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iQOO Announces Free Fire MAX iQOO Pro Series Season 3 with ₹10 Lakh Prize Pool

iQOO has announced the iQOO Pro Series Season 3, a nationwide esports tournament for the Free Fire MAX community in India. The tournament will feature over 3,000 teams competing from across the country and offers a ₹10 lakh prize pool.

The event aims to provide a competitive platform for grassroots players while also giving them the opportunity to compete alongside professional teams. The tournament will include a Community Cup stage followed by the Pro Series, where qualified teams will face invited esports teams.

iQOO Pro Series Season 3 for Free Fire MAX: Schedule and format

The iQOO Pro Series Season 3 will follow a two-stage competitive format designed to identify emerging talent from the Free Fire MAX community.

The tournament will begin with the Community Cup, where 3000+ teams will compete across six qualifier rounds. The top teams from these qualifiers will advance to the Pro Series stage, where they will face invited professional teams.

The tournament schedule is as follows:

  • Playoffs: March 14 – March 16, 2026
  • Grand Finals: March 17 – March 19, 2026

The teams that reach the Grand Finals will battle for the championship title and a ₹10 lakh prize pool.

Speaking about the initiative, Nipun Marya said: “At iQOO, performance sits at the core of everything we build. Our smartphones are engineered to deliver powerful and reliable performance, enabling smooth and immersive experiences across demanding use cases, including high-intensity games such as Free Fire MAX. With iQOO Pro Series Season 3 for the Free Fire MAX community, we aim to create a competitive platform that empowers grassroots players from across India to showcase their skills and compete at a larger stage. As the mobile esports ecosystem continues to evolve, initiatives like these allow us to support emerging talent while contributing to the growth of India’s gaming community.”

Read More: How to Download PUBG Mobile 4.3 Update APK from Official Website

Community Cup rewards

The Community Cup stage will also offer device rewards for the top three teams:

  • 1st Place: 4 × iQOO Z10 devices
  • 2nd Place: 4 × iQOO Z10R devices
  • 3rd Place: 4 × iQOO Z11x devices

Free Fire MAX continues to remain one of the most popular mobile battle royale titles globally, with over 500 million downloads on the Google Play Store and more than 85 million monthly active players worldwide. India remains a major contributor to the game’s player base, with competitive tournaments and creator-led communities helping the ecosystem grow further.

Games With Loot Boxes to Be Rated PEGI 16 Starting June 2026

Starting June 2026, any video games with loot boxes or similar mechanics will be rated PEGI 16 across Europe as part of new changes to the age-rating system.

This will impact any game with mechanics like loot boxes, gacha systems, random card packs, or keys that can be used to unlock random rewards, all of which fall under “paid random items.”

The changes come in response to rising concerns that loot boxes in video games closely resemble gambling mechanics, as players often have to spend real money for rewards that are randomly determined and built around a psychological element of chance.

The new changes to the age-rating system will also have an impact on other modern game design and monetization features:

  • Social casino-style games that simulate gambling with virtual currency will now have an age rating of PEGI 18.
  • Limited-time purchase pressure mechanics, such as rotating shop offers or other deadline-based purchases like Battle Passes, may result in a PEGI 12 rating for games involved.
  • Daily reward systems and login streaks that incentivize players to repeatedly log into a game could fall under PEGI 7 to PEGI 12, depending on whether players are penalized for missing days.
  • Games including online communication via text, voice, video, or other means without any form of moderation or safety tools could potentially receive a PEGI 18 rating.

What This Means for Games

These changes to the PEGI age-rating system mean that sports games featuring card packs, gacha titles, and other games currently rated between PEGI 3 and PEGI 12 could be receiving higher ratings going forward, reflecting the increasing scrutiny of monetization in games. However, note that the rule will only apply to titles submitted for rating after June 2026.

Former Overwatch Director Reveals New Multiplayer Shooter Game

Jeff Kaplan, the ex-director at Blizzard Entertainment and a developer behind popular titles like Overwatch and World of Warcraft, has revealed a brand-new multiplayer shooter that he’s working on and is currently in development. 

