Author: Trafficblast

The first-ever Path of Exile fan convention, ExileCon, is taking place this weekend in developer Grinding Gear’s home city of Auckland, New Zealand. The event kicked off with a bang, as the keynote address with founder Chris Wilson included lots of big announcements and reveals. It was a busy event, to say the least, and in this post we’re rounding up all the key announcements.

Path of Exile 2

A full-on sequel, Path of Exile 2, is in the works for PC and console. Featuring a new, seven-act story and numerous improvements, Path of Exile 2 appears to the be the successor fans have been asking for. Among the new features is the removal of socketing gems, which should simplify and improve things. The game engine has also been improved, and the early demo Grinding Gear showed at ExileCon was very impressive. The initial act of the game is already playable (on the show floor), but fans might want to get comfortable for the full release. Founder Chris Wilson said the studio is taking its time with Path of Exile 2, and won’t release it until it meets the studio’s rigorous quality standards.

Read more about Path of Exile 2.

Path of Exile Mobile

A completely unexpected announcement, Path of Exile Mobile is exactly what it sounds like: a mobile version of the free-to-play action RPG. Grinding Gear announced the game with a silly trailer that pokes fun at the idea of making a mobile game–it’s pretty great. The game is only an “experiment” for the studio, and as such, Grinding Gear hasn’t committed to actually releasing it at this stage.

Read more about Path of Exile mobile.

Path of Exile 3.9.0 Expansion

Grinding Gear Games announced more details on Path of Exile’s upcoming 3.9.0 expansion. Called “Conquerors of the Atlas,” the expansion adds a new endgame story, upgradeable maps, and new skills. Specifically, there are new bow skills and support gems on the way. There are also “Support Gem Plus” items coming to Path of Exile, which are even more powerful. Conquerors of the Atlas launches on December 13.

Read more about Conquerors of the Atlas.

Path of Exile: Metamorph

Path of Exile’s new league, Metamorph, introduces a new NPC, Tane Octavius, who is described as a “master alchemist.” He killed his teacher (bad Tane!), and was exiled for it. “He hopes to find a cure, or perhaps just the source, for what he calls ‘the intrinsic darkness’ that led to his unforgivable violence,” reads a line from the announcement release.

Read more about Path of Exile: Metamorph.

ExileCon runs November 16 and 17 in Auckland, so keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.

Disclosure: Grinding Gear Games paid for GameSpot’s flight and accommodation in Auckland, New Zealand to attend ExileCon.

Path of Exile is coming to mobile devices. This morning at ExileCon, Grinding Gear CEO Chris Wilson announced that the popular free-to-play title is coming to smartphones featuring what is described as a fair monetization strategy. Wilson also pointed out that Grinding Gear is developing the title in-house as opposed to shipping it off to a different studio to handle it.

Before you get too excited, however, Wilson cautioned that Path of Exile mobile is only an “experimental” title. Development will continue–or not–based on fan feedback.

Wilson used his keynote address to make a little jab at Blizzard over its own mobile game reveal. He said he’s happy that Grinding Gear announced Path of Exile 2 before revealing Path of Exile Mobile in what was surely a reference to how Blizzard angered fans by announcing Diablo Immortal before Diablo IV.

Disclosure: Grinding Gear Games is paying for GameSpot’s flight and accommodation in Auckland, New Zealand to attend ExileCon.

Pokemon Sword and Shield have finally arrived on Switch. While the games may not include every Pokemon in the series, they do feature a good mix of old favorites and new Gen 8 monsters, so you still have plenty of options to choose from when assembling your Pokemon team.

Where To Catch Certain Pokemon

Most monsters in Sword and Shield can be found roaming about the Wild Area, a sprawling open-world expanse that stretches across the Galar region. The Wild Area isn’t the only place you can encounter Pokemon, but it is home to the largest variety of them (some of which will actually be too strong for you to catch at first), making it the best place to look for new monsters.

As you explore the Wild Area, the weather will change dynamically, which will influence what Pokemon appear in the wild. You also need to keep in mind that you can only catch Pokemon of a certain level depending on how many badges you’ve collected, so you can’t capture every wild Pokemon you encounter.

