MLB The Show 24: More Fun Ways To Play - How To Create A Player With Your Own Face?

In PoE 2 Return of the Ancients, there's a very powerful map-clearing build that many people are unaware of: Lightning Spear Ritualist. This build is a high-speed map-clearing character, adept at clearing the entire screen with a single skill.

Its core gameplay revolves around agile ranged attacks, fully utilizing the unique bonuses of Ritualist ascendancy to enhance damage and sustain, making it ideal for players who want to quickly clear mobs and farm maps.

This article will teach you how to build Lightning Spear Ritualist BD in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0. Let's take a look.

Build Principles

The synergy of Lightning Spear, Frenzy Charges, and Ritualist ascendancy forms the core of this build. Lightning Spear is an area-of-effect projectile skill that can chain attacks between enemies, making it ideal for clearing densely packed maps. Meanwhile, the build's damage increases significantly as it accumulates Frenzy Charges.

According to relevant information, Lightning Spear Ritualist build achieves a combined DPS of 896.07K, effective life of 65.63K, and energy shield of 4.37K in the late game. Its critical strike chance is also excellent, boasting a 94% critical strike chance and a 542% critical strike multiplier, ensuring sustained and devastating damage.

Defensively, this build offers a 69% dodge chance and a 52% glancing blow chance against all attack types, making it exceptionally resilient for a ranged class.

The build's playstyle is also very simple, primarily using Lightning Spear to eliminate groups of enemies, interspersed with support skills to deal with single targets. This makes it a powerful tool for clearing maps with a single click, and with proper skill rotation, even bosses in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5 are not a problem.

Key Skills

Lightning Spear Ritualist build employs a two-stage damage strategy: Lightning Spear for clearing mobs, and Primal Strikes for single-target burst damage. Details are as follows:

• Lightning Spear: This is the primary skill for clearing mobs.
• Fork: Allows projectiles to split, hitting multiple enemies and clearing screens efficiently.
• Rakiata's Flow: Adds a powerful damage effect.
• Vorana's Siege: Further enhances projectile damage and coverage.
• Primal Strikes: The main boss-killing ability. Can deal high damage to bosses and powerful rare monsters, especially when they are electrocuted.

Gears

Weapons are crucial for damage output; prioritize weapons with high physical and lightning damage. In the late game of Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, legendary weapons such as Guiding Palm of the Mind, Morior Invictus, Kalandra's Touch, Polcirkeln, and Mageblood were considered top-tier gears. Let's take a closer look.

Guiding Palm of the Mind

This gears isn't just a simple +25% Lightning Damage buff; it's a Gain as Extra, adding an extra layer of lightning damage to your damage.

Additionally, it causes lightning to strike nearby enemies from the sky, and this effect is a Shrine Buff, not scaled by the character's regular damage affixes.

Kalandra's Touch

This ring can copy another ring with a powerful effect, doubling your ring's stats with Ritualist's extra ring slot and 25% ring effect bonus. It's perfect for pairing with Polcirkeln.

Polcirkeln

This ring readily provides additional frost-related abilities and significantly improves the build's control.

Mageblood

A powerful support belt that provides continuous potion effects, significantly increasing speed and defense.

Morior Invictus

An armor piece that provides a large amount of energy shield and other useful defensive stats.

However, obtaining these requires a significant amount of PoE 2 Currency. If you're short on funds early on, there are some affordable alternatives you can choose from, replacing them later when you have enough resources.

It's worth mentioning that Leopold's Applause is an effective and inexpensive alternative to Rakiata's Flow for stacking penetration, making it ideal for early-game farming. Additionally, Sacred Flame is a good economical choice, providing a significant fire damage bonus and 100 spirit points.

Passive Tree Pathing

Lightning Spear Ritualist build focuses primarily on critical strike chance, projectile damage, and lightning damage. Early leveling should prioritize talent nodes that increase a percentage of ranged damage after a melee attack hit, helping you smoothly transition through the early to mid-game of Patch 0.5.0.

Defensive Core

In PoE 2 Return of the Ancients, this build's primary defensive measure is a hybrid of Evasion and Energy Shield. The ultimate goal is to achieve both high Energy Shield and Evasion values: approximately 4,370 Energy Shield and 17,410 Evasion, resulting in over 65,000 effective life.

