A 4:3 screen is not unusual in a retro handheld. It is the sensible shape for libraries that mostly predate widescreen, and plenty of small devices use one. What is less common is the size and the sharpness. Pocket AIS, the new handheld from AISLPC, runs a 4.5-inch 4:3 IPS panel at 1024 by 768, where the familiar budget class tends to sit around 3.5 inches and 640 by 480.

For a collection that sits in the eras before widescreen, that combination is the main draw. The picture fills the glass instead of sitting between black bars, and there is noticeably more resolution to work with than the category’s usual 640 by 480.

What It Runs

Pocket AIS runs on Ais OS, which AISLPC describes as its own operating system built on Rocknix, the open-source firmware used on many retro handhelds, with a new interface on top. The company pitches it as ready to use out of the box, and says a community version of Rocknix is also available for owners who want more room to customise.

Ais OS has an Applications section with a store for apps made by third-party developers. Games do not come from Ais OS directly. According to AISLPC, you install a supported game app from the store first, then download compatible games through it. These online features need an internet connection.

AISLPC lists support for PSP, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, NES, Neo Geo, MAME, CPS1, CPS2, CPS3, Mega Drive and NAOMI, among others.

The engine room is a Rockchip RK3562 with 2GB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage. That is four Cortex-A53 cores at 2.0GHz with a Mali-G52 MP2, a 22nm part Rockchip introduced in 2023. It suits the eras the supported list covers, which run up to around the Dreamcast.

The spec sheet and the silicon are well matched, which is a sensible way to set expectations. Buyers know going in which eras they are getting.

AISLPC also says Pocket AIS can run some PS2 games, depending on the game. We would treat that as a bonus rather than a reason to buy. PS2 emulation is demanding, and other handhelds on this class of chip are generally sold on their PSP and Dreamcast performance.

The Rest of the Hardware

There are two 3D analog sticks, which matters for the N64 and PSP ends of the library, each ringed with RGB lighting, and the device carries RGB ambient lighting more generally. A 4000mAh battery sits behind an active cooling fan with automatic five-level speed control. The device monitors its own temperature and steps the fan up with the workload, going to full speed once the system passes 70°C, so there is nothing to set by hand.

Connectivity is Wi-Fi 6 on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, with online multiplayer supported. Storage expands by TF or microSD card up to 512GB, which is where a library will actually live. The dual speakers are independently moulded and sit in their own acoustic chambers, which is more attention than this class usually gives to audio, though we have not heard them. The rest is a vibration motor, USB-C with OTG and a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It measures roughly 168.3 by 82 by 20.4mm and comes in Black or Green.

Price and Availability

Pocket AIS is 169.99 US dollars and goes on sale through the AISLPC website on 24 October 2026.

At that price the screen is the argument. A 4:3 panel is easy to find cheaper, but not at this size and not at this resolution, and for a collection that sits in the eras Pocket AIS covers that is where the money goes.

Disclosure. AISLPC provided the specifications and images in this article ahead of release and supplied a referral link included above. Gamer Headlines has not tested the hardware.

Full Specifications

Amazon Games published the full patch notes on the official Lost Ark site, and the update is more than a single boss fight. It expands Tier 4 farming with new Chaos Rift, Guardian’s Shade, and Haal’s Hourglass stages, opens a matchmaking route into the new raid, and quietly drops Spanish localization as the game prepares to hand Western publishing back to developer Smilegate in early 2027.

Belgardin, Arbiter of Death: a raid with three item-level gates

Belgardin needs a full 8-player group and launches with three difficulties, each gated behind a specific item level: Normal at 1,750, Hard at 1,770, and Nightmare at 1,780. Before you can queue in at all, you have to finish the Cadarum Islands main quest “After the Resonance Stops” and then clear a short prologue quest, “A Sprouting Seed,” picked up from a “Journey’s Footsteps” object near the Triport in Rendezvous Market. The prologue only has to be completed once per Roster.

The fight introduces a new defensive mechanic called Holding Just Guard. During specific patterns you hold the G key to block the boss’s attack instead of tapping it for a standard guard. The raid also runs a Gate Save and Revival system, with a shared pool of revives distributed per gate across the group, and the base count scales with difficulty.

Clearing Gate 2 rewards the recipe for a new Shadow Skill battle item, “Phaetus An Kragma’s Shadow,” plus its chest. Both are bound to your Roster, usable from item level 1,750 up, and crafted using Flame Grenades.

Vambraces: a second progression track bolted onto the endgame

The bigger systemic change is the Vambraces slot, which unlocks at item level 1,750 and sits outside the normal weapon and armor slots. Vambraces grant both Attack Power and Defense, carry no item level or quality rating of their own, and award no Ark Passive points. They are bound to the character that earns them and cannot be traded.

Your first Vambraces is an Epic piece from a first-time clear of Gate 2 of Belgardin, regardless of difficulty. From there it grows through Honing and Limit Breaks rather than the standard gear treadmill: it climbs from Epic to Legendary at a Stage 10 Limit Break, Legendary to Relic at Stage 15, and Relic to Ancient at Stage 20, topping out at Ancient Stage 25.

The catch is that Limit Break materials are tied to raid difficulty. Spectral Shade drops from Normal, while Deathly Hand comes from Hard and Nightmare. You can substitute two Spectral Shades for a single Deathly Hand when you hold both, but the game spends Spectral Shade first, and Normal-only players never see Deathly Hand at all. The Stage 20 break accepts only Deathly Hand, so reaching the Ancient grade means clearing Hard or Nightmare rather than farming the accessible tier.

A matchmaking route that trades gold for accessibility

For players who cannot field eight coordinated people, the update adds a Matching Mode for Belgardin with the same 1,750 item-level floor as Normal. You can enter solo, as a partial group of two to seven, or through a party preconfigured in Party Finder, and the game rebalances combat around how many people actually show up.

The tradeoff is economic. Matching Mode pays its gold reward as 50 percent General Gold and 50 percent Bound Gold, it runs no loot auctions, and Sidereal Energy never drops. Compared with a pre-made Normal clear, a matchmade run is more accessible but less profitable, and it removes the auction economy entirely. Solo-friendly endgame is a direction other MMOs have been moving this fall too, as ESO just added solo versions of two dungeons in its own Season Two update.

