For players who have been following ARC Raiders, the recent situation can be described as "mixed".

Simply put, the game didn't receive the new patch everyone was hoping for; instead, it underwent a small-scale store rotation. Furthermore, a duplication bug caused some disruption to the economy.

Below, I'll introduce the recent in-game news, including in-game store update and Duplication Glitches.

In-game Store Updates

First, let's talk about the in-game store update.

First, a new color scheme for Macrame Set has been added. Although the game publisher has placed this skin in the most prominent position on the page, it's not a completely new skin, but rather two new color variants added to an existing set - black and white.

If you already own Macrame Set, congratulations! The system will automatically unlock these two new colors without consuming additional Raider Tokens. This is relatively friendly to veteran players.

Second, a new hairstyle called Long Bangs has been added. This hairstyle looks quite stylish, but it requires players to spend 500 Raider Tokens.

It's important to understand that Raider Tokens have a wide range of uses, including acquiring Raider Decks, Bundles, various Outfits, Charms, and Emotes. Spending 500 Raider Tokens on a single hairstyle seems unreasonable.

In short, this week's update doesn't feature any truly new skins; it's mainly a recolor of older outfits. Players expecting fresh content might find this update somewhat lacking.

New Patch Release Delayed

This is currently one of the most discussed topics in ARC Raiders player community.

According to a previous announcement, developer Embark Studios plans to change the update schedule, switching to twice-yearly updates, but with a Live Update every three weeks. Each Live Update will include balance fixes, bug fixes, store updates, and player events.

The initial statement said, "We plan to release live updates every three weeks. The size and content of the updates will vary, but we will do our best to address your feedback".

This raises a question: Why has the developer remained silent for three weeks since the last update?

Some players specifically inquired with customer service, and the answer they received was that "three weeks" mentioned in previous announcement did not start from the day the last patch was released, but rather from the day the official announcement was made that the update frequency would be changed to "three weeks".

This means that the next new patch will actually not arrive until next week. And this means that various bugs and cheating issues in game will not be fixed during this period.

Many players are dissatisfied with this, believing that the developer should have provided a detailed and clear explanation of the update frequency calculation method in initial announcement.

Duplication Glitches

This is a major bug that ARC Raiders players have been closely monitoring recently. Simply put, the game has a procedural flaw that allows players to infinitely duplicate the same item.

Mechanism

The most frightening aspects of Duplication Glitches are its low barrier to entry and high rewards. According to discussions on player forums, it is "the easiest duplication method ever" and can be easily mastered by almost anyone. Players primarily target two types of items for duplication.

The first type is Throwables, such as Trigger Nades. Players can infinitely duplicate these Throwables and unleash a barrage of attacks on opponents in PvP battles, leaving them helpless.

The second type is expensive decorative items like Familiar Ducks. Some players duplicate these stackable, expensive items and trade them with other players for profit.

Of course, besides these two types of items, some players also use it to duplicate ARC Raiders Blueprints, rare parts, and other popular weapons.

This exploit has existed in ARC Raiders for quite some time but has never been properly addressed. Although it disappeared for a while, it has recently resurfaced.

Negative Impacts

These Duplication Glitches cause two very negative effects: firstly, they undermine the fairness of the game, and secondly, they disrupt the game's economy.

First, the most obvious impact is the disruption of fairness. In ARC Raiders, some parts have a low drop rate but are essential for crafting certain powerful weapons, forcing players to spend considerable time and effort grinding maps to collect them.

However, players using Duplication Glitches can easily obtain these items with simple actions. This undoubtedly undermines the seriousness of dedicated players.

Read More: ARC Raiders Update 1.32.0 Review: PvP Loot Issues, Item Duplication Bug, and Weekly Store Rewards

Second, when rare items can be infinitely duplicated, the game's economy suffers from severe inflation. Currency depreciates rapidly, and players accumulate vast amounts of resources quickly. Rare equipment ceases to be a symbol of skill and effort, as it can be easily copied.

To address this issue, the development team appears to be adjusting item prices to maintain economic stability.

For example, some skins that previously cost 200,000 Raider Tokens now cost 300,000.

In addition, the price of Hullcracker Blueprint has increased from 50,000 to 100,000; Emote and Backpack Attachment have also become priced at 100,000.

However, this simplistic approach might be unfair to players who didn't utilize Duplication Glitches to farm items.

That concludes the latest news on ARC Raiders. Most players are dissatisfied with this week's gameplay: no new patch as expected, and the added burden of Duplication Glitches. However, we can still look forward to next week's patch, which may bring some interesting content.

If you're tired of the traditional shooter modes in Helldivers 2, here's some good news for all players. Game Director Mikael Eriksson has revealed an upcoming new mode - Planet Warfronts Roguelite.

Planet Warfronts aims to make each conquest campaign more unique and epic, breaking away from the monotonous gameplay of the past and offering innovative gameplay mechanics. This concept has been under development for a while.

Even before the game's release, Arrowhead team began experimenting with the concept of dynamic battle lines, but due to insufficient content at the time, this ambitious idea was temporarily shelved.

Now, with the game's content becoming increasingly rich, the team believes the time is ripe to "realize our vision for Planet Warfronts." Roguelite system that Creative Director Johan Pilestedt revealed last December refers to this Planet Warfronts system. Let's take a closer look.

Frontline Run

In the traditional Helldivers 2 mode, you choose an icon on the map to land, complete the mission, and then extract. However, in Planet Warfronts, each planet becomes a multi-stage, branching frontline progression map.

Three Dynamic Missions

Once a match begins in Planet Warfronts, all missions are divided into three core categories. Player squads are required to adopt different strategies based on the current frontline situation, completing the following three dynamic missions sequentially or alternately:

1. Defend Missions

The mission is to consolidate liberated territory. Within controlled areas, defend strategic locations against enemy counterattacks and consolidate liberation gains.

2. Frontline War Missions

This is the most brutal forward position, where you meet the enemy head‑to‑head, crack their strongholds, and move the frontline ahead. It is recommended to carry high-level Helldivers 2 Items to ensure survival.

3. Behind Enemy Lines Missions

Infiltrate enemy-controlled areas to carry out high-risk special missions, dismantling enemy defenses from within by sabotaging enemy facilities and stealing intelligence.

These three fronts are not isolated from each other. Theoretically, successful missions in Behind Enemy Lines will directly impact Frontline War, putting pressure on the enemy and potentially unlocking new operational strategies for the liberation of the entire Planet.

Furthermore, the endpoints of the fronts will no longer be simple extraction points, but Key Strategic Cities on the planet.

