In WoW Midnight's new endgame content system, the importance of Set rewards has been elevated to unprecedented levels. This stems not only from the power boosts provided by Set attributes themselves, but also from the revolutionary Catalyst charges mechanic introduced in the new expansion.

The core of gold strategy revolves around how to efficiently utilize this mechanic to push character combat power to its peak at the beginning of the season. Understanding the operating logic of this system is the cornerstone for every player to succeed in Midnight.

Whether players focus on Mythic+, raids, PvP, or Delves, activating Set4 sets becomes the key to unlocking all subsequent resource cycles. With proper build planning, players can complete the leap from zero to four sets within the first month of the season and initiate a virtuous cycle of unlimited Catalyst charges.

Gear Philosophy

WoW Midnight's biggest adjustment to Set system lies in Midnight Season 1 Catalyst Unlocking achievement. Once a character completes their first four-piece set, all endgame content has a chance to drop additional Catalyst charges, a change that alters player strategy.

Previously, players had to carefully manage their resources, hoarding gear in their inventory and waiting for the optimal moment, especially when Catalyst charges were limited.

However, in the new environment, Catalyst charges are no longer scarce, rendering the previous hoarding strategy ineffective and allowing for more flexible gear selection.

Players can now freely catalyst any high-item-level belt they acquire into the corresponding slot of their class set. This means that a character's optimal gear configuration is no longer limited to the traditional five-piece set plus individual pieces, but can extend to any four of the best-attribute slots from an eight-piece set.

This build approach requires players to re-evaluate the attribute weighting of each set slot and selectively invest Catalyst charges into the most profitable individual pieces based on their specialization needs.

Since the maximum number of Catalyst charges is eight, and a base charge is gained every two weeks, players need to develop a clear understanding of resource management.

When your charge count is nearing the limit, even if you don't have any specific gear you want to convert, consider catalyzing decent gear pieces in your inventory first to avoid wasting charge points.

Strategy

In Season 1, all bosses except the final boss will drop specific class and slot sets of $1. The final boss drops Chiming Void Curios trinket, which can be redeemed for any class and slot. Since all difficulties are now available, players should try to complete weekly random raids, as the final reward far outweighs the time investment.

Every slot in Great Vault has a chance to contain Set pieces, regardless of the content the player is participating in when filling those slots. Completing Mythic+ dungeons (levels 10 and above) grants Myth Track Set option, completing Bountiful delves (levels 8 and above) grants Hero Track option, and even random raids or open-world content have a chance to yield Set pieces.

Therefore, before the weekly reset, players should fill all available slots in Great Vault as much as possible. More options mean a higher probability of obtaining set pieces, and the gear level gap between different difficulties can be compensated for through subsequent Catalyst conversions.

The core of Great Vault strategy is quantity over quality; players need to ensure they have enough options before selecting the pieces best suited to their current build needs.

In addition to the base charges every two weeks, players can earn extra Catalyst charges by completing specific achievements. Reaching a 1600 rating in PvP and a 2000 rating in Mythic+ are relatively easy goals to achieve. A 2000 rating is roughly equivalent to completing five level 10 Mythic+ dungeons plus several level 8-9 dungeons, which is not unattainable for most players participating in endgame content.

In contrast, defeating the final boss L'ura on Heroic or Mythic difficulties is extremely difficult and is not recommended as the primary path to obtaining Catalyst charges.

A sound strategy is to prioritize achieving a Mythic +2000 rating, while PvP players can simultaneously aim for a 1600 rating, thus gaining 2-3 extra charges early in the season and significantly shortening the time it takes to complete a four-set.

Visual Effects

Mythic difficulty set and Gladiator set feature larger lighting effects and more pronounced helmet and shoulder animations. Previously, these effects were limited to the highest difficulty gear, but in WoW Midnight, completing specific achievements unlocks these additional animations for all colorways and difficulties.