This can be achieved by selecting key talents in the passive tree and important passive skills that provide Energy Shield and Evasion ratings. For example, choosing Mind Phylacteries allows you to trigger an uncharged amulet by consuming 25% of your maximum mana when your mana is low.

Damage Core

For damage, you should prioritize passive nodes that increase Critical Strike Chance, Critical Strike Multiplier, Projectile Damage, and Lightning Damage to achieve 94% critical strike chance and 542% critical strike damage multiplier.

Corrupted Lifeforce is a valuable damage node that deals an additional 15% damage to enemies affected by Blood Boil.

Others

Unfurled Finger and Mystic Attunement nodes are the cornerstone of this build's growth potential, providing an additional ring slot and a 25% increase to ring and amulet effects, respectively.

This concludes the article on how to build Lightning Spear Ritualist Blu-ray in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0. For more information, follow EZG Facebook. We regularly host giveaways to help you quickly accumulate resources. Participating is simple: just tag your friends in Facebook comments. Come join us!

Lightning Spear Ritualist BD has proven to be the strongest choice for completing Return of the Ancients endgame content. Go try it out!

With the release of WoW Midnight Patch 12.1, Season 2 is also about to begin.

Season 2 will officially launch on August 18th (North American time), bringing a host of new content, including Delves, Mythic+ dungeon rotations, and the raid The Venomous Abyss.

Players can choose their goals based on their playstyle, whether it's upgrading gear, collecting rewards, or tackling challenging content; they can find new directions at the start of the season.

Delves

Delves continue to play a vital role in WoW Midnight, providing a stable path for players without fixed raid schedules to improve their characters. In Season 2, Delves system will continue to expand in this direction, while adding new challenges and collectible rewards.

The new Delver's Journey will also launch simultaneously with the season's start. Among the most anticipated items for collectors is the newly added Corroded Soul Crusher. For some players, gear upgrades aren't the only goal; collecting uniquely designed mounts can also provide continued motivation.

In addition, Season 2 will add more Bountiful Delves content, making Delves a key way to acquire gear at the start of the season. Whether it's a new character, just entering Season 2 or an alt looking to level up quickly, this system will help them catch up with the patch schedule faster.

The highest difficulty Delves challenge will also have a new objective. Players will face a new Nemesis Boss - Azta'rec. Successfully defeating it solo will reward players with a special achievement and the mount Apothic Soul Crusher.

Prey

After the season starts, players can unlock a new questline that leads directly to Coiled Isle. For players who have already experienced Hunts, this change will reduce travel time and make daily participation more convenient.

Season 2 introduces Curse of the Isle, a new challenge option for players exploring Coiled Isle. Once enabled, the zone becomes more dangerous, with new threats and environmental changes affecting the experience.

During the exploration, players need to collect Ossified Relics and use these resources to summon the new mini-boss, Ral'kala.

Defeating Ral'kala rewards players with various prizes, including equipment upgrade resources, pets, toys, and the new Hexflame Reaver mount.

Compared to regular world quests, Curse of the Isle offers more specific challenges; and unlike raids, it doesn't require pre-organized groups. Players can participate according to their own schedules, making it ideal for players who enjoy exploration, collecting rewards, or seeking additional challenges in the open world.

Lairs

Lairs gameplay added in Season 2 can be understood as a further expansion of the area boss content in WoW Midnight.

This season's Lairs are located in Tidebound Grotto of Coiled Isle. Players can experience World Difficulty during the pre-season phase, while Normal, Heroic, and Flexible Mythic will be available after the official season begins.

In terms of rewards, Lairs will drop gear of corresponding tiers based on difficulty. From Veteran gear in World difficulty to Myth gear in Mythic, players can choose their challenge targets based on their progress.

Compared to large-scale raids, Lairs has lower time and team requirements. Players don't need to schedule long team activities in advance and can complete boss fights with other players. For players with fragmented playtime or those looking for extra challenges outside of daily content, Lairs is a suitable choice.

Raid

The most anticipated raid content in Midnight Season 2 is undoubtedly the new raid dungeon, The Venomous Abyss.

