Ecosystem
The companies, rules and places the scene depends on.
ESL returns to China with IEM Beijing 2026 at the Biohyalux ECM Arena
IEM Beijing 2026 brings 16 Counter-Strike 2 teams and US$1,250,000 to Wukesong from November 2 to 8, with fans on all six days of play and a 360-degree stage.
PublishersRiot names onethreefive gaming operator of the DACH Prime League
Six months after Freaks 4U Gaming entered insolvency proceedings, Riot Games has licensed a new Berlin company to run the Techniker Prime League in 2026 and 2027.
VenuesPUBG Global Championship 2026 will be played in Istanbul in December
Krafton's PUBG Esports named Istanbul as host of the PGC 2026, December 1 to 13, with 32 teams, US$1.5 million plus crowdfunding and one seed kept for a team of Turkiye.
RegulationThe salary floor of Germany's esports visa rule for foreign players
Germany lets clubs hire foreign esports players without the employment agency's approval, on three conditions. This guide explains the age rule, the 2026 pay floor and the federation's role.
VenuesPGL Lodz 2027 brings a Counter-Strike 2 event to Atlas Arena in March
Atlas Arena in Lodz will host the final three days of PGL Lodz 2027, a 16-team Counter-Strike 2 event from March 18 to 28, 2027, the venue announced on May 17.
RegulationPlaying a US tournament for prize money only: the B-1 visa rule
The US State Department lets consular officers issue a business visitor visa to athletes paid only in prize money. What its manual requires, who it covers and how it differs from P-1.
IntegrityESIC closes the SENZA case with six sanctions and a US$20,000 penalty
ESIC ruled on April 30 on the former SENZA roster: two years for byek over account sharing, 12 months for five players who did not cooperate, and a team penalty.
TechnologyRocket League now requires Easy Anti-Cheat for online play on PC
From April 28, 2026, Rocket League on PC runs Easy Anti-Cheat for every online match. Mods stay available offline, and new tools arrive for broadcasts.
RegulationIndia's New Online Gaming Rules Separate Esports From Betting
India's Online Gaming Rules 2026, effective May 1, formally separate esports from real-money gaming and require registration with a new regulator.
RegulationIndia's 2026 gaming rules make esports titles register with a new body
India's IT ministry has notified rules that create the Online Gaming Authority of India from May 1. Every game offered as an esport must register with it.
IntegrityESIC Hands Former OG Player Taiga a Lifetime Match-Fixing Ban
The Esports Integrity Commission banned retired Dota 2 player Tommy 'Taiga' Le for life after he declined to cooperate with a match-fixing investigation.
IntegrityESIC issues a lifetime ban after an on-stage assault at a German LAN
ESIC banned German player MAUschine for life on April 21 after an assault on stage at the CAGGTUS Leipzig LAN party. He had already been banned for 10 years from DACH CS Masters and Fragster.
IntegrityHow an ESIC case works: from provisional suspension to appeal
A step-by-step guide to the Esports Integrity Commission's procedure: the duty to cooperate, provisional suspension, the charge, the hearing, the sanction ranges and the appeal.
PublishersHow Mobile Legends esports is organized in five regions in 2026
Moonton's 2026 road map splits Mobile Legends esports into five regions. Here is where the national leagues sit, how the world championship is reached and which events are planned.
VenuesBLAST takes the first Open of its 2027 CS2 season to Singapore
BLAST Open Singapore will open the organizer's 2027 Counter-Strike 2 Opens in March, with a US$400,000 pool of acceptance fees for the teams it invites.
RegulationUS tax on prize money for foreign players: the 30 percent withholding
Prize money won in the United States by a foreign player can be taxed before it is paid. How the IRS withholding rule works, which forms are involved and where a treaty changes the rate.
VenuesAichi Sky Expo signs on as the esports venue of the 2026 Asian Games
The Aichi-Nagoya organizers have signed a venue agreement with Aichi Sky Expo, the airport exhibition center that will host esports at the 2026 Asian Games.
PublishersRiot Scraps VCT League Play for Open Tournament Model in 2027
Riot Games will replace VCT's regular league seasons with open-qualified Cup tournaments starting in 2027, opening Masters and Champions to any team.
RegulationKorea amends its esports law so local governments can found teams
South Korea's National Assembly passed an amendment to the E-Sports Promotion Act on March 31, giving local governments a legal basis for teams, events and youth programs.
PublishersRiot postpones the NLC Spring Split to late April after operator exit
Riot Games has pushed back the spring season of Northern Europe's League of Legends regional league while it looks for a new tournament organizer, format and dates.