To obtain Gleaming Sunmote mode, one must meet one of the following conditions: defeat the final boss Solora on Mythic difficulty, achieve a Mythic +2500 rating, or reach Elite in PvP.

Given the extremely high difficulty of Mythic Solora, most players should aim for a Mythic +2500 rating or PvP Elite. While a rating of 2500 is numerically higher than 2000, it remains an achievable goal for players focused on Mythic+, through proper key level planning and team coordination.

Warband

Once one character obtains Gleaming Sunmote mode, all characters in the entire Warband will benefit. This means players can choose their preferred playstyle and focus on achieving the corresponding achievement, after which all class sets within Warband will automatically receive the visual effects.

In Transmog interface, the unlocked set piece will appear as two identical equipment entries. One has additional animation effects, and the other is the basic version.

Players need to manually select the version with effects to see the full visual effects. Furthermore, even after obtaining Gleaming Sunmote mode, the corresponding set's Transmog appearance still needs to be unlocked first.

The core value of WoW Midnight Gold lies in transforming set acquisition from passive waiting to active management. By understanding Catalyst's infinite charge mechanic, strategically planning weekly Great Vault and Mythic+ routes, and synergizing cosmetic unlocks with combat power upgrades, players can establish a gear advantage early in the season.

This build system is not only suitable for hardcore players focused on strength but also provides a clear path for cosmetic collectors. Mastering this methodology will allow you to maintain a competitive edge throughout Midnight final content.

Embark has launched a dedicated Map Condition Tracker for Arc Raiders.

This long-awaited new feature helps you monitor map conditions in Arc Raiders, providing detailed information on various environmental events and resource hotspots to help you better formulate tactics and adapt to ever-changing battlefield situations.

While some players praise this feature for increasing player engagement and as a necessary addition to Arc Raiders, providing guidance for new players, others question its late release, noting that third-party applications and websites already offer similar functionality, sometimes even more convenient.

Important Role

Map Condition Tracker is a significant new feature in Arc Raiders. It allows players to gain a strategic advantage by predicting the impact of the environment on gameplay, understanding factors affecting vision, enemy behavior, and resource availability.

Events like Electromagnetic Storms, Hurricanes, and Night Raids can drastically alter the tactical landscape, making anticipation crucial. This is especially important given that some blueprints, such as Wolfpacks, are only obtainable in Night Raids.

Tracker also includes resource-related elements such as Launch Tower Loot and Hidden Bunker. After all, the fun of Arc Raiders lies in its dynamism and rapid-fire nature; you need to adapt to the ever-changing environment to obtain abundant $1.

How to Use?

Arc Raiders has added a section to its official website where you can view the current situation and schedule on the map, and filter by map.

Main Filter Keywords Close Scrutiny Electromagnetic Storm Hidden Bunker Hurricane Locked Gate Night Raid Bird City Harvester Launch Tower Loot Lush Blooms Matriarch Uncovered Caches Map Filter Keywords Buried City Dam Battlegrounds Spaceport Stella Montis Blue Gate Similar Third-Party Functions

Some players have pointed out that third-party websites already offer similar or even more comprehensive information, raising questions about the studio's development priorities and whether player expectations match the speed of game feature releases.

This feature is indeed quite late; many third-party websites already offer similar functionality, often in a better way, and include information on trials, events, and more.

Since the second wave of events, third-party websites have been the go-to event timers for Raiders players. However, these websites occasionally malfunction because they are essentially guesswork, and if Embark makes any changes, they can only find out after the changes have occurred.

I would prefer Embark to focus more on developing new content and repeatable gameplay loops, rather than simply using existing tools. A detailed tracker within the game itself would be far more helpful for players.

Third-party mobile apps offer a wealth of resources for players of all skill levels and experience. These apps also include event timers, allowing players who want to know event details to avoid having to open a webpage every time.

The mobile apps allow you to set up notifications when events are about to start and search for events by type. For example, if you want to participate in Matriarch hunting event, you can set up notifications for that type of event, which will then pop up on your phone.