This dungeon is located in The Vaults of Atal'Utek, beneath Coiled Isle, and features eight bosses. On the season launch day, Normal, Heroic, Mythic, and Raid Finder Wing 1 will be available, with the remaining Raid Finder areas unlocking gradually according to plan.

The raid bosses include: 

• Nek'zali,
• Entombed Sentinels,
• The Lost Explorers,
• Vashnik the Malignant,
• The Twin Fangs,
• The Coiled Altar,
• and the final boss, Ula'tek.

As always, class-specific outfits are a key feature of the new raid. All twelve classes will receive new outfits in Season 2, some designs incorporating distinct class elements, such as Monk's Guile of the Monkey King and Warrior's Jade Warlord's Dominion, showcasing the unique characteristics of each class.

Furthermore, completing Glory of the Venomous Raider Achievement will reward you with Crimson Venomfang mount. The raid also includes other collectible rewards, such as Primeval Skyfriend mount dropped by the final boss, Ula'tek.

Great Vault & Bonus Rolls

Great Vault system in Season 2 has also undergone some adjustments.

The biggest change comes from increased raid rewards. After the season begins, Great Vault rewards for Raid Finder, Normal, and Heroic raids will be increased by one tier, making it more efficient for players to acquire gear upgrades through weekly Great Vaults.

This change is particularly beneficial for regular Midnight players. Previously, many players found their Great Vault rewards didn't match their raid completion efforts, but the new mechanism provides a more direct feedback on weekly hard work.

However, Great Vault rewards from the world event during the first week of the season will be limited, reaching a maximum of Champion 3/6.

From the second week onwards, the rewards will increase to Hero 1/6. Additional reward attempts, Void Core Bonus Rolls, will be available on August 25th. Players who unlock three Great Vault slots can choose to use this feature.

WoW Mignight Season 2 has a comprehensive content structure, giving players plenty of opportunities to invest time in the early stages of the season. As Patch 12.1.5 adds more gameplay, WoW Mignight's content will continue to expand. Now, with the upcoming launch of Season 2, a new adventure is about to begin.

NBA 2K27 will officially release on September 26th, and discussions about the new Online Experience are growing in the community. Among these discussions, Skill Based Matchmaking (SBMM) remains a recurring topic in NBA 2K series.

Every year with the release of a new 2K title, the debate over matchmaking resurfaces.

Some players want the system to match opponents based on skill level, preventing average players from being placed in Park or repeatedly schooled by skilled players in The Rec. Others feel that adding an overly strict SBMM to Casual Mode would destroy the original relaxed feel of the game.

This issue remains worth discussing in NBA 2K27: Is it really necessary for Casual Mode to match players based on skill level?

Average Players Need Protection

The most common reason cited by players supporting SBMM for the upcoming NBA 2K27 is quite practical.

Many people play NBA 2K not to climb the leaderboards or become top players. They simply want to enjoy the game after building their MyPLAYER, spending time improving their attributes, and investing NBA 2K27 MT into their progression. They might just be playing a few Rec games after getting off work or relaxing with friends in Park in the evening.

However, in the past, when the matchmaking system was less refined, ordinary players often encountered a problem: upon entering a match, they would be immediately overwhelmed by a significantly more experienced team.

The opposing team knew when to pass, how to create space, and which offensive methods were most effective.

In contrast, new players might still be learning the controls, or even haven't grasped the tactics and positioning. Losing the game wasn't the most frustrating part; what truly killed the fun was the lack of opportunity to make any impact throughout the match.

NBA 2K series itself has a high learning curve. Badge combinations, Jumpshot selection, Defensive Habits, and even some basic moves all require a significant amount of time to master.

If new players are constantly matched with experienced players from the very beginning, they can easily feel that the game is completely incomprehensible.

Therefore, from the perspective of SBMM supporters, the matchmaking system at least narrows the skill gap between the two sides, making each match somewhat competitive. Players can accept winning or losing, but if every time they log in, they are simply crushed by a skill gap, many will naturally choose to leave.

Why is Casual Mode So Tiring?

However, the biggest controversy surrounding SBMM in NBA 2K27 discussions lies precisely here: while supporting fair matchmaking, players worry that the casual experience will be sacrificed.

