of whom will feature four PlayStyle+ traits.

  ToTS promo can completely refresh your squad, which is why virtually everyone playing FC 26 is tracking any news about it. Leakers have indeed shared some exciting details regarding upcoming SBCs and Objectives. Let's dive into what's been revealed.

  

  First Week SBC and Objective Players

  94 OVR Son Heung Min LW (SBC), LAFC

  PlayStyle+:

  • Quick Step
  • Finesse
  • Shot Pinged Pass

  93 OVR Marco Reus CAM (SBC) – LA Galaxy

  PlayStyle+:

  • Low Driven Shot
  • Tiki Taka
  • Incisive Pass

  91 OVR Sergino Dest RB (SBC / Objective) – PSV

  PlayStyle+:

  • Quick Step
  • Pinged Pass
  • Intercept

  91 OVR Troy Parrott ST (SBC / Objective) – AZ Alkmaar

  PlayStyle+:

  • Finesse Shot
  • First Touch
  • Quick Step

  93 OVR Manuel Locatelli CM (SBC) – Juventus

  PlayStyle+:

  • Intercept
  • Technical
  • Incisive Pass

  91 OVR Strahinja Pavlovic CB (SBC / Objective) – AC Milan

  PlayStyle+:

  • Intercept
  • Block
  • Aerial Fortress

  91 OVR Alexis Saelemaekers RB (SBC / Objective) – AC Milan

  PlayStyle+:

  • Whipped Pass
  • Block
  • Quick Step

  93 OVR Domenico Berardi RW (SBC / Objective) – Sassuolo

  PlayStyle+:

  • Rapid
  • Technical
  • Finesse Shot

  91 OVR Stanislav Lobotka CM (SBC / Objective) – Napoli

  PlayStyle+:

  • Tiki Taka
  • Anticipate
  • Bruiser

  These items will be rolled out gradually over the coming week. While the full in-game stats for all of them remain under wraps, the attributes for Youngman Son and Marco Reus have already surfaced. It's likely only one of the two will drop on Friday, with the other held back to sustain engagement through the following days. Whichever arrives first will demand a considerable amount of fodder and FC 26 coins.

  94 OVR Son Heung Min LW

  • PAC: 93
  • SHO: 94
  • PAS: 93
  • DRI: 92
  • DEF: 53
  • PHY: 87

  The trio of PlayStyles+ on Son Heung Min is a strong combination. While the 92 DRI may leave some questioning how effective Quick Step+ will feel in-game, this is still among the more generous SBC offerings we've seen from the studio lately. Son's shooting has always been exceptional in-game, and his Finesse Shot has been nothing short of phenomenal since day one.

  93 OVR Marco Reus CAM

  • PAC: 92
  • SHO: 93
  • PAS: 91
  • DRI: 94
  • DEF: 68
  • PHY: 80

  Marco Reus boasts impressive numbers across the board. Even when placed alongside Team of the Year items, this Reus card outshines them stat-wise and carries three PlayStyles+. He isn't ideally suited to a pure wide role, but as a central attacking midfielder or shadow striker, he can absolutely dominate matches.

  Although both high-end SBCs come from MLS - which can complicate chemistry links - the current meta makes integration straightforward. With the abundance of Icons, Heroes, and Cosmetic Evolution cards providing Icon Chemistry, you can slot either of these two into your starting eleven without much fuss.

  Studio Leak

  

  The studio inadvertently revealed the full Team of the Season stat pool for Roshn Saudi League (RSL), Major League Soccer (MLS), and Rest of Europe via an in-game loading screen.

  While the distribution of PlayStyles on some cards isn't quite what the community would deem perfect, the crucial takeaway is that every single card in this pool has three PlayStyle+. Exceptions to this rule are Luka Modrić and Lionel Messi, both of whom will receive four PlayStyle+. In the current state of the game, this alone raises the baseline viability of all ToTS cards significantly.

  We can anticipate a broad decline in the value of cards from other promos across the market. The only potential exception may be a few sought-after Trophy Titans items, which could see a minor, short-lived uptick driven by Weekend League demand, but the long-term trend points firmly downward.

