Update 90 is here, and Talking Trek is diving headfirst into the May 2026 Starfleet Academy arc preview. DJz, Tarpy, and the community break down Duo Wave Defense, the new Ops 61+ cooperative mode featuring training drones, combat drones, repair drones, Venari Rall hostiles, new currencies, new mitigation concerns, and a whole lot of “wait, does that actually work?” energy.

We also dig into the major battle pass changes coming this arc, including the new Mythic track, the 27-day battle pass structure, Flash Pass changes, Broken Desealing Rod sourcing, the end of overflow events, the loss of choice rewards, and the new temporary build queue included with battle pass purchases. Plus, we wrap up the previous arc, talk officer bugs, outpost issues, content creator playtesting, and spend a few heated minutes on the latest Incursions format.

Whether you’re Ops 61+, sitting at Ops 60 and debating the jump, or just trying to figure out what Scopely is cooking this month, this episode breaks down the good, the weird, and the “somebody please check the math” of Update 90.

00:59 Show open and server sound off
03:33 Tarpy joins, Griffin update, and cow video progress
06:10 Twitch updates, PPP push, and tier three chat chaos
09:52 Arc wrap-up begins: how bad was the last month?
11:43 Performance, lag, officer bugs, and outpost frustration
14:09 Scopely’s officer bug communication and no ETA
16:24 Progression tax, broken loops, and why DJz keeps pushing anyway
18:32 Nostril waxing, headaches, and stream aftermath
19:20 What playtesting actually looks like for content creators
21:36 Existing wave defense bugs and the “arcfall is the second test” joke
25:15 Previewing the May 2026 Update 90 arc
26:00 Official Duo Wave Defense video begins
31:18 DJz reacts: what looks good and what feels weird
33:12 Junker confusion and why solo wave defense research matters
34:23 Duo Wave Defense central entity health and Prime carryover
36:39 Broken cube behavior shows up in the preview video
37:29 Shield icons, hostile threat levels, and damage priority
39:38 Repair drones as a “choice hostile” mechanic
40:41 New currencies: Engineering, Science, and Command credits
42:10 Critical Training, massive crit damage, and mitigation concerns
45:37 True critical mitigation returns in a new form
50:41 Combat drones, guaranteed damage, and strategy choices
1:00:32 Tooltip confusion and repair drone healing clarification
1:10:01 Engineering credits, simulation codes, and Starfleet Academy rewards
1:11:21 Class Honors, Remote Campus upgrades, and “what are laurels?”
1:20:08 Why this arc is Ops 61+ and what that means for G6/G7 players
1:22:17 Mid-ops expands up to Ops 60
1:22:45 Battle pass changes, overflow removal, and desealing rod sourcing
1:25:13 Mythic track pricing and pass purchase options
1:29:04 The 27-day battle pass and Flash Pass merger explained
1:32:48 No more choice rewards, at least for this month
1:37:06 Why choice tokens may have been removed
1:43:16 Battle pass math, value concerns, and what still needs proof
1:50:03 Why the $100 option may become the best value
1:56:27 Rentable build queue debate begins
1:59:17 How the temporary builder should actually work
2:02:11 Extra builder as a progression accelerator
2:10:00 New officer discussion and niche wave defense value
2:16:18 Incursions segment begins, brief but spicy
2:20:05 DJz calls this the weakest version of Incursions yet
2:23:02 Tarpy explains why the new format helped alliance leadership
2:30:02 Should Ops 60 players go to Ops 61 before the battle pass?
2:37:25 Final questions and show wrap-up
2:38:33 Website, YouTube shorts, Patreon, and closing plugs
2:40:26 Meow for now

Update 90 Preview: Duo Wave Defense, Mythic Battle Pass & Incursions Rage | Talking Trek