Impact on Other Games

Epic Games is collaborating with Disney on an Arc Raiders-like shooter, slated for release later this year. In the game, Disney characters will scavenge for resources, fight enemies, and then escape with their loot.

Other studios in the same genre will likely be watching closely to see if Arc Raiders' Map Condition Tracker will be successful and well-received, as they seek ways to differentiate their games and maintain player engagement.

You'll prefer to know about events before joining a game to better prepare your gear. Integrating this dynamic, real-time information directly into the game's user interface could become a key feature for this genre in the future.

Future Updates Needed

In its latest update, Embark quietly removed Cold Snap, Lush Bloom, Husk Graveyard, and Prospecting Probe from the rotation, causing discontent among some players. Players also expect Embark to develop Speranza into a social hub, allowing players to interact and communicate with merchants.

Players have also reported issues with game crashes and time limits, causing them to miss many events, a far cry from Marathon's random event allocation system. Some conditions, such as Electromagnetic Storm and Hidden Bunker, have such low drop rates that many players have never experienced them.

Map Condition Tracker provides players with a crucial, real-time, data-driven dynamic view of the battlefield, offering a low-barrier guide for newcomers and demonstrating the developers' final response to player feedback. However, its delayed arrival and relative functional lag reflect a subtle misalignment between development priorities and the community's real-time needs.

However, debating the merits of official tools versus third-party applications is not the point. For players in Arc Raiders, the key is to utilize existing intelligence, grasp environmental information, and gain an advantage in survival and success.

For developers, listening to player feedback and optimizing the game environment is crucial for a game's long-term success. Adhering to player demands and maintaining game vitality are essential to becoming an industry benchmark.

Pokemon Go Sustainability Week is back in 2026! Players are about to embark on an unforgettable adventure in Season of Memories in Motion.

This year's event features several first-time appearances, as well as weekly rotating Raid Hours, Dynamax Battles, and Mega Raids. Here are the details.

This Week's Event Sustainability Week 2026

This week's Sustainability Week will feature several new characters - Shiny Toedscool, Galarian Corsola wearing pink sunglasses, Silicobra, and Sandaconda. It will take place from 10:00 AM on April 14th to 8:00 PM on April 20th (local time).

Shiny Toedscool: If you're lucky enough, you might encounter Shiny Toedscool in the wild in some biomes. During this period, Toedscool will appear more frequently in the wild.

Shiny Toedscruel: If you catch a Shiny Toedscruel and have 50 Shiny Toedscruel Candies, you can evolve it into a Shiny Toedscruel!

Galarian Corsola wearing pink sunglasses (Costumed Galarian Corsola): Galarian Corsolas will appear in a rose-colored hue during this year's Sustainability Week event.

Players can encounter this Galarian Corsola while participating in routes on specific days, or find them in 7 km Eggs obtained during the event.

Silicobra: First appearing in Pokemon Go, Silicobras can be found in desert environments. During this period, Silicobras will appear more frequently in the wild.

Sandaconda: Players need one Silicobra and 50 Silicobra Candies to evolve a Silicobra into a Sandaconda.

It's worth noting that Galarian Corsola wearing pink sunglasses will be called a Costumed Galarian Corsola, not their actual clothing.

This Week's Schedule

Max Monday: Dynamax Drilbur

Dynamax Drilbur will appear in Max Battles on Monday, April 13th, from 6 PM to 7 PM local time, and from April 13th to April 19th.

Raid Hour: Groudon

Groudon will appear in Raid Hour on Wednesday, April 15th, from 6 PM to 7 PM local time.

Replay: Riolu Hatch Day

Replay: Riolu Hatch Day will be held on Saturday, April 18th, 2026, from 11 AM to 5 PM local time. This limited-time event includes Riolu eggs with increased flash rate, special Timed Research missions, and Paid Timed Research.

Raids Five-Star Raids

Kyogre will appear in Five-Star Raids from April 8th to April 14th.

Groudon will appear in Five-Star Raids from April 15th to April 21st.

