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PLAY THE 'WORLDS UPON THE WIND' DEMO NOW!
The roguelite deckbuilder Worlds Upon The Wind is now available as a demo during the Strategems Festival and Steam Next Fest. Players can experience a significant portion of the game, with progress carrying over to the full release in July 2026. The game features a unique art style inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock prints and deep strategic systems.
League of Legends' best game mode is getting a revamp, and Ranked 5s is making its grand return, but with a catch
Riot Games is revamping League of Legends' ARAM mode and bringing back Ranked 5v5 queues with specific weekend hours. ARAM Mayhem will see the removal of the trait system, replaced by over 50 new augments and ability modifiers, alongside a new 'ARAM Wardrobe' cosmetic system. Ranked 5s will be available on weekends from June 26 to September 6, with plans to improve matchmaking quality by limiting queue times.
Tencent Games Spotlights Future Player Experiences with 45 Major Updates at SPARK 2026
Tencent Games revealed 45 major updates at its SPARK 2026 conference, focusing on development, publishing, and investments. The event highlighted new IP collaborations, cross-platform experiences, and technological innovations across various titles including League of Legends, Arena Breakout: Infinite, Arma Reforger, and CONTROL Resonant. Updates also covered new game launches, expansions, and collaborations with brands like Persona 5 Royal and Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Institute.
New TFT patch brings some much-needed consistency to Arbiter and Psionic
Teamfight Tactics patch 17.4 focuses on rebalancing conditional strategies and improving consistency for traits like Arbiter and Psionic. Live Balance Lead Tim Jiang discussed the team's approach to balancing conditional comps, aiming for a scale that adjusts based on content type. The patch streamlines Arbiter modifiers and makes Psionic traits more flexible, while also adjusting various unit and trait strengths to address meta dominance and underperformance.
Epic Games Removes Porsche “Concept Image” That Sure Looks Like AI
Epic Games removed a concept art image from Fortnite featuring a Porsche vehicle after players speculated it was created using generative AI. While Epic Games stated the image was provided by Porsche and created using Unreal Engine tools, the presence of a Riot Games logo on a balloon in the image remains unexplained, fueling further AI speculation.
Riot Games rebuts rumor that Valorant’s anti-cheat update can brick legit players’ PCs
Riot Games has responded to accusations that its Valorant anti-cheat update, Vanguard, can brick legitimate players' PCs. The update targets Direct Memory Access (DMA) cheating devices, with Riot stating that the IOMMU check only affects systems attempting to use such hardware and does not impact regular players. The studio also addressed criticism regarding a taunting tweet about the effectiveness of the update.
League of Legends won't be following the trend of having tons of collaboration skins: 'The second you do [it],…
Riot Games, specifically for League of Legends, will not be implementing third-party collaboration skins, according to lead designer August Browning. He stated that such crossovers drastically change the game's tone and can dilute its identity, contrasting with trends seen in games like Fortnite and Call of Duty. While acknowledging the appeal of such collaborations, Riot prefers to maintain its own distinct identity.
League of Legends "not open" to third-party skins: "The tone of your game completely changes"
Riot Games Lead Game Designer August Browning stated that League of Legends is "not open" to third-party skins, explaining that such collaborations fundamentally change the game's tone. While acknowledging past collaborations like Louis Vuitton on Senna and Porsche on Wild Rift, Browning emphasized that integrating characters from other IPs is a significant step the company is hesitant to take for League of Legends.
Riot Games issues statement on Valorant Vanguard anti-cheat 'bricking' cheaters' PCs
Riot Games has released a statement addressing an issue with its Valorant Vanguard anti-cheat system that reportedly caused cheaters' PCs to malfunction. The developer provided an explanation for the recent social media posts concerning the anti-cheat's behavior.
Riot: Valorant Anti-Cheat Not Bricking Any Hardware
Riot Games has addressed reports claiming its Vanguard anti-cheat software for Valorant was "bricking" hardware. The company stated on X that the software does not possess the capability to cause such damage.