Many aren't against matchmaking between players of similar skill levels, but they don't want NBA 2K's casual mode to increasingly resemble ranked play.

Many players have had similar experiences: opening Rec, intending to play a few simple games, results in every match feeling stressful, as if each game is a serious preparation for a crucial match. Teammates become more conservative, hesitant to take shots, and rarely try new strategies.

Because everyone understands that the outcome of the game will affect the opponents they face later, losing doesn't make things easier.

Over time, what should be a relaxing mode transforms into another competitive environment.

Basketball itself has many unpredictable aspects. Playing with friends in real life doesn't completely lose its fun because of skill differences.

Sometimes you'll encounter significantly stronger opponents, or you might meet a complete novice playing for the first time. These differences and unexpected events are precisely what make up part of Streetball culture.

The appeal of NBA 2K's Park mode in the past stemmed from this sense of the unknown.

You might encounter a highly skilled one-on-one player, or you might face teams that prefer teamwork and passing. Every match offered a unique experience, which was the most attractive aspect of Park mode.

However, when the casual mode began to exert pressure similar to hidden ranked matches, players' mindsets changed. They no longer thought about playing a few games to relax, but about facing a certain number of high-intensity matches.

High-Level Player Complaints

In NBA 2K27 SBMM discussions, the voices of high-level players cannot be ignored. Some players prefer random matchmaking because it allows them to encounter weaker opponents and gain a significant advantage. However, attributing all dissent to skilled players trying to dominate weaker opponents is unfair.

Many high-level players are genuinely dissatisfied because the high-level environment easily devolves into pure meta-competition.

When everyone's skill level becomes similar, the game becomes increasingly formulaic. Everyone chooses the most efficient shooting methods, uses the strongest playing style in the current meta, and team compositions become increasingly fixed. Ultimately, the basketball feel diminished.

Many players enjoy NBA 2K series because it allows them to experience basketball. However, in the high-intensity SBMM environment, matches often become a game revolving around win rate calculations. A drive, a mid-range shot, a bold pass might all be abandoned because of inconsistency.

Players don't dislike competition; they just don't want to log in everyday like taking an online exam.

NBA 2K27 Needs Stratification

The biggest problem with SBMM is that it shouldn't be present in all modes.

Competitive modes need fairness; players enter to win and prove their skills. In this case, strict matchmaking is perfectly reasonable.

But casual modes require a different logic.

NBA 2K27 can retain basic matchmaking, such as avoiding extreme skill gaps, while considering network conditions, team composition, and the overall player skill level. But if even casual modes precisely calculate everyone's win rate and performance, the game easily loses its relaxed feel.

In fact, many players don't want to eliminate matchmaking altogether; they want to find a balance. New players shouldn't be immediately overwhelmed by skilled opponents, and experienced players shouldn't experience ranked pressure in every casual match.

This requires 2K to be more meticulous in designing its matchmaking system, rather than simply using a single SBMM system to solve all problems.

For NBA 2K27, SBMM can be a way to improve the matchmaking experience, but it shouldn't be the sole standard affecting all players' experience. If casual mode only has the pressure of winning and losing, even with more accurate matchmaking, players may gradually lose interest.

Players who have played Diablo 4 are familiar with this feeling: after clearing a group of monsters, a light suddenly lights up on the ground. Before walking over, they have already begun to wonder whether this gear is worth looking forward to. It could be just a normal drop, or it could change the direction of the entire Build.

What many Diablo 4 players miss is this gear dropping experience. But what they miss is not the low explosion rate, but the feeling that the next piece of gear may bring surprises. Gear drops once meant new possibilities, but drops have gradually solidified, and mythical gear has gradually become the core that determines the strength of a Build.

Season 14's adjustments to the mythical gear system have solved some acquisition issues, but they have also triggered new discussions: When the highest rarity gear is too important, how much value does other gear have?

Mythical Gear 

Mythic gear has always had a special place in Diablo 4 .

The biggest complaint early players had about it was that the access threshold was too high. Many people have invested a season but still cannot get the mythical gear they need. As a result, such top-level rewards only belong to a few players for a long time.

