FaZe Clan and Astralis are heading to the semi-finals of the BLAST Bounty Malta, as they took down MongolZ and paiN, respectively. Going all the way in both matches, we got to enjoy 6 maps on the day, with each one delivering intense moments and action that left us even more excited for the Semi-Finals.
MongolZ made a solid start on the defence of Nuke, with FaZe trailing 10-2 before switching sides. The FaZe offence was read every step of the way, but they managed to make a comeback on defence. With only 2 rounds to their name, FaZe converted the pistol only to lose out to a MongolZ force. Losing to the force buy put MongolZ on map point before FaZe pulled out a defensive masterclass. Winning 9 rounds in a row stunned the Asian side, taking the match to OT in the process, where the streak continued to close out the game with a 16-12 win.
Following a solid defence, MongolZ got off to a 6-0 start before FaZe managed to strip away 3 rounds before switching sides with a 9-3 scoreline. FaZe’s comeback attempt closed the gap by winning 4 rounds, but MongolZ built on their first-half lead before MongolZ built on their lead from the first half to close out the game with a 13-7 scoreline.
Following a crushing defeat, FaZe recovered in the deciding map with a 9-3 start, showcasing some of the best T-side play that we have seen from them in recent times. Losing only 3 rounds, the FaZe defence managed to close out the lead in the following half with a dominant performance to secure a 13-8 win.
PaiN vs Astralis
Both teams trading blows for blows saw the first half conclude with a levelled scoreline despite paiN remaining in control of the game for the better part of the half. Astralis threatened to take over at the beginning of the second half, only for paiN to recover on their defence and put a streak of 6 rounds to close out the map with a 13-10 scoreline.
With both teams starting the second map on tighter margins, paiN and Astralis were inseparable throughout the course of the game despite momentum shifting on either side before the match headed to OT. With the momentum getting carried over, it took us two OTs for Astralis to edge ahead with a 19-17 scoreline and level the series, taking us to the deciding map.
A 6-0 start for Astralis saw the Danes get off to a solid start before paiN’s late revival later in the half saw them save the first half. A 7-5 scoreline in favour of Astralis was levelled with the start of the second half of the map, with paiN taking the lead off the back of a pistol conversion. The first gun round gave Astralis control, leading to a dominant display on their defence that pushed the game to OT, where they managed to push it over the line to win the map with a 16-14 scoreline.
FaZe and Astralis will be joining Spirit and MOUZ in the Semi-Finals, giving us the best matches of the event so far, but only time can tell if we are in for a blowout or someone has a surprise stored in their playbooks.
The most followed Kick streamer in 2026 is WestCOL, the Colombian creator who sits at nearly 4 million followers. He has held the top position since overtaking Adin Ross in late 2024 and now leads by a margin of close to 2 million. Kick launched in December 2022 and has grown rapidly by signing some of the biggest names in streaming, including xQc, Adin Ross, and Trainwreckstv. This is the full top 20 list as of August 2026, based on data from StreamsCharts.
Top 20 Most Followed Kick Streamers (August 2026)
Rank
Streamer
Followers
Nationality
Known For
1
WestCOL
~4,000,000
Colombian
IRL, Casino, Boxing events
2
Adin Ross
~2,120,000
American
Gambling, Just Chatting
3
davooxeneize
~1,970,000
Argentine
Football commentary
4
lacobraaa
~1,770,000
Argentine
Football content
5
SXB
~1,710,000
Saudi Arabian
GTA V, Just Chatting
6
MrStivenTC
~1,700,000
Colombian
Casino, Just Chatting
7
spreen
~1,500,000
Argentine
Minecraft
8
drb7h
~1,450,000
Saudi Arabian
GTA V
9
RRaenee
~1,310,000
Turkish
Just Chatting, Rust
10
Elzeein
~1,200,000
Peruvian
Comedy, IRL, DJ sets
11
Atro
~1,110,000
Iraqi
PUBG Mobile
12
Elraenn
~1,090,000
Turkish
Rust, Just Chatting
13
xQc
~1,070,000
Canadian
Overwatch, Just Chatting
14
Mernuel
~950,000
Argentine
Gaming, Just Chatting
15
rdJavi
~910,000
Dominican
IRL, GTA V
16
Mellstroy475
~910,000
Belarusian
IRL, Gambling
17
Robleis
~910,000
Argentine
YouTube, Music, Minecraft
18
lonche
~880,000
Mexican
IRL, Just Chatting
19
ilyaselmaliki
~875,000
Moroccan
GTA V
20
Absi
~790,000
Jordanian
Gaming, GTA RP
Data sourced from StreamsCharts. Follower counts are approximate and change daily.