Riot Games denies claims of Vanguard bricking PCs
Riot Games has denied claims that its Vanguard anti-cheat software is causing PCs to brick. The company stated that the software is safe and has not been found to cause hardware failures.
Riot's anti-cheat "does not in any way brick PCs," though Valorant cheaters say otherwise
Riot Games has clarified that its Vanguard anti-cheat software for Valorant does not brick PCs, despite claims from cheaters. The company stated that the controversial kernel-level software only renders specific cheat hardware useless for the game, and does not damage or disable normal PC hardware or software. Riot has provided an FAQ to assure players that legitimate users are unaffected.
Riot Games Says It 'Would Not and Cannot' Use Vanguard Anti-Cheat to Brick PCs After Rumors Spread
Riot Games has addressed rumors claiming its Vanguard anti-cheat software could "brick" PCs of banned players. The company stated that Vanguard is designed to protect game integrity and would not be used to cause hardware damage.
Riot says "congrats on your $6k paperweights" as new Valorant anti-cheat update reportedly bricks the PCs of…
Riot Games' latest anti-cheat update for Valorant, Vanguard, is reportedly causing PCs to become unusable, requiring a full operating system reinstallation. The company responded humorously to the issue, acknowledging the severe impact on players, particularly those who may have been cheating.
Valorant Update Bricks Cheating Hardware
Riot Games has released a new update for its multiplayer shooter Valorant that takes extreme measures to combat cheating. The update targets Direct Memory Access manipulation, a method used to circumvent anti-cheat software by directly accessing hardware.
Riot taunts would-be hackers using physical hardware to cheat: 'congrats to the owners of a brand new $6k…
Riot Games has implemented a new anti-cheat measure for Valorant that targets hardware-based cheating, specifically Direct Memory Access (DMA) cards. This update effectively turns expensive cheating hardware into useless paperweights, with the Vanguard anti-cheat system triggering an IOMMU restart warning that renders the DMA firmware unusable, even requiring a full OS reinstall in some cases.
Valorant's new Vanguard update seems to be bricking cheaters' PCs. Riot's response? "Congrats on your $6k paperweights"
Riot Games' Vanguard anti-cheat software has been updated, with reports indicating it is now bricking the PCs of cheaters by rendering their DMA firmware unusable, requiring a full OS reinstall. Riot Games responded humorously to complaints, acknowledging the aggressive nature of the anti-cheat, which operates at a kernel level to prevent sophisticated cheating methods in games like Valorant and League of Legends.
Riftbound set rotation confirmed via Dave Guskin interview with Rich Phu
Riftbound game director Dave Guskin detailed the physical trading card game's set rotation system in an interview with Rich Phu. The first rotation will occur with Set 10 in early 2028, removing Proving Grounds, Origins, and all 2026 sets. Riot Games plans to maintain a separate format for older cards to preserve collector value and player investment.
ToxMod vs GGWP: Which AI Moderation Tool Is Actually Better? (2026) | TAG
This analysis compares ToxMod by Modulate and GGWP, two leading AI moderation tools for the gaming industry. ToxMod specializes in real-time voice chat analysis, significantly reducing toxicity in games like Call of Duty. GGWP offers a broader platform, focusing on reputation scoring across text, voice, and gameplay behavior to influence matchmaking. While not direct competitors, both tools represent significant advancements over previous moderation methods, with ToxMod excelling in voice and GGWP offering a more comprehensive community management solution, especially with its integration via Unity Vivox for smaller studios.
This indie dev's dungeon crawling 'descent into madness' was inspired by motherly love
Indie developer Christopher Yabsley is creating Heathen, a dark fantasy dungeon crawler inspired by a cherished childhood memory of playing Diablo with his mother. The game will feature first-person combat, randomized loot, and online co-op, with an early access release planned for Steam.
