Esports News

Another week brings another wave on the Dota 2 roster shuffle across the professional landscape. Since our last recap, a lot has changed: Aydin "Insania" Sarkohi has retired, Team Liquid secured a strong offlane and support, and Maroun "GH" Merhej announced he’d be taking a break. On top of that, Chan "Oli" Chon Kien changed teams once again, Ivan "Pure" Moskalenko was benched and then picked up shortly after, Nikita "panto" Balaganin found a temporary new home, and Rodrigo "Lelis"more

League of Legends Patch 25.20 may have focused on setting the stage for Worlds 2025, but that doesn't mean it had no effect on Solo Queue. The latest update brought several important buffs and nerfs to champions, meaning it's time to adjust! If you're looking to rank up, then look no further. Here's our breakdown of the best champions to climb ranked in LoL Patch 25.20. Top Lane Sett During the laning phase, Sett can use a well-timed [W] Haymaker tomore

There's no doubt about it, Gen.G are the biggest favorites to win it all at Worlds 2025. The team is in an incredible run of form after winning MSI and the Esports World Cup earlier in the year, none of which would have been possible without their rock in the Mid Lane: Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon. Ahead of Gen.G's first game of the Swiss Stage, Strafe Esports had the chance to sit down with Chovy for an exclusive interview. During the conversation, the South Korean star was able to discuss Fearless Draft, his legacy, and the team's newest rising star. [Strafe] Gen.Gmore

Riot Games has rolled out its end-of-year balancing update with VALORANT Patch 11.08, introducing sweeping adjustments across agents, weapons, and maps. This patch marks a major step toward the developers’ long-term vision of maintaining VALORANT’s core tactical shooter identity while refining the balance between gunplay and abilities. According to the team, these changes aim to encourage “competitive dialogue,” creating more opportunities for adaptation and counterplay from round to round. Reinforcing Competitive Dialogue Over recent months, utility spam and aggressive abilitymore

VALORANT will see one of the biggest overhauls since its release with the upcoming Patch 11.08 scheduled for Wednesday, October 15th. The patch will introduce a plethora of agent changes, along with changes to two maps: Abyss and Pearl and major changes to SMGs and Rifles. We have covered the Agent changes in a different article. You can read it here. Map Changes The VALORANT Patch 11.08 map changes aim to “encourage more on-site play” on Abyss and Pearl. These changes rework covers within the site itself allowing for more active defense on both sides. Abyss Changes mainly focus onmore

In a Worlds Play-In Series like no other before, two titans – T1 and Invictus Gaming – clashed to kickstart Worlds 2025. While both teams qualified for the tournament, only one could continue their journey to the Swiss Stage and beyond. After a lengthy series, T1 succeeded in defeating IG in an electrifying Game 4 to close out the win, securing themselves a berth in the Swiss Stage. The Bo5 match was highly anticipated and delivered in all aspects. Whichmore

With their win over Invictus Gaming, T1 became the final team to qualify for the Swiss Stage of Worlds 2025. Immediately after their game, it was time for the draw, giving as some exciting clashes to kick off the first round of games. The race for the World Championship starts here: 16 teams arrive at the Swiss Stage, but only 8 will make it on to the playoffs for a shot at the trophy. Worlds 2025 Swiss Stage Draw Revealed The stage is set as the best League of Legends teams from all over the globe battle in Beijing, Chinamore

The League Awards are officially returning for their 2025 edition, once again hosted by Caedrel and Sjokz, the beloved duo who launched the groundbreaking inaugural event in 2024. This year’s ceremony will take place at the same venue as the Red Bull League of Its Own, held at Munich’s SAP Garden, but in a more intimate setting within the VIP area. This promises an exclusive atmosphere while continuing to celebrate the best of League of Legends esports and content. Bringingmore

The BLAST Slam IV is about to begin, and we’re bringing you a complete tournament preview. We’ll break down the lineup, explain how the tournament structure has changed for each stage, and tell you where to watch the matches live. At the same time, we’ll provide a full schedule for the Group Stage and highlight the most exciting matchups to keep an eye on. Finally, we’ll add some context behind each key encounter, including roster changes and past results thatmore

Sejuani is one of the most feared leaders of the Freljord. As the Iceborn warmother of the Winter’s Claw, she commands strength and discipline in a land where survival depends on power. Mounted on her drüvask boar, Bristle, she charges into battle wielding her True Ice flail, freezing and crushing those who stand against her. Her gameplay reflects this ferocity. Sejuani is a durable frontliner who controls fights through powerful crowd control and initiation tools. From jungle ganks to late-gamemore