Tier 4 farming moves to 1,770

The update also raises the ceiling on the game’s daily endgame loops. Chaos Rift gains an “Abyssal Reversal 3” stage, Guardian’s Shade gains Stage 3 with a weekly rotation of fifteen guardians, and Haal’s Hourglass gains Stage 3, all requiring item level 1,770 or higher. A new Chaos Gate bracket for 1,770-plus characters joins them, and the North Kurzan field boss Sevek Atun now drops more honing materials for that same band.

The numbers draw a sharp line through the patch. Item level 1,750 is enough to enter the raid on Normal, earn Vambraces, and start the new slot’s progression. But the new farming stages, the Hard and Nightmare raid tiers, and the higher Chaos Gate bracket all sit at 1,770. Players landing at the 1,750 floor can begin the chase but cannot run the new daily loops until they push another 20 item levels. That is the same endgame-ladder pressure other MMOs are applying on their own patch cadence, including Final Fantasy XIV’s recent patch that added the Beastmaster job and the Crucible.

Alongside the ceiling raise, the update makes honing materials easier to move around a Roster. The Honing Material Exchange shop now converts character-bound Destiny Destruction Stone Crystals, Destiny Guardian Stone Crystals, and Great Destiny Leapstones into roster-bound pouches and chests, at a two-for-one rate for the small packs and 2,000-for-1,000 for the bulk versions, with the exchange limited to characters at item level 1,780 or above. Two new special honing materials, Metallurgy: Tremor and Tailoring: Tremor, drop from Hard and Nightmare Belgardin for use on Destiny Tremor weapons and armor.

Events, cosmetics, and a publisher transition

Two events launch alongside the update. Belgardin Conquest, running October 21 through December 2, rewards clearing the raid across its difficulties with growth and honing chests, and hands out Belgardin Tokens from Hard and Nightmare that you can spend on the Legendary title “Croce” and the Relic title “Herald of Death.” Arktoberfest, October 21 through November 18, grants daily tokens from Chaos Dungeons and Guardian Raids for a festival shop.

The store adds a 4th Anniversary skin set for the Dimensionalist class and brings back select Neria’s Wardrobe skins, while Inanna’s Blessing leaves the store permanently on November 18 for new purchases.

The most consequential change sits at the bottom of the notes. Starting with this update, Lost Ark stops supporting Spanish localization, moving Spanish-selected players to English voice-over and text. Amazon Games frames this as preparation for handing the game back to Smilegate in early 2027, with localization effort focused on English from here on. The notes do not say whether Spanish returns after the handoff, so that part stays open.

The free-to-play, team-based shooter has used destruction as its defining mechanic since launch. PRIME TIME rebuilds that system and layers on a new Light playstyle, a beta solo mode, remastered arenas, a HUD and menu rework, beta Dynamic Commentary, a reworked Sponsor system, a new battle pass, and a long list of balance changes.

A rebuilt destruction system

Gradual Destruction lets buildings hinge, sag, bend, and deform. It is enabled game-wide, and every map’s destruction was rebalanced for it. A structure can keep moving and changing shape after the first impact, so cover and sightlines shift during an ongoing fight.

Suspended Structures now hang from physics-enabled attachments and swing on their ropes when nearby destruction occurs. Blast Waves push the environment and debris, dent walls, snap trees, and send objects flying. The items that generate Blast Waves are Breach Charge, Breach Drill, Thermal Bore, C4, RPG-7, Frag Grenade, CL-40, MGL-32, Explosive Canisters, Oil Barrels, Alien Invasion, Retro Invasion 82, Orbital Lasers, and Meteor Showers.

Debris piles now grow dynamically as buildings crumble and leave fresh cover on the arena floor. Smoke and toxic gas clouds were reworked to follow the shape of the environment, and explosions can partially suppress them.

Since launch, a destroyed building has settled into a fixed layout after the first collapse. Under the rebuilt system, rubble, cover, and sightlines keep changing through a fight, so a position that is safe one moment can be exposed the next.

Remastered arenas

Monaco, Seoul, and Skyway Stadium were remastered. Monaco gained reworked house interiors with new structural walls, penthouses, and attics, plus new cover, flanking routes, and objective spaces. Seoul was rebuilt across the Mall, Data Center, Hospital, Apartments, and Under Construction, with a new building and a new Cashout Station. Skyway Stadium’s Mansion diorama was redesigned, and its Office, Hotels, and Shopping District got layout changes aimed at fairer playspaces.

Las Vegas Stadium received reworked power positions and sight lines, the Sandstorm variant returned, and the original Las Vegas map is retired for now. The Low Gravity Game Show Event was replaced by Double Jump, which grants two jumps out of the gate.

The Infiltrator gives Light a disguise and position-swap kit

The new Light playstyle is the Infiltrator. It ships with one new Specialization, True Sight, and two gadgets, the Mimic Device and the Translocator. True Sight reveals opponents through smoke, including cloaked or disguised ones. The Mimic Device scans an object and disguises the player as that object. The Translocator marks an object and swaps the player’s position with it on demand.

True Sight and the Mimic Device interact in mirror matches, where a disguised Infiltrator can be revealed by another Infiltrator’s True Sight, so the specialization counters its own gadget. The Translocator’s value depends on the marker’s placement, since swapping into a position the enemy is watching turns the escape into a trap.

Solo Showdown is a beta elimination ladder across eight mini-modes

Solo Showdown is new and ships in beta. It puts 12 contestants into three rounds. The four contestants with the least Cash are eliminated each round, and the contestant with the most Cash at the end wins. Eight mini-modes rotate randomly: Blast Off, Heavy Hitters, Boom Brawl, Slam-a-Rama, Sniper Standoff, Winch Wars, Turbo Tussle, and One and Gunned.

The mode ships without a leaderboard in 12.0; one is planned shortly after the season starts.

HUD, commentary, and Sponsor progression

The HUD and menus were reworked for legibility, with HUD scaling, an ultrawide aspect-ratio setting, a new Side Panel, customizable Quick Settings, and a cleaner main menu.

Dynamic Commentary ships in beta. The announcer Scotty can now call Contestants out by name for standout plays, such as landing a Cashbox in a Cashout Station from across the map or going on a revive streak. The lines are built from the match context in real time and woven alongside the existing commentary. The studio said this is, as far as it knows, the first FPS with a live commentator calling players out by name. Anonymous Mode and Streamer Mode let players opt out, and the studio is investing in moderation tools to keep player names appropriate.

