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Gear is an indispensable element in any MMORPG, and obtaining rare and suitable equipment is something every player should be happy about.
Unlike traditional MMORPGs with fixed and predictable item drop rates, Ashes of Creation introduces a unique drop mechanism. Players must understand these mechanisms to maximize their chances of obtaining stable gear.
Therefore, I will guide you through a detailed analysis of the key factors affecting gear drops in Ashes of Creation and provide practical tips to help you maximize your equipment acquisition efficiency.
Contrary to a common misconception, party size does not affect gear drop rates. This needs clarification.
What truly affects drop rates is the accumulated Luck Rating within the party. Ashes of Creation has a status attribute called Luck, and each member of the party has their own Luck Rating.
The game uses the cumulative average Luck Rating of all players to determine the quality of items dropped by enemies, such as double gold or rare Ashes of Creation items.
However, since Ashes of Creation has not yet been fully released, the specific mechanism by which Luck Rating affects drop rates is not yet publicly disclosed in the current Early Access version, and this is a hidden attribute that players cannot directly view.
In AoC, level difference is one of the most important factors affecting gear drops. The game uses a level system where the difference between the player's level and the monster's level affects drop efficiency.
If your character's level is significantly higher or lower than the monster's, the item drop rate will decrease. The specific mechanism is as follows:
This mechanism encourages players to challenge monsters of similar levels, creating a more balanced and rewarding gaming experience.
However, it also means that while challenging higher-level monsters grants experience points faster, item drop rates are significantly reduced.
The unique aspect of Ashes of Creation is that it forces players to make a choice: prioritize leveling up or focus on consistently acquiring gear?
If you want to level up quickly, you might need to challenge monsters several levels higher than your party to gain a large amount of XP; however, this drastically reduces your chances of obtaining the gear you need.
On the other hand, if you want to acquire gear first, you need to challenge monsters of similar levels to ensure a higher drop rate. However, this results in slower experience gain and slower leveling.
First, you need to optimize your party's Luck Rating, prioritizing players with high Luck Ratings. While you can't directly see the exact value of your Luck stat, over time you'll find that teams with stable drop rates tend to consist of players of similar levels and Luck stats.
Team members should cooperate. If you're unsure of your Luck stat, try different team configurations and observe if there are significant differences in drop rates.
Keep your team's overall level 3-5 levels higher than the monster's level. For example, if you're challenging a level 26 monster, try to team up so that the average level of your team is between 23 and 25. This ensures optimal experience and equipment drops.
Don't be too high-level. While farming high-level monsters grants experience faster, it reduces item drop efficiency. For a more balanced farming experience, choose monsters of similar levels to yourself.
The factors mentioned generally only affect the method players use to obtain Gear through monster farming. Ashes of Creation offers multiple ways to acquire equipment. If you want to consistently obtain rare equipment, you'll need multiple methods working together.
Here are the detailed methods for obtaining gears in Ashes of Creation:
These are the methods for reliably obtaining equipment drops in Ashes of Creation. By optimizing your team's Luck Rating, managing level differences effectively, and clearly defining your own goals, you can maximize your equipment drop rate.
Whether you're preparing for endgame content or simply looking to acquire the best gear for your character, keep experimenting and combining different approaches to make your Vera journey smoother!
In fact, after Arc Raiders announced the end of Cold Snap, the community's reaction was not one of regret, but rather anticipation for the next major update with more new content. This was partly due to the poor quality of previous updates, and partly due to a natural curiosity about new things.
Although the developers have not released any announcements about the next update, numerous leaks suggest that Arc Raiders in the first quarter of 2026 may be a bombshell for the first-person shooter and loot & extraction strategy game markets. So what can we specifically expect from the next update patch?
Recently, Virgil Watkins, the design director at the game's developer, gave an interview in which he revealed several modifications and additions that will be made to Arc Raiders in its future development, which covers many aspects, including game difficulty, trading system, and skill tree. So here we will introduce them to you one by one.
Since players complained extensively about the extreme imbalance between PvP and PvE in Arc Raiders, the developers have been trying to find ways to address this issue, such as adding a map with more Arc Raiders blueprint rewards to attract more raiders and improve PvP atmosphere.
As well as, efforts were made to increase the crackdown on cheating in order to improve the fairness of PvP in the game. However, unfortunately, these measures were only temporary solutions, and the players were still not satisfied. Given that, the developers proposed an even more extreme improvement - increasing the difficulty of killing Arc bots.
