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Falcons take the top of HLTV's world ranking from Vitality
HLTV's Counter-Strike ranking of June 29, 2026 lists Falcons first with 883 points, 60 ahead of Vitality, eight days after the team won the IEM Cologne Major. Three weeks earlier it was fourth.
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.
CreatorsValorant community tournament rules: what creator events may do
Riot rewrote the rules for Valorant events it does not run. What a creator or community organizer may charge, stream and name, which sponsors are barred and what Riot keeps.
TournamentsOpTic Texas Beat LA Thieves 4-3 to Win Call of Duty League Major 4
OpTic Texas won its first trophy of the Call of Duty League's 2026 season, beating LA Thieves 4-3 in front of the biggest LAN crowd in league history.
CoachesCloud9 promotes IWDominate to head coach as Inero leaves the LCS staff
Cloud9 rebuilt its League of Legends staff for the LCS Summer Split: Inero leaves, IWDominate becomes head coach, and Arrow and YamatoCannon join as assistants.
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.
TransfersG2 sign r1nkle off the NIP bench as their new AWPer
G2 completed the signing of r1nkle from Ninjas in Pyjamas on June 25, the day SunPayus was benched. Where the deal leaves G2's five, its academy snipers and the selling club.
Media RightsRiot adds Kick for LoL, Valorant and TFT broadcasts from MSI 2026
Riot Games said on June 26 that Kick joins its streaming platforms from MSI 2026, with live broadcasts in three games and co-streaming, outside China and Korea.
RostersG2 bench SunPayus after one year and a Major quarter-final exit
G2 moved its AWPer SunPayus to the bench on June 25, six days after losing to Spirit at the IEM Cologne Major. The club gave no reason and named r1nkle the same day.
PlayersIEM Cologne Major 2026: HLTV ranks its 11 best players and All-Stars
HLTV ranked the 11 standout players of the IEM Cologne Major on June 25, 2026, led by MVP m0NESY, and named a five-man All-Star lineup capped at three per team.
LeaguesVCT Americas Stage 2: Challengers teams enter, Finals go to São Paulo
Riot Games has published the guide to VCT Americas Stage 2: it starts July 16, sends eight league teams into a Play-In with four Challengers teams and ends in São Paulo on September 6.
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.
TransfersGeekay Esports sign Alpha54 and rebuild for the Last Chance Qualifier
Geekay Esports completed a new Rocket League trio on June 24 with Alpha54, after mtzr, both from Kaydop Corp. Only TempoH stays from the Split 2 roster.
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.
Prize MoneyEsports World Cup 2026: the prize pool of each game, compared
From US$3 million for Mobile Legends to US$500,000 for Trackmania: what each game pays at the Esports World Cup 2026 in Paris, and how much goes to the winner.
BettingGRID supplies official esports data and streams to Polymarket
Data company GRID has announced a partnership with Polymarket: official match data, visualizations and live streams for the prediction market's esports hub. No value or term is given.
PlayersLEC rulebook 3.1 rewrites pause rules and medical clearance for players
Version 3.1 of the LEC rulebook, dated June 22, redraws when a player may stop a game, treats every disconnect as intentional and shortens the medical evaluation pause.
CareersThe Esports Jobs Paying Real Salaries Beyond Playing Pro
Data analysts average $82,640 and coaches $61,121 a year in the US esports industry, as roles beyond pro play mature into structured, salaried careers.
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.
TournamentsFalcons win the IEM Cologne Major, NiKo's first on his 17th attempt
Falcons beat FURIA 3-0 in the grand final of the IEM Cologne Major on June 21, 2026. It is the organization's first Major title, won after series against Vitality and Spirit.