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ENCE bring allu back as head coach of its Counter-Strike team
ENCE named former player allu head coach on June 9, four days after parting ways with Whitey. The young roster promoted from the academy in April stays under evaluation.
CareersP-1S visa explained for esports coaches and support staff
Coaches, interpreters and other staff who travel with athletes have their own US classification, P-1S. What USCIS requires, how long a stay lasts and what stays open case by case.
EducationUNIVERSITY Esports Masters marks ten years with a 14-country final
GGTech's university championship for Europe, the Middle East and Africa returns for its tenth edition, with national champions from 14 countries playing Valorant and League of Legends online in July.
SalariesFrance's esports player contract: one to five years, pay in writing
France gives salaried esports players a contract of their own, open only to approved teams. How the approval works, how long the contract runs, what it must say and what it protects.
RevenueListed esports companies: where NIP, OverActive and GameSquare earn
The owners of Ninjas in Pyjamas, Movistar KOI and FaZe Clan publish their accounts. How each one groups its revenue, and where the income of its teams sits in it.
SponsorshipsBYD takes the LPL's car slot left empty by Mercedes-Benz
China's League of Legends league has named BYD an official partner for 2026 through its Ocean brand, five months after Mercedes-Benz dropped off the sponsor list.
PlayersG2 opens a Performance Lab to study how esports players are developed
G2 Esports has announced a research platform backed by Red Bull, with two universities, four areas of work and a first project on leadership among its coaches and staff.
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.
Prize MoneyCounter-Strike Major sticker money: how it reaches teams and players
Beside its prize pool, a Counter-Strike Major pays teams through the sale of stickers. How that money was shared under capsules, and the formula Valve applies from Cologne.
AcademiesFaZe Clan launch FaZe Up Next, a CS2 academy team coached by gade
FaZe Clan unveiled an academy roster, FaZe Up Next, on June 3, with former professional gade as coach and RobbaN as head of Counter-Strike for the division.
PlayersIEM Cologne 2026 Shows the Five-to-Seven-Year Career Myth Is Dead
From 16-year-old s1zzi to 36-year-old karrigan, the IEM Cologne 2026 Major field shows veteran and teenage Counter-Strike 2 players competing side by side.
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.
OrganizationsTundra Esports exits Dota 2 as its whole roster moves to 1win
Tundra Esports left competitive Dota 2 on June 1 without giving a reason. Its five players, coach and staff continue together under the 1win Team name.
AcademiesParken Challenger Championship folds, cancelling nine CS2 events
The company behind Copenhagen's Parken Challenger Championship has started bankruptcy proceedings and cancelled its nine remaining 2026 events, five weeks after announcing an expansion.
Prize MoneySpirit forfeit a projected US$420,550 ESL club share after skipping Atlanta
ESL has confirmed that Team Spirit lose their 2026 share of its Annual Club Incentive after a third declined invitation in two years, the one to IEM Atlanta.
RostersBetBoom start the Cologne Major without S1ren as d1Ledez steps in
BetBoom announced on May 31 that S1ren misses at least the first day of the IEM Cologne Major. Registered substitute d1Ledez plays, and the rules allow one swap back.
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.
PlayersIEM Cologne Major 2026: 31 players make their Major debut
HLTV counts 31 first-time players at the IEM Cologne Major, which opens on June 2. Five teams bring 21 of them, and two start in the last group stage.
TournamentsBIG's vic0 and Malibuca Win the FNCS Major 1 Summit in Düsseldorf
BIG's duo of vic0 and Malibuca won the first FNCS Summit held in Germany, taking $250,000 and a spot at the Fortnite Global Championship.
CreatorsESL names 17 broadcast talent for the IEM Cologne Major 2026
Presenters, five analysts and four casting pairs will carry the broadcast of the Cologne Major from June 2, with a former GamerLegion coach making his analyst debut.