The game in question, The Legend of California, is an open-world, action-survival shooter set on the mythical Island of California during the gold rush era. The upcoming title is being developed by Kintsugiyama and published by Dreamhaven, the game company founded by former Blizzard Entertainment CEO Mike Morhaime.

The official trailer for The Legend of California dropped earlier today, offering the first look at Jeff Kaplan’s latest venture.

“Explore, gather, craft, build, hunt, and fight your way across a vast untamed frontier,” the Steam page of The Legend of California reads. “Whether you choose to travel alone or work together with friends, your mission on this mythical island is not just to survive, but thrive.”

Players can either choose to delve into this title solo or play alongside their friends online and form a company with up to three other players, sharing resources, buildings, progress, and more.

After spending nearly two decades with Blizzard, Kaplan bid farewell to the studio in 2021 and has largely stayed out of the spotlight since. His new project marks a complete shift in setting and tone compared to the fantasy and sci-fi worlds he has previously helped bring to life.

The Legend of California is expected to launch in early access later this year. Fans who are interested in playing the game are able to wishlist the game on the Steam store right away.

How to Get Dead Hand Terminal in CS2

The latest patch for Counter-Strike has introduced the Dead Hand collection, along with a new way to obtain the skins called the Dead Hand Terminal.

In this article, we will try to explore how you can use this Terminal to get the freshly added Dead Hand Collection skins for your inventory.

What Is the Dead Hand Terminal?

The Dead Hand Terminal is a container that is used to access items specifically from the Dead Hand Collection, similar to how a case was assigned to a particular skin collection. Just like those cases, the Dead Hand Collection will drop in your inventory as a part of the weekly drop system.

Once you get said Terminal via weekly drop, you will have access to all the skins that are a part of this collection, and therefore, it fundamentally changes how you can get a skin from a case instead of a game of chance.

How to Get the Dead Hand Terminal

Follow the steps below to get a Dead Hand Terminal in Counter-Strike 2:

  • Play on the official servers and make sure you are eligible for a weekly drop.
  • Once you receive the Dead Hand Terminal from the weekly drop system, it will appear in your inventory.
  • Open the terminal to access items from the Dead Hand Collection.

What Items Are Included in the Collection?

The Dead Hand Collection includes:

  • 17 weapon skins from community artists
  • 22 brand-new gloves

It goes without saying that the Dead Hand Terminal is a way of moving away from the traditional Container system to get skins, but the objective behind this is far from clear, as it renders the need to buy keys useless. Valve never makes moves like this without underlying motives, and with time, we shall realise how this benefits the game as a whole.

CS2 Introduces Dead Hand Collection With 22 New Gloves

The highly anticipated Dead Hand Collection is finally here with the latest update for Counter-Strike 2, which brings 22 brand new gloves along with 17 new weapons to the game.

One of the standout items in this collection is the AWP Queen’s Gambit, which is beautifully crafted with gold engraving, and the blue accent makes the design look royal. It goes without saying that this will be the talk of the town for skin collectors, but the AK, USP, and P250 also share a slim, elegant design and are likely to be popular moving forward.

All the Gloves added

Image via Valve

Full List of the 17 Dead Hand Collection Skins

AWP | Queen’s Gambit (Covert)

Glock-18 | Fully Tuned (Covert)

P90 | Deathgaze (Classified)

P250 | Kintsugi (Classified)

AK-47 | Crane Flight (Classified)

MP9 | Urban Sovereign (Restricted)

Galil AR | Galigator (Restricted)

MP7 | Amberline (Restricted)

M4A1-S | Electrum (Restricted)

Desert Eagle | Firebreathing (Restricted)

PP-Bizon | RMX (Mil-Spec)

USP-S | Silent Shot (Mil-Spec)

Five-SeveN | Dark Polymer (Mil-Spec)

Sawed-Off | Fusion (Mil-Spec)

UMP-45 | Fragment (Mil-Spec)

M4A4 | Zubastick (Mil-Spec)

M249 | Bock Blocks (Mil-Spec)

Having new skins in the game is always a refreshing feeling, and while many may argue that the lack of new elements makes the game boring, Valve’s consistent efforts in bringing new cosmetics are one way to keep gamers hooked. The reaction from the community has been largely positive for the new collection, and if they keep going on this track, then retaining players will be a cakewalk for Valve.