Nowadays, using low-cost or even free loadouts to repeatedly farm bosses like Queen and Matriarch to obtain dropped crafting materials and loot has become a common game loop for most players. This is not inherently wrong, but it can lead some players to cleverly avoid all PvP content that could result in death or loss of loot by using this loop.
Over time, the balance between PvE and PvP in the game will become increasingly unbalanced; and the developers' decision to increase the difficulty of all Arc enemies will require players to seek more tips and strategies to cope with all the challenges, and they may even gradually find that PvP is easier than killing these bosses.
According to Watkins, the developers plan to add variations of some of the current Arc bosses in future updates, such as adding more shields, enabling them to cause damage in conjunction with environmental threats, and refining their attack methods. He also proposed the idea of placing map-specific enemies on other types of maps or the initial map.
It must be said that while this approach of directly increasing the game's difficulty is effective, it carries a very high risk and can easily lead some novice or casual players to quit the game altogether. Therefore, this greatly tests the developers' adjustment strategies. They cannot increase the level too much to prevent player attrition, nor can they increase it too little to avoid dissatisfaction among high-level players.
Next come even more detailed game scenarios, which the developers have remained silent about, but players have found a ton of leaked information. Some players found the weekly trial content, which was to be released on January 26, by changing the system time on their PCs. One of the tasks required players to scavenge in Toxic Swamp.
Based on the fact that Cold Snap released a snow map that matches the update's name, players reasonably speculate that the map mod that might be released in the next update is Toxic Swamp, which may contain some debuffs that can poison or slow down characters, just like how characters can freeze to death in the snow.
In addition, some players have recently noticed that the location where a powerful Arc enemy was placed near Blue Gate has been replaced by thick black smoke. This makes it hard not to speculate whether there is a volcano about to erupt behind the scenes, and that more game scenes covered in volcanic lava may appear.
In the interview, Virgil also responded to the trading methods that players have been concerned about. He said that it is unlikely that the auction house will be introduced into Arc Raiders now, but the subsequent trading process may be more personal and social, rather than just a simple exchange.
For example, if you now want to share Arc Raiders blueprints or other valuable gear with some players before entering a raid, you can only drop it on the ground and wait for a designated player to pick it up, which is very much like giving alms. After the changes, you may see that you can trade specific items with your opponent and express your feelings through gestures or facial expressions during the process.
Finally, Virgil Watkins also mentioned RPG aspect of this unique FPS game, suggesting that some skill points, which have long been criticized by the player community for being useless, may be enhanced or eliminated, but he could not guarantee that they would be released in the next update.
Meanwhile, the extra skill points awarded to adventurous players for each Expedition will increase with the number of times they participate. Some players have also requested that the developers raise the character level cap so that they can earn more usable skill points, but from an individual perspective, this possibility is very slim.
These are some of the update details revealed by Arc Raiders developers in an interview. Frankly, players are tired of hearing about all the possibilities and plans; they just want to see results. So, Arc Raiders, hurry up and release the next major update, and deliver on all your promises!
So far, Team of the Year Attackers, Midfielders, and Icons Team 1 have officially joined the player pool. And today, TOTY Defenders and TOTY Icons Team 2 will also be added to the game’s card packs, bringing FIFA 26 event to a climax.
Currently, there are quite a few TOTY cards worth acquiring this season, especially TOTY Marcelo card from TOTY Icons Team 1. This article will introduce the upcoming EA FC 26 TOTY release date and provide a review of TOTY Marcelo card.
As in previous years, FC 26 TOTY release plan is divided into four phases. First, attackers will be added to the card packs, followed by midfielders, and finally defenders and goalkeepers. All player cards will then be added to the card packs for a grand week-long finale, culminating in the release of 12th Man and 12th Woman cards the following day.
Here are the specific release dates:
If you have specific target positions, save your card packs for those release windows. If you want to try players in all positions, then the full lineup release period from January 22nd to 30th is your best option.
TOTY Icons Team 1 is now available. The complete card list is as follows:
The arrival of the new TOTY Icon Marcelo has instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the player community. The pairing of Marcelo and Ronaldinho is inherently nostalgic, but what truly makes this card stand out is not just the nostalgia factor, but also the improved card performance.
This card is extremely powerful and is the most expensive Legendary Player SBC in EA FC 26 to date, requiring approximately 1.7-1.8 million FC 26 coins. To obtain this card, you need to complete the following 12 tasks before February 6th.
