Esports

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• Latest news Stage play 'Game of Thrones: The Mad King' reexamines Aerys, Harrenhal and the Rebellion

  A new stage play titled Game of Thrones: The Mad King, written by Duncan Macmillan and directed by Dominic Cooke, dramatizes the final days of King Aerys II. The production centers on the Harrenhal jousting tournament and the events that ignite Robert's Rebellion. It provides a focused prequel perspective that directly revisits and expands the backstory behind the TV series' central conflict.

• Latest news Marvel Tokon praised for anime-style combat as writer calls for 10 roster additions

  A writer says they enjoyed playing Marvel Tokon despite some frustrations. The game reimagines Marvel superheroes in an anime style and stages fights the writer compares to Dragon Ball. The writer, a longtime superhero fan, recommends adding ten overlooked characters to expand the roster and appeal.

• Latest news Unlock Champion by completing a specific Episode and defeating him in multiple battles

  Champion is a secret, high-power fighter in Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls who is not available at the start of the game. Players must finish a particular Episode and then beat Champion across several difficult encounters to add him to their roster. The unlocking process is time-consuming and requires repeatedly overcoming challenging fights, delaying access for new players.

• Latest news Marvel Rivals adds The Hood — gunner Vanguard with ranged and close options

  The Hood joins Marvel Rivals as a gunner-class Vanguard who can either poke from range with teammate cover or engage in close-quarters combat. His kit includes active abilities, an Ultimate, passive effects, and Team-Up synergies. He changes frontline dynamics by adding a darker, more versatile playstyle option to the roster.

• Latest news Marvel Rivals Season 9.5 adds villain The Hood as playable character

  Marvel Rivals is about to roll out its Season 9.5 update, which introduces The Hood as a new playable character. The update also brings new in-game events and expanded lore. This continues the live-service game's rapid content cadence following Season 9's addition of Jubilee and expands options for players who prefer villain characters.

• Latest news Marvel Rivals adds The Hood — a demon-armed Vanguard voiced by WWE's Damian Priest

  Marvel Rivals is adding The Hood as part of Season 9.5: The Mystery of Thebes. The Hood, voiced by WWE star Damian Priest (Luis Berrios), is a Vanguard who toggles between human and demon forms and uses pistols, protective shields, and dark-magic orbs that debuff enemies. His Ultimate transforms him into a 'Gun Demon' — a walking arsenal that pierces enemy defenses and bears a strong visual resemblance to Chainsaw Man’s Gun Devil. The update arrives as Marvel Rivals’ Summer Festival begins on August 13.

• Latest news Refactor Games lays off 85% of staff after Netflix’s FIFA World Cup game launch

  Refactor Games cut 85% of its workforce — roughly 80 people — two months after Netflix released FIFA World Cup Launch Edition in June. Co-owner Delphi Interactive pulled funding after the launch, and affected employees were notified on July 31 and received no severance pay, with their last day coinciding with a company payday. The cloud game features all 48 tournament teams, 1,238 players and 16 stadiums, received poor reviews, yet Netflix described it as one of its most successful cloud-game launches without providing metrics.

• Latest news Warzone Resurgence Series at Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris with $1M prize

  The Warzone Resurgence Series Championship takes place in Paris as part of the Esports World Cup 2026, offering a $1 million prize pool. The four-day event runs across three stages and features top squads including defending champions Twisted Minds. Twisted Minds return with Almond joined by Blazt and Shifty, while Team Falcons — Hisoka, Newbzz and Dongy — arrive after consecutive WRS wins at DreamHack Birmingham and Atlanta, making them leading contenders.

• Latest news Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls final trailer teases quip-happy Deadpool, launches Aug. 6

  Arc System Works released a final trailer for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls ahead of the game's Aug. 6 launch. The trailer spotlights the story mode in which the Champion of the Universe stages a tournament to decide Earth's fate and features a quip-heavy Deadpool. Comic writer Kieron Gillen penned the story mode and the game will include 20 playable characters.

• Latest news Arcane heads current Arknights: Endfield banner; next casts revealed

  Arknights: Endfield is running a Headhunting banner that currently features the Operator Arcane. Headhunting and Arsenal Exchange banners rotate every few weeks and let players obtain new Operators for their rosters. The lineup of characters set to appear after Arcane has been announced, allowing players to plan future pulls and resource allocation.

• Latest news Ashlay, Gaimin Gladiators reached MLBB world final; North America lacks events

  Ashley “Ashlay” Ann and Gaimin Gladiators finished second at the 2025 Esports World Cup Women’s Invitational, becoming the first North American team to reach an international Mobile Legends: Bang Bang final. The roster included four American players — Ashlay, Nicole “Nicholette” Huang, Cindy “Panda” Zhou and Jessica Qi-Yao “Sayori” Cao — but competitive play for most of them largely stopped after that result. North America offers only a single annual route to international MLBB competition, leaving few regional events to sustain momentum or careers. This gap limits exposure and development for NA pros despite breakthrough international results.