Mega Raids

Mega Aerodactyl will be available in Mega Raids from April 8th to April 14th.

Mega Alakazam will be available in Mega Raids from April 15th to April 21st.

Shadow Raids

One-star and three-star Shadow Raids will be open daily, while five-star Shadow Raids will be held on Saturdays and Sundays.

Notably, Shadow Latios will raid five-star Shadow Raids during Memories in Motion, and lucky players may even encounter Shiny Shadow Latios.

GO Pass and GO Pass Deluxe

Memories in Motion features a dedicated GO Pass. All Trainers will receive a free GO Pass upon logging in during the event. GO Pass Deluxe requires a paid subscription. Additional rewards will be unlocked during the event if Trainers reach certain levels. Unlocking GO Pass Deluxe will activate additional rewards.

GO Pass Bonuses:

Phase 1: 2 × XP for spinning a PokéStop Phase 2: 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance when Eggs are placed in an Incubator during the event period

GO Pass Deluxe Bonus:

Phase 1: 3 × XP for spinning a PokéStop

If Trainers reach certain ranks in GO Pass and/or GO Pass Deluxe, the following rewards will also continue until Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM (your local time):

Phase 1 (Level 25):

Up to 40 gifts can be opened per day. Up to 125 gifts can be received per day from spinning PokéStops and Gym Photo Discs. Up to 10 extra gifts can be carried in Item Bag.

Phase 2 (Level 50):

2 × Daily Adventure Incense duration

Phase 3 (Level 75):

Increased Stardust and XP from hatching Eggs

If GO Pass is unlocked For Deluxe players, the following rewards will be available upon reaching level 25, ending Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM (your local time):

Phase 1 (Level 25): Open up to 50 gifts per day. Receive up to 150 gifts per day via the Spinning PokéStop and Gym Photo Discs. Carry up to 20 extra gifts in your Item Bag.

GO Battle League Season 26

GO Battle League: Memories in Motion will begin Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at 1:00 PM Pacific Standard Time (GMT-8).

During the initial season phase, end-of-season rewards will be available on Battle screen.

Players' GO Battle League rankings will be reset.

The number of wins required to advance from rank 19 to rank 20 will be restored to 20.

All other upgrade requirements remain unchanged.

And don't forget to put your Pokémon in Gym and successfully control them to earn $1.

Active Cups and Leagues

April 7–April 14

Ultra League Fantasy Cup: Great League Edition

April 14–April 21

Master League Spring Cup: Great League Edition Season of Memories in Motion Seven consecutive days of PokéStop spin bonus increased XP. Increased XP and Stardust, enabling seven consecutive Pokémon catches. Give an extra Candy when trading Pokémon face-to-face. Trainers level 31 and above will receive an extra Candy XL when trading Pokémon face-to-face.

That's all for Pokémon Go Season of Memories in Motion Sustainability Week 2026. Go play with your Pokémon in the game!

Season 12 has been live for a few weeks, how's your gaming experience?

As the shortest season in Diablo 4 to date, Season 12 is expected to last about a month and a half. Its main purpose is to bridge the gap between the hugely successful Season 11 and the upcoming Lord of Hatred DLC.

Most players speculate that such a brief season will be quite thin in terms of content. Here are some player feedback points that Blizzard needs to address.

First, I want to talk about my most anticipated brand new season feature: Slaughterhouses.

Butcher and Slaughterhouses 

The theme of this season is Butcher, whose image from Diablo 3 and his iconic physique make him one of the most iconic villains in the series. Butcher has several connections to Season 12.

When the season trailer was released, Butcher generated considerable excitement among players: you could wreak havoc on player homes, battling town guards and other humans. This gameplay revolutionized traditional ARPGs, placing you on the opposite side of conflict–monsters, evil, enemies, which allowing you to become a notorious villain, a monster incarnate–a refreshing experience.

In Season 12, you can transform into Butcher in several ways. The initial experience of entering Kyovashad with Butcher hook is indeed quite enjoyable.