Therefore, although the official increase in the drop rate of mythical gear is a good thing that everyone likes to see, as the difficulty of obtaining it decreases, the process of players pursuing gear has also changed.

In the past, when fighting bosses, players expected an unexpected reward: a piece of gear might change the direction of the character, or it might bring new ideas for building. But now, grinding bosses has become collecting fixed gear.

For Diablo 4, the fun of gear is not just getting powerful gear, but constantly looking for better possibilities. Higher affixes, better roll values, or even an accidental drop may allow players to readjust their gameplay.

But after the adjustments in Season 14, this exploration process was shortened. Some mythical gear has fixed attributes and high basic strength. Players can often judge its value quickly after acquiring it.

Compared with the gear system in the past that required repeated comparisons and optimizations, the current drops are easier to turn into a logical result.

More Power, Less Variety

In addition to the drop experience, the impact of mythical gear on Build ecosystem is also immeasurable.

Former players were worried that if the strength of mythical gear was too high, professional gameplay would gradually become fixed.

This problem has already been reflected in the actual game. Some popular mythical gear has occupied the core position of multiple professions for a long time, and it is difficult for players to really avoid them when building their characters.

After the adjustments in Season 14, some players believe this situation still exists. In the past, only a few mythical pieces of gear may have affected the direction of the build, but now more and more gameplay revolves around fixed gear combinations.

This is a noticeable change for players. In the past, Diablo 4 has always attracted players to constantly try new possibilities. An inconspicuous legendary gear, an unpopular power, or even an affix that no one pays attention to may become the starting point of a new build.

But when the gap between mythical gear and other Diablo 4 Items widens, players will naturally give priority to solutions that have been verified. Over time, although the number of gears continues to increase, there are fewer and fewer combinations that are truly worth trying.

In the past, players discussed whether this gear could develop new gameplay, but now they are more often discussing what the strongest Build in Season 14. For ARPGs that rely on long-term grinding and exploration to maintain their appeal, this change will also affect players' motivation to continue investing.

Cycle transformation

If mythical gear affects long-term goals, then town gameplay directly affects players' experience after going online every day.

What needs to be admitted is that there is nothing wrong with systems such as Tempering, Enchanting, and Horadric Cube. Many players like to gradually build an ordinary drop into gear that suits them through their own operations. This sense of growth is also part of Diablo experience.

The problem is, as the system becomes more complex, players start to feel like they're spending more and more time in menus.

The past cycle was simple: fight monsters, drop gear, and discover surprises.

Now it often becomes: fight monsters, collect materials, return to the city, enter various strengthening systems, and then continue to repeat.

Players don't hate depth, they hate the amount of repetitive actions that take away the time to actually play the game.

Players may find it interesting to defeat the boss twenty times because each kill has a chance to drop the target gear. But clicking the same buttons repeatedly for dozens of minutes around town rarely brings the same sense of satisfaction.

Possibility of Changing the Gameplay

Much of the discussion surrounding Season 14 controversy ultimately comes back to one question: Are players really just nostalgic for the past?

In fact, what players miss is not the past experience, but the sense of exploration brought by the gear. A piece of legendary gear may allow players to try new skill combinations; a high-roll rare gear may change character planning; an unexpected drop may also allow a gameplay that no one paid attention to reappear.

This process of discovering unknown possibilities has always been what draws players to Diablo 4.

Higher damage and higher attributes are certainly important, but if the gear ends up simply improving numbers, it will quickly become a fixed upgrade path. What players care about is whether the next piece of gear can bring new changes to their Build.

This is why some players are disappointed with Season 14 Mythic gear adjustments. The controversy is not just about the increase in drop rates, nor is it just about the strength or weakness of a certain piece of gear , but that the connection between gear and Build exploration is decreasing.

As Diablo 4 continues to evolve, players can follow EZG Facebook for more updates and community giveaways. Players can also join Player's Choice Giveaway and @ friends or followers who are interested in Diablo 4 to share the event with more players.

For ARPG players, the value of gear drops is not just about improving attributes, but also the unexpected changes it brings. As long as players are looking forward to the next drop, the monster-spawn cycle can continue.