BGIS 2026 Schedule: Semi Finals and Grand Finals Dates, Timings & Venues

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The BGIS 2026 schedule is now fully confirmed for the two most important stages of the tournament. The Semi Finals are underway from March 12 to 15 in Hyderabad, and the Grand Finals will take place from March 27 to 29 in Chennai.

BGIS (Battlegrounds Mobile India Series) 2026 is the fifth edition of KRAFTON India’s flagship BGMI tournament, featuring a prize pool of INR 2 crore and the most competitive lineup of teams the series has seen. Here is everything you need to know about the Semi Finals and Grand Finals schedule.

BGIS 2026 Semi Finals Schedule

The BGIS 2026 Semi Finals are being held at the Sandhya Convention Center, Hyderabad, from March 12 to March 15, 2026. A total of 24 teams are competing, split into three groups of 8 each. Of these, 16 teams qualified directly from the Quarter Finals, while the remaining 8 earned their spots through the Wildcard Stage.​

The format is a double round-robin, giving each team 16 total matches across the four-day span. Each group plays four matches per day, and the six daily matches follow a fixed map rotation and time slot.​

Daily Match Timings (Semi Finals)

Each day of the Semi Finals runs six matches across three groups. The schedule per day is:

MatchMapStart Time (IST)
Match 1Rondo3:30 PM
Match 2Erangel4:15 PM
Match 3Erangel5:00 PM
Match 4Erangel5:40 PM
Match 5Miramar6:20 PM
Match 6Miramar7:05 PM

This rotation repeats across all four days of the Semi Finals, with different groups rotating each match.

Semi Finals Day-wise Breakdown

DayDateMatches Per Group
Day 1March 12, 20264 matches
Day 2March 13, 20264 matches
Day 3March 14, 20264 matches
Day 4March 15, 20264 matches

At the end of all four days, the top 8 teams from the combined overall standings advance directly to the Grand Finals.

Survival Stage: A Second Chance

The 16 teams that do not finish in the top 8 of the Semi Finals are not eliminated immediately. They get another opportunity through the Survival Stage, held on March 16 and 17, 2026, in Hyderabad. The top 8 teams from the Survival Stage then join the 8 Semi Finals qualifiers at the Grand Finals, making up the full 16-team roster for Chennai.

For more on teams to watch heading into this stage, check out our coverage of the BGIS 2026 Semi Finals teams and groups.

BGIS 2026 Grand Finals Schedule

The BGIS 2026 Grand Finals will be held at the Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, from March 27 to March 29, 2026. This is a fully offline LAN event, and it will be the culmination of the entire BGIS 2026 season that began back in January.

The Grand Finals feature 16 teams competing across 18 total matches, with 6 matches scheduled per day over three days. The competing teams will include 8 that qualified directly through the Semi Finals standings, plus 8 more from the Survival Stage.

Grand Finals At a Glance

DetailInfo
DatesMarch 27-29, 2026
VenueChennai Trade Centre, Chennai
Total Teams16
Total Matches18 (6 per day)
Teams from Semi Finals8
Teams from Survival Stage8

Teams like iQOO Soul and GodLike Esports are frontrunners heading into the later stages of the competition. Nebula Esports, who was the top in the Wildcard Stage, will also be strong contenders in Chennai.

How to Watch BGIS 2026 Live

All matches from the Semi Finals through the Grand Finals will be live on the KRAFTON India Esports YouTube channel. You can also follow live updates and coverage at TalkEsport, which is providing dedicated match-by-match reporting throughout the tournament.

BGIS 2026 Semi Final: Schedule, Teams, Groups, Venue & How to Watch

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The BGIS 2026 Semi Final is live right now. Twenty-four of India’s best BGMI squads are competing at the Sandhya Convention Center in Hyderabad from March 12 to 15, 2026, fighting for a direct ticket to the Grand Finals.