The Sponsor system is now an active questing system. Sponsors unlock after four matches. Challenges are three to five Contracts, and rewards include outfits, tattoos, watches, Player Card titles, Signature Plays, weapon skins, sprays, and expressions. Signature Plays differ by sponsor: OSPUZE awards Fans for elimination streaks, headshots, and mid-air eliminations, while ALFA ACTA awards Fans for eliminations using Mines and Turrets, protecting teammates, and fortifying a position. World Tour Ranks now progress by earning Fans, replacing World Tour Points.

The Premium battle pass holds up to 106 rewards and up to 1,650 Multibucks. The Ultimate pass adds 12 rewards, 20 unlocked levels, a 25 percent Match XP boost, and 2,650 Multibucks, with 1,000 granted immediately. The Season 9 Battle Pass joins the legacy roster. VRs, a launch-era currency, are gone; items now unlock through Playstyle Tokens or automatically.

Balance changes narrow the gap between Heavy and Light

Heavy base health dropped from 350 to 325, and Light base health rose from 150 to 175. Heavy gained speed, with forward sprint up from 5.8 to 6.0 meters per second and forward run up from 3.8 to 4.35 meters per second. Light lost speed, with forward sprint down from 7.0 to 6.6 meters per second and forward run down from 5.5 to 5.1 meters per second. Light’s health-regeneration delay increased from 7 to 8 seconds.

Heavy trades 25 base health for faster sprinting and running. Light trades speed for 25 more base health and a longer wait before regeneration. The trade pushes both archetypes toward the middle of the durability range.

Dome Shield health rose from 250 to 600, but the shield now deteriorates at 100 health per second. At that rate an untouched Dome Shield lasts six seconds, which shifts it from a small durable bubble to a burst-protection tool that cannot hold a position indefinitely.

Explosive Mine damage rose from 120 to 145, and Frag Grenade max damage from 140 to 165. Flashbang minimum and maximum flash duration moved from 1.5 and 4.5 seconds to 2 and 5 seconds. Powder Canister smoke radius increased from 3.5 to 4.5 meters and duration from 9 to 13 seconds. Toxic Gas Canister duration dropped from 12 to 10 seconds.

Other additions include a reworked Medium body type with a closer-to-original option, on-the-fly sight swapping, shotgun pellet hitmarkers, new revive animations, reworked footstep audio, automatic Ranked Score compensation for server issues, and a PRIME TIME soundtrack recorded with the Stockholm Studio Orchestra, a 32-piece ensemble of 21 strings and 11 brass, plus two new tracks. A Frights Galore Halloween event adds 20 prizes, and Twitch Drops for the Bebe the Barricade charm run until November 5, 2026.

What is still beta or unannounced

The studio, which also develops Arc Raiders, has not announced an end date for the PRIME TIME season. Solo Showdown and Dynamic Commentary are both beta, so their final feature set is not fixed. The patch notes describe a new HUD glow and say the option to disable it is planned but not in this update.

The studio teased “cyberware customization, a new dual-wielding playstyle, and more!” The official Cyberpunk 2077 account on X shortened the pitch to “New Edgerunners, new chrome, new playstyle,” and CD PROJEKT RED’s investor relations account added that the update brings “new items and features, including content inspired by Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2.” The announcement also credits the update’s key-art illustration to Taisei Uchida, Yukiko Kakita, and Yuichiro Tozawa.

Read the full announcement on the Cyberpunk 2077 official site.

A Combat System Cyberpunk 2077 Never Had

Dual-wielding is a new combat system for Cyberpunk 2077. Since launch, a character has drawn one weapon at a time from up to three equipped weapon slots, and there has never been a way to fire or swing two weapons at once. The teased playstyle would change that, letting a character use two pistols, a pistol and a blade, or a pair of melee weapons. A change at that level touches perks, attributes, and build planning because it alters how damage, rate of fire, ammo economy, and crowd control interact during a fight.

Pairing a ranged weapon with a melee option would also close the gap between shooting and close-quarters combat inside a single loadout. A character built around blades or quickhacks could keep a pistol ready in the other hand without cycling weapons. None of this is confirmed, and the patch notes still have to name the weapon types and the pairing rules.

Customizing Chrome

Cyberware customization is the second headline feature. In the Cyberpunk setting, chrome means visible cyberware, and the official X post leaned on that term with “new chrome.” Today cyberware changes a character’s stats and abilities while its appearance stays fixed. A customization feature points to the look of the implants, from arms and legs to facial work or colors. It would also shape build identity. Cyberware already defines a Cyberpunk 2077 build, from Mantis Blades to a Sandevistan, and visible customization would let players distinguish their character without changing how the implants perform. The studio has not said whether the feature is cosmetic, functional, or both.

A One-Day Window From Reveal to Launch

CD Projekt Red is running a compressed rollout, holding a REDstreams livestream on Wednesday, October 21 at 5 PM CEST and shipping the update the next day, October 22. The stream runs on Twitch, YouTube, and Steam, where the studio has pointed players for the full feature list.

Full patch notes have not been published, so the October 21 broadcast is the reveal. Anyone who wants to see the dual-wielding system and the cyberware options in motion can watch the stream before the October 22 launch.

What CD Projekt Red Still Has Not Said

The update is free, and the 2.5 number puts it after the 2.0 systems overhaul and the Phantom Liberty expansion that arrived in September 2023. The 2.0 update rebuilt perks, combat, and the cyberware system, so a 2.5 release lands on top of that newer foundation. Beyond that, the studio has left several points open. It has not said which platforms the update covers, whether any of the new content requires Phantom Liberty, or what the Edgerunners 2 tie-in includes.

The investor relations post describes the update as “content inspired by Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2,” and the inspiration could mean weapons, clothing, vehicles, quests, or story content. CD Projekt Red plans a closer look at those additions during the October 21 stream.

Collaboration Warbond Weapons Get Base Stat Compensation

The Killzone and Halo Legendary warbond weapons do not have access to the weapon customization system, so comparable weapons with attachments gained an edge. The patch raises base stats on four of them to close that gap.

The M90A Shotgun moves from 605 to 726 damage and from 220 to 264 durable damage. Both increases are 20 percent. That brings its raw per-shot damage closer to what a customized shotgun can produce without requiring attachment access.

The MA5C Assault Rifle receives a recoil stability pass. Vertical drift drops from 20 to 15, vertical climb from 30 to 20, and horizontal climb from 12 to 6. Durable damage rises from 16 to 20. The reduction in horizontal climb is the largest single change at 50 percent.

The StA-52 Assault Rifle gets more sustained shooting room. Spare max magazines increase from 6 to 7. Recoil values see larger cuts: vertical drift drops from 15 to 7.5, vertical climb from 25 to 12.5, horizontal drift from 10 to 5, and horizontal climb from 6 to 4. The first three recoil reductions are 50 percent cuts.