Madden NFL 27 was released globally on August 13, 2026. I thoroughly enjoyed Madden 25 and Madden 26, thoroughly appreciating their gameplay and Dynasty Mode. Therefore, I had very high expectations for MUT 27. However, after playing it, I found that this new title doesn't quite live up to them.

Would you be surprised if I said Madden 27 is the worst installment in the series I've ever played? While it's not entirely without improvement, it certainly has a lot of flaws.

This article will provide a brief review of MUT 27, analyzing some of its strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths

Compared to previous titles, this new game doesn't have many advantages, which I'll briefly mention.

Franchise Mode

In Madden NFL 27, Franchise Mode has undergone some changes. The contract management and free agent market are particularly impressive, and new content allowing players to choose to renew player contracts before they expire shows that EA has put some thought into it. This new content allows players to have a more immersive gaming experience.

Broadcast and Commentary

MUT 27's broadcast and commentary are excellent. Different holiday broadcasts feature different packaging, making me feel like time was actually passing.

The commentators seem to be doing a better job than before when discussing the importance of the game, its history, current league statistics, and the leaders, creating a truly immersive experience.

Weaknesses

Now, I'm going to talk about the game's shortcomings. I'm really angry and need to vent.

AI Defense

The opposing AI defenders' movements are unrealistic, completely suppressing the new timed catch system, making it almost impossible for them to function properly. The opposing AI defenders are simply too crazy.

I played on All-Star difficulty because I just wanted to sit back and relax, not be too stressed. But even on this difficulty, AI-controlled defenders seem to anticipate the ball's trajectory almost telepathically. This is ridiculous! How am I supposed to play? Has this game started excluding casual players?

Passing Accuracy

The quarterback's passing accuracy and consistency are extremely poor. Even if you manage to beat their telepathic abilities, it's useless because the passing system itself is a bug.

To test the passing system, I spent a lot of Madden 27 Coins acquiring various players, and I found that regardless of whether you're using a 99 or 60 OVR quarterback, there are several times in every game when the pass inexplicably misses an open receiver. It's absurd.

Receiver Drops

In previous games, there was a phenomenon where the receiver would drop the ball as soon as they touched it. In MUT 27, I think the situation is even worse.

I experience at least 7-8 fumbles per game. My quarterback finally gets the ball to the receiver, only for the receiver to twist their body in some silly way, or the defender makes an illogical extra move, and then the ball falls.

This makes my short passing incredibly painful. I can't exploit defensive gaps to complete the pass now, so what should I do? I'm really at a loss.

DB Catch Better Than Wide Reciever

This problem has existed in the past three or four games, but I think it's the most severe this time. When I throw the ball, the defensive backs can catch it as soon as they get close. The wide receivers, however, give up halfway through their run. Is this some new bug? What is EA trying to do?

Cluttered Franchise Mode Menu

Franchise mode menu in Madden 27 is cluttered and confusing. Maybe I haven't gotten used to it yet, but I really feel that the new menu layout is terrible, and finding things is particularly difficult. I often wander around in circles in the menu, and sometimes I even accidentally exit the menu.

Why can't EA make the menu simpler and cleaner? It's so cluttered and disorganized, hindering my game progress. I'm here to play, not to admire the menu. This approach really prioritizes the game over its content.

Re-Signing System

The player renewal system feels incredibly rudimentary and is entirely triggered by random events.

While I like the basic setup of the renewal system - starting with a base offer and then adjusting based on player needs - it feels very realistic. However, I think the most foolish thing is that you can't choose which players to renew; you can only choose those randomly triggered by the game.

For example, you have a wide receiver with unlimited potential whose contract expires in three years, and you want to renew him before his market value rises? Then you'd better hope a prompt pops up in the menu!

Or, you have a developing free agent quarterback, and only then do you have a chance to renew him before his experience and performance increase his value.

I really want to ask EA, why can't players go into the menu to see which players qualify for NFL renewals and then choose the ones they want to renew? NBA 2K does this exceptionally well; why not learn from them?

After listing so many flaws, you probably think I lost a lot in Madden 27, right? Actually, no. I've only played for a few hours, but I've already scored over 70 points in several games.

But I feel like half the game is a battle I can't win, and the other half feels like easily breaking through the defense. There's absolutely no sense of urgency or even competition on the field. Winning doesn't feel rewarding either; what's the fun in that?