Challenge 1: On a Loan
Squad Requirements: 84+ Team Rating
Solution: 4x 82's, 6x 84's, and 1x 86-rated players
Challenge 2: Los Blancos
Squad Requirements: 86+ Team Rating Must feature at least 1x TOTW and 1x Real Madrid player
Solution: 3x 87's, 3x 86's, and 5x 84-rated players
Challenge 3: 87-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 87+ Team Rating
Solution: 3x 88's, 4x 87's, and 4x 84-rated players
Challenge 4: Top-notch
Squad Requirements: 87+ Team Rating Must feature at least 1x TOTW
Solution: 3x 88's, 4x 87's, and 4x 84-rated players
Challenge 5: 87-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 87+ Team Rating Must feature at least 1x TOTW
Solution: 3x 88's, 4x 87's, and 4x 84-rated players
Challenge 6: 88-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 88+ Team Rating
Solution: 1x 90, 2x 89's, 2x 88's, and 6x 86-rated players.
Challenge 7: 88-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 88+ Team Rating Must feature at least 1x TOTW
Solution: 1x 90, 2x 89's, 2x 88's, and 6x 86-rated players.
Challenge 8: 89-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 89+ Team Rating
Solution: 2x 87's, 3x 88's, 4x 89's, and 2x 90's
Challenge 9: 89-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 89+ Team Rating
Solution: 2x 87's, 3x 88's, 4x 89's, and 2x 90-rated players
Challenge 10: 89-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 89+ Team Rating Must feature at least 1x TOTW
Solution: 2x 87's, 3x 88's, 4x 89's, and 2x 90-rated players
Challenge 11: 89-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 89+ Team Rating Must feature at least 1x TOTW
Solution: 2x 87's, 3x 88's, 4x 89's, and 2x 90-rated players
Challenge 12: 90-Rated Squad
Squad Requirements: 90+ Team Rating
Solution: 3x 88's, 3x 89's, 2x 90's, and 3x 91-rated players
Compared to the previously released Base Icon Marcelo (89 OVR) and Champions Icon Marcelo (89 OVR), TOTY Marcelo (92 OVR) shows significant improvements in Pace, Shooting, Defending, and Physical.
This makes Marcelo the strongest left-back in FUT 26, and almost impossible for any other player to surpass before TOTS. It’s expensive, but incredibly worthwhile.
TOTY Marcelo's most striking feature is his Anticipate + Jockey + Intercept playing style setup. This combination is perfect for a full-back, ensuring defensive stability while greatly expanding attacking options. Not to mention his 91 acceleration and 90 defensive ability, making this card virtually unstoppable on the field.
When attacking, TOTY Marcelo’s presence is also extremely strong. He can not only execute traditional overlapping runs but also frequently cut inside to midfield and even participate in playmaking and breakthroughs on the edge of the penalty area. Combined with his excellent rolling ability, his dribbling is incredibly smooth.
As a left-back, his ball control and footwork have completely surpassed the traditional full-back category.
If you enjoy playing him as a playmaking Falseback or an attacking Wingback, his passing, dribbling, especially his Tiki-Taka and technical abilities will definitely not disappoint. If you also have Ronaldinho, this duo will be unstoppable on the field.
Currently, TOTY Marcelo costs approximately 1.7 million FUT 26 coins and requires many FOD players with ratings of 89-90, making the acquisition cost not low. However, considering TOTY event, this price is reasonable.
Furthermore, compared to other mainstream left-backs like Théo Bernard François Hernandez, Marcelo has significant advantages in technique, ball control, attack, and defense. In the current version, there are almost no truly comparable alternatives.
If you feel it's not the right time to acquire him, you can rent this card to experience it first. Once you get used to his rhythm, this card may very well become your most satisfying investment in the entire TOTY event.
Overall, FC 26 TOTY Icon Marcelo isn't just a nice-looking nostalgia card; he's a top-tier player who can truly change the way the left flank plays. His offensive prowess is undeniable among left-backs, and he's equally reliable defensively. This card is currently the most recommended acquiring in EA FUT 26.
However, you can also look forward to seeing what powerful lineups you'll get from today's TOTY Icons Team 2. Good luck with opening packs and upgrading during TOTY!
In ARC Raiders, Tempest, an epic-rarity assault rifle, deals considerable damage to both ARC and enemy raiders. Many players covet it for its powerful combat capabilities in raids.
However, with the latest patch, Tempest blueprint has become one of the rarest items in ARC Raiders, with an extremely low drop rate. Currently, the best way to obtain Tempest blueprint is by completing Night Raids on Buried City map.