The StA-11 SMG gets smaller damage and handling improvements. Damage rises from 90 to 100, durable damage from 18 to 20, and ergonomics from 80 to 90. Vertical drift drops from 20 to 12 and vertical climb from 10 to 8. The result is that these four weapons no longer ask players to accept lower baseline performance as the price of the crossover warbond.

PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle Becomes a Precision Weapon

Arrowhead reduced the PLAS-39 Accelerator Rifle reload from 3.3 seconds to 2.7 seconds and projectile stagger strength from 20 to 15. The patch notes explain the problem. High stagger made the first shot knock the enemy enough that follow-up shots missed weak points. Lower stagger keeps the target in place and makes the rifle work as a precision weapon.

Sickle Variants and Light-Pellet Shotguns

The LAS-16 Sickle and LAS-17 Double-Edge Sickle both start firing sooner. Time from trigger pull to first shot drops from 0.5 seconds to 0.33 seconds. Heat begins cooling after firing at 0.66 seconds instead of 1.33 seconds. The LAS-16 also uses less heat per projectile, down from 1.15 to 0.95.

Light-penetration pellet shotguns receive raw damage buffs. The SG-8 Punisher rises from 405 to 486 damage and 108 to 135 durable damage, the SG-225 Breaker from 330 to 396 and 66 to 88, and the SG-225SP Breaker Spray&Pray from 240 to 288 and 64 to 80. The SG-22 Bushwhacker sidearm also climbs from 450 to 540 damage, with durable damage up from 108 to 135.

Bile Bug Strain Is Now a Separate Game Master-Controlled Event

The bile bug strain, which spawns Bile Warriors, Spewers, and Scavengers, previously could randomly become active on a mission. Arrowhead has now broken that strain out into its own bug strain. The patch notes confirm that Game Masters control it, and it now has its own in-mission visualization showing when it is active. Other strains such as Rupture or Spore Burst already work this way.

The change replaces an invisible random activation with a readable mission condition. Before, players could load into a mission and encounter the bile bug composition without a clear indication that the strain was active. Two missions with the same visible modifiers could differ in bile-heavy composition because the strain happened to activate. Now the visualization lets players identify the active strain during the mission and adjust tactics or loadouts on the fly. Game Master control makes it a deliberate event, like other active strains, which should reduce the feeling that bile-heavy spawns were an unexplained spike.

Orbital Airburst Strike Causal Chain

The Orbital Airburst Strike cooldown drops from 100 seconds to 90 seconds, and the explosion cone angle tightens from 35 degrees to 27 degrees. The repositioning of Super Destroyers during missions changed the projectile angle. A steeper angle widened shrapnel spread and made the strike less predictable. Tightening the cone counters that spread, while the cooldown reduction keeps the stratagem competitive after the fix.

The cooldown cut from 100 to 90 seconds is the compensation layer. Players should see a tighter airburst pattern and slightly faster rearm time.

Other Stratagem Changes

The M-1000 Maxigun now returns movement control immediately after firing. Time to regain movement control drops from 0.5 seconds to 0 seconds. Stagger force rises from 15 to 20, and stagger impulse rises from 12 to 24. The CQC-20 Breaching Hammer gains spare charges from 7 to 10.

Heavy mounted flamethrowers get a large particle damage increase. The EXO-51 Lumberer Exosuit and A/FLAM-40 Flame Sentry both move from 3 to 8 flame particle damage. The Eagle Airstrike Gas explosion demolition strength drops from 50 to 40. Arrowhead says this makes it destroy only structures that other Eagle bombs can destroy, since it previously behaved like an Orbital.

Stability and Fix Highlights

The update includes crash fixes around vehicle customization patterns, SEAF shuttles, ragdolls, and upscalers. DirectX 12 stability improved. Bile Titan clipping is fixed, the Crescent Overseer backpack is now destroyable, and the Hive Lord leaves combat earlier when not damaged. Watchers no longer spawn in excessive numbers.

CPU multithreading improvements target smoother frame pacing, especially on lower core-count CPUs and Xbox Series S. Arrowhead reduced stutter during combat and shader-compilation hitching. The patch also added missing color grading when NVIDIA DLSS or AMD FSR upscaling is enabled, and the GPU busy percent frame statistic is now available on all platforms. The update also introduces Easy Anti-Cheat — GamerHeadlines’ Easy Anti-Cheat report covers the GameGuard switch and its Steam Deck and Linux impact.

The announcement also gives Helldivers 2 a modding policy it had never spelled out before. Arrowhead welcomes cosmetic and non-gameplay mods, targets mods that create unfair advantages, and leaves the safety call to players. The studio made two changes at once, a crackdown on circulating cheat mods and the move from GameGuard to Easy Anti-Cheat, each reinforced by extra security tools.

The change lands on a packed October 20, the same day Arrowhead released the Scope of Authority Premium Warbond. Arrowhead said the transition happens “today, October 20th,” so the new anti-cheat and modding policy apply to the current build immediately.

Why the Galactic War Makes Cheating Everyone’s Problem

Arrowhead grounds the change in “fairness and honor,” which it calls the long-standing foundation of Helldivers in the Galactic War. The studio’s complaint is that rule-bending players have moved past their own sessions and into “the battles of those who play alongside them.”

Arrowhead describes cheating as “affecting not only their own games but also the battles of those who play alongside them, affecting pick-up rates, and even going so far as to manipulate the war itself, breaking the unfolding story and dragging down innocent players with it.”

Helldivers 2 is built around co-op, so a cheater drags down teammates and the shared war. The studio said it has watched rule-bending happen “for too long.”

Helldivers 2 is a set of missions feeding one galaxy-wide campaign. Mission results move planets toward liberation or back toward enemy control, and every squad’s performance writes to the same shared map. A cheat that inflates liberation, samples, or mission success shifts that strategic map for every player, including people who never installed a mod. Arrowhead uses “pick-up rates” for in-mission resource collection and “manipulate the war itself” for the global campaign, and it treats both as one integrity problem.

GameGuard Out, Easy Anti-Cheat In

Before October 20, Helldivers 2 used GameGuard. Arrowhead now says that implementation “wasn’t as effective as it could have been.” The replacement is Easy Anti-Cheat, which the studio describes as “an industry standard used in over 200 games.” Arrowhead pairs EAC with additional, unspecified security tools. Easy Anti-Cheat replaces GameGuard as the anti-cheat platform across the game, while the additional measures go after the recent cheat mods specifically. Arrowhead also pointed players to EAC’s own support page for more information about the system.