Butcher's skills are fun, explosive, and easy to use. Mastering a few basic combos allows you to easily rack up kills, which is certainly enjoyable. However, most Diablo 4 players prefer to play as their own characters, using their own skills and abilities. Therefore, Butcher's popularity is destined to be short-lived.

You can obtain legendary items early in your character's journey through the new Slaughterhouses event. However, your novelty will quickly wear off, as the rewards from Slaughterhouses are not substantial later in the game. Once your character is fully leveled up and Torment 4 is unlocked, you'll need to farm Pit to upgrade glyphs and hordes to gain EXP and $1. Slaughterhouses, on the other hand, drop very few sigils.

Therefore, in the later stages of the game, you'll likely spend more time on hordes and dungeons rather than Slaughterhouses. A good brand new season feature must provide rewards and fit the game loop, but Slaughterhouses fail to do so.

Killstreaks and Blooded Items

The core mechanic of this season is Killstreak, essentially massacre bonuses from Diablo 3, which players can earn by chaining kills.

Killstreaks are maintained by killing and attacking monsters and disappear when your character dies. To complement Killstreaks, Blizzard has added Blooded Items, which provide buffs based on the current Killstreak, further enhancing your power.

Like Slaughterhouses, Killstreaks feel pointless. While Killstreaks and Blooded items are theoretically a good idea, they're insufficient for a full season, especially after two of the best seasons in the game's history.

Killstreaks are visually cluttered or appear in the center of your character, obstructing your view. I think this needs improvement. Killstreaks only work when paired with Blooded items.

Blooded items are gear with extra rolled affixes, which provide bonuses based on your current kill count, killstreak rank, etc. Any gear can potentially roll as blooded.

However, the biggest problem with these affixes is that they rely on kill counts, which are lacking in the early game. Accumulating a large kill count in Diablo 4 isn't difficult, but it still means some activities don't fully utilize these affixes.

Blooded items reward fast-paced builds with lots of area-of-effect damage abilities, offering little benefit to slower builds. Equipment only becomes effective after reaching a certain threshold if it provides a significant buff, and the buffs from Blooded items aren't particularly appealing.

Therefore, when creating new builds, Blooded affixes are merely a dispensable additional attribute, rather than a build-defining mechanic as they were in previous seasons. It's just a minor bonus that won't allow you to build a build around.

Lack of Obols

Another issue many players have complained about this season is the shortage of Obols. Each season, the developers make it harder to obtain certain materials through randomness, thus hindering your progress. The drop rate of Obols through all means has been significantly reduced.

Hordes, Strongholds, and Nightmare Dungeons are all new obstacles to item acquisition. Nightmare Dungeons rework and the addition of Hordes were intended to be a primary source of Obols. However, even in Torment 4, monsters in Nightmare Dungeons only drop 5 Obols. You can only obtain 700 Obols per run of Strongholds. This approach is meaningless for short seasons.

Fresh Meat

Fresh meat is also worth mentioning. It's essentially a seasonal currency, obtainable in large quantities by participating in seasonal events like morphing into Butcher. You can then use fresh meat to gamble for items. After the new season update, you can gamble on dozens or even hundreds of items simultaneously without a limit.

The only drawback is the lack of a storage facility and blacksmith to disenchant items. The music next to the butcher was added in a later patch.

Diablo 4 Season 12 brought a brief sense of novelty, but as a short transitional season, its insufficient core gameplay rewards, weak mechanics, and unbalanced seasonal material acquisition made the overall experience fall far short of expectations. Hopefully, Blizzard can address these shortcomings before the release of Lord of Hatred DLC, making this transition feel less rushed and superficial.

ARC Raiders has recently received several key updates and community updates.

For example, Flashpoint update added new weapons, new map states, and some new missions, bringing players a lot of freshness and fun.

But that's not all. There are temporary solutions to issues players have encountered, such as account anomalies and frequent crashes, as well as official hints about the next phase of content. Meanwhile, the Nvidia driver update also brings additional graphics and performance improvements to the game. Let's discuss these in detail.

