Ecosystem
The companies, rules and places the scene depends on.
CS2 update turns the bomb blast into a shockwave stopped by walls
A Valve update reworks the C4 explosion in Counter-Strike 2 and opens Premier Season 5, while Cache replaces Overpass in the Active Duty pool that ESL events follow.
IntegrityVAC bans and the CS2 Major: who is eligible and what a Banned Team is
How Valve's Major rulebook treats players with VAC bans: written approval, the Banned Team rule, forfeited winnings, discretionary disqualification and checks at the venue.
TechnologyXSE admits it was not ready for tech failures at Pro League Guangzhou
The organizer of the US$1 million XSE Pro League Guangzhou says a power outage delayed day two, dismissed the lead admin responsible and replaced practice PCs.
RegulationHow a 2019 Scandal Reshaped Esports Player Rights in Korea
South Korea's esports player protections, built after the 2019 Griffin scandal, now include standard contracts, arbitration and an international tribunal.
TechnologyValorant at the EWC 2026: peripherals, Paris servers and round rollbacks
Supplied PCs, a Paris tournament server, three kinds of pause and a coach's challenge: how the Esports World Cup rulebook handles the technical side of Valorant.
IntegrityRunning a licensed MLBB tournament: the integrity rules that come with it
How an outside organizer gets Moonton's license for a Mobile Legends: Bang Bang event, and what ESIC's codes then require of the organizer, its teams, players and staff.
TechnologyEsports World Cup 2026 sets up 500 AI cameras with OBSBOT in Paris
More than 500 AI-tracking cameras will film the four competition stages, player lounges, mixed zones and the Fan Fest of the Esports World Cup in Paris, its organizer says.
RegulationBrazil's ECA Digital: what the law says on loot boxes and age checks
How Brazil's Law 15,211 and its March 2026 decree define loot boxes, ban them for under-18s, require reliable age checks, and who enforces the penalties.
TechnologyRiot's Vanguard On-Demand lets League and Valorant PCs skip boot start
Riot Games lets PCs that pass a new Pre-Check run Vanguard only while League of Legends or Valorant is open, a mode Riot plans to keep optional outside the most competitive segments.
VenuesIEM Cologne Major drew 67,000 fans to the LANXESS arena and Palladium
ESL FACEIT Group counts 67,000 spectators from more than 75 countries over nine days of play in two sold-out Cologne buildings, well above its own forecast.
RegulationBrazilian court orders Riot to pay R$15 million over loot boxes
A children's court in Brasília found League of Legends loot boxes abusive toward minors and ordered R$15 million in collective damages. Riot can still appeal.
IntegrityWhat a coach may say at a CS2 Major, and when: the rule and its penalties
How the coaching rule works at a Counter-Strike 2 Major: who sits behind the players, the three moments a coach may speak, how timeouts are called and how breaches are punished.
PublishersMoonton makes ESIC rules a condition of every MLBB tournament license
Organizers who want Moonton's approval to run an official Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament must now write the Esports Integrity Commission's program into their rules.
IntegrityESL bars Legacy's coach from the rest of the IEM Cologne Major
ESL ruled on June 13 that Legacy coach adrrr may no longer coach at the IEM Cologne Major after repeated warnings for communicating with his players during rounds.
TechnologyBlack Ops 7 Season 04 limits PCs that fail remote attestation
From Season 04, Black Ops 7 and Warzone players on PC must pass a Microsoft cloud check of TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot, or play two playlists in a separate pool.
IntegrityLEC fines Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI after the Madrid Roadtrip
Riot's disciplinary record for the LEC lists €5,000 fines and warnings for Karmine Corp and Movistar KOI, and a €2,000 fine for Jojopyun, days before the two teams meet again.
TechnologyValve fixes CS2 spectator flash effect before the IEM Cologne Major
A Counter-Strike 2 update adds a setting for how strongly flashbangs blind spectators and moves the flash under the HUD, days before the IEM Cologne Major opens on June 2.
VenuesRiot builds a second stage in its Berlin arena for the LEC and VCT EMEA
A broadcast-only Studio Stage now sits beside the ticketed Arena Stage inside the Riot Games Arena, so the two European leagues can be produced at the same time.
VenuesWorlds 2026 tickets: Riot sets the Fan First presale for July 22
Fan First registration for Worlds 2026 runs from June 1 to June 30, with a presale for verified fans on July 22 and the general sale on July 24, all on Ticketmaster.
VenuesEsports World Cup 2026 names Paris Expo Porte de Versailles as its home
One week after the move from Riyadh, the Esports World Cup has its Paris venue. Tickets for all 25 competitions go on sale on Friday, May 29, sold game by game.