The modding stance shifted in the same post. Arrowhead said it had not previously commented on modding “other than to warn that from a technical perspective, we can’t guarantee their safety or usability for players.” Now it separates cosmetic and non-gameplay mods, which it welcomes, from mods that create unfair advantages, which the new measures target. The FAQ answer reads “Using mods is done at your own discretion, and so we cannot determine what’s safe vs. unsafe to use.” Players should check for updated mod files after October 20, because an old version may no longer run.

Arrowhead also frames the change as a first step. The announcement introduces the two measures as “a stepping stone on this journey,” with further security work to come. The studio ties both to a longer goal of “a consistent and fair experience” and says it wants to “strengthen trust with our dedicated community.” This follows a stretch of direct communication from Arrowhead that GamerHeadlines covered in a Helldivers 2 retrospective.

Steam Deck and Linux Keep Working

For Steam Deck and Linux players, the FAQ answer reads “Yes, you can still play. Steam Deck and Linux compatibility remains unchanged.” Arrowhead also confirmed no new hardware requirements and pointed players to its Zendesk article for the minimum specifications. Deck owners do not need to change anything to keep playing.

Steam Deck runs games through Proton, a compatibility layer that translates Windows game calls to Linux, and an anti-cheat system that does not support that layer can stop a game from launching. Arrowhead did not say how EAC’s Linux support is configured, whether specific Proton versions are preferred, or how long the compatibility promise holds through future updates.

What Changes for Mod Users

The split runs between malicious mods and cosmetic ones. Arrowhead says the new measures target “recent cheat mods that have been circulating,” and mods that affect other players “may no longer function.” Cosmetic and non-gameplay mods get a softer line. Some may keep working, some may stop, and some “may require updates from their individual creators.” A player whose cosmetic mod breaks should contact its creator. If EAC or another system is blocking “a non-destructive mod or other software,” Arrowhead asks players to reach its official Zendesk support. Players who run the game unmodified see the benefit on the shared map, where war progress reflects what squads completed.

Arrowhead publishes no approved-mod list. Its appreciation for cosmetic mods does not guarantee any specific mod will keep running under the new tools. A cosmetic mod that stops working stays broken until its author updates it, and Arrowhead’s only remedy is the Zendesk support path.

Confirmed Versus Open Questions

Arrowhead answered the immediate player questions in its FAQ and left a few technical points open. The post runs through five questions covering the switch, mods, hardware, and Steam Deck support.

Arrowhead closed the post by inviting continued feedback from Helldivers players.

Nintendo has announced that Nintendo Switch Sports Resort will arrive on October 22, 2026. The news post, titled “Get up and move in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort!”, was published on October 19, 2026, three days before the launch date. The game carries a regular price of $49.99 and is listed as “Exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 system.” That platform label means the game will not run on the original Nintendo Switch. Nintendo’s product page also confirms that the game supports TV mode and Tabletop mode for one to four players, and the ESRB has rated it Everyone 10+ with Mild Violence.

The 12 sports and the Spocco Resort setting

Nintendo Switch Sports Resort includes 12 motion-control sports: Tennis, Bowling, Archery, Boxing, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Basketball, Golf, Thumb Wrestling, Prop Plane, Skateboarding, and Power Cruising. Nintendo frames the lineup as classic sports including Archery, Basketball, Boxing, and Tennis, along with new ones like Skateboarding and Thumb Wrestling.

The action is set at Spocco Resort on Wuhu Island, which Nintendo describes as an island getaway. According to Nintendo, players can explore Wuhu Island by land, sea, and air. Power Cruising covers open water, Skateboarding moves across the resort, and Prop Plane lets players fly. The sports list spans racket and ball games, combat and precision sports, and vehicle-based motion play such as Prop Plane, Skateboarding, and Power Cruising.

Every sport in the package uses intuitive motion controls that are easy for anyone to pick up.

Local play, Pro League, casual online, and Friend Lobby

Up to four people can play together on the same Nintendo Switch 2 system, and local play does not require an online connection or a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Pro League is ranked matchmaking, pitting players against competitors of similar skill from around the world as they vie for the top spot. It is the only ranked mode Nintendo has detailed for the game.

Casual Online Play puts a player’s skills to the test without the pressure of ranked results, offering nine sports and relaxed matches against people worldwide, and it requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership. For private games, Friend Lobby hosts up to eight players with a limit of two players per system, so a full eight-player lobby needs four Switch 2 systems, and players can pick from a variety of sports in the lobby. Pro League and Friend Lobby are online modes, so they sit under the same membership requirement Nintendo lists for Casual Online Play.

Nintendo names nine sports for Casual Online Play and Island Crown, while the full package lists 12, and the three excluded sports are not named.

Island Crown and Sightseeing Tour

For solo progression, Nintendo has added Island Crown, a single-player-focused mode where players climb the ranks. Players take on Island Champions and Legends, including a formidable Mii character named Matt, across nine different sports. Nintendo says winning in Island Crown earns customization options and Spocco Points as players work their way to the top.

Sightseeing Tour is a separate way to experience Wuhu Island, framed as being a tourist on a mission. The mode sends players to discover the island through challenges and Spocco Photo collection, taking in scenic views and uncovering sightseeing spots along the way, with secret island surprises to find beyond the listed sports.

Nintendo’s announcement does not list a membership requirement for the Island Crown and Sightseeing Tour modes.

Characters, customization, GameChat, and launch events

Players can appear as either a Sportsmate or a Mii character. Nintendo lists customization options for hairstyles, outfits, accessories, and Body Types, and it invites players to go artsy, funky, or weird to capture their personal style. Players can save favorite looks and swap between them.

GameChat is listed as a social feature that lets players banter, cheer, and explore the island together, anytime, anywhere. Beyond that description, the controls, supported modes, and availability of GameChat are not confirmed.

On October 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Nintendo NEW YORK and Nintendo SAN FRANCISCO will hold launch celebrations. Attendees can play select sports in the game and receive a giveaway while supplies last. Entry is first come, first served, and the events take place two days after the October 22 release date. The wording “select sports” means the events will not necessarily include the full 12-sport roster, and the specific sports on offer are not named.