Combat will shift from open wilderness to urban environments filled with ruins, skyscrapers, and narrow streets. These cities are home to unique Enemy Variants, a new type of more aggressive insectoid swarm and highly mechanized robotic guards never before seen by players. Therefore, carrying high-level weapons is essential.

Core Mechanics

At the heart of these fronts' missions is Roguelite mechanic. This means that every tactical decision you make in the previous mission, even your extraction time, will become a modifier for the next mission. 

When you successfully complete a key mission, the battle enters a virtuous cycle, granting stackable strategic advantages in subsequent missions:

• Tactical Suppression: If you successfully disable an enemy anti-aircraft missile site in Behind Enemy Lines mission, you will directly unlock powerful, previously restricted strategic Helldivers 2 Items during subsequent urban battles in that area.
• Logistics Support: Successfully holding a radar station in Frontline War not only provides continuous battlefield intelligence buffs to the entire army but also unlocks an additional free vehicle airdrop.
• Core Operations: When a squad completes a specific mission within the system-defined time limit, all players involved in subsequent missions will receive a powerful global buff, such as reduced equipment cooldown time.

Conversely, mission failure can drastically alter the course of the battle, triggering negative effects:

• Enemy Evolution: If a key city isn't captured within the time limit, the enemy will quickly mobilize reinforcements. In your next battle, enemy units will have significantly increased health, potentially even triggering map-wide environmental disasters.
• Server-wide Backlash: If your squad fails completely, not only will the mission fail, but the liberation progress of the entire planet's communities will be reduced by a percentage. Worse still, it could trigger Game Master Joel to initiate a server-wide penalty event.

Combat Readiness Restrictions

Roguelite mechanic not only distribute rewards and penalties across the entire server, but you also cannot freely switch between ammunition and weapons during combat.

You'll need to carry over remaining ammunition from the previous mission, special weapons found on the battlefield, or temporary strategic equipment awarded as mission rewards to barely survive the next battle.

Furthermore, Helldivers 2's Planet Warfronts mode has undergone a redesign and optimization of combat interactions, including assisted reloading, emphasizing two-player cooperation to handle the upcoming intense battles. Therefore, you can team up.

Out-of-Game Long-Term Progression

Many players were concerned about losing mission progress upon death in Planet Warfronts matches. Therefore, the developers introduced Personal Campaign Progression.

Regardless of how far your squad has progressed or whether they are wiped out, the experience you accumulate advancing the front line during the match will be converted into points on this independent progress bar.

Progress points can be used to unlock and upgrade your first exclusive Super Ship, providing permanent out-of-game passive talents. Higher player levels also unlock higher ranks.

In addition to the above adjustments and optimizations to combat, some observant players have noticed subtle changes to the in-game environment of Helldivers 2. Some have speculated that Planet Warfronts will utilize this for front line advancement upon official launch, with city environments and enemy fortifications changing as battles progress.

There's no doubt that Planet Warfronts system, Galactic War Campaigns, and their accompanying progression system updates mark a new phase in Helldivers 2's development.

At the heart of these ambitious changes isn't simply piling on content, but transforming community action from a vague progress bar into a decisive force that truly affects the course of battle. Every future liberation war will be a dynamic, immersive, and entirely different experience.

Are you ready to dive into the all-new Planet Warfronts, players?

Players unfamiliar with MLB The Show 26 might have a misconception about Diamond Dynasty: that only the most popular player cards can build a high-win-rate team.

This isn't true. The game features many underrated player cards that, when used correctly, can unleash tremendous power. Moreover, you only need a small number of Stubs to acquire them.

Next, I will introduce these underrated player cards in detail according to their position on the field.

Starting Pitcher

Starting Pitcher is the starting point for every game in MLB 26. The following three cards don't require a large number of Stubs, but their pitch types and control are excellent.

Corbin Burnes

Corbin Burnes is a typical underrated card. His pitch mix is very well-rounded, with an excellent Cutter. In MLB 26, Cutter is one of the hardest pitches to hit because it creates a sharp change in direction, both horizontally and vertically, upon reaching the base.

Furthermore, Burnes' control is consistent enough that both beginners and experienced players can easily utilize him effectively.

The price of this card fluctuates; with a bit of luck, you can acquire it for just 5,000 Stubs, which is a great deal.

John Donaldson

John Donaldson is suitable not only as a pitcher but also as a hitter.

His trump card as a pitcher is forkball. While his fastball is 92-93 mph, his forkball is only 81-82 mph.

This near 10 mph speed difference is extremely deadly in the game. When you hit the strike zone with a series of Fastballs and then suddenly throw a slow Forkball, the opponent will often swing too early and make a Lunging Animation.

Andy Pettitte

Andy Pettitte is a player similar to Al Leiter, but you can acquire him for a small amount of Stubs.

Relief Pitcher

Relief Pitcher's importance is especially pronounced when the score is close. The following Relief Pitcher cards are perfectly capable of handling most playstyles in MLB 26.

Kenley Jansen

Kenley Jansen's pitching motion is very unique - he uses a side-screw pitch. In MLB 26, a unique release point often confuses opponents, as they need time to adapt to the ball's trajectory.

Jansen's main pitch is Cutter, which he also throws with a Slider. These two pitches look very similar, but their trajectories are different, making them easy for opposing batters to misjudge.

Moreover, you can acquire him for less than 100,000 Stubs. For players on a budget, Jansen is an indispensable right-handed pitcher.

Aaron Bummer

Aaron Bummer is a left-handed pitcher. His Cutter is excellent, and his H/9 rating is outstanding against both left- and right-handed batters.

This means that Bummer can suppress any type of batter the opponent fields.

Garrett Cleavinger

Garrett Cleavinger consumes the fewest stamps of the three cards. While his abilities are slightly inferior to the other two, he's a perfect transitional choice for players just starting out and struggling with stamps.

Also Read: How to Unlock Ketel Marte for Almost Free in MLB The Show 26 Diamond Dynasty?

Hitter

Hitters are key to scoring. This article categorizes MLB 26 hitters into three types: 

Contact Hitters

These hitters are characterized by high contact and vision, are less prone to strikeouts, can hit the ball into the field, and rely on speed to reach base. Here are two recommended player cards:

First, Tony Gwynn. He's a historically dominant hitter. In the game, his contact attribute is extremely high, almost never missing a hit. His speed is also excellent, allowing him to steal bases after a single.

Most importantly, he can play all three outfield positions: Left Field, Center Field, and Right Field. This positional flexibility means you can place him in any open outfield position.

Second is Nico Hoerner. He can almost be considered a Four-Tool Player - a player with all-around qualities in batting average, power, base running, arm strength, and defense.