The upcoming Year 10 Season 3.3 update for Rainbow Six Siege X introduces significant changes to several operators, aiming to refine gameplay balance and improve user experience. Ubisoft’s latest Designer’s Notes highlight adjustments based on statistical analysis, player feedback, and ongoing meta needs. Denari – Weapon Buffs and Ability Tweaks After reconsidering previous updates, Denari receives multiple revisions to restore her viability. The Glaive-12 shotgun, which underperformed in recent patches, is being extensively buffed. Damage is reverted and improved, ammomore

Every year, the League of Legends Worlds anthems are loving tributes to the fandom and players that form the esports ecosystem. This year, the 15-year anniversary of LoL Esports, is no different. In fact, Riot upped the wow factor with the highest number of references, easter eggs and tributes ever in a LoL music video. “Sacrifice” is the Worlds 2025 anthem. Delivered by Chinese artist G.E.M (鄧紫棋), the song perfectly pairs with the theme of this year’s competition – Earnmore

Starting October 15, Malta will host 8 teams for the Thunderpick World Championship 2025. The two stage, four day event will be a quick stop for the teams before they head to IEM Chengdu. Teams and Format Thunderpick World Championship features two stages: Group Stage: Eight teams will form two groups of four Each group plays a double-elimination bracket Only two teams qualify for each group All games are Bo3 Playoff Stage: 4-team Single Elimination Bracket Intergroup pairings All gamesmore

After a miraculous run that helped them clinch 4th place at EPL S22, FaZe Clan head to Shanghai for the CS Asia Championships 2025. The tournament marks the team’s debut with their new iteration featuring jcobbb and Twistzz. Let’s take a look at what CAC 2025 entails and what it means for FaZe Clan. CS Asia Championship 2025 Overview The Perfect World CS Asia Championship 2025 is a 5-day, 16-team, $400,000 tournament kicking off on October 14. Teams & Format Group Stage Two 8-team double-elimination brackets Three teams qualify from each group Group winners advance directly to the semifinals Openingmore

After a disappointing year in the LTA (the first and only of its kind), Cloud9 is ready to turn the page ahead of the North American league returning to the LCS brand for the 2026 season. According to a report by LCS Eevee, Cloud9 is set to bring Christian "IWDominate" Rivera back to the studio as the team's Strategic Coach. IWDominate Comes Home For those of you who haven't been around for that long, IWDominate used to be a household name in the LCS, competing in the league since 2014, only a year after the creation of the NA LCS.more

With the arrival of VALORANT S25 Act 6, we have a brand new skin bundle hitting the shop in two days. The Dolmir’s Revenge skinline will feature four weapons and a brand new dual wielding melee, hitting the store October 15th. Skins and Melee The Dolmir’s Revenge bundle features: Vandal Classic Odin Guardian Dolmir’s Judgement (Melee) Dolmir’s Revenge skinline is imbued with “fantasy and magic”, with a golem’esque finisher to top it all off.  The Dolmir’s Judgement is a dual wielded melee featuring a magic staff on the primary hand and an elemental sword on another. There are four variantsmore

Worlds 2025 is finally here, and the time has come to complete our final list of top players. As always, this list will be a reflection on these players' current form, capacity to perform under pressure, influence on their teams, champion pools, and Worlds meta affinity. Without further ado, let's take a look at the five best Mid Laners at Worlds 2025. 5. Zeka (HLE) There's no denying it, Kim "Zeka" Geon-woo has had his ups and downs. Whether you're talking career-wise or simply throughout this specific year, Zeka has shown the highest of highs, but also some rather lowmore

The Start of a New Dark Aether Story Der Anfang (German for “The Beginning”) marks a new chapter in the Call of Duty: Vanguard Zombies storyline. It is part of the Dark Aether Saga, first introduced in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. Acting as a prequel to Die Maschine, Der Anfang introduces new lore, characters, and gameplay systems that expand the Zombies formula while keeping its dark, supernatural roots. The story centers around Oberführer Wolfram Von List, amore

Disguised Toast’s League of Legends team will be back on the NA mainstage next year! DSG has won the Promotion Tournament over Luminosity Gaming, punching their ticket to the rebranded LCS 2026. Reflecting on the First Year in the LTA With the LTA 2025 announcement, Riot Games also confirmed the inclusion of DSG as a guest team in the league. Unfortunately, the year did not go as expected. DSG were matched against 100 Thieves and Dignitas during the first split, losingmore

Right after The International 2025, the roster shuffle brought a wave of new lineups and fresh team dynamics to the competitive Dota 2 scene. Among the many teams adapting to this transitional moment, Heroic seized the opportunity to rise above the competition and dominate FISSURE Universe Episode 7. Their victory marks the first championship of the 2026 season, a strong statement that this new iteration of their roster has the potential to rise to higher positions on the competitive ranking.more