Switch 2 exclusivity and what remains unconfirmed

Because Nintendo Switch Sports Resort is listed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch 2 system, the game cannot be purchased and played on the original Nintendo Switch. The $49.99 price therefore sits on top of the cost of a Switch 2 system for anyone who has not yet adopted the new hardware. The Switch 2 library has already started filling out, with Monster Hunter Wilds bringing its prologue demo to the system on October 19. There is no cross-generation version. Existing Switch owners who want this game must first own a Switch 2, and moving over means transferring their data from the original Switch. Online play also adds a Nintendo Switch Online membership on top of the game and console costs.

Nintendo has not announced a physical edition, a release time, or any post-launch sports. The store page lists the game as a digital edition and shows a bundle option alongside the standalone title, but the bundle’s contents are not spelled out. The source material does not specify whether Pro League uses the full 12-sport list or the nine-sport selection seen in Casual Online Play and Island Crown.

The two main Battle Pass vehicles

The S-706, a Rank III premium torpedo boat, leads the season for Germany. Gaijin states the vessel was laid down at the Danziger Waggonfabrik shipyard in Danzig and commissioned on October 31, 1944. It operated in the North Sea and the English Channel during the war, was transferred to the United States as war reparation, studied in Philadelphia, and sold for scrap in 1948. The S-706 belongs to the most advanced generation of German Schnellboote, reaches speeds of nearly 80 km/h, and carries depth charges. Its four torpedo tubes, two in the bow and two in the stern, hold a total loadout of six torpedoes. Because the tubes face both directions, a captain can launch while closing in or breaking away and does not need a full turn to bring weapons back to bear. Gun armament includes 30 mm and 20 mm cannons plus machine guns, and Gaijin says the boat is set to become one of the best torpedo boats in the game, both against small boats and as a point-capturer against larger naval vessels.

The Jagdpanther G2 is the season’s other main reward, a Rank IV premium tank destroyer. Gaijin identifies it as the 1944 second and final production variant of the Jagdpanther, which saw use in the final stages of the war, notably in the Lake Balaton Offensive and the Ardennes campaign. Its 88 mm gun is the same as the famous King Tiger and can penetrate the frontal armor of most medium and heavy tanks. Sloped frontal armor withstands most smaller-caliber armor-piercing rounds. The G2 keeps the G1’s strengths and adds an Em 0.9 m R rangefinder and premium status, so it can stay in a front-facing position longer than the G1.

Warbond shop and first-time vehicles

The Warbond shop runs in tandem with the Battle Pass, and its items are bought with Warbonds earned during the pass. It has six shop levels, each unlocked by reaching Battle Pass levels, and items from shop level 3 also require medals earned by completing Special Tasks.

The Z4 Zerstörer, a premium German destroyer, appears in the Warbond shop for the first time. According to Gaijin, the destroyer USS Claxton (DD-571) entered service in December 1942 and fought in the Pacific Theater; in December 1959 it was transferred to the West German Navy and renamed Z4 Zerstörer. Six 76 mm guns with high-explosive proximity-fuze shells, combined with radar, make it lethal to aircraft and small vessels at range. As a first-time Warbond vehicle, it gives players a path to a radar-equipped premium destroyer paid for with Warbonds rather than Golden Eagles. Gaijin also marked the US Navy’s birthday this month with ship discounts and a themed decal.

The FR-1 Fireball, an aircraft for the United States, is the other first-time Warbond shop vehicle. Gaijin describes it as the first jet aircraft to enter U.S. Navy service, with a hybrid propulsion system combining a piston engine and a jet engine. It is armed with four 12.7 mm machine guns, and its hardpoints can carry HVAR rockets, fuel tanks, naval mines, and 500 or 1000 lb bombs.

The Warbond shop also lists the Pz.IV G for Italy, the T-126 for the USSR, the MGB-75 for Great Britain, and the Ki-44-II Otsu for Japan.

Cost, progression, and upgrade coupons

The Battle Pass costs 2,000 Golden Eagles and unlocks every level. The improved version costs 2,500 Golden Eagles and comes with an extra 150 progress points, which is 15 levels from the start. Players can also purchase progress points for Golden Eagles starting 28 days after the season begins. One level is 10 progress points, earned by logging in (1 to 5 points), completing Daily Tasks (2 to 5 points each), and completing Battle Pass Challenges (30 points each). New Challenges unlock once a week, and another three come from reaching specific levels.

The improved pass costs 500 Golden Eagles more and starts a player 15 levels ahead, since one level is 10 points and the upgrade adds 150 progress points. It does not change the number of coupons required or the final reward, but it reduces the activity needed to reach the two Upgrade Coupons by 150 points. For players who expect to miss some daily logins or weekly challenges, that 15 level buffer can be the difference between reaching the coupons before January 20 and falling short.

Two Upgrade Coupons sit at levels 105 and 125. Both are needed to get the next Battle Pass for free, and they also make the two new vehicles tradable on the Gaijin Market. To use them, a player must wait until the current season ends and the new season begins, then exchange both coupons in the purchase window. The free pass requires a full season of commitment: a player must reach level 125, hold both coupons until the season ends, and redeem them once the next season starts. The same two coupons also convert the S-706 and Jagdpanther G2 into market-tradable items, which gives players a reason to chase level 125 even if they do not plan to use the free pass themselves.

Other rewards and the Battle Trophy

Beyond the four vehicles, the pass includes Silver Lions, Warbonds, Orders, Wagers, Backups, a Test Drive for one of the new vehicles, 10 days of Premium Account time, unique camouflages for the two new reward vehicles, a title, and a loading screen. The German theme carries through the cosmetics: the Ammunition Crate, PWK 42 LP, and Puppchen ship decorations, the Clementine, Gertrud, Erika, and Brunhilda inscription decals, a Miss October 1944 Pin-up decal, and a Jagdpanther G2 profile background. A special trophy in the Warbond shop contains decals previously featured in 2019.

There is also a Battle Trophy with four vehicles from past Battle Passes or events: ORP Garland for Great Britain, USS Detroit for the United States, Matilda Hedgehog for Great Britain, and Ro.57 Quadriarma for Italy. Opening it gives one vehicle. If a player already has all of them, the reward becomes Silver Lions and the Golden Battles Wager, which allows up to 1,000 Golden Eagles. Gaijin outlined its next major update and fourth-quarter events in the War Thunder community update No. 13.