Nico Hoerner comes close to this standard, perhaps slightly weaker in power. However, his hitting ability and defense are very solid.

Power Hitters

If you're down by two runs and need a home run to tie the game, then you need a Power Hitter. Here are two recommended player cards:

First is Victor Martinez. He's a Switch Hitter, and he's not at a disadvantage whether the opponent sends out a left-handed or right-handed pitcher.

With the release of MLB 26 Weekend Classic Rewind Pack, the number of MLB The Show 26 Stubs needed to acquire him has further decreased, meaning now is a good time to get him.

Second is Anthony Santander, a Budget Power Hitter. A common weakness of many Power Hitters is low vision, making them vulnerable to high-angle shots, but Santander's vision is quite good.

This means he can better judge the strike zone and won't swing to hit bad pitches unnecessarily.

Platoon Bat

A Platoon Bat refers to a batter who performs exceptionally well against specific opponents. Below are two recommended player cards for Platoon Bats.

Bryce Harper is the primary recommendation. Bryce Harper's Power and Contact are significantly improved when facing right-handed pitchers.

Some players believe that, in addition to the standard version, Bryce Harper's World Baseball Classic Card (rated 89 overall) is also very useful, and you can obtain it for free through a program.

This concludes the introduction to some underrated player cards in MLB The Show 26. If you happen to be lacking good player cards, you can immediately add them to your team.

As Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 Return of the Ancients gradually stabilizes, the ladder landscape for each class is becoming clearer. Many players have transitioned from progression to endgame, and the builds chosen by top-ranked players are increasingly becoming the most valuable reference points for the current meta.

Whether it's a speed-farming build with top-tier map clearing efficiency or a versatile build that balances survivability and boss damage, these builds consistently occupying top positions on the ladder demonstrate their strong competitiveness in the current meta.

For Path of Exile 2 players looking to climb the leaderboards, improve map clearing efficiency, or find their seasonal best-in-slot build, studying the choices of these top players is undoubtedly the fastest way to understand the meta.

Shield Wall Titan Warrior

One of the highest-ranked classes currently is Warrior's Shield Wall Titan. Despite adjustments to some Warrior builds in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, Shield Wall remains extremely strong.

This build empowers itself with War Cry, then unleashes Shield Wall, followed by Shield Charge to detonate Wall for area-of-effect damage, offering both high damage output and exceptional mobility.

The additional area-of-effect provided by Titan Ascendancy further amplifies the skill combo's advantages, making it consistently effective for both map progression and endgame farming in Path of Exile 2, helping you quickly farm Path of Exile 2 Currency.

More importantly, Shield Wall Titan doesn't have the same demanding gear requirements as some popular Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 builds, making it a popular choice for both high-level players and beginners.

Twister Martial Artist Monk

In Monk class, Twister Martial Artist has emerged as one of the biggest dark horses in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0. While many Monk players still opt for Flicker Strike Martial Artist, top-ranking Path of Exile 2 players prove that Twister also has the potential to reach the top ranks.

Twister Martial Artist continuously generates tornadoes with an extremely fast attack speed, almost covering the entire screen when clearing the map. You'll need to equip multiple unique PoE 2 gear pieces to further enhance attack speed and movement, allowing the character to reach astonishing levels of damage output and mobility.

While Twister Martial Artist has a high initial cost, its potential is also among the top in Return of the Ancients.

Also Read: Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 Refutation and Repulsion Full Guide: No Shield Block Defense and Automated Clear Build

Ice Shot Deadeye Ranger

Ranger class remains dominated by Ice Shot Deadeye. As one of the most popular ranged builds in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0, Ice Shot Deadeye has gained widespread recognition for its extremely high map clearing efficiency and excellent single-target damage.

Mirage Deadeye Ascendancy can additionally summon a Temporary Mirage Archer. With Mirage Archer Spirit Gem, multiple units simultaneously casting Ice Shots will appear on Return of the Ancients battlefield.

A large number of Ice Shots can quickly freeze enemies, creating the perfect environment for subsequent Snipe attacks. Whether for fast-paced map clearing or final boss challenges, this build is highly competitive in POE 2 Patch 0.5.0.

Spirit Walker Twisters Huntress

The new Huntress class quickly became a popular choice after the release of POE 2 Patch 0.5.0, and Spirit Walker Twisters has become its most representative playstyle. This build revolves around Feather mechanic provided by Ascendancy, gaining extra projectiles through frequent rolls and then using Twister abilities to create numerous tornadoes for damage.

Since rolling itself is part of the core skill rotation, you maintain high-speed movement throughout combat. While more difficult to master than other POE 2 classes, once mastered, it offers an extremely smooth combat experience and amazing burst damage. Spirit Walker Twisters is favored by many leaderboard climbers.

Disciple of Varashta Minion Sorceress

For Sorceress class, Disciple of Varashta Minion is the most stable choice in POE 2 Patch 0.5.0. Following the adjustments to the energy shield, many traditional Sorceress builds have been affected, while Minion has risen to prominence thanks to its stable damage output and excellent survivability.

You can choose to use Powered Zealots as your core summons, enhancing energy shield regeneration through Ascendancy nodes, giving your POE 2 character both a powerful summoned army and extremely high survivability.

Whether in the early game progression or the late game gearing phase, this build provides consistent performance and is one of the most suitable builds for average players in POE 2 Patch 0.5.0.

Abyssal Lich Plants Witch

Witch class has seen a complete resurgence with Abyssal Lich Plant build. With Blood Mage gradually fading from the mainstream Return of the Ancients environment, Abyssal Lich has become the new meta choice due to its unique low-health mechanic.

This build utilizes Plant abilities for area-of-effect damage. You need to actively maintain a low-health state to trigger multiple powerful passive effects, gaining higher critical strike damage and casting speed, while a specific gear combination effectively reduces damage taken. Its balanced approach to damage output and tankiness makes it one of the most well-rounded Witch builds in PoE 2.

Grenade Mercenary

While most Mercenary builds on PoE 2 leaderboard currently utilize Banner Bot support playstyle, Grenade Mercenary is clearly more relevant for average players. This build revolves around various grenade skills, enhancing their effects through Gemling Legionnaire ascension, significantly reducing detonation time and increasing coverage.

The optimized Cluster Grenades can deliver burst damage in a very short time, offering excellent map clearing efficiency and dealing considerable damage to PoE 2 elite mobs and bosses. Since all three Mercenary ascensions are competitive, Mercenary still has significant potential for future development.