  

  Max 90 OVR EVO

  Beyond SBC leaks, there is also word of an Evolution with a Max 90 OVR requirement, though specifics remain unconfirmed.

  The key question is whether this EVO will allow a player to earn a third PlayStyle+. Every new ToTS card features three. If this EVO caps players at just 2, it will feel significantly behind the power curve from the outset.

  Should it offer three PlayStyles+ and adhere to the 90 rating cap, the potential for crafting an elite card is immense. A midfielder with solid foundational stats could emerge with a third PlayStyle+, 90 Pace, 92 Passing, boosted defending and physical presence, plus five-star weak foot - that would be a highly competitive asset.

  Expect this EVO to require around 150,000 coins to complete. Given that ToTS cards themselves will be quite attainable, an EVO offering only 2 PlayStyles+ would represent a questionable value proposition and could be easily skipped.

  If you currently hold players who might fit this EVO's criteria, it may be wise to offload them before the official release. A flood of eligible cards will likely hit the market once it goes live, driving values down.

  That covers the outlook for ToTS in the coming week. Staying ahead of the news allows you to map out your moves. You can begin stockpiling fodder for SBCs or leverage the information to flip cards and generate coins once the promo is live.

• Torchlight Infinite SS12 Build Tier List: Best Lunaria Starters & Builds to Avoid

  Torchlight Infinite SS12 Lunaria has arrived! Today, we'd like to share a build tier list for this season, highlighting top builds that will provide an exceptional gaming experience in SS12, and which builds you should avoid!

  This list is primarily based on the time each character takes to achieve a first kill on Supreme Showdown 21 difficulty. Frankly, most characters on this list can be used to create very good and usable builds, so if you already have a similar set, choose your favorite build and aim for a higher leaderboard score this Lunaria season!

  

  S-Tier

  Scent Weaver Sage

  Let's start with Scent Weaver Sage. New characters often arrive with a powerful aura, and their strength is usually placed in a very powerful tier. They've truly excelled at ensuring new characters have excellent feel and formidable power. For example, in the last season, the new character Erika 3 demonstrated exceptional damage output.

  While many complained about struggling against enemy defenses before Sage's gear was fully developed, requiring some skill to avoid instant death upon entering the battlefield, once equipped, her explosive damage output allows her to sweep through the game like a whirlwind.

  Sage was designed to adapt to a wide variety of builds, thanks to the flexible mechanics of the new Elixir Skill system and the rich buff options available for each Elixir. This allows you to customize the character to your liking, creating any unique playstyle you desire.

  Rosa 2

  Next, Rosa 2 also performed exceptionally well. While this update to Lunaria slightly nerfed some of Rosa's mana items and her own mana stat, frankly, if you examine Rosa's overall stats closely, you'll find she hasn't actually lost much strength. Her mana cap was slightly reduced, but that's probably the only adjustment she received.

  Therefore, Rosa 2 will remain very powerful, still one of the top characters in the game, and a build focused on stacking mana will remain very effective.

  Furthermore, from a practical standpoint, Rosa 2's innate skill set, especially those mechanisms that temporarily exceed life and mana caps, and additional damage bonuses, will provide a significant amount of extra benefits and advantages. This allows you to focus entirely on increasing damage output without investing too many resources in defense, as her skill set already provides ample defensive capabilities.

  I believe this design gives players a very high degree of build freedom, allowing for highly aggressive equipment strategies to ultimately create an extremely powerful character. This is the main reason I ranked her at the top.

  Gemma 2

  In fact, new characters consistently rank high on the season's initial recommendation list because the game developers often intentionally position them at this level of strength during balancing.

  For example, Gemma 2 performed exceptionally well last season. This was thanks to her extremely fast campaign completion speed, powerful full-screen clearing ability, and high cost-effectiveness in the late game transition, especially when paired with ice spells like Ice Lance. She was incredibly reliable, providing a smooth early-game experience and requiring minimal gear to easily reach T7 maps. While some of her skills received minor nerfs this season, there haven't been any fundamental changes, and she remains a worthwhile pick.

  Carino 2

  As for Carino 2, she underwent a complete rework. She's no longer limited to a playstyle solely reliant on Shotgunning mechanic for damage output. With this change, all her projectiles will now have Return Projectiles. This not only gives him extremely high versatility but also makes him a popular choice for fast-farming builds.

