Riot Games
Riot Games business and news from across the web.
Nvidia finally unveils Spark superchip, coming to laptops and mini PCs this Fall - here's everything we know so farNvidia has officially unveiled its Spark superchip, codenamed N1X, at Computex 2026. The chip, a collaboration with MediaTek, combines a 6144-CUDA-core Blackwell GPU with a 20-core Grace CPU and is expected to launch in laptops from major manufacturers like Asus, Dell, and Microsoft in Fall. Nvidia claims the Spark chip will enable laptops to achieve over 100fps in 1440p for Triple-A titles, with performance potentially matching an RTX 5070 mobile GPU.
Riftbound releases updates to Vendetta and Radiance launch details and card teasersRiot Games has announced release details for two upcoming sets of their collectible card game, Riftbound. Set 4 Vendetta, launching July 31, will feature a new rivalry theme and introduce Showdown Decks, with a simultaneous global release for English and Simplified Chinese versions. Set 5 Radiance, arriving October 23, will focus on brilliance and creativity with a larger card pool and its own Showdown Deck.
NVIDIA RTX Spark "superchip" and DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction announcedNVIDIA announced the RTX Spark "superchip" for AI, creation, and gaming, alongside DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction at Computex 2026. The RTX Spark integrates NVIDIA's AI and graphics technologies into a single chip for laptops, promising enhanced performance for creative workflows and AAA gaming at 1440p with ray tracing. DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction features a new transformer model for superior image quality in ray-traced games, set to launch in August.
Stop Killing Games consumer protection bill passes floor vote in CaliforniaThe California State Assembly has passed the Protect Our Games Act (AB 1921), a bill aimed at protecting consumer rights and ensuring game preservation. The legislation, motivated by incidents like Ubisoft's shutdown of The Crew, would require publishers to provide offline access or refunds when server-dependent games are discontinued. The bill now moves to the California State Senate, facing opposition from industry groups like Video Games Europe and the ESA who argue it could increase development costs and stifle innovation.
Valorant Masters' anthem is a unique look for VCT, and it brings one of the UK's finest back to the stageRiot Games has released "Chaos in the House" by UK artist Che Lingo as the anthem for Valorant Masters London. The song aims to capture the unpredictability of Valorant esports and features a music video blending cartoon visuals with real tournament clips. Che Lingo previously contributed to the MSI 2023 anthem "Rules (Are Meant to Break)".- 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 catchRiot 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 2026Tencent 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 PsionicTeamfight 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 AIEpic 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’ PCsRiot 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' PCsRiot 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 HardwareRiot 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 PCsRiot 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 otherwiseRiot 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 SpreadRiot 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 HardwareRiot 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.