Grim Totem Oracle Druid

Finally, Druid class deserves attention. As PoE 2 players continue to explore new mechanics, Grim Totem Oracle Druid is rapidly rising to become the most popular Druid build. Grim Totem Oracle Druid allows for the continuous casting of Grim Pillars, followed by the use of Entangles to detonate them, creating a wide-area explosion of damage.

Since Grim Totem Oracle Druid's skill mechanics are relatively new, there is still potential for further optimization and development.

Based on current ladder performance in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, these are undoubtedly the most dominant builds. As the season progresses and subsequent balance patches are released, the leaderboard landscape may change, but at least for now, these builds have proven themselves to be at the top of Patch 0.5.0.

In ARC Raiders, many players still approach PvP combat with the mindset of traditional shooters, believing that faster reaction speed and more accurate shooting will give them an advantage in firefights. However, as the overall skill level of players continues to rise, this approach, relying solely on individual skill, is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain in wins.

In fact, ARC Raiders PvP is far more than just aiming and shooting. Because of the large map size, frequent resource contention, and the presence of multiple teams simultaneously, battles often involve multiple aspects such as positioning, information gathering, teamwork, and timing of entry. Often, the outcome of a battle is decided even before the two sides officially engage.

After extensive high-intensity PvP practice, many high-level players have summarized a set of core combat strategies that can significantly improve win rates. If you want to win more encounters, reduce unnecessary deaths, and emerge victorious in complex battles in ARC Raiders, then the following techniques are worth mastering.

Take Aggro

Most ARC Raiders players believe team fights should involve simultaneous firing and advancing, but in reality, head-on confrontations aren't always suitable. High-level teams often use Take Aggro to create advantages.

Put one player exposes their position to draw enemy attention, while the others use this time to flank or find better firing angles. When the enemy's attention is focused on the first attacker, they often can't simultaneously cover threats from other directions. This is when flankers gain easy opportunities to fire.

Often, in ARC Raiders, the real deciding factor isn't who fires first, but who gains the crossfire advantage first.

Think Like Your Enemy

When faced with a stalemate in ARC Raiders, many players instinctively choose to charge in. However, talented players usually first consider the enemy's perspective. You need to constantly ask yourself: What does the enemy most want you to do right now, and what do they least want you to do?

For example, when the enemy has just been wounded and is trying to retreat for treatment, they most need a respite. If you stop applying pressure at this time, they can recover and regain their fighting ability. Conversely, when the enemy has finished healing and begins to provoke, they are often trying to lure you into a pre-arranged firing line.

In this situation, a direct frontal assault is more likely to fall into a trap. A more sensible approach is to utilize ARC Raiders map environment to flank, launching attacks from multiple directions simultaneously. This prevents the enemy from covering all angles, allowing for an easy victory and the acquisition of ARC Raiders Items.

Strengthen Map Understanding

Many top PvP players' greatest advantage isn't their marksmanship, but rather their understanding of ARC Raiders map. Map familiarity means knowing: which positions are suitable for flanking, which buildings have multiple exits, which high ground can control key areas, and the most likely routes the enemy will take when retreating.

When PvP reaches a stalemate, understanding ARC Raiders' maps are often more important than weapon performance. Teams that can plan flank routes in advance can often complete a pincer attack when the enemy is unprepared.

Use Throwables

In ARC Raiders, grenades are not only tools for dealing damage but also crucial resources for controlling the battlefield.

Many players consider the delayed explosion of Snap Blast Grenade a drawback, but skilled players can turn this characteristic into an advantage. When you throw a Snap Blast Grenade around a corner, enemies must wait for the explosion to finish before they can peek out again.

You can use this time to do many things, such as advancing key positions, traversing dangerous passages, contesting cover, and compressing the enemy's living space - this is the typical Area Denial tactic of ARC Raiders.

Incendiary throwables also possess extremely strong area control capabilities. When the enemy is preparing to attack, a Blaze Grenade can directly block an entire entrance. Even if the enemy eventually chooses to flank, they must spend more time exposed to your fire. Kills does not end many high-level battles, but by constantly compressing the enemy's movement space and forcing them to make mistakes.

If your ARC Raiders teammates have an aggressive pushing style, then grenades will be the best support tool. When teammates are preparing to cross doorways or corners, you can throw explosives in advance at positions where the enemy might appear.

Since friendly forces are not damaged by your throwables, they can safely advance using the pressure created by the grenades. This kind of teamwork significantly improves the success rate of assaults. Excellent ARC Raiders teams don't let each player operate independently; instead, they create a chain reaction of actions.

Be Patient

In ARC Raiders PvP, many players lose not because of poor aim or mechanics, but because they are too impatient and unable to wait for opportunities. Especially in long-range standoffs, both sides often have cover and line-of-sight advantages. Rushing to reposition or forcefully create firing lines at this point only makes it easier to expose your position, giving the opponent an opportunity to fire first.

In contrast, high-level ARC Raiders players prefer to observe, continuously gather information, and look for breakthroughs based on the enemy's movements. Because in prolonged stalemates, the side that loses patience first is usually most prone to making mistakes.

When the enemy begins to move, attempt to flank, or actively seek new firing angles, their movement trajectories and positioning often expose weaknesses. Choosing to fire or advance at this point often has a much higher success rate than an unprepared, proactive assault.

This patience is equally important in Third Party situations. Multi-team skirmishes are almost inevitable in ARC Raiders, and many players will immediately open fire and join the fight as soon as they see other teams engaging. However, revealing yourself too early often turns you from hunter into a new target.

A more sensible approach is to first observe the battlefield situation in ARC Raiders. Determine which team is gaining the upper hand, which players are low on health, whether enemies are concentrated in narrow areas, and whether there are opportunities to inflict massive damage with grenades or other throwables.

As the engagement drags on, each team's armor, medical supplies, and ammunition will gradually be depleted. Entering the fray at this point often allows for a lower-risk, more effective finish. Whether it's a one-on-one stalemate or third-party intervention, waiting for the enemy to make the first mistake, deplete their resources, and reveal their position is usually more likely to lead to victory than rushing into combat.

Stay Useful Downed

Your team's value doesn't completely disappear after being knocked down. Many players completely abandon their actions after being knocked down. In fact, even when knocked down, you can still help your teammates.

You can continuously mark enemy positions, blocking their advance while sending voice messages to attract their attention. In ARC Raiders, a downed teammate's body can become a natural obstacle, restricting enemy movement.

Gathering Information

Information is extremely important in ARC Raiders. Rushing in when enemies are hiding in caves, buildings, or complex terrain is extremely risky. Tagging Grenades allow you to obtain enemy positions in advance.