  Youga 2

  Youga 2 also received some good adjustments in SS12 Lunaria. In fact, even in the previous season, thanks to buffs and reworks specifically designed for him, Youga 2 was already at a very good level. Now, he has received some additional tweaks and enhancements, especially to better synergize with the new mechanics brought by Memory system. Therefore, in reality, his current strength is on par with, or even slightly better than, his previous status.

  Rehan 2

  Next is Rehan 2, another character who performs exceptionally well with life-stacking builds. Although he has been nerfed to some extent, you can still stack an amazing life cap for him, and the overall strength of this build should not be underestimated.

  This is thanks to his extremely fast build progression, his unique auto-detonation gameplay, and his ability to achieve extremely high damage growth without requiring expensive early-game gear. With the ability to maintain Berserk status throughout and automatically detonate Seething Spirits, he can quickly clear the screen and eliminate monsters, making him an ideal choice for players to quickly enter Netherrealm and efficiently complete the endgame content.

  The core gameplay of these characters usually doesn't change much, they simply need to play to their strengths, traversing the map at lightning speed, always providing players with an exhilarating gaming experience. If you're truly passionate about melee combat and high-speed battlefield movement, then whichever of the above suits your taste, they are the best choices for narrowly winning Torchlight Infinite SS12!

  A-Tier 

  Next, for A tier characters, these are all very strong choices.

  Iris 1 & 2 

  First, Iris 1 received a significant buff in SS12, gaining almost all the damage output you need for free, especially with the latest changes. However, she still can't shake off one inherent characteristic.

  Previously, you needed to stack 40 Nourishment buffs to unlock and cast your own ultimate ability or trigger the ultimate abilities of your summoned creatures. Therefore, you were often forced to use talents like Windrider or Windbreath Dispersion to quickly provide the minimum stacks and ensure you could channel your spells rapidly.

  This forced binding had a side effect: once these abilities reached level 3, the damage your character took increased by 20% to 30%. This made Iris 1 extremely vulnerable.

  However, in Torchlight Infinite Lunaria season, characters no longer need 40 stacks to enter Full Bloom and cast abilities; 10 stacks are sufficient. This means you are no longer forced to use these talents. You can completely abandon them and instead utilize the new mechanics for a dramatic leap in overall damage output.

  Furthermore, since Windrider is no longer required, she has also received a significant buff on the defensive side. However, to be fair, at the endgame, her overall strength is still slightly inferior to Iris 2.

  Therefore, if you ultimately decide to choose Iris as your main character, remember: the best strategy is to use Iris 1 first, quickly reach T8 to farm gear, and thus quickly enter Profound. Once you have all the gear you need to easily handle Profound, you should switch to Iris 2. Because in Iris 2's Stone Golem form, your map clearing efficiency will be higher, your defensive capabilities will be stronger, and you'll still maintain enough damage output to tackle high-difficulty content like Deep Space.

  

  Thea 3 & Gemma 3

  Furthermore, the Ignite builds in Thea 3 and Gemma 3 are also exceptionally good, even bordering on insane.

  Thea 3's signature Mind Control mechanic remains strong, fulfilling its intended function and allowing for effortless mastery of various challenges. Among all characters, she boasts one of the highest completion rates, easily conquering both Supreme Showdown 21 and 20 difficulties. It's safe to say Thea 3's current strength remains solid.

  As for Gemma 3, her Ignite build is currently underrated, rarely discussed, mainly because the character hasn't been changed in some time. However, Gemma 3's Ignite build is actually extremely powerful and shouldn't be underestimated.

  B-Tier 

  Next up are the B-tier characters, categorized as those with lower play rates. Of course, this doesn't mean they're necessarily weak; in fact, most of them are likely still very strong. It's just that they're less familiar to players, and their strength is in a stable, balanced state, somewhere in the middle.

  Rehan 1 & Rosa 1 

  For example, Rehan 1 paired with Burst build has consistently performed very well and solidly. Rosa 1 is another example; her Groundshaker-centric build has consistently performed excellently. This playstyle has remained unchanged and requires no adjustments. While not the absolute best build in the game, it's certainly not inferior. Its controls are incredibly smooth, and its performance is extremely consistent. The only drawback might be that its completion rate isn't the fastest in the game, but it reliably fulfills its role.

