ESI business roundup: BLAST’s Mongolian expansion, Riot Games considers prediction market deals, 1xBet extends PGL partnership
The world of esports business never slows down. Whether it’s tournament organizers expanding their presence into new markets or organizations inking deals with new sponsors to supp...
Data.Bet joins surge into short-term crypto markets to supplement esports betting
Sportsbook supplier Data.Bet is now offering clients short-term crypto and commodity prediction markets to supplement its esports betting product. The markets will allow users to w...
Jack Williams on iTero, GIANTX, and the future of AI coaching in esports
iTero, the AI-powered coaching app from GIANTX (formerly XL Esports) recently hit the 1,000,000 download milestone. The milestone comes after an impressive period of growth followi...
VALORANT vs. MLBB: Which game dominates women’s esports?
Women’s esports has two clear centers of gravity. VALORANT has spent five years building Game Changers into a global circuit with regional competitions, open qualifiers, and an ann...
Should VCT change its qualification rules after Masters London champion Leviatán missed out on Champions Shanghai?
Last weekend’s VCT Americas matches sparked heated discussions within the global VALORANT esports community. With LOUD’s successful dark horse run in the Stage 2 Lower Playoffs Bra...
“It pains me to say, I don't think the esports market is there yet”: ROLR CEO on esports betting in the U.S. and standing out in the betting market
From age 12, Seth Young got into competitive gaming. He said it became serious between the ages of 17 and 22 when he rose through the ranks in CS2 and got paid to play. While he st...
BETBY bringing slots betting to esports for continuous gameplay
Sportsbook supplier BETBY has launched SlotBets, a new interface that could turn esports betting into a casino style slot game experience. “SlotBets transforms live sports an...
Eight players to watch at VALORANT Champions Shanghai
VALORANT Champions Shanghai arrives at the end of a 2026 season that has refused to settle on a single dominant team, region, or even a definitive player. That unpredictability has...
Can MSI performance predict Worlds success?
Every year, the Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) gives us what should be our first proper answer to one of League of Legends’ biggest questions: who is actually the best team in the w...
“I wish I was better”: The downfall of Fnatic's VALORANT team
For many years, Fnatic was considered the strongest team in the VCT EMEA circuit. With two international trophies under its belt and countless global VCT appearances, Fnatic’s cons...
Here's what Super Smash Bros. 6 needs for the esports scene to grow
There's a Nintendo Direct tomorrow (September 9th) and there's a rumor that we will get the first confirmation that Super Smash Bros. 6 is on the way. This isn't really a big surpr...
Who really owns The International? A regional analysis of TI history
The International has always sold Dota 2 as a global competition, yet the teams carrying each region's banner have rarely been national squads. Instead, rosters have usually compri...
How MLBB built an esports empire across Southeast Asia
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) launched globally in 2016 and found extraordinary success in Southeast Asia (SEA), becoming one of the region's biggest mobile esports titles. Even...
Esports players know how to compete, but esports orgs need to teach them how to behave
On August 28th, VCT China organization FunPlus Phoenix issued a statement announcing that it had “terminated all cooperation” with its IGL and controller, Blendi “kovaQ”...
VALORANT’s strongest teams in each region before Champions Shanghai
As the dust settles on the 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) Stage 2 events, we turn our attention to the crowning event of the year: Champions Shanghai. At the heart of the discu...
“I have always worried about the livelihood of Tier 2″: 2026 World Star Challengers Invitational gives hope and opportunity to struggling Tier 2 ecosystem
The changes to League of Legends’ Tier 2 system have long been whispered about, but the lack of commitment has created a regional imbalance among teams. Riot has now made its first...
Dota 2’s biggest winners don’t play Dota 2 anymore, they trade it
The International brought together the top 16 Dota 2 teams in the world, with Team Vision lifting the Aegis of Champions. The total prize pool was $3.32 million, but the top 10 tra...
Latest patch has FGC saying Nintendo can't leave competitive Super Smash Bros. Ultimate players alone, bruh
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate hasn't had an update since June 2025, but Nintendo just had to barge into the competitive space when it saw players attempting to thrive. Developers woke...
Stewie2K gets called out for old skin stealing scandal, but public shaming is the only solution in CS2 right now
Last week, a video of North American Counter-Strike trash-talk went viral, as SportsBetExpert’s Shane “shane” Dressler was recorded yelling at Without a Roof’s Jake ...
Pacific vs. Americas: Which VALORANT region is truly the strongest in VCT 2026?
The 2026 VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT) season has already produced two very different international results. The earlier Masters Santiago saw two Pacific teams meet in the grand fi...
League of Legends Team Voice could transform Solo Queue forever… with one condition
For 17 years, League of Legends has asked players to coordinate in-game solely on pings and hurried messages typed in between clicks. Now, this could all change. Earlier this March...
Counter-Strike 2 vs. Call of Duty: How does the meta determine which esport is best?
The most effective tactics (the meta) in esports heavily influence how certain titles are played. Whether it’s a game-changing update impacting popular weaponry in a first-person s...
LEC vs. LCS: Who leads League of Legends’ oldest regional rivalry?
Europe vs. North America has been one of the game’s defining regional rivalries since the inaugural League of Legends World Championship in 2011. It has survived years of trash tal...
“We’ve admittedly created an unintentional imbalance over the last few years”: VCT Pacific has an inclusivity problem, but can Riot fix it?
VALORANT Champions Tour Pacific has long positioned itself as a stage designed to unite talent from South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and more under one competitive bann...
“It's just not sustainable”: Tier 2 esports orgs discuss the shocking finances and player poaching that comes with (finally) reaching the LCS
The North American Challengers League – North America’s League of Legends Tier 2 system – is in its home stretch. Six teams remain in the NACL Summer Playoffs, but the prize isn’t ...
Dota 2 The International winners: every TI champion in history
The Aegis of Champions is by far the most iconic trophy in Dota 2. Since Natus Vincere lifted it at the inaugural International in 2011, TI has delivered unforgettable plays, legen...
I'm honestly so sick of Kick, and the “Last Woman Standing” exploitation stream was my final straw
I am really not the kind of person who watches other people play games and scream on Twitch. Nor do I find streamer drama interesting. It feels like the gaming (used loosely) equiv...
Esports World Cup sees volume rise at Kalshi, but MSI and IEM remain biggest events
The final week of the Esports World Cup saw record trading volumes on Kalshi. Over $95 million was traded across esports events in the last seven days of the tournament. This was u...
AI vs expert: The stage is set for LEC week six predictions after last week's blank
The sixth and final week of the regular LEC Summer Split, and for once, there's harmony between robot and human, all celebrating being bad, together. Craig‘s two-week winning...
Meet the Partners Powering Nameless Esports: Trophi.ai, Trolli & Challonge
AI coaching, snack-brand-backed prizing, and tournament infrastructure: a look at the three official partners behind the NE Network and what each one does for our players.
Nameless Esports Partners with League Trolli: Bigger Payouts, Backed by Trolli
Nameless Esports is officially partnered with League Trolli: the Trolli-backed grassroots esports platform distributing $150,000+ in prizes across 2026. Here's what it means for Rocket Rush.
Why Schools Are Starting Esports Programs: The Data Behind the Trend
High school and college administrators are adding esports programs at a rapid pace. The data behind the decisions is compelling.
Esports Careers Beyond Playing: What You Can Build with a Gaming Background
Pro player is just one of dozens of esports careers. Here's a breakdown of every real career path in the industry.