That concludes my review of Madden NFL 27. I had a great experience with CFB 27, so I had high expectations for MUT 27. It seems the development team has botched it again.

Ready to relive classic raids and embark on a new adventure?

WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 PTR Raid Testing is scheduled to launch on August 14th at 1 PM EST and end on August 17th at 1 PM EST. The main purpose of this PTR is to stress and numerically test the two classic raid instances released in Phase 3, providing players with a fully optimized experience on August 27th.

So how can players participate, and what can they expect to experience in these two days?

Participation Method

Creating an Account

Once Raid Testing launches, players should first open Battle.net, go to Games & Subscriptions, find Starter Editions & Public Test Regions, and finally click Create PTR Account.

Downloading PTR

Open Battle.net App, select World of Warcraft Classic from the game list, switch to WoW Classic PTR in the version selection, download and install it, and then launch the game.

Character Selection

After entering the game, you can select Copy Character in the bottom right corner to directly import your TBC Classic Anniversary account, or use a max-level gear template character built into PTR. Finally, simply enter Raid Testing area.

This BCC Anniversary Phase 3 PTR Raid Testing will simultaneously open two core raids: Black Temple and Battle for Mount Hyjal. The main purpose is to test the boss mechanics, loot drops, and new systems within these raids, preparing for the official release.

Black Temple

Black Temple is one of the key components of this test. Players will delve into Black Temple in Shadowmoon Valley and face a total of 9 bosses:

1. Illidan Stormrage
2. High Warlord Naj'entus
3. Supremus
4. Shade of Akama
5. Teron Gorefiend
6. Gurtogg Bloodboil
7. Reliquary of Souls
8. Mother Shahraz
9. Illidari Council

The most noteworthy aspect is the combat mechanics of different bosses at different stages of the raid.

Combat Phases

1. Opening Gate and Pre-Range Bosses

High Warlord Naj'entus

Raid gear testing, focusing on the speed of breaking Impaling Spine's shield and the team's ability to focus healing during Tidal Shield phase.

Supremus

Kiting and positioning test, assessing the tank's control over Threats and the reaction speed of targeted players during Gaze phase.

Shade of Akama

Add control test, focusing on target switching speed and the crowd control efficiency of classes like Mage, Warlock, and Hunter over the constantly spawning adds on both sides.

2. Sanctuary Bosses

Teron Gorefiend

Players targeted by Shadow of Death will become Ghosts and must perfectly and skillfully use specific skills to eliminate the spawning Shadowy Constructs; missing even one will cause the entire raid to collapse.

Gurtogg Bloodboil

Primarily testing the stress limits of Healer in TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 raid.

The stacking of Acidic Wounds and the targeted Bloodboil severely test Healer's healing chain (especially Circle of Healing for Holy Priest and Chain Heal for Resto Shaman). Tanks need to establish a good Taunt-to-tank swap chain.

Reliquary of Souls

Reliquary of Souls features an extremely complex mechanics fight, divided into three phases:

• Essence of Suffering: The entire raid's Regeneration is reduced by 100%, testing the self-healing and damage reduction capabilities of melee classes like Rogues and Fury Warriors.
• Essence of Desire: Interrupting Mage and Shadow Priest is crucial; Healers need to accurately predict Deaden's rhythm.
• Essence of Anger: DPS RUSH phase, testing the raid's maximum burst damage under the constant confusion and increasing damage of Threats.

3. High Temple Levels and the Final Boss

Mother Shahraz

A raid-wide Shadow Resistance test. This is one of the most challenging bosses in WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 PTR Raid Testing.

Mother Shahraz's Saber Lash requires 3 tanks to share the damage, while the most terrifying Fatal Attraction will randomly teleport 3 players together, causing massive Shadow Link damage.

Except for Main Tank, players in the raid should ideally equip a full set of Shadow Resistance Gear during the test, otherwise they are very likely to be one-shotted.

Fortunately, the official raid provides free gear and potions, which you can obtain and equip from the in-game store before entering.

If, by the time Phase 3 officially launches, some players don't have enough budget to obtain Shadow Resistance or other full sets of gear, don't worry! Buy WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Gold from EZG.com. We not only have ample reserves but will also offer players the best prices (5% discount!) and the safest and fastest trading!