  Selena 1 is similar, especially if you've already collected all her exclusive pets. You can freely stack all Channeled stacks and race through the game; she'll efficiently perform her damage output duties.

  Thea 1 & Thea 2

  Thea 1 and Thea 2 are similar. These characters maintain a solid strength baseline. This is thanks to their easily achievable gear combinations, strong early-game damage scaling, and the ability to efficiently accumulate and utilize blessings, allowing them to maintain extremely high damage output with relatively low investment. They are often considered safe and stable choices, easily handling the early to mid-game content and smoothly transitioning to the late-game endgame loot farming phase.

  C-Tier

  Finally, we also briefly examined some reworked builds. These characters may not be very popular initially, as most players are reluctant to blindly try these new builds without guidance or validation from others. Generally, players swap builds mid-season, so you can wait until later to try these new builds.

  Moto 1

  First is Moto 1. This build is slow-paced, its damage growth heavily relies on expensive equipment, and its map clearing efficiency is significantly lower than other builds like Moto 2 or Iris 2. Although Moto 1 is a traditional summoner build and can indeed clear various endgame content, its performance is often sluggish in the early to mid-season, requiring a significant resource investment for a smooth gameplay experience.

  Bing 2

  And then there's Bing 2. While this build is often considered a powerful late-game playstyle in Torchlight Infinite, its high investment cost, extreme reliance on certain expensive gear, and intense competition for gear prices at the start of the season generally make it unsuitable for beginners as a first choice for early game progression, it's even seen as a trap.

  Gemma 1 

  Finally, we must mention Gemma 1. Compared to Gemma 2 and 3, it's often considered less suitable as a top choice for efficient early game progression; this is mainly because of its extremely high gear dependence, weak survivability in higher-tier content, and strong requirement for certain hero traits. It often only starts to shine in the mid-to-late game!

  These are our summaries of the best early-game playstyles in Torchlight Infinite SS12 Lunaria. Our current recommendations focus on options that ensure a smooth start, mostly powerful, popular, and consistently performing builds. By choosing these builds, you can guarantee a smooth start to the season; you won't encounter any difficult situations or setbacks!

• Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred Livestream Date and Details Revealed | Get ready for build chaos

  The arrival of Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred also marks the beginning of Season 13. However, in order to keep new content under wraps, the developers did not open a PTR for Season 13. Fortunately, the wait for fresh information won't be much longer.

  The team has confirmed that a comprehensive developer update livestream will take place on April 23, offering a detailed look at Lord of Hatred expansion and the overhauled skill system. Here's what viewers can expect from the broadcast.

  

  Date

  The developer livestream begins at 11:00 a.m. PT on April 23. During the show, the development team will share final details about the expansion's launch and dive deep into the skill trees of the new class.

  Players can tune in via official channels on Twitch, YouTube, X, and TikTok. While watching any stream under Diablo 4 category during the developer update, viewers who log at least 30 minutes will earn Twitch Drop rewards: Decaying Corona Staff Cosmetic and Double Trouble Sword Cosmetic. The redemption window remains open until the end of the day following the livestream.

  Global Launch Timing

  Regarding the most anticipated question - Lord of Hatred expansion's release time - while the official announcement only confirms the release date, the specific time has not yet been released. It's highly likely that a detailed global launch time map will be shared either during or immediately after the stream. Due to time zone differences, the local clock times will vary, but the moment itself will be simultaneous worldwide.

  

  Skill Tree Overhaul

  One of the update's biggest highlights is a fundamental rework of skill trees across all classes.

  So far, we've only seen the full skill tree for the new Warlock class. But preview snippets of Necromancer skill tree from a press kit suggest that every class will receive a rework of equal scope. Compared to the previous version, the new skill trees promise greater depth and complexity, with nearly every skill featuring transformative keystone nodes.

  It has also become clear that passive skills have not been removed; rather, they have been relocated out of the skill tree. These passives will now appear on gear affixes, Paragon Board, or Legendary Aspects. The skill tree itself will focus more tightly on customizing active skills rather than stacking passive attributes.