Once you successfully mark a target, your team can plan their attack route, accurately throw grenades, and anticipate enemy movements, thus avoiding ambushes. Many ARC Raiders battles are won easily not because of better aim, but because of having more information.

Check Every Corner

Many ARC Raiders players are willing to hide in the same corner for minutes or even longer. Even if you've checked an area once, it's not absolutely safe. You must remain vigilant when looting, checking every corner and never letting your guard down. Throw reconnaissance or explosives before entering buildings. Many seemingly absurd deaths actually stem from inadequate site checks.

ARC Raiders' PvP isn't just a gunfight; it's a battle of positioning, information, and psychological warfare. When your combat strategy shifts from how to defeat your enemy to how to create an advantage, you'll find your win rate dramatically improves.

As Forza Horizon 6 continues to update, more and more players are starting to research the truly worthwhile endgame cars to acquire in the current version. Different vehicles in FH6 have completely different roles. Some boast exceptional handling, while others are dominant in off-road racing.

For players looking to improve their race results, increase map clearing efficiency, or simply enrich their garage collection, prioritizing acquisition of truly powerful vehicles can significantly enhance the overall gaming experience.

Below, we'll review the most worthwhile cars to acquire in Forza Horizon 6 and how to obtain them.

• 2018 Lotus Scura Motrosports Exige WTAC
• 1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata Forza Edition
• 2018 Ferrari FXX-K Evo 'Welcome Pack'
• 1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR Forza Edition
• 2020 Lotus Evija Forze Edition
• 1985 Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX Forze Edition
• 1991 Mazda 787B
• 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class
• 1998 Subaru Impreza 22B-STi Version

2018 Lotus Scura Motrosports Exige WTAC

This Lotus is arguably one of the most well-rounded vehicles in Forza Horizon 6, its greatest strength being its incredibly powerful handling. Many supercars suffer from under-steer when cornering at high speeds, but Lotus Exige maintains stable, ground-hugging cornering even at speeds exceeding 250 km/h, with virtually no loss of control.

It's not just good for Road Racing; it performs exceptionally well in Dirt Racing as well. It's practically ubiquitous on Rivals leaderboards for challenging off-road races like Gauntlet, thanks to its incredible acceleration on gravel tracks and its stability on mixed road and dirt surfaces.

You can unlock this car simply by progressing through Horizon Legend's Road Racing Collection Journal and completing all Circuit content.

1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata Forza Edition

If Lotus Exige is an all-rounder, then 1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata Forza Edition is a pure acceleration monster. This car practically dominates drag racing, with many FH6 players achieving lap times close to 10 seconds.

Its most impressive feature is its explosive acceleration from a standstill; the car can accelerate to high speeds in a brief time, and its top speed is also astonishing. Even more interestingly, this car isn't just for Forza Horizon 6 Drag; it also performs well in Cross Country long-distance races because of its exceptional acceleration after cornering.

You can obtain this Mazda at Drag Strip spawn point near Horizon Festival, making it one of the most readily available and sought-after supercars.

Also Read: Forza Horizon 6 Complete Wheelbase Adjustment Workflow for Optimal Force Feedback

2018 Ferrari FXX-K Evo 'Welcome Pack'

2018 Ferrari FXX-K Evo 'Welcome Pack' biggest advantages are its excellent high-speed stability and powerful braking performance. Even in intense races, it's easy to handle, making it ideal for novice players. While it's no longer among the absolute top-tier cars in the current version of Forza Horizon 6, it still performs admirably in the early and mid-game.

If you own Forza Horizon 6 Premium or Deluxe Edition, you'll get it at the start of the game. You can also obtain it later in the game using approximately 4.5 million Forza Horizon 6 Credits.

1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR Forza Edition

For FH6 off-road enthusiasts, 1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR Forza Edition is practically a must-have vehicle. Its biggest strength is its stable off-road handling. Whether in Trailblazer, off-road speed zones, or Cross-Country races, it boasts an extremely high margin for error.

Even if the vehicle collides or rolls over at high speeds, it can quickly recover and continue moving. Many FH6 players rely on this car to complete challenging Trailblazer three-star challenges, especially in Horizon Kaido Trailblazer, where it has almost become the default choice.

However, unfortunately, this car is part of Forza Horizon 6 Credits VIP Membership DLC and is not available to all players.

2020 Lotus Evija Forze Edition

2020 Lotus Evija Forze Edition is one of the most popular drift cars in Forza Horizon 6, boasting incredibly powerful output. It can easily maintain a prolonged drift, making it easy for even beginners to handle. Not only is it great for drifting, but it's also a top-tier vehicle in high-speed racing.

In long straights like Colossus, Lotus Evija FE is also highly competitive. While its potential is extremely high, it demands a certain level of driving skill. Because of its extremely sensitive steering, it's prone to over-steer and loss of control at high speeds. You can obtain it through Wheel spin or Auction House.

1985 Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT-APEX Forze Edition

Toyota AE86 Trueno Forza Edition is currently the highest-theoretically speed car in Forza Horizon 6, capable of reaching 523 km/h. However, its biggest drawback is its near-uncontrollability. At extremely high speeds, even a slight turn of the steering wheel can cause it to lose control, making it more suitable for Speed ​​Trap or recreational gameplay than a true racing car.

Nevertheless, it remains a coveted collectible for many players. To unlock it, you need to accumulate 5,000 points in Master Explorer content on Discover Japan, making it one of the most hard car unlocking requirements in Forza Horizon 6.

1991 Mazda 787B

In Circuit Racing and Street Racing, 1991 Mazda 787B is also one of the most popular cars. Its biggest advantage lies in its exceptionally high-speed cornering ability. Even when entering corners at top speed, it maintains a stable line and requires minimal braking.

As a result, its average speed on challenging tracks like Goliath in Forza Horizon 6 is significantly higher than many hypercars. Mazda 787B is a barn find vehicle; you need to progress through Discover Japan Collection Journal and unlock the corresponding barn later to obtain it.

2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class

Compared to top-tier supercars, 2018 Mercedes-Benz X-Class is an often underrated vehicle, practically dominating the current A-Class Cross Country and Dirt Race.

It boasts exceptional stability and excellent customization potential. More importantly, this car only costs 47,000 credits in Auto Show, making it incredibly cost-effective.

1998 Subaru Impreza 22B-STi Version

This is currently the most popular Forza Horizon 6 skill point farming car. Many players might not find it particularly special at first glance, but its true strength lies in Car Mastery skill tree. Once the key skill that increases Skill Multiplier is unlocked, this car can quickly boost the multiplier, thus rapidly maxing out Skill Chain.

