Players jumped straight into the Fate of the Vaal league with Path of Exile 2’s patch 0.4, and the new Druid class stole the spotlight right away. Bear form setups, like Walking Calamity Bear Shaman, ramp up rage for massive slams that clear packs during acts and early maps without fancy gear.
Furious Wellspring keeps rage high, pairing with skills such as Furious Slam for consistent boss pressure that feels rewarding from level one.
Wolf shapeshifts on Oracle bring cold snaps through Lunar Assault and Shred, freezing foes while Herald of Ice triggers chain explosions across screens.
This style suits fast movers who chain kills in tight spaces or open zones, with Bhatair’s Vengeance adding a cold punch on chilled targets. Community ladders show these wolves hitting maps quickly, proving their edge over slower starters.
Wyvern flame breath on Shaman generates power charges for Oil Barrage volleys that melt uniques, turning campaign bosses into quick wins.
The form’s ranged options and rage synergy make it forgiving for newcomers testing league mechanics. Guides note that the transition to mid-maps stays smooth, as basic uniques amplify the fire without rare crafts.
Poison Paths and Grenade Blasts Race Ladders
Pathfinder took Ranger buffs to new heights in 0.4, with Toxic Growth now leaping smoothly to stack poisons that spread via support gems free of old limits.
A sprint rune grants 25 percent more speed, doubling under essences, and blocks knockdowns for temple runs that lap the field. Players report this as the top farmer, handling all content on starter budgets while scaling into endgame.
Early damage shines in acts, with Flash Grenade blinds adding safety against Vaal packs. Flexibility across classes like Pathfinder keeps them viable, as ladders fill with grenade users pushing leaderboards.
Path of Exile (Credit: IGN)
Lightning Arrow Deadeye held firm despite single-target DPS dropping to 10 million from prior peaks, keeping its screen-wide clears intact for map spam. Crossbow variants on Witchhunter trade some speed for tankiness via shock bursts. These bow styles thrive for players chasing pace over raw power, with minimal gear needs.
Spark Stability and Lich Reliability Anchor Meta
Spark Stormweaver casters deliver reliable coverage that fills screens from low levels, dodging mana woes and scaling steadily into bosses.
Stormweaver’s layers protect against surprises, making it a go-to for consistent progression without meta chases. Feedback calls it plug-and-play, ideal for testing Fate of the Vaal without restarts.
Essence Drain Lich spreads Contagion chains backed by Dark Effigy, dodging most nerfs for steady chaos DoT that solos tough spots.
Pack size tweaks barely dent its efficiency, keeping it popular for measured rotations. Blood Mage plants with Entangle vines offer another low-gear caster path, shocking via Thunderstorm for crit impales.
Shield Wall Titan warriors buffed up for hardcore viability, stacking defenses that let softcore players facetank hits. Bleed Spear Blood Mage sneaks in as an underrated boss killer with map competence.
As ladders settle, these picks balance the flashier Druids , giving options for every pace. PoE2’s Poe. Ninja and Mobalytics tier lists confirm S-ranks across these, with Druid and Pathfinder flooding the top spots.
Shoppers showed up at Costco locations expecting toilet paper runs, only to find pallets stacked with Nike SB Dunk Lows branded Kirkland Signature.
The drop landed January 30, 2026, across nine spots from New York to California, with each store getting around 500 pairs under product code 1907597. Videos captured crowds snaking around aisles, members flashing cards for their one-pair limit, as staff handed out sizes amid the scramble.
No advance buzz from Nike or Costco fueled the shock factor. Rumors swirled since early 2024 leaks, pointing to a possible December 2025 launch or even Asia-only exclusivity, but reality struck US warehouses instead.
Brooklyn’s Costco drew national eyes with lines wrapping the block, people checking StockX apps mid-queue to gauge flips. One Reddit thread ballooned into a megathread , users posting hauls and gripes about resellers dominating pallets.
The gray fog upper mimics Kirkland’s hoodie fabric, complete with suede panels and a black outsole accented by gym red Nike SB tabs.
Insoles pack photoreal Kirkland graphics hiding a $1.50 hot dog label nod, while heels stamp “Kirkland Signature” branding. Extra laces in white, black, red, and striped gray let owners customize beyond the heather set.
Sneakerheads Flip Bulk Buy Into Quick Cash
Retail tags at $134.99 made these Dunks an instant value play compared to standard SB releases, often north of $150. Yet resale sites lit up fast: StockX listings climbed to $330 lowest ask by January 31, with some sizes pushing $400 as flippers cashed in. Brooklyn buyers eyed apps right there in line, calculating profits before lacing up.
This mashup flips Nike’s street cred against Costco’s everyday grind. Kirkland evokes value packs and membership perks, now fused into a silhouette born from 1980s skate roots.
Forums buzz with mixed takes: purists call it genius normcore irony, others slam resellers killing access for true fans. Nike, under new leadership, shifts from retro hype to performance, yet collabs like this prove lifestyle drops still pack stadiums.
Kirkland X Nike Costco SB Dunk (Credit: Nike)
Limited run amps scarcity. Stores like Queens at 32-50 Vernon Blvd, Portland’s 4849 NE 138th Ave, and Kirkland, WA’s 8629 120th Ave NE confirm no restocks planned. San Francisco’s 450 10th St and LA spots in Los Feliz and Laguna Niguel saw similar rushes, turning family shops into sneaker hunts.
Collab Roots and What Flip Culture Means Now
Whispers of this tie-up trace to 2024 image leaks, building hype through meme pages and sneaker blogs doubting it’d drop.
Nike SB thrives on bold pairings, from Travis Scott to Polar Skate Co, but Kirkland’s understated bulk vibe stands apart. The design pulls from Costco boxes and fleece staples, blending warehouse culture with Dunk legacy for viral appeal.
Social feeds exploded post-drop. Instagram reels broke down hidden tags mimicking Executive Membership cards, TikToks showed unboxings with pivot-circle treads for skate grip.
Reddit users debated quality against fakes flooding markets, noting replicas hurt casual buyers but boost authentic resale. One Portland commenter snagged a pair for dad vibes, not flips, highlighting split motives in the rush.
Bigger picture questions resale dominance. With 500 pairs per spot vanishing fast , everyday members vent frustration at pros buying limits to scalp. Nike’s strategy mixes nostalgia with surprise, echoing past Dunks that defined hype eras. Costco stays silent on online sales, keeping it in-store exclusive, which spikes desirability.