  Perhaps most excitingly, players will now be able to invest up to 15 skill points into a single skill. This opens the door to a wider variety of builds and could thoroughly shuffle Season 12 meta - some Tier D builds might vault all the way to Tier S.

  It remains uncertain whether the livestream will reveal every class's full skill tree at once, but viewers can at least expect a comprehensive preview. The community can then use this information to plot out fresh leveling strategies. Developers have also reassured players that beloved existing playstyles are not going away; they will simply be assembled in new ways.

  Talisman System

  Another major focus of the stream will be the brand-new Talisman System. Although there has been chatter about the return of Sets, this iteration moves away from traditional set items. Instead, a central Talisman triggers set-like bonuses based on the charms placed around it.

  The system revolves around two components: Talisman itself and an arrangement of Set Charms encircling it. Footage and materials shown previously indicate that Set Charms come in various rarities, and the central Talisman serves as the key to activating their combined effects.

  Through Talisman System, players can gain conventional set bonuses as well as unique supplementary effects that depend on the specific charm combination equipped - for instance, damage reduction or increased damage while moving. Additionally, Talisman features different socket types, allowing players to further tailor attributes by slotting gems.

  This system can deliver bonuses to core skill ranks, improved chances for obtaining crafting materials, and even wild affixes that grant extra experience. It promises a substantial power boost for every class and will be a tremendous asset for anyone pushing toward Paragon Level 300.

  Horadric Cube

  The stream will also delve into Horadric Cube. Several recipes have already been glimpsed in preview footage, and players have largely deduced their intended functions. Nevertheless, many questions remain about material rarity and specific outcomes.

  For example, Sanctification mechanic will be folded into Horadric Cube. The goal is to make this potent customization tool more controllable and logical, moving away from the extreme randomness and highstakes gambles associated with chasing doubledamage Mythic Uniques.

  Alongside changes to the gear system, new materials like Enhanced Primordial Dust and Raw Primordial Dust are being introduced. Developers have made clear that these crucial crafting components will be readily available through standard endgame loops, so there's no need to break down rare Unique items on purpose just to obtain them.

  Endgame Systems and War Plans

  Regarding endgame expansion, the livestream will spotlight two key features:

  Echoing Hatreds

  This is an extreme challenge dungeon that appears only in specific seasonal modes and requires a rare key to enter. While the exact rewards remain a mystery, this is likely the most difficult boss encounter currently in the game.

  War Plans

  War Plans represents an endgame framework previously introduced by the team. Comparable to Path of Exile's Atlas system, it lets players use War Plans resources to unlock and upgrade talent trees for endgame activities such as Infernal Hordes and The Pit. These trees grant powerful bonuses.

  This system gives players the ability to tailor specific activities, influencing the types of Diablo 4 items dropped or the enemies encountered. Each activity features seven tiers to unlock, which should make Diablo 4's endgame considerably more engaging.

  Lord of Hatred is set to reshape the game. Whether it ends up resembling Path of Exile or carves out a distinct identity all its own, we'll just have to wait and see.

• ARC Raiders Dolabra Pros & Cons Analysis | It may not deserve to be a legendary weapon

  In ARC Raiders FlashPoint, a new legendary weapon called Dolabra has been added to the game. It is a shotgun that, like other energy firearms, uses Energy Clips and features Strong Armor Penetration. While its penetration isn't top-tier, its unique dual-mode firing mechanism makes it an intriguing weapon.

  Of course, players care more about how well it actually performs - after all, in ARC Raiders, a weapon's rarity doesn't tell the whole story. Quite a few rare and epic weapons are favored for their better utility. So we need to test how it holds up in real combat.

  

  Against Large ARC Units

  Large ARC units like Bastion and Bombardier boast heavy firepower and tough armor. For most PvE weapons, the most straightforward strategy is to aim for their core zone and pour on the damage. Equalizer, Jupiter, and Hullcracker all have potent Arc Armor Penetration, allowing them to dump massive damage in a short time and quickly destroy their targets. This brute-force approach works very efficiently on them.