Paradox has locked Crusader Kings III: Silk & Silver for November 17, 2026, according to the official Steam announcement. The expansion centers on medieval trade, turning a merchant company or a patrician republic into a source of dynastic power. The Major Expansion costs $29.99 in the United States, GBP 25.99 in the United Kingdom, and EUR 29.99 in Europe. It is also part of the Chapter V expansion pass, which means the purchase decision depends on what a player already owns. Anyone who already bought Chapter V gets Silk & Silver when the expansion unlocks without buying the standalone version. Anyone who has not bought the pass can purchase the expansion directly for the standalone price, or weigh the pass against the rest of Chapter V, including the religion-focused By God Alone expansion that arrived earlier in the same pass.

Two new governments, two new routes away from the landed core

Silk & Silver adds Merchant and Republic government types. The base Crusader Kings III loop is built around a landed ruler whose dynasty advances through titles, inheritance, and court control. Merchant makes the player a landless family at the head of a trading company, turning wealth into the primary route upward. Republic moves the player into a patrician family where the doge holds power only as long as popularity and the Assembly allow it. The three play styles route power differently. Landed rule advances through holdings, merchant rule through trade and cash, and republic rule through votes, law, and influence in the city.

Merchant: trading empire, specializations, and mansion growth

Paradox describes the Merchant fantasy as rising from obscurity to greatness by using wealth to advance a dynasty. The named systems are:

• A Nose for Profit points the player toward profitable Trade Routes across more than 40 trade goods, with the trade empire expanding as the merchant company gains renown and wealth.
• Three specializations, Caravaneer, Creditor, and Artisan, each come with their own bonuses and unique content. Caravaneers move considerable amounts of goods, Creditors loan money to rulers, and Artisans create new artifacts.
• Specialize and Thrive awards experience in traded goods, unlocking bonuses and increasing business acumen, which grows company reputation.
• Lobby for Power uses money and intrigue to sway nobles and royalty in search of patrons who can strengthen the trade empire.
• Market Lockdown converts political influence into exclusive rights to trade selected goods in Markets, up to a complete Monopoly.
• Expand Your Mansion uses gold and prestige to improve the trading company base, adding trade routes and gaining an edge over rivals.

A landed CK3 run usually starts with a holding and a title hierarchy. A merchant run starts with a company, a route network, and a specialization choice, and the early pressure is commercial. More trade routes raise renown, and higher renown opens room for more routes and monopolies, a loop that keeps the merchant company growing without a single title in hand.

Republic: the doge, the Assembly, and the constitution

Republic play is an urban patrician loop. The announcement specifies that wealth buys power and that popularity determines who keeps the doge role. Rival houses are handled through law, bribery, and the will of the Assembly. The feature list includes:

• Laws and Assemblies lets the player set the constitution of the Republic and ask the Assembly to pass laws controlling the terms of leaders and the uses of the state treasury.
• Vie for Power secures profitable Trade Routes and places family members into influential positions to become a powerful Patrician family.
• Shape Your Republic offers three administration choices: a seafaring trade power, an expansionist house of nobles, or a city-state ruled by the will of the common folk.
• Establish Trade Dominance places Trade Posts in foreign counties.
• Forge Lucrative Pacts joins other Republics in Trade Leagues for commercial and military benefits.

Republic play keeps the player inside a political structure, and tenure is conditional. A landed king can lose a war and lose land. A doge can lose an election, lose an Assembly vote, or be outmaneuvered by rival houses even without a single army crossing the border. The administration choice is a strategic fork. A seafaring power leans on naval trade, an expansionist house of nobles on military growth, and a city-state on civic popularity. Trade routes fund and protect family power in a Republic run.

Bookmarks and the Italian setting

The expansion ships with two bookmarks. The 1066 Channels of Commerce bookmark lets players control renowned merchants of the Middle Ages building trade networks for spices, silk, and silver. The 1178 Guelphs & Ghibellines bookmark covers the defining Northern Italy conflict between papal and imperial ambitions. Italian flavor additions include civic carnivals celebrating the Republic, and the Guelphs & Ghibellines conflict can escalate from political factions into open warfare. The announcement names 1178 as the bookmark for that conflict without saying the conflict is locked to that start date.

Standalone vs Chapter V, and what is still unknown

The expansion requires the base game Crusader Kings III on Steam. For a player who already owns Chapter V, no separate standalone purchase is needed. For a player who does not own the pass, the standalone price is the direct option, while the pass is worth evaluating because it also contains the earlier By God Alone expansion. The announcement does not provide a separate Chapter V pass price.

What Paradox has not pinned down is the balance layer. There are no specific trade route income numbers, mansion upgrade costs, Monopoly thresholds, or Assembly vote weights in the announcement. There is also no console release timing and no deep dev-diary breakdown yet. Those details may come later, but they are not part of today’s confirmed facts.

The expansion arrives in a busy Paradox window. Paradox’s other grand strategy line, Stellaris, just detailed its own update in Dev Diary 436, and the company also has the Hearts of Iron IV energy rework open beta running.

Players assign an individual Operator to each loadout through the Operator field at the top of Create-a-Class, so different loadouts can run different Operators. The confirmed Multiplayer suite includes a Pick 3 Perk system with 18 Multiplayer Perks, 9 Tacticals, 11 Lethals, 12 Field Upgrades, and 17 Killstreaks.

The 33 Operators split across several unlock paths. Attachments unlock once and then apply across every compatible weapon, so players do not re-level the same attachment for each weapon.

The 33-Operator Roster and Per-Loadout Selection

The confirmed roster includes 33 Operators available in both Multiplayer and DMZ. The blog lists four factions: South Korean Quick Reaction Force, Valeria’s Strike Cell, Shadow Company, and JSOF. Five Operators are available immediately, all from the South Korean Quick Reaction Force: Min-Hee, CTSFO, Mil-Sim KSK Arctic, UCTF, and Army SF Airborne.

Before this change, one Operator selection applied to all loadouts. A Multiplayer challenge Operator such as Blackwell or Zimo can now sit in a specific loadout next to a matching weapon and Perk build.

How the 33 Operators Unlock

Campaign missions gate eight Operators: Cho after “Mayhem”, Dallas after “Hired Gun”, Luca after “Traffic”, Oh-Ji after “Assassins”, Kal after “Defection”, Dunn after “Counter Attack”, West after “Losing Ground”, and Park after “Decapitation”. Those eight tie directly to the campaign early access window already underway before the full launch.

Reece unlocks at DMZ player level 4, Coffey at level 9, Simone at level 15, and Hector at level 19. Multiplayer challenges cover another five: 3 Operator kills without dying 10 times for Blackwell, 50 hipfire kills for Jae, 15 double kills or better for Velikan, 20 longshot kills for Valen, and 50 headshot kills for Zimo.