Fortunately, this isn’t as restrictive as it sounds; you’ll still encounter plenty of monsters, including a bunch of old favorites very early on in your journey. Many can be found in various portions of the Wild Area, but your first chance to catch some will actually be in certain routes and other places. If you’re just getting started, here are some Pokemon you’ll likely want to add to your collection and where you can find them:

Pokemon	Habitat
Eevee	Route 4 (Outside Turffield)
Pikachu	Route 4 (Outside Turffield)
Milcery	Route 4 (Outside Turffield)
Sizzlipede	Route 3
Gastly	Watchtower Ruins (Wild Area)
Impidimp	Glimwood Tangle
Galarian Ponyta	Glimwood Tangle (Shield only)
Galarian Farfetch’d	Bridge Field (Wild Area) (Sword only)

Rare And Fully Evolved Pokemon

As you progress through the adventure, you’ll also encounter rare and even fully evolved Pokemon in the wild. You’re guaranteed to run into some in certain parts of the Wild Area, but there may be only one of them at a time, so if you miss your chance to catch it, you’ll need to wait a while for it to spawn again–something to keep in mind before you challenge any fully evolved Pokemon you spot.

Fortunately, you can save right before you battle the monster and restart if you inadvertently knock it out (although to ensure a clean reset, you should disable autosaving in the options menu). These Pokemon’s habitats also won’t be listed in the Pokedex, so we’ve rounded up some rare Pokemon we’ve encountered and where they can be found:

Pokemon	Habitat
Machamp	Giant’s Mirror
Tyranitar	Dusty Bowl (Shield only)
Gengar	Dusty Bowl
Gyarados	East Lake Axewell
Lucario	North Lake Miloch
Vileplume	Dappled Grove
Ludicolo	Dappled Grove (Shield only)
Gallade	Bridge Field
Dusknoir	Stony Wilderness
Snorlax	Motostoke River Bank
Conkeldurr	Motostoke River Bank
Haxorus	Axew’s Eye
Pangoro	Rolling Fields
Ditto	Lake of Outrage
Lapras	North Lake Miloch, Lake of Outrage
Eevee evolutions	Lake of Outrage (depends on weather)
Rotom	Lake of Outrage

Pokemon Sword and Shield are available now on Nintendo Switch. You can read our thoughts on the games in our Pokemon Sword and Shield review. If you’re just getting started on your Galar journey, then be sure to check out our other Sword and Shield guides below for more helpful tips.

Pokemon Sword & Shield Guides

Pokemon Sword and Shield are out now on Nintendo Switch, marking the start of the series’ eighth generation. While the games very much follow in the footsteps of previous Pokemon titles, they also shake the formula up in some notable ways, introducing a slew of new features and items to the mix.

Among the new additions are Watts. As you explore the Wild Area, you’ll notice Max Raid dens scattered about the environment, and interacting with these will net you a number of Watts. So what exactly are Watts, and what are they used for?

What Are Watts?

Essentially, Watts are a secondary form of in-game currency in Sword and Shield. As previously mentioned, you’ll primarily earn them from Max Raid dens. If a den is glowing but isn’t currently hosting a Max Raid Battle, you’ll receive 50 Watts simply by interacting with it (this number will increase to 200 after you’ve cleared the main storyline). If a Max Raid Battle is occuring at the den, then you’ll receive 300 Watts (or 2,000 post-game) before participating in the battle. Watts can also be earned by battling or catching wild Pokemon that are glowing.

As you progress through the game, you can exchange Watts for items and services from certain NPCs around the Wild Area. For example, the Digging Duo near the Pokemon nursery in Bridge Field will excavate items for you for 500 Watts, and the items they can potentially dig up include evolutionary stones and other rare finds. You can also use Watts to upgrade your bike, extending how long you can dash with it, or purchase Technical Records–single-use teachable moves–from different Watt Traders around the Wild Area. These characters are dressed in League clothes, so they’ll be easy to spot while you’re out in the field.

Below, we’ve rounded up a list of the different characters in Sword and Shield who accept Watts and the services they provide, so you can easily keep track of where they’re located and what they sell. For more on the games, be sure to read our Pokemon Sword and Shield review.