Next, I will guide you on how to obtain the blueprint and craft the powerful Tempest in the game.
Buried City is the best location to obtain Tempest blueprint. While Tempests may drop on other maps, the drop rate is extremely low. Therefore, we will focus on Buried City for now. Below are the key areas you should focus on during Night Raids.
Grandioso Apartments consists of two almost identical buildings, each with multiple floors. You need to quickly enter the buildings and loot all available containers. These apartments are known for their high density of valuable loot, including Tempest Blueprint.
After clearing one building, cross the makeshift bridge to another and repeat the above steps. Be sure to search carefully and don't miss any drawers or cabinets.
This building is located near the abandoned highway camp. There are roadblocks in front of both doors; you'll need to break through them to enter.
Inside the building are several drawers and filing cabinets, which usually contain high-value loot, including blueprints. Search the entire building, as blueprints sometimes appear in hidden containers.
There's a pharmacy in Plaza Rosa area, located directly north of the extraction point. The pharmacy has three floors, and loot can be hidden on each floor.
Pay special attention to the white lockers; blueprints might be hidden there. However, be aware that other players frequently appear in this location, and other raiders might try to steal your loot.
Red Tower is another well-known loot location in Buried City. On the second floor, you'll find a small room with multiple lockers, especially some Security Lockers.
These lockers may spawn high-level loot. Many raiders tend to overlook this area, so looting early increases your chances of finding blueprints.
Santa Maria Houses are a group of buildings with skylights. Entering one of the buildings allows you to access rooms through the skylights.
The rooms contain drawers and even Security Breach lockers. Carefully search each room to increase your chances of finding blueprints.
Space Travel Building is also a high-value loot location in Buried City. This building is quite large, and the highest probability of finding blueprints is on the ground floor and the sixth floor.
The ground floor has many lockers, while the sixth floor has drawers that may contain valuable items, including blueprints. You can search these two areas first. If you happen to find Tempest Blueprint, don't linger; evacuate as quickly as possible.
Besides obtaining the blueprint through looting during raids, you can also buy ARC Raiders Tempest Blueprint in EZG, which is cheap and reliable. This blueprint is extremely rare; many players try multiple times without success.
Since Buried City often attracts many raiders during Night Raids, it's impossible to loot the entire map in one go. Therefore, you need to master the most efficient map farming methods within a limited time.
Night Raids only last about an hour each time, so you need to quickly repeat the looting process until you finally obtain the blueprint from ARC Raiders or Night Raid session ends.
Once you successfully find the blueprint, you can begin crafting Tempest.
Here's the recipe:
Magnetic Accelerator and Exodus Modules can be found in the red lockers on Stella Montis map or in Rocket Assembly building on Spaceport map.
Medium Gun Parts can be obtained by defeating small ARC enemies, such as Hornets and Wasps. You can also try exchanging them at Celeste.
Once you have all the necessary materials, you can successfully craft Tempest in Gunsmith 3. You can then upgrade it to make the gun even more powerful.
Tempest has become one of the most popular weapons in ARC Raiders, but finding its blueprint and successfully crafting it is a challenging and time-consuming task.
Be patient, and good luck finding Tempest Blueprint!
The second ARC Raiders Expedition is about to begin. After the event, players can redeem skill points and numerous rewards crucial for late-game progression, so more and more players are already preparing for the event.
To successfully complete Expedition, every player is collecting the necessary items to qualify. However, the well-known high-value looting spots on the map have often become fiercely contested areas. Sometimes you might find nothing, and other times you might engage in intense battles with other players over items.
If you're planning to participate in Expedition, or want to master safer, more hidden looting routes in ARC Raiders, this guide will take you through the easily overlooked yet highly rewarding hidden looting spots on each map, helping you steadily accumulate resources even in dangerous situations.
Dam Battlegrounds is an excellent map to start looting from. Compared to other areas, the overall threat level is lower, and the routes are clearer, making it ideal for solo players or early-game exploration.
Based on numerous player experiences, this is one of the areas with an extremely high spawn rate for ARC Raiders blueprints, but it's often overlooked due to its inconspicuous terrain and buildings.
A small weapon crate usually spawns on the steps behind the buildings, offering a chance to obtain useful weapons like Burletta – a very cost-effective option worth checking every time you pass by.
Located in the southeast corner of the map, Formicai Outpost also hides surprises. Loot is usually hidden behind tables or in inconspicuous corners.