Illidari Council

This phase tests the multi-target tanks' positioning and aggro management (Mage Tank for Gathios, Warlock Tank for Zerevor, Protection Warrior and Protection Paladin each with their own roles), as well as their ability to interrupt and blind High Paladin's Her voice.

Illidan Stormrage

The fight against Illidan Stormrage is arguably the core of BCC Anniversary Phase 3 PTR Raid Testing Black Temple, consisting of five phases.

In the first two phases, the positioning of the two Flames of Azzinoth is extremely critical; even slight movement by the off-tank triggering Eye Blast will result in a wipe.

In the third and fourth phases, Warlock Tank needs to equip full Shadow Resistance Gear to engage, testing their aggro stability and ability to avoid Flame Burst.

The final phase primarily tests players' ability to precisely time luring Illidan Stormrage into Maiev Shadowsong's trap; only in this way can the boss be defeated.

Battle for Mount Hyjal

Besides Black Temple, Mount Hyjal was also a key component of TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 PTR Raid Testing. This unique tower defense raid, located in Caverns of Time in Tanaris, contains five bosses:

1. Rage Winterchill
2. Anetheron
3. Kaz'rogal
4. Azgalor
5. Archimonde

Each boss fight is preceded by 8 waves of adds, which are extremely demanding on mana and mob clearing efficiency in actual combat. This is a crucial observation point for this test.

Battle Locations

1. Alliance Base (1-2 Bosses)

Rage Winterchill

Primarily tests the raid's speed in dodging Death and Decay red circles and the efficiency in thawing Icebolt's frozen state.

Anetheron

Tests the speed at which Off-Tanks can effectively manage randomly falling Infernal, and Healer's pre-cast large heals when Main Tank is affected by Strike healing reduction effect.

2. Horde Base (3-4 Bosses)

Kaz'rogal

The boss will periodically cast Mark of Kaz'rogal. Mana-wielding players will instantly explode, killing nearby teammates. Therefore, the focus of this BCC Anniversary Phase 3 PTR Raid Testing is on Shadow Priest's Mana recovery, Shaman's Mana Tide Totem, and the timely use of Major Mana Potion/Dark Rune.

Azgalor

This tests the off-tank's speed in engaging Doomguard adds and whether the player targeted by Doom can accurately reach the designated location before dying.

3. Night Elf Base (Final Boss)

Archimonde

Archimonde is arguably the most challenging boss for a raid group in TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 Tier 6 raid, with an extremely low margin for error, especially because of its three core lethal abilities:

• Finger of Death: If any player dies, Archimonde gains a Soul Charge buff, causing widespread instant kills or silences, potentially triggering a wipe. Therefore, this demands exceptional teamwork; ensuring the survival of every member is crucial.
• Fear & Air Burst: This tests the uptime of Shaman's Tremor Totem and the raid's reaction speed to Tears of the Goddess hotkey. Even a slight delay can result in a fatal fall from a great height.

Special Mechanics

To ensure players can smoothly engage in high-intensity progression during WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 PTR Raid Testing, Blizzard has prepared special supplies and mechanisms on the test server:

1. Characters and Supplies

Players can directly create level 70 Template Characters with a near-full T5 Arena Gear set on PTR, or directly copy their existing characters from TBC Classic Anniversary.

2. Major Change Testing

During this Raid Testing, Blizzard is testing a significant burden-reduction mechanism, allowing players to use Marks of Illidari dropped in raids to directly exchange for Haste Potions and Destruction Potions from NPCs.

This move has sparked considerable controversy within the player community.

Many players who stockpiled herbs or painstakingly obtained potion recipes in Phase 2 felt betrayed, but the vast majority of core progression teams strongly supported it, as the demand for Destruction Potions during Phase 3 Pre-nerf progression is enormous.

In summary, the official statement emphasizes that this WoW TBC Classic Anniversary Phase 3 PTR uses the original, unnerfed stats. Players should focus on the boss abilities, weaknesses, and mechanics of Black Temple and Monster Hunter to ensure they function correctly.

Any questions or suggestions can be submitted to the official team after the testing period.