You can use the specially designed Farming map in Event Lab to auto-farm. Turn on Auto Steering and hold down the accelerator; you can gain nearly 9 Skill Points in about 30 seconds - an incredibly efficient method. You can obtain this car directly in Autoshow.

Overall, the current Forza Horizon 6 game environment has developed a very clear division of labor. Some vehicles focus on road racing and rival leaderboards, while others dominate in races. If you want to improve your race results in FH6 and experience the driving fun of different playstyles, then these vehicles are almost all worth prioritizing in your garage.

ARC Raiders has released its Store Update 1.30.0, and the most anticipated change is undoubtedly the price adjustment for Nomadic Envoys Trader.

Compared to the previously criticized high exchange costs, this update clearly prioritizes the experience for ordinary players, significantly reducing exchange prices and making the entire resource system more reasonable. This adjustment, in a sense, also represents the development team starting to truly value community feedback.

Let's take a look at Trader mechanism adjustments and other related content brought to us by this ARC Raiders update.

Mechanism Improvements

Last week's update introduced Nomadic Envoys Trader for the first time. You can collect ARC Raiders Items and exchange them with traders for various rewards, including stash expansions, expedition vault slots, blueprints, cosmetics, and raid tokens. However, problems quickly emerged after the system went live.

First, the prices of many items were outrageously high. The most typical example is Tempest blueprint. While it's a high-quality blueprint, it requires Queen Reactors, Matriarch Reactors, Bombardier Cells, and Assessor Matrices to redeem.

What truly fuels player dissatisfaction is Expedition Vault's pricing mechanism. You might not initially realize that the price of Expedition Vault slots increases progressively. The first slot requires 200,000 coins, the second 400,000 coins, the third 600,000 coins, the fourth 800,000 coins, and the fifth jumps directly to 1 million coins.

That means if you want to unlock all five slots, the total cost is a whopping 3 million coins. This figure is almost unacceptable for the average player. However, the problem isn't just the price; more seriously, your inventory might not hold it all.

Since ARC Raiders currently doesn't support phased resource submissions, you must keep all the exchange materials piling up in your inventory for an extended period. To accumulate 1 million resources, you might even need dozens of inventory slots specifically for storing exchange materials.

Based on different materials, a minimum of 50+ storage slots are required, with some low-value materials potentially occupying over 100 slots. This leads to a very awkward situation: players need sufficiently large storage space to redeem ARC Raiders Expedition Vault expansion.

Update Adjustments

Expedition Vault Price Adjustment

In this latest update, ARC Raiders development team has finally addressed this issue. The most significant change is the complete standardization of Expedition Vault slot prices. All five slots now cost a fixed 200,000 coins, no longer increasing progressively.

The total cost, which previously required 3 million coins, has now been reduced to 1 million. This change is arguably the most crucial and popular adjustment in this update. It not only reduces the grind but also finally allows ARC Raiders system to better suit the gameplay pace of average players.

New Content

This week, ARC Raiders Nomadic Envoys Trader shop has added several new redeemable items, including:

• Chap Outfit
• Soda Can Charm
• Can't Hear You Emote
• Wolfpack Blueprint
• Magnetic Accelerato
• Anvil Splitter
• Mushroom
• Raider Tokens

Among them, Wolfpack Blueprint has become another focus of player discussion. Compared to the previous 1 million coins Tempest Blueprint, the current price of 500,000 coins is significantly more reasonable. While it still requires some time to accumulate resources, it is at least achievable with effort.

Especially for ARC Raiders players who cannot frequently participate in Night Raid map conditions, Trader system provides another stable way to obtain high-level blueprints.

From a design perspective, ARC Raiders development team is actually trying to establish a long-term plan. You can either directly farm rare equipment through high-risk dungeons, or slowly redeem rewards by steadily accumulating resources. These two paths running in parallel essentially cater to different types of players.

Unresolved Issues

However, Trader system still has some issues. For example, the exchange rate for Raider Tokens remains confusing for many players. Some ARC Raiders store skins are worth hundreds or even thousands of Raider Tokens, but merchants only offer an option to exchange 150,000 coins for 25 Raider Tokens, a clearly disproportionate rate.

Furthermore, the resource pre-storage feature that players have been eagerly anticipating is still not available. Many hope that Trader system can be like ARC Raiders Project, allowing players to submit materials in advance, instead of accumulating them all in the warehouse at once. Although prices have decreased recently, 500,000 coins still require a significant amount of storage space, making this feature still crucial for the future.

Meanwhile, the official ARC Raiders team has also responded to recent performance issues reported by players. Currently, ARC Raiders is experiencing crashes and FPS drops across various platforms, which some players speculate may be related to the anti-cheat update. While the official ARC Raiders team has not explicitly confirmed the cause, they have stated that they are investigating and working to fix it.

Future Update Schedule

From now on, ARC Raiders will switch to a major Store live update every three weeks, interspersed with smaller hot fixes, store rotations, and event updates. Compared to the previous, more concentrated and larger monthly updates, the new model is more like breaking down what used to be a major update into multiple smaller phases for gradual release.

This means that you may not see a large amount of new content all at once in the future, but ARC Raiders will maintain a more stable and consistent update frequency overall.

Overall, the biggest significance of Store Update 1.30.0 is not just about bug fixes, but that ARC Raiders development team is starting to truly listen to player feedback. ARC Raiders is trying to find a balance between hardcore and casual players. And for a long-running extraction shooter, this balance may be more important than the amount of new content added.

In the latest updates for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, the already formidable Ball Lightning Sorcerer has received a fresh round of comprehensive buffs. The synergy between the brand-new Talisman and the build's core gear pieces has propelled this playstyle to a level of dominance never before seen.

Ball Lightning Sorcerer not only allows you to blitz through Tier 150 of The Pit in LoH with lightning speed, but it also enables efficient speed-farming of Tier 110 - clearing runs in under 40 seconds - even during the early-game leveling phase when your gear is still unoptimized. The core of this build lies in its Perma-Teleport mechanic and the ability to maintain 100% uptime on its Ultimate Skill; the combination of these two elements transforms Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred gameplay experience into a sheer visual spectacle.

All you have to do is hold down Teleport button and frantically blink across D4 map; wherever you land, enemies instantly disintegrate into dust. As of now, no other class can even come close to matching its power. While the exhilarating rush of such destructive force may take a little time to get used to, once you master the rhythm of the controls, you will become completely addicted to the sheer aesthetic of this unparalleled efficiency.