Where To Spend Watts

• Fisherwoman – Roaming around lakes
  • Sells various Pearls she fished up for 100 W

• Watt Trader – Meetup Spot
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – Dappled Grove
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – East Lake Axewell
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Digging Duo – Bridge Field
  • Dig up evolutionary stones, fossilized items, and more for 500 W

• Watt Trader – Hammerlock Hills
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – Giant’s Cap
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

• Watt Trader – Giant’s Seat
  • Sells different Poke Balls, TRs, and Wishing Pieces

Pokemon Sword & Shield Guides

Pokemon Sword and Shield are finally out on Nintendo Switch, and you’ll spend much of your time in the games exploring the Wild Area–a vast open-world expanse that stretches across the Galar region. The Wild Area is home to a variety of different Pokemon, including some that will be a much higher level than you, making it a good place to catch and train monsters.

Unlike previous games, however, Sword and Shield won’t just let you capture any Pokemon you encounter during your journey–at least, not right away. While attempting to capture certain monsters, you’ll likely notice a message that says the Pokemon “won’t drop its guard.” So what does this mean, and how do you catch these Pokemon?

The short answer is you can’t. In a departure from previous games, Sword and Shield restrict the level of the wild Pokemon you can catch depending on how many badges you have. For example, if you have one badge, you can only catch wild Pokemon that are up to level 25. That means any time you attempt to capture a monster that’s above that level, you’ll see a message that the Pokemon won’t drop its guard.

Of course, just because you can’t catch these Pokemon doesn’t mean there isn’t an incentive to challenge them. If you’re confident in your battle skills, taking on these strong monsters will be a good source of experience points, and because Exp. Share is always enabled, every Pokemon in your party will reap some benefit from the encounter, even if it doesn’t directly participate in the battle. However, the disparity in levels can be pretty severe; you can encounter a wild Pokemon in the 50s while your party is still in the 20s, so exercise caution when challenging a strong-looking monster.

Pokemon Sword and Shield are available exclusively for Switch. If you’re not sure which version is right for you, we’ve broken down all the version-exclusive Pokemon and differences to help you decide. For our full thoughts on the games, be sure to read our Pokemon Sword and Shield review.

Every Pokemon game has those few Pokemon you just can’t figure out how to evolve. In Pokemon Sword and Shield, there’s one Pokemon in particular that doesn’t evolve through any existing means: Milcery, which evolves into the adorable Alcremie. Trading, evolutionary stones, and other evolution-related items don’t work on Milcery. Instead, it requires one of the strangest methods to evolve of any Pokemon to date.

First, you have to catch yourself a Milcery. They can be found on Route 4 outside Turffield, and you can only encounter them through the exclamation points that pop up as you walk through the tall grass–you won’t see one roaming the overworld. Once you have one, your next stop is one of the three Battle Cafes found throughout Galar. The Motostoke cafe is the easiest to beat, followed by the one in Hammerlocke and finally the one in Wyndon, but any of them will work.

One of the many rewards you can get from winning the daily battle at a cafe is a Sweet of some sort. So far, we’ve found a Berry Sweet, Strawberry Sweet, Love Sweet, and Flower Sweet–we’ll update this article if we find more. Each of these Sweets will have a description indicating that Milcery loves holding them, so give one to your Milcery and get ready for the weird part.

Simply giving a Sweet to a Milcery isn’t enough to evolve it. Rather, you have to spin the left analog stick in circles until your character does a fancy twirl followed by a pose–then Milcery will evolve into Alcremie. It seems the thinking here is that you have to stir heavy cream a bunch in order to make whipped cream… but regardless, you’ll get a form of Alcremie corresponding to the kind of Sweet you had it hold. As far as we can tell, it’s purely aesthetic, but the Pokedex will track and display each different form for you.

Alcremie has the potential to be a great support Pokemon in doubles matches, so it’s definitely worth the hassle; its signature move, Decorate, increases the Attack and Special Attack of another Pokemon on the field, which can be a boon in a number of situations. For more on Gen 8, be sure to read our Pokemon Sword and Shield review. For other weird evolutions, check out our guides on evolving Applin, Galarian Linoone, and Sinistea.