• Latest news Marvel Rivals: 100+ achievements, rewards and costume customization

  Marvel Rivals features over 100 achievements to unlock, each offering rewards. The game includes a roster of more than 50 characters from across the multiverse. Some characters have alternate looks that can be changed using Costumes.

• Latest news Snap brings live Snapchat Lenses to Esports World Cup Paris arena screens

  Attendees at Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris can point their phones at arena video boards to interact with live Snapchat Lenses. Snap integrated its CamKit technology directly into venue screens, a first for the tournament and Snap's largest EWC activation to date. The partnership with the Esports Foundation covers the Paris event, which runs through August 23, 2026.

• Latest news Where to find Nightstar Sand on Feybreak Island (Palworld)

  Nightstar Sand spawns on the light-colored sandy beaches of Feybreak Island in Palworld. It shows up as yellow glowing circles on the ground and is collected by interacting with them. You can pick it up while riding a ground Pal, but air rockets or flying Pals must be disabled or avoided.

• Latest news Counters and tactics for Cyclops in Marvel Rivals

  Cyclops is a recent addition to Marvel Rivals whose optic blasts provide both offensive and defensive options. His kit makes him a challenging opponent in the current meta. Effective counters focus on evasion, closing distance, disrupting his beam, and exploiting positional play.

• Latest news MLBB MSC 2026 in Paris: July 22–Aug 1, $1M prize

  The Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Mid Season Cup 2026 is part of the Esports World Cup in Paris from July 22 to August 1. Sixteen teams will compete for a $1 million champions' prize. Defending champions Team Liquid PH headline the field alongside Team Vitality, ONIC, Team Falcons PH and Selangor Red Giants.

• Latest news PUBG Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris — 24 teams, two-stage format

  PUBG: Battlegrounds returns to the Esports World Cup in 2026, held in Paris through the end of July. The event features 24 teams competing across a two-stage structure: Group Stage leading into the Grand Finals. Matches span six days of battle‑royale play; schedule, teams, results and viewing information are available.

• Latest news VARREL signs sponsorship with Bic Camera to boost Japanese esports

  Japanese esports organization VARREL has secured a sponsorship deal with retail chain Bic Camera aimed at expanding competitive gaming in Japan. The partnership covers VARREL's participation in domestic and international tournaments as well as community outreach, fan events and broadcasts. Financial terms and the length of the agreement were not disclosed.

• Latest news Lenovo shifts esports spend from team sponsorships to tournaments

  Lenovo has stopped funding individual esports teams and is redirecting sponsorship dollars toward tournaments. The company says tournaments offer broader exposure than team deals. Volker Düring, Lenovo’s VP and GM for the Intelligent Device Group, framed the change as consistent with its wider sports sponsorship approach.

• Latest news Esports World Cup says 100,000 tickets sold for Paris debut, venue capacity questioned

  Organizers of the Esports World Cup announced 100,000 tickets have been sold for the event's Paris debut. CEO Ralf Reichert revealed the figure at a July 8 press conference. The event is set for Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, whose listed capacities raise questions about how that many attendees will be accommodated. This edition is the tournament's first run outside Saudi Arabia after a last‑minute city change.

• Latest news France Télévisions to air daily Esports World Cup highlights in Paris

  France Télévisions will broadcast a daily highlights show, “La Minute EWC,” during the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris. The tournament runs July 6–August 23 and the daily segment begins July 7, airing across the full seven weeks. European promoter N.E.O. brokered the partnership and will handle production.

• Latest news Star Wars: Unlimited Galactic Championship 2026 set for Las Vegas; prize list revealed

  Polygon published the full prize list for the upcoming Star Wars: Unlimited Galactic Championship. The three-day organized-play event, a few weeks away, will be held in Las Vegas and will crown a Galactic Champion. Players from around the world will compete, and attendees can claim exclusive in-person rewards and collectibles.

• Latest news Total War: Warhammer revives Archaon Chaos invasion in Lords of the End Times

  Archaon's classic endgame invasion is returning as a genuine global threat in the Lords of the End Times expansion. The Everchosen will be functionally immortal thanks to a very high ward save until players weaken his Chaos host. The change and related content — including a Vampire Counts rework and a Glottkin preview — were revealed in a recent Total War livestream.

• Latest news ESIC names Runestone official data partner in multi-year integrity deal

  The Esports Integrity Commission has appointed Runestone as its Official Data Partner in a multi-year agreement. Runestone will provide real-time data analysis and integrity monitoring across circuits and titles under ESIC's remit. Its systems will flag irregular wagering and suspicious in-game behavior and produce evidence for ESIC investigations and disciplinary actions.