What Is the BGIS 2026 Semi Final?

The Semi Final is the penultimate stage of the Battlegrounds Mobile India Series 2026. It follows the Quarter Finals and the Wildcard stage, narrowing the field down before the Grand Finals.

Only the top 8 teams from the combined standings at the end of four days will qualify directly for the Grand Finals. The remaining 16 teams are not eliminated outright. They drop into the Survival Stage on March 16 and 17, where they get one more shot at reaching the Grand Finals.

BGIS 2026 Semi Final Schedule

The BGIS 2026 Semi Final runs across four consecutive days, all at the Sandhya Convention Center, Hyderabad.

DayDateMatches Per Group
Day 1March 12, 20264 matches
Day 2March 13, 20264 matches
Day 3March 14, 20264 matches
Day 4March 15, 20264 matches

Each group plays four games per day, giving every team 16 matches in total across the four days. Official match timings are announced on the KRAFTON India Esports social channels before each match day.

BGIS 2026 Semi Final Format Explained

The Semi Final follows a double round-robin format. The 24 teams are divided into three groups of eight, and every team within a group plays all other teams twice across the four days.​

At the end of all matches, a combined overall standings table determines the rankings. The top 8 teams from that table advance directly to the Grand Finals in Chennai. This format rewards consistent performance rather than one great match in isolation.

All 24 Teams

The 24-team field is made up of 16 teams that qualified directly from the Quarter Finals, which ran from February 26 to March 1, 2026, and 8 teams that fought through the Wildcard Stage.

Teams Qualified from the Quarter Finals:

  • iQOO Soul
  • EVOX Esports
  • Meta Ninza
  • iQOO Orangutan
  • 4 Wolf x DOD
  • Madkings
  • Sinewy Esports
  • Genesis Esports
  • iQOO Team Tamilas
  • Troy Tamilan Esports
  • Vasista Esports
  • Hero Xtreme GODLIKE
  • Wyld Fangs
  • iQOO Revenant XSpark
  • WELT Esports
  • Learn From Past

Teams Qualified from the Wildcard Stage:

  • Nebula Esports
  • The Vanguard
  • NONx Esports
  • K9 Esports
  • Victores Sumus
  • Phoenix Esports
  • iQOO Reckoning Esports
  • Myth Official

Nebula Esports, led by Aadi, dominated the Wildcard stage with 149 points, finishing well clear of second-placed The Vanguard. They enter the Semi Final as one of the most dangerous teams in the lobby.

Teams to Watch

iQOO Soul is widely considered one of the tournament favorites. They secured their spot through a strong Quarter Finals run, finishing with 65 points. Soul’s experience on LAN makes them a consistent threat at every stage.

Hero Xtreme GODLIKE, led by Manya, had a slow start in the Quarter Finals but won their final match to qualify. GodLike are always dangerous on LAN and perform under pressure.

Nebula Esports are the form team coming into the Semi Final, having topped the Wildcard standings by a wide margin. Their aggressive playstyle from Aadi and the squad makes them one to watch in Hyderabad.

For more on teams and their paths to this stage, read our BGIS 2026 Wildcard Final results breakdown on TalkEsport.

Venue

The BGIS 2026 Semi Final is held at the Sandhya Convention Center, Mourya Ranga Prasad Ave, Gachibowli, Hyderabad, Telangana 500032.

This is a premium indoor venue in Hyderabad’s Gachibowli tech district. The event is open to live audiences on all four match days, making it one of the biggest BGMI LAN events of 2026. Tickets are available through the Swiggy Scenes App (formerly Dineout). Simply search for “BGIS 2026” and pick your preferred day.

How to Watch Live

All BGIS 2026 Semi Final matches are broadcast live on the KRAFTON India Esports official YouTube channel. The stream covers matches in Hindi as well as English, so fans across India can follow the action in their preferred language.

What Comes After the Semi Final?