Besides the building's interior, you can try climbing to the enclosed mezzanine above Outpost, where grenade crates or medkits have a chance to spawn, significantly improving survivability in crucial moments.
This tunnel is adjacent to Control Tower. Many players either rush through or use the zipline for quick passage, but in reality, multiple spawn points are hidden here.
Weapon crates or medkits can spawn at the top, bottom, and surrounding corners of the tunnel. Next time you pass by, you can search carefully; it might bring you unexpected surprises.
After exiting Flood Access Tunnel, head southeast to reach Testing Annex. Along the way, you'll pass a tower with a weapon crate that always spawns on top, occasionally with other extra loot—a very convenient loot spot.
Control Tower is very close to the previous looting spot. You can use the zipline from Testing Annex to enter the bunker area in the middle of the tower.
The loot density here is very high; some containers may look empty, but prying them open might reveal a large amount of supplies. However, be aware that ARC Enemy usually spawns when you go around to the back of the tower, so be prepared for a fight.
This map is filled with residential areas and abandoned shops, piled high with loot. However, it also attracts other players to loot, so be sure to bring appropriate weapons when searching for ARC Raiders blueprints on this map.
The looting route here is slightly more complicated. You need to climb onto the roof of the abandoned train and then jump to the adjacent carriage.
High-quality weapon crates usually spawn on the roof, and additional weapon crates and lootable containers may be hidden behind the adjacent rooms, offering considerable rewards.
Next to the polygonal rooftop building on the north side of Grandioso Apartments, there's a narrow alleyway. You need to jump onto the roof and use the zipline to move deeper into the alley.
About a third of the way down the alley, an inconspicuous small platform will appear on your left. Jump in, and you'll find a lot of crates. Continue zipping, and new platforms will appear on your left, with a chance to spawn grenade crates, and often other unexpected surprises.
After arriving at Parking Garage, head directly to the abandoned elevator shaft on the first floor. After breaking through the blocked door, use the zipline to go to the bottom, where weapon crates or grenade crates usually spawn. This spot is relatively unknown, making the risk manageable.
This map is more difficult, with more ARC Enemies and dangerous locations, but with caution, you can find some good loot.
A key is needed to open the first-floor door. Once inside, use the zipline to reach the upper levels. The entire building is worth searching floor by floor.
When you reach the top, jump onto the adjacent floor; a backpack always spawns here. Be careful of the surrounding high-voltage traps to avoid falling.
Upon reaching the top of Rocket Assembly, you'll find multiple weapon crates and backpack spawn points, with a chance to obtain Blueprints or small Attachments, crucial for mid-to-late game development.
While South Trench T theoretically requires a keycard, you can actually reach the top directly via the zipline.
A small weapon crate spawns at a small vent on the top floor, with a chance to obtain Bettina blueprint. Descend the stairs from the top floor; each floor has plenty of loot, but this is also a popular spot for other raiders, so remember to bring reliable weapons in case of encounters.
This map is mostly filled with high-value loot, but it also harbors many threats, so be careful when searching.
This area is filled with containers, but most of the loot is very well hidden. You need to jump to the bottom of the containers and observe carefully to find those with half-open doors.
While weapon blueprints won't spawn here, you can reliably obtain high-value materials such as Electrical Components.
A crucial point is to always return the way you came. Don't try new routes randomly, or you might get stuck in the gaps between containers, ruining your entire looting trip.
Blue Gate is backed by mountains and has a vast open area and dense ARC Enemies, making it a challenging experience even for the most experienced raiders. Therefore, the search points described here are mostly hidden, requiring patience to find.
In the woods surrounding Village, there is a dry streambed. Follow the streambed upstream to find a flood control embankment.
A small weapon crate usually spawns here. Although the location is remote, the contents are often quite good.
Heading south from Wasteland, southwest of Raider's Refuge and Trapper's Glade, lies Adorned Wreckage.
Large ARC Enemies like Leapers frequently spawn here, making it extremely dangerous, but the rewards are equally plentiful. Besides hidden weapon crates and supplies, there's also a chance to encounter Supply Drops. It's best to challenge this area after you've fully geared up.
Additionally, it's worth mentioning that some players have spotted thick smoke shrouding the north side of The Blue Gate, most likely indicating a new volcano-themed map that the developers are about to release. We look forward to the new map offering even more rich content for players to discover.
These are the more hidden looting spots on each map. We hope you find the items you're looking for here! Have fun playing!