Core Mechanics

The core of Ball Lightning Sorcerer build revolves around utilizing the brand-new Threefold Talisman, as well as the updated Fractured Winterglass unique amulet introduced in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred. Through Crackling Energy effect, you can achieve 100% uptime on Unstable Currents Ultimate Skill; simultaneously, by leveraging Cooldown Reduction effect provided by El'Druin, Sword of Justice, you can ensure that Teleport also maintains 100% uptime.

Gear List

• Heir of Perdition
• Fractured Winterglass
• Raiment of the Infinite
• Ring of Starless Skies
• Aspect of Armageddon
• Aspect of Overwhelming Currents
• Mage-Lord's Aspect
• Esu's Heirloom
• El'Druin, Sword of Justice
• Strike of Stormhorn

You must equip El'Druin, Sword of Justice; the primary function of this sword is to enable our Perma-Teleport capability. Under standard conditions, directly casting Teleport incurs a cooldown of approximately 10 seconds; however, this sword grants a unique effect: whenever you defeat a pack of Elite enemies, your active skill cooldowns are reduced by 10 seconds over the following 12 seconds. This means that as long as you continuously hunt down Elite monsters in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, you can effectively achieve uninterrupted Teleport usage throughout your entire play through.

If you happen not to encounter any Elite monsters, you can utilize Maximum Evade Charges affix found on your boots to execute temporary positional shifts via Evade maneuvers. This serves as a makeshift means of teleportation until you locate another Diablo 4 Elite monster and reset your Teleport skill's cooldown.

Fractured Winterglass grants you a 25% chance to summon a minion of a matching elemental type whenever you cast a Core Skill. For each active minion, you gain increased Movement Speed and Damage output; furthermore, these minions provide you with Mana regeneration and Damage Reduction, thereby completing the synergistic loop.

For Ball Lightning Sorcerer build, stacking some Cooldown Reduction attributes yields exceptional results. You can further enhance your Cooldown Reduction via Sanctification, or, stack Attack Speed. If you are truly intent on squeezing every last drop of DPS out of your build, you might also consider equipping a legendary amulet; however, for the vast majority of Diablo 4 players, this is not strictly necessary.

Talismans

• Ancestral Horadric Seal
• Fer of the Threefold
• Phoba of the Threefold
• Mlor of the Threefold
• Linta of the Threefold
• Beru of the Threefold
• Endurant Faith

As for Talismans, Ball Lightning Sorcerer primarily utilizes Tal Rasha set. Each time you cast a skill that deals damage to Diablo 4 enemies, you draw upon the power of Tal Rasha, thereby triggering a Mastery Skill effect; this set of Talismans enables you to unleash incredibly explosive combinations of elemental damage. 

Skills

• Rank 15/15: Ball Lightning
• Rank 15/15: Unstable Currents
• Rank 13/15: Ice Armor
• Rank 1/15: Meteor
• Rank 1/15: Blizzard
• Rank 1/15: Lightning Spear
• Rank 1/15: Familiar
• Rank 1/15: Hydra
• Rank 1/15: Teleport
• Rank 1/15: Charged Bolts
• Rank 1/15: Chain Lightning

In actual Diablo 4 combat, you will frequently trigger skills such as Charged Bolts, Chain Lightning, and Ball Lightning. These skills can be automatically triggered by activating your Ultimate Skill: Unstable Currents.

Specifically, you must ensure that the buff provided by Unstable Currents remains active. You can also use Hydra skill to reset your skill cooldowns. If you find that your Teleport charges have been depleted, you can cast Hydra to reset them; otherwise, you simply need to hold down Teleport key - while maintaining Unstable Currents buff - to consistently farm Diablo 4 Items. 

When your Teleport charges are exhausted - or during critical moments, such as when engaging a boss - you can choose to manually cast Ball Lightning to bridge the gap. If you feel the need for increased survivability, you may also cast Ice Armor. However, at Diablo 4 Tier 12 difficulty level, Ball Lightning Sorcerer rarely requires Ice Armor; since casting Teleport grants you 50% damage reduction, the build's survivability remains exceptionally robust and stress-free.

During actual dungeon runs in Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred, you should utilize Familiar skill to summon a Fire Familiar, which persists for 1 second. This Familiar will seek out enemies and periodically detonate. Once summoned, begin using Teleport to move around the area in search of Elite Packs; simply teleport directly into the center of a pack and cast a few instances of Ball Lightning to clear them out. You must actively seek out and hunt down Elite Packs; if you cannot locate any Elites in your immediate vicinity, you cannot sustain Perma-Teleport effect.

Overall, Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred Ball Lightning Sorcerer build seamlessly weaves together survivability, mobility, and damage output into a perfectly balanced package. Whether you are pushing high tiers in The Pit or speed-farming events like War Plan, this is the undisputed T0 choice in LoH.

The latest Patch Notes 1.29.0 for ARC Raiders have come as a pleasant surprise. Given the developer's previous announcement that the next major update wouldn't arrive until October, many players were left wondering: what exactly would ARC Raiders look like during the interim period?

While the pace of content updates for June and the months that follow remains unclear, the sheer scale of this May update, Patch 1.29.0, has truly exceeded our expectations. This update not only introduces brand-new content but also includes long-awaited balance adjustments that players have been clamoring for.

Today, well walk you through everything you need to know about 1.29.0 Patch, covering all the changes and new features you can expect to see and experience in the game.

Trader

Foremost, the most significant addition in this ARC Raiders update is undoubtedly the brand-new Trader. This new character's design aesthetic is absolutely badass; if they were to create a Raider-faction skin based on Nomadic Envoy style, it would be an absolute showstopper. Below, I'll break down exactly how this new character's trading mechanics work.

Weekly Rotating Trades

The items offered by this character, named Ermal, operate on a weekly rotation system. As it stands, the list of available items appears to be fixed. You must engage in a barter system, exchanging valuable items of your own to acquire what you want. Each item you wish to obtain will clearly display the specific exchange requirements needed to acquire it.

The price displayed for an item actually represents the total value of the items required for the exchange. For instance, let's say you're eyeing that Tempest Blueprint. ARC Raiders system indicates it has a value of 1 million. However, that 1 million figure refers solely to the cumulative value of the specific, designated items required for the trade.

These designated exchange items include Matriarch and Queen Cores, as well as components such as Bombardier, Rocketeer, Bastion, and Leaper Cells, along with Assessor Matrix, Turbine Compressors, and Vaporizer Regulators. In this scenario, you would need to gather a collection of these specific items that collectively add up to a total value of 1 million in order to complete the trade.