  But Dolabra falls short in this regard. It only has Strong Arc Armor Pen, not extreme. Using the same head-on assault tactic, it takes considerably longer to eliminate a target. It's no exaggeration to say that even an Anvil or a Bettina might get the job done faster.

  So if you want to take down large ARC units with Dolabra, you'll need a more strategic approach. First, you have to target their weak points to knock them down, then circle around to their core to unload all your damage.

  The problem, however, is that Dolabra's rate of fire and reload speed prevent you from dealing a lethal amount of damage before the target gets back up. In comparison, if you were wielding a Vulcano, the fight would already be over. Overall, against large ARC units, Dolabra is far from an excellent choice.

  Against Small Flying ARC Units

  It's when you use Dolabra against smaller ARC units that its true strengths emerge. It proves highly efficient against light flyers like Wasps, Hornets, and Fireflies - usually taking just two shots to bring one down.

  When you fire at a Hornet's or Firefly's thrusters, the spread of pellets often destroys the other thruster behind it as well, genuinely letting you eliminate one enemy with two shots. In terms of takedown speed, it's on par with Equalizer, Jupiter, and Hullcracker.

  If you sometimes can't be bothered to aim carefully, don't need pinpoint accuracy, and just want to quickly clear those annoying airborne pests, Dolabra is a handy and effective choice.

  This is especially true when you're running around Stella Montis region on trial missions, getting frustrated by those scurrying, aggressively taunting Ticks. Anvil often misses them, but Dolabra never lets you down - its wide pellet spread means you'll almost always hit, and sometimes you can even take out two Ticks with a single shot.

  However, against Shredders found in Stella Montis area, Dolabra can't maintain that level of performance. Shredders have heavier armor, and Dolabra's damage per shot isn't sufficient to punch through effectively, so taking one down consumes a lot of ammunition.

  Of course, if you want to achieve higher scores in the weekly Trials Tick missions, a Dolabra will definitely save you a lot of trouble. If you haven't obtained its blueprint yet, you can participate in IGGM's giveaway on Discord to get various weapon blueprints for free.

  

  Range and Damage Falloff

  When using this weapon, you'll constantly notice it falls short in some respects. One of Dolabra's biggest issues is that, while you can tighten its pellet spread by aiming down sights to turn it into a mid-range weapon, it suffers from a strict maximum range limit.

  Worse still, even when you're within that maximum range, if the target is near the edge of that range, damage falloff becomes severe. This prevents it from serving as a reliable long-range weapon like Anvil. Unless the target is quite close, Dolabra won't deliver satisfactory damage.

  This puts Dolabra in a very awkward position. It can't match the speed of Vulcano or other powerful PvE weapons when taking down large ARC units. For clearing flying ARC units at a distance - while doable - most other weapons can do the same. And when you try to engage ARC units farther away, you're frustrated by the maximum range limit. In short, for every role, there's a better option.

  PvP Performance

  In PvP, Dolabra's damage as a shotgun is fairly reliable. Within 15 meters, you can consistently eliminate a full-health player with a light shield in three shots. The number of hits to kill is almost identical whether you hip-fire or aim down sights. But Volcano has a faster firing rate, a higher margin for error, and a higher kill efficiency, while its acquisition difficulty and cost are not necessarily higher.

  Crafting Requirements

  One advantage of Dolabra is that, compared to other legendary weapons, its material needs are much simpler. As long as you have ARC Raiders Dolabra blueprint, you can easily replicate this weapon. The required materials are as follows:

  • Vaporizer Regulator x2
  • Magnetic Accelerator x3
  • Shredder Gyro x3

  Among these, Shredder Gyros and Magnetic Accelerators can be obtained in large quantities without much trouble in Stella Montis map. As for Vaporizer Regulators, defeating just one or two Vaporizers will get you enough. Unlike other legendary weapons, crafting Dolabra doesn't require hunting for exceptionally rare drops like Queen Reactor.

  Additionally, it is the only non-basic weapon in the game that doesn't require Simple Gun Parts. This makes it much easier to craft compared to other legendary weapons. But considering its overall performance, an epic rarity might suit it better.

  All in all, Dolabra is neither the best weapon in PvP nor in PvE. Currently, it lacks an irreplaceable core advantage to justify its legendary status. The developers need to give it a boost.