The remaining Operators come from purchase or entitlement paths: Hunter Killer through the Modern Warfare 4 Digital Standard or Vault Edition pre-order, eight through the Vault Edition, Kyle through the Call of Duty Endowment Valor Pack, and Ju Kwon through a classified path.

A standard-edition player who does not pre-order, does not own the Vault Edition, skips campaign, and skips DMZ starts with only the five immediate South Korean Quick Reaction Force Operators. Vault Edition, campaign, and DMZ paths account for 20 of the 33 Operators. Adding the five Multiplayer challenge Operators and the remaining purchase and classified paths completes the roster. Because the eight campaign Operators require finishing specific missions and the four DMZ Operators require reaching DMZ level 19, a player cannot fill the roster from Multiplayer alone.

33 Weapons, Unlock-Once Attachments, and the Apex Tier

Modern Warfare 4 launches with 33 weapons: 24 Primary, 8 Secondary, and 1 Melee. The Primary classes are Assault Rifles with 8 weapons, SMGs with 5, Shotguns with 2, LMGs with 3, Marksman Rifles with 3, and Sniper Rifles with 3. The Secondary classes are Pistols with 4 and Launchers with 4. The sole Melee weapon is the FSS Carbon Edge 1095 knife.

Create-a-Class customization unlocks at Player Level 4; before that, players use premade Default Loadouts. Weapons then arrive at specific Player Levels. Confirmed examples include the Han 86 at level 4, the M4 at level 14, the Hyeon Burst at level 21, the Patriot XMR at level 27, and the Kastov 762 at level 34.

Each weapon has a level cap. Fully leveling a supported weapon unlocks its Apex Attachment and grants access to Weapon Prestige. The Han 86, for example, holds 30 rounds with 90 in reserve at 740 RPM and reaches its Apex unlock after 72 weapon levels. Primary weapon Attachment types span Optic, Muzzle, Barrel, Underbarrel, Magazine, Rear Grip, Stock, Laser, and Ammunition.

Attachments unlock once and are then available across all weapons that use them. Apex Attachments are a special tier equipped separately from standard Gunsmith attachments and do not consume an attachment slot. The blog names the Han 86’s Apex Attachment, the Han X20 Skybreaker, which pairs a targeting optic with an airburst launcher that fires a 20mm shell detonating over cover; direct impacts turn into duds, and the launcher blocks the Optic, Stock, and Barrel slots. The M4’s Apex variant, the M4 Hurricane, re-chambers the rifle in 5.7x28mm with a higher fire rate and blocks the Barrel and Magazine slots. The Patriot XMR’s Apex Attachment, the Patriot XMR Volt, adds an underbarrel launcher that fires several 50,000V darts to stun targets, and it blocks the Barrel slot. Gunsmith is available for Primary weapons and Pistols only; Launchers can change only their appearance through camos, decals, and stickers. The Overkill Perk lets a player use another Primary weapon in place of a Secondary weapon.

Per-weapon unlocks meant unlocking the same attachment again whenever a player moved to a new weapon. With shared attachment unlocks, the first time an attachment unlocks it becomes a shared Gunsmith item for every compatible weapon, so Player Level time goes toward unlocking new weapons and gear rather than re-leveling duplicate attachment tracks. The blog does not state how many Apex Attachments exist or how they are earned.

Equipment, Perks, Killstreaks, and the DMZ Economy

Multiplayer equipment uses a level-gated unlock list. The 9 Tacticals include Flash Grenade at level 4, Smoke Grenade at level 4, Snapshot Grenade at level 10, Concussion Grenade at level 15, Heartbeat Sensor at level 23, Shock Stick at level 29, Decoy Grenade at level 42, Stim at level 47, and Screamer Mine at level 53. The 11 Lethals include Frag Grenade at level 4, Sticky Grenade at level 4, Drill Charge at level 7, Proximity Mine at level 13, Zip Gun at level 17, and Trip Wire at level 22, with more at higher levels.

Field Upgrades total 12 and recharge during the match. Confirmed entries include Portable Radar at level 4, DDOS at level 4, Munitions Box at level 6, SAM Airburst Turret at level 8, Riot Shield at level 11, Trophy System at level 14, and Tactical Insertion at level 45, plus others. The Trophy System recharges fast and destroys up to three airborne projectiles.

Killstreaks total 17, earned in Multiplayer for kills and objective play. The confirmed list includes UAV at 4 kills and level 4, Attack Helicopter at 10 kills and level 4, Bomb Glider at level 6, Care Package at level 9, Impact at level 12, Wheelson at 8 kills and level 16, Missile Salvo at level 24, Deathstalker at level 35, Railgun Sentry at level 38, Advanced UAV at level 40, Argonaut at level 45, Gunship at 12 kills and level 51, and Air Lockdown at level 55, plus others. The UAV reveals enemy locations on the minimap, while the Advanced UAV shows enemy direction in real time.

Multiplayer Perks return to a Pick 3 system, with one Perk from each of three categories. The first category includes Quick Fix at level 4, Overkill at level 4, High Alert at level 8, Ghost at level 24, Resupply at level 31, and Kill Chain at level 48. The second category includes Hardline at level 4, Blood Rush at level 4, and Bomb Squad at level 16, plus others. The third category includes Lethal Reach at level 4, Combat Grid at level 4, Battle Hardened at level 12, Scavenger at level 28, Tracker at level 32, and Cold-Blooded at level 36. Lethal Reach automatically uses your Melee Weapon attack when performing a weapon butt. Ghost keeps a player undetectable by enemy callouts, UAVs, Portable Radars, and Heartbeat Sensors, while Cold-Blooded does the same against AI targeting systems, thermal optics, recon drones, spotter scopes, Snapshot Grenades, and High Alert.

DMZ runs a different weapon economy. Multiplayer gates everything behind Player Level in Create-a-Class. DMZ lets players carry two Primary weapons, two Secondary weapons, or one of each, with additional weapons tied to a specific Weapon Backpack type. Unlocked and leveled weapons can be accessed at the Forward Operating Base Gunsmith by spending DMZ Cash, acquired by looting, constructed with a Weapon Manual found in Hajin, or purchased from the FOB Vendor. As covered in our Modern Warfare 4 DMZ deep dive, the DMZ weapon loop centers on Hajin threats and Forward Operating Base stations rather than the Multiplayer unlock screen.