Here is the full BGIS 2026 roadmap following the Semi Final:

  • Survival Stage: March 16–17, 2026, Sandhya Convention Center, Hyderabad (16 teams who did not finish in the top 8)
  • Grand Finals (LAN): March 27–29, 2026, Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai

The Grand Finals will be a full offline LAN event in Chennai, where India’s top 16 BGMI teams battle for the BGIS 2026 championship title. Teams from both the top 8 of the Semi Final and survivors of the Survival Stage will compete in Chennai.

For full coverage of every BGIS 2026 stage, visit TalkEsport’s BGMI section.

S8UL Signs Pokémon GO World Champion Ved ‘Beelzeboy’ Bamb

Indian esports organization S8UL Esports has officially announced the signing of Ved Bamb, popularly known as Beelzeboy, the reigning champion of the Pokémon GO World Championship. The move marks another step in S8UL’s expansion into global esports titles and strengthens its presence in the competitive ecosystem of Pokémon GO.

Beelzeboy created history in August 2025 when he won the Pokémon GO World Championship in Anaheim, California, defeating Spain’s Leo Marín, also known as P4T0M4N, in the grand final. The victory made him India’s first-ever esports world champion, a milestone moment that brought global recognition to the country’s competitive gaming scene.

Commenting on the signing, Animesh Agarwal, aka 8Bit Thug, Co-Founder of S8UL and 8Bit Creatives, said, “Pokémon is where it all began for many of us as kids – the first battles, the first rivalries, and the first love for competitive play. Our commitment to the Pokémon esports ecosystem continues as we welcome Beelzeboy to the S8UL family. His historic victory showed the world what Indian players are capable of, and we’re excited for what lies ahead as we keep building from the roots of gaming to the global stage.”

From Nagpur to the world stage

Hailing from Nagpur, Beelzeboy began playing Pokémon GO when the game launched in 2016. Over the years, he gradually climbed the competitive ladder through strong performances in regional and international tournaments.

Before becoming the world champion, he had already achieved significant success, including winning the Pokémon GO India National Championship in 2024 and consistently finishing among the top competitors in global events.

Outside of esports, Bamb works as a software developer, balancing his professional career in technology with his competitive gaming journey.

Expressing his excitement about joining the organisation, Ved “Beelzeboy” Bamb said, “Winning the Pokémon GO World Championship was a dream come true, and it was incredibly special to represent India on the biggest stage. Joining S8UL is another exciting chapter in that journey. The organisation has consistently elevated Indian esports globally, and I’m thrilled to be part of a team that shares the same vision of pushing boundaries. Together, we’ll try our best to bring many more laurels for the country and inspire the next generation of players.”

Read More: How to Download PUBG Mobile 4.3 Update APK from Official Website

Strengthening S8UL’s global presence

With the addition of Beelzeboy, S8UL further expands its roster across multiple competitive titles. The organisation is widely known for fielding championship-level teams and building one of the largest gaming content ecosystems in India.

The signing also reflects the growing popularity of emerging esports titles like Pokémon GO and highlights India’s increasing presence in global competitive gaming.

Clash of Clans Clan Rush Event Rewards & Details Revealed

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Supercell is gearing up for a brand-new community challenge that puts your clan’s coordination to the test. A fresh datamine has surfaced, revealing the upcoming Clash of Clans Clan Rush event.

This event shifts away from solo goals and requires your entire clan to work together to unlock a massive shared reward track. If your clan is active and loves to farm, these leaked details are exactly what you need to prepare. Let’s break down how this event works, when it officially kicks off, and the loot you can expect to earn.

How the Clan Rush Mechanic Works

The mechanic for this event is straightforward: your clan must collect a temporary resource called “Molten Gold”. To complete the event, you need to contribute this resource to a shared clan pool to hit specific milestones.

Fortunately, gathering this resource is very accessible. Earning standard Gold anywhere in the game automatically awards you the exact same amount in Molten Gold. If you are worried about lower-level clanmates being left out, the leak confirms that the minimum requirement to participate is just Town Hall 6.