Account Token Anomalies

Some players have shared on the community that their ARC Raiders tokens have dropped to -1720, showing a negative balance. This is most likely because some players obtained in-game currency from other platforms and then refunded it.

The official response was not to directly ban the account, but only to handle the negative balance. Compared to some games that would directly ban your account, or at least keep it banned until you pay off the debt, this is a relatively mild approach. Other players should avoid similar actions to prevent account risks.

Crash Fixes

The PC non-Steam version has recently experienced frequent crashes. The development team has confirmed the issue and is working on a fix. They are usually quick to fix game crashes, so there's no need to worry too much.

If you're also encountering this problem, you can try the following temporary solutions:

Locate the game's executable file (.exe) and create a shortcut. Add Dx 11 launch parameter to the end of the target path. This can effectively reduce the probability of crashes, but it may disable DLSS or any other graphics enhancements, as they rely on DX 12 functionality.

You can also try resetting and repairing the game application itself. Open Windows search, type Xbox, right-click the Xbox app, go to app settings, and try repairing it. If the repair doesn't work, try resetting. This will clear some corrupted Xbox app data without affecting the game itself.

Of course, if the above methods still don't work, it's recommended to use Display Driver Uninstaller to uninstall the driver and then install a fresh driver.

Additionally, many players have encountered a bug where resource tracking cannot be canceled, resulting in a fixed display of a specific item tracking icon. Players can open their inventory and find the log in the top center. The log shows which items are actually being tracked. Clicking "X" button in the tracking list will remove these icons from the tracking list, resolving the display anomaly.

New content coming soon!

The current Expedition 3 will end on April 28th. Following the official update schedule, the next phase of the expedition content is usually announced 2-3 weeks in advance, so an announcement for Expedition 4 is expected soon.

It's worth noting that a player directly asked the community manager about this week's Expedition announcement. She stated that she doesn't have any relevant information yet. However, this doesn't mean there won't be an announcement this week.

With less than three weeks until Riven Tides event on April 28th, this transition from Expedition 3 to Expedition 4 will bring new quests related to the new coastal map, new project ranks, new $1, and reward resets, adding a wealth of new content to the game.

Interestingly, the name Riven Tides comes from Embark Studios' 2026 upgrade roadmap, with the final update named Riven Tides. The roadmap image points to a coastal map with water features - something players haven't seen in Rust Belt yet.

Players have two to three weeks to complete their current Expedition progress and earn rewards. After that, the update will bring a wealth of new content, making it more attractive to both returning and new players.

Will you participate in this new Expedition? Are you still participating in the previous Expedition? As a true ARC Raiders enthusiast, I hope they'll add some extra content to provide more motivation to participate in Expedition.

Nvidia Driver Update

Nvidia App 11.07 has been officially released, bringing some new features to DLSS 4.5 technology.

It not only updates DLSS's performance mode but also adds DLSS 4.5 frame generation. This feature will add additional engine data to some games, thereby improving the visual quality and clarity of user interface elements.

This applies to all RTX 2000 series and higher graphics cards. Players can configure the game separately in the Nvidia driver settings: set the frame generation mode to Preset B and use the recommended mode for super-resolution to enable the latest optimizations. This setting needs to be manually adjusted, and enabling it will significantly improve image stability and smoothness.

Overall, ARC Raiders is still iterating rapidly, with high bug-fixing efficiency. Future Expedition content is worth looking forward to. Players can optimize their settings according to their own needs to smoothly transition to the next Expedition.

Of course, don't forget to prepare plenty of materials in advance for Expedition 4! We're really looking forward to the new loot that Expedition 4 will bring!

It's been a while since MLB 26 was released. After several weeks of playing, we'll discuss a comprehensive review of the game and some areas for improvement.

Gameplay

The official changes to the attribute rating system, including the addition of Fielding Attributes, have drastically altered the gameplay this year.

