Valorant
News, coverage and analysis tracking Valorant across the outlets.
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MMO Business Roundup: Pocketpair rejects AI tools, Valorant opens a pub, and Epic Games Store unveils updates
This MMO business roundup covers several industry updates, including Pocketpair's rejection of AI development tools, Riot Games opening a temporary Valorant-themed pub in London for an esports event, and Epic Games Store announcing "Launcher V2" with personalized store pages and other improvements planned over the next year.
Start Your Climb in Act 4 with Summit, VALORANT's New Map
Riot Games has revealed Summit, a new map for VALORANT, launching on June 24, 2026. The map is set in a Chinese mountain academy and features droppable walls that alter sightlines and rotations. Act 4 also introduces the Retake game mode and the Blackspyre Collection weapon skins.
New Valorant map Summit breaks some core FPS rules, forcing you to "adapt on the fly"
Riot Games is introducing a new Valorant map called Summit, a training ground and meditation center located in China. Game Designer Diego Varona highlights that Summit's unique feature is its permanently changing terrain during rounds due to closable doors, forcing players to adapt their strategies. The map will be added to the competitive roster on June 24, with a special bonus for players in the first two weeks.
Game Crossovers and Collaborations
Riot Games is hosting a Valorant-themed 'pub' event in east London, promoted by a British takeaway personality. The article also briefly mentions that Tom Cruise was considered for the role of Master Chief in Halo.
For some reason, Riot Games is creating a Valorant 'pub' in east London hosted by a British takeaway guy who likes to yell "bosh!"
Riot Games is hosting a Valorant-themed pub event in East London from June 19-21, featuring British personality 'Big John'. The event at The Phoenix Arms will offer free screenings of the Valorant Masters tournament, custom merchandise, and a 'quintessential British matchday pub' atmosphere, though drinks will not be free.
Now-deleted TFT job post hints that it could be moving to Unreal Engine
A now-deleted job posting from Riot Games suggests that Teamfight Tactics may be transitioning from its current Hextech Engine to Unreal Engine. The job description for a Director of User Experience (UX) Design mentioned partnering on the transition into Unreal Engine. This move could indicate a standalone version of the game and potentially improve the mobile experience, aligning with other Riot titles like Valorant that utilize Unreal Engine.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World Voice Actors and DLC Detailed
Square Enix has detailed the voice actors and downloadable content for Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, set to release on December 3, 2026, for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The game will feature over 500 monsters and a fusion synthesis system. Four DLC add-ons are available, including a Scout Run VIP Card, Mega Mole Hole, Metallic Ring, and Monster Marathons, which can be purchased individually or as a set.
Valorant is Sage-posting again, and the timing doesn't seem to be a coincidence
Riot Games is dropping significant lore updates regarding the character Sage's ongoing crystallization in Valorant, leading to speculation about a potential gameplay rework. The latest narrative beat involves an email from Deadlock to Brimstone discussing the implications of Sage's condition, hinting at a major development possibly tied to VCT Masters London.
Riot embraces generative AI, as it targets "wild and weird" player experiences
Riot Games is expanding its use of generative AI, appointing Brendan Mulligan as Head of Experiential AI to create innovative player experiences. Despite past fan criticism, Mulligan aims to explore 'wild and weird' AI-enabled games, potentially impacting titles like League of Legends and Valorant, while assuring that AI integration will focus on genuine player benefit rather than investor profit.
NVIDIA, KRAFTON, NC and Reigning ‘League of Legends’ Champions T1 Celebrate RTX Spark at Korea’s PC Bangs
NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang introduced the new RTX Spark superchip in South Korea, targeting personal AI and gaming. Leading developers like KRAFTON and NC are integrating the technology, which promises high-performance gaming on slim laptops and efficient desktops. Huang celebrated the launch with esports team T1 and demonstrated games like PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS and CINDER CITY at local PC bangs.
Here are some of the Pride events happening across the MMORPG and multiplayer world
Multiple MMORPGs and multiplayer games are celebrating Pride Month with in-game events, cosmetic items, and charitable donations. Titles like Wizard101, Overwatch, Final Fantasy XIV, and World of Warcraft are offering special content and supporting LGBTQ+ organizations.
Valorant players claim they're being DDoS'd mid-game, as patch 12.10 descends into bug fiesta
Valorant players are reporting being subjected to DDoS attacks mid-game, causing severe lag and rubber-banding, particularly after the recent patch 12.10. This issue, alongside a significant number of other bugs affecting agents and maps, has led to player frustration. Riot Games has been contacted for clarification on the alleged exploit.
Valorant's Breeze gets put into timeout, and it's all because of a stack of crates
Riot Games has temporarily disabled the Breeze map in Valorant due to a significant bug involving stacked crates at A Shop, which allowed players to shoot through them. The map is expected to return in patch 12.11. This follows a previous issue with Cypher's Spycam bug in patch 12.10.
Game Con Canada Is Just Over Two Weeks Away & We're Holding A Contest For Tickets!
Game Con Canada 2026, Western Canada's largest gaming convention, is scheduled for June 19-21 at the Edmonton EXPO Centre. The event will feature contests for tickets, including a chance to win VIP experiences, alongside tournaments for Valorant and Street Fighter 6, special guests, cosplay competitions, and guided TTRPG adventures. The New North American Games Industry Summit (NAGIS) will precede the convention.
Nvidia's working with all the anti-cheat vendors to make competive games work on RTX Spark and WoA… just…
Nvidia is collaborating with anti-cheat vendors to ensure competitive games function on its new RTX Spark chips for Windows on Arm. This initiative aims to address a key barrier for Linux gaming by improving compatibility with major anti-cheat software like Easy Anti-Cheat, BattlEye, and Denuvo. Nvidia expects to announce further game support in the coming months.
Not just for AI agents: Nvidia's RTX Spark means Arm-powered laptops for gamers, too, promising 100 fps at 1440p in…
Nvidia has officially unveiled its RTX Spark System on a Chip (SoC), codenamed N1X, which integrates MediaTek Arm CPU cores with Nvidia GPU cores for laptops and mini PCs. The RTX Spark lineup aims to offer configurations ranging from 16GB to 128GB of memory, promising high performance with efficient power consumption. Nvidia is working with developers to ensure compatibility with Windows on Arm and support for anti-cheat software for popular games like Fortnite and VALORANT.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is 2026's top new release by revenue to date | Newzoo charts
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream topped Newzoo's revenue charts for new releases in 2026 and overall console revenue in April, attributed to Nintendo's install base. New titles like Pragmata and Windrose also saw strong debuts, though displacing established live-service games remains challenging.
Valorant Masters' anthem is a unique look for VCT, and it brings one of the UK's finest back to the stage
Riot 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)".
MelGeek's Centauri 80 makes the space geek in me happy but my wallet very sad
The MelGeek Centauri 80 is a visually striking gaming keyboard with a strong space theme, featuring an OLED touchscreen and premium build quality. While its aesthetic and performance, including rapid trigger functionality, are impressive, its high price point and transparent keycaps that can be difficult to read in low light make it a niche product recommended only for dedicated enthusiasts.
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.