The Best Ways to Farm Molten Gold

To breeze through the Clash of Clans Clan Rush event, your clan will need to maximize their gold income. According to the leaked rules, you can collect Gold (and therefore Molten Gold) from several different sources:

  • Standard Home Village multiplayer battles.
  • Clan Wars and War Leagues.
  • Single Player goblin map attacks.
  • Tapping your Gold Mine collectors.
  • Claiming the resources in your Loot Cart.

There is also a specific bonus mechanic tied to the latest hero. Using the Dragon Duke in your attacks will actually allow you to earn more Molten Gold, making it a priority for high-level players.

Event Dates and Timers

You will want to make sure your clan is prepped and active before the starting bell rings. The leaked image shows a clear schedule for the event:

  • Contribution Start Time: March 13 at 08:00 AM UTC.
  • Contribution End Time: March 20 at 08:00 AM UTC.

This gives your clan exactly one full week to grind out the milestones and claim every piece of loot on the track.

Leaked Clan Rush Milestones and Rewards

The reward track is heavily focused on Treasure Chests, which means plenty of opportunities for high-value drops like ores, magic items, and cosmetics.

Here is the complete milestone breakdown for your clan:

  • 15,000,000 Molten Gold: 3x Treasure Chests.
  • 50,000,000 Molten Gold: 3x Treasure Chests.
  • 100,000,000 Molten Gold: 1x Magic Snack (resembling the Castle Cake).
  • 175,000,000 Molten Gold: 3x Treasure Chests.
  • 300,000,000 Molten Gold: 3x Treasure Chests.
  • 500,000,000 Molten Gold: 3x Treasure Chests.
  • 1,200,000,000 (1.2 Billion) Molten Gold: An exclusive Golden Dragon Statue decoration.
Clash of Clans Clan Rush Event

Altogether, a clan that completes the entire track will earn 15 Treasure Chests, a Magic Snack, and a unique golden dragon statue to display in their village.

Also read:Clash of Clans Might Get a New Siege Machine: All We Know

The upcoming Clash of Clans Clan Rush event looks like a great way to reward players for simply playing the game normally. Since almost every gold-generating activity counts toward the goal, active clans should have no trouble clearing that final milestone within the week.

Is your clan ready to hit the 1.2 billion milestone? Let us know your farming strategies in the comments below!

How to Download PUBG Mobile 4.3 Update APK from Official Website

The PUBG Mobile 4.3 update has started rolling out globally, bringing a brand-new themed gameplay mode, new items, special events, and several gameplay improvements. While most players update the game through the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, some players prefer downloading the PUBG Mobile 4.3 update APK directly from the official website.

Downloading the APK from the official website is useful if the update is not yet showing on your device or if you want to install the latest version manually. Below is a simple guide on how to download PUBG Mobile 4.3 update APK from the official website.

PUBG Mobile 4.3 Update APK Download Official Website

Players can download the PUBG Mobile 4.3 APK from the official PUBG Mobile website.

Official Website:
https://www.pubgmobile.com/

Once the APK becomes available on the website, players can download and install it manually on their devices.

How to Download PUBG Mobile 4.3 Update APK

Follow these simple steps to download and install the APK.

  • Step 1: Open your browser and visit the official PUBG Mobile website.
  • Step 2: On the homepage, look for the APK download option.
  • Step 3: Click on the Download APK button to start downloading the file.
  • Step 4: Once the download is complete, open the APK file on your device.
  • Step 5: If prompted, enable Install from Unknown Sources in your device settings.
  • Step 6: Complete the installation process and launch the game.

After opening the game, the system may download some additional in-game files before you can start playing.

Read More: BGMI 4.3 Update Release Date: BGMI New Update Release Date is Here

Why Download PUBG Mobile APK from the Official Website

Players are always advised to download the 4.3 APK only from the official website. This ensures that the file is safe and comes directly from the game developers.

Downloading APK files from unknown third-party websites can be risky because they may contain harmful files, viruses, or modified versions of the game that can damage your device or compromise your game account.

The APK download from the official website is a simple way for players to install the latest version of the game. If the update is not yet showing on your Play Store or App Store, downloading the APK from the official site can help you update the game manually and start exploring the new content introduced in 4.3 version.