If you're looking to acquire these specific ARC Raiders Items, be prepared to invest a significant amount of time and effort into grinding for them. However, if you're currently feeling anxious about the high exchange values required for the items in this week's trading list - or worried that this might make ARC Raiders feel too tedious - I'd suggest you hold off on stressing out just yet. The settings you see right now are probably not the final version.

ARC Raiders team has stated that they will be closely monitoring player feedback and data to ensure that in-game balance remains both fair and challenging. Furthermore, these special offers will operate rotating. If you miss a specific deal this week, it is highly probable that it will reappear in a future rotation. The current pricing structure is not set in stone.

This approach is highly commendable; if you find the current difficulty of acquiring certain items to be daunting, rest assured that this situation may not persist indefinitely. As it stands, this new feature genuinely has the potential to make a substantial impact on your actual gameplay experience. I am personally very intrigued by the various goods and services this NPC is offering - both this week and in the future.

Expanded Stash Space

Expanded Stash space is an absolutely excellent perk, with each upgrade directly adding 12 new inventory slots. I am not entirely sure if any limits will be imposed in the future, as ARC Raiders team has mentioned that they are currently gathering player feedback regarding Stash expansion feature.

Expedition Vault

The slots within Expedition Vault allow you to carry up to five items with you into your next Expedition; these slots can be purchased individually. There is one crucial point that we must emphasize here: if you wish to carry a blueprint into the next Expedition, you must not only purchase the corresponding expansion slot but also possess the physical item crafted from that blueprint. This distinction is vital. As of now, provided you have sufficient time to prepare, achieving this is relatively straightforward.

New Weapon: Rascal

This is a Rare class launcher designed with a focus on lightweight construction and compact portability - essentially, it can be thought of as Hullcracker's little brother. Previously, Launcher category in ARC Raiders suffered from a severe lack of options; the only available weapon in this class was Hullcracker, which had an extremely high barrier to entry, requiring the completion of over 40 missions to unlock.

Many players never reached that milestone, particularly those focused on Expeditions, who were often reluctant to backtrack and grind through earlier content. Consequently, prior to this update, the vast majority of players never actually could experience using a launcher. With the introduction of Rascal, however, the situation has improved dramatically.

Rascal is now a relatively common drop item and can reportedly be found within Security Breach zones. Additionally, the corresponding blueprints and crafting recipes have now been made available. You can acquire the ability to craft these items simply by scavenging - no longer do you need to spend hours completing a grueling series of ARC Raiders missions just to earn a single blueprint.

Moreover, the crafting requirements are quite accessible, requiring only 2 Advanced Mechanical Components, 3 Heavy Gun Parts, and 5 Canisters to synthesize. Based on player feedback, Rascal appears to be a single-shot version of Hullcracker - albeit one with slightly lower accuracy. Because of its single-shot design, it requires frequent reloading; however, upgrading the weapon allows you to significantly reduce this reload time. Overall, while Rascal may not necessarily become a mainstream meta choice, it offers a much more easily obtainable option within the launcher category - a welcome addition indeed.

Weapon Balance Adjustments

Bettina SMG has received a buff: its base fire rate has been increased from 235 to 250. This weapon had already received a boost in ARC Raiders Riven Tides update; while this latest adjustment is merely a marginal increase, veteran Bettina users will undoubtedly be able to feel the tangible difference in performance.

The adjustments made to weapon durability are sure to delight many players. ARC Raiders development team acknowledged that the durability changes introduced in the previous patch had an overly severe impact on certain specific weapons.

Consequently, this update focuses on fixing those weapons that were suffering from excessively rapid durability depletion and fragility. By extending their operational lifespan, the goal is to restore their durability performance to a standard level that aligns with the rest of the weapon arsenal.

One weapon benefiting significantly from these adjustments is Pharaoh assault rifle, which has received a substantial 18% boost to its durability. Furthermore, this figure represents only the increase applied to its base stats; as the weapon is upgraded from Tier 1 to Tier 4, the additional durability gains at each tier will further enhance its overall resilience.

Weapon Mods

New: Extended Barrel I, II, & III

In this update, Extended Barrel attachment has undergone a comprehensive expansion and fundamental rebalancing. Extended Barrel variant that players previously possessed has now been renamed and reclassified as Extended Barrel III. Prior to the release of ARC Raiders Patch 1.29.0, this epic-tier attachment had no corresponding lower-tier or transitional versions to accompany it.

This meant that you could not craft it directly using default recipes, nor could you simply stumble upon it in the wild like standard loot; unless you possessed the extremely rare crafting blueprint for it, acquiring this item was virtually an impossible feat. However, now that it has been officially designated as Extended Barrel III, ARC Raiders has naturally introduced its lower-tier counterparts: Extended Barrel I and II. Notably, the crafting recipe for Extended Barrel I is unlocked by default, allowing players to craft it immediately with no need to search for a blueprint.

The stats and bonuses of Extended Barrel III have indeed undergone changes. Following the update, it now not only boosts projectile velocity by 30% but also extends the effective range before damage begins to fall off by 15%; the negative effect - a reduction in vertical recoil control - remains unchanged.

Augments

ARC Raiders Augments have also received a degree of enhancement. The primary targets of this adjustment were Combat Mark III: Flanking and Tactical Mark III: Healing Augments.

For Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) Augment, the healing output of its Cloud of Renewal effect has been increased from 20 to 45, while its cooldown period has been extended from 30 seconds to 45 seconds. This modification significantly boosts the healing efficacy of the ability, making it far more valuable than it was previously.

As for Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) Augment, ARC Raiders development team has adjusted its shield capacity, allowing it to now equip Medium Shields. This is a highly significant change, as prior to this update, the unit could only equip Light Shields - a limitation that severely hampered its utility and rendered it a choice simply not worth making.

Thanks to these enhancements, these Augments now perform far better than before, becoming both highly practical and competitively viable options. I am very pleased with these adjustments. What is particularly commendable is that, in an effort to better integrate these components into the game's overall balance, ARC Raiders development team did not resort to nerfing other components as a balancing mechanism. Rather than simply weakening existing elements, they chose to elevate the overall standard by strengthening the weaker components - a balancing philosophy that is truly worthy of praise.

With a volume of content far exceeding expectations, Patch 1.29.0 has injected a powerful surge of vitality into this interim period for ARC Raiders. It serves as far more than a mere content supplement; rather, it acts as a precise response to the core demands of the player base, with every single change aligning perfectly with long-held community expectations.

Although the major October update still lies some distance away, Patch 1.29.0 has undoubtedly infused this waiting period with ample novelty and replayability, reigniting excitement for the future update cadence of ARC Raiders.