These attributes take into account a player's movement in all directions—left, right, back, and forward. This makes the animations more favorable to the batter. Even players with a fielding rating of 75-80 will have slower movement speeds.

While this brings many unique hitting advantages, making it easier to make more errors and hits closer to the bat tag, it also introduces significant drawbacks.

In competitive mode, almost every game sees at least 10-15 hits, making pitching extremely difficult, especially with the reduction in accuracy and the overall pitching mechanics. This has gradually transformed MLB 26 into a game solely focused on offense.

It's worth noting that Big Heat update did improve the pitching mechanics, but this only applies to fast pitchers.

User Interface and Graphics

In MLB The Show 26, the user interfaces for most game modes either remained unchanged or only slightly modified—except for Diamond Dynasty mode.

The official Diamond Dynasty user interface was changed, featuring a different background and customizable stadiums instead of just colored backgrounds. Furthermore, player cards for all game modes were also changed.

Players understand that changes take time, but some time has passed, and the user interface remains slow. Worse still, some basic functions are either buggy or completely unusable.

For example, 90 OVR McGonigle player card cannot be sold, yet it has a Marketplace tab.

There's also the new PXP modification feature in Diamond Dynasty, which players can activate by completing experience and attribute goals for each player. Each modification has its advantages and disadvantages; theoretically, depending on the selected modification, players can decrease a player's attributes. To be honest, at this stage of the game, I haven't found any use for the modification features.

Storylines

As the best game mode in MLB The Show 26, Storylines is an excellent entry point for young people and even veteran fans who want to learn more.

While not all pre-selected players will appear in Storylines at launch, it includes the stories of Mule Suttles and Roy Campanella, and Peanut Johnson. Campanella's story, in particular, is noteworthy; he almost became a member of Phillie team, and this year's featured Negro League player.

Road to the Show

This year, many useful features have been added, and the version is more streamlined.

It includes regularly changing objectives that affect player potential and earned tokens, a simulation and token acquisition function, and Hall of Fame tracker, all of which greatly enhance the player experience.

Some mechanics remain the same as last year; players can also go to college. While going to college adds three years to a player's age, it may have a positive impact on their MLB draft position. However, going to college only grants players a small number of tokens. In reality, it should bring more benefits, a higher overall rating, and faster access to Road to the Show.

Franchise

March to October has been cancelled, although technically it's still preserved through Streamlined Franchise. So, this is currently the only game mode.

The biggest change in Franchise is the new trade system, the most confusing aspects being Untouchables mechanic and the slower trade response time replacing the old trade meter.

Teams can add up to 20 players, while most MLB teams only have one to three true Untouchables players, which is far too high. This leads to some strange AI decisions, making the trade system more challenging.

Related: $1

Improvements Needed Excessive pitching shoulder-grabbing animations

Even with balls far from the batter, players are automatically moving away from home plate more frequently than in previous years. This may not be a coincidence, as Discipline attribute has been removed.

PCI Shrinkage Issue

PCI refers to the phenomenon where PCI value decreases significantly when facing the same-side batter, such as a left-handed pitcher versus a left-handed batter, or a right-handed pitcher versus a right-handed batter, especially against breaking balls, particularly sliders and sweeps.

The developers stated they would address this issue, but it still occurs in the game.

Card Issues

Cards in Diamond Dynasty mode display their immediate purchase price, but these cards cannot be sold. This usually occurs when viewing another sellable card. The main profile has no game history, and there is no record of games played in Diamond Dynasty mode either.

Furthermore, many Assorted Programs have very few cards. The 2026 Spring Breakout Program only has 3 Diamonds cards and 3,000 XP. The number of obtainable $1 has also decreased.

Of course, there are other minor issues in the game, which you'll likely discover with careful play. While there is some decent new content, this is definitely the worst launch version of MLB The Show I've ever seen. We hope the official team will listen carefully to player suggestions, optimize and refine the game, and give us a better MLB 26.