WestCOL: The Most Followed Kick Streamer
WestCOL, real name Luis Fernando Villa Alvarez, is a 24-year-old Colombian creator who started on YouTube in 2015 before moving to Twitch and then to Kick after Twitch banned gambling content in late 2022. He streams a mix of gaming, IRL, boxing events, and casino content.
His September 2023 Stream Fighters 2 boxing event broke Kick’s all-time viewership record. He remains the only Kick streamer to have crossed 3 million followers, now sitting at close to 4 million. His lead over the rest of the platform is substantial: nearly double the follower count of second-placed Adin Ross.
Adin Ross: The Biggest English-Language Kick Streamer
Adin Ross is the only English-language streamer in the top 10. He began streaming as a teenager on Twitch, focusing on NBA 2K, before moving to Kick in 2023. His $100 million non-exclusive deal with Kick was one of the biggest platform-exclusive contracts ever signed in streaming.
His content has shifted over time from gaming to casino streams and Just Chatting, where he often discusses gender issues, censorship, and culture. Despite multiple controversies, his follower count continues to grow. He was the first Kick streamer to hit 1 million followers in February 2024.
xQc: The Twitch Giant on Kick
Felix “xQc” Lengyel signed a $100 million non-exclusive deal with Kick in July 2023 while maintaining his Twitch presence. He has over 12 million followers on Twitch but has built a separate Kick audience of over 1 million. He ranks 13th on Kick’s most-followed list, reflecting the fact that most of his audience still watches on Twitch. His content covers gaming, reactions, and Just Chatting.
What the Top 20 Tells You About Kick
A few patterns stand out in this list.
Latin America dominates. 7 of the top 20 streamers are from Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, or the Dominican Republic. Kick’s growth in Spanish-speaking markets has been faster and deeper than in English-speaking ones.
The Middle East and North Africa have a strong presence. 3 of the top 20 are from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, or Morocco. Arabic-language content is a growing segment on Kick.
English-language streamers are the minority. Only xQc and Adin Ross represent the English-speaking audience in the top 15. Kick’s global growth has been driven more by non-English creators than by the big-name Twitch migrants who made the initial headlines.
IRL and Just Chatting streams lead. Most of the top 20 are not gaming-first creators. IRL content, football commentary, casino streams, and personality-driven Just Chatting sessions are the dominant formats on Kick’s leaderboard. Pure gaming streamers are in the minority at the top.
Kick vs Twitch: How the Platforms Compare
Kick launched in December 2022 and has grown primarily through aggressive creator deals, lighter content restrictions, and a strong Latin American and MENA audience base. Twitch remains the larger platform by total viewership and concurrent users, but Kick has carved out a distinct identity in markets where Twitch’s content policies and monetization structure created friction for creators.
For more on how the streaming landscape is shifting in 2026, see TalkEsport’s coverage of the Valorant Partner Program 2026, which shows how Riot is also building its own creator ecosystem alongside third-party platforms.
FAQs
Who is the most followed Kick streamer in 2026? WestCOL, a Colombian creator with close to 4 million followers. He has held the top spot since overtaking Adin Ross in late 2024.
How many followers does Adin Ross have on Kick? Approximately 2.12 million, making him the second most followed and the biggest English-language streamer on the platform.
Is xQc in the top 10 on Kick? No. xQc ranks 13th on Kick with approximately 1.07 million followers. Most of his audience remains on Twitch, where he has over 12 million followers.
Which regions dominate Kick’s top 20? Latin America leads with 7 streamers in the top 20. The Middle East and North Africa have 3. Turkey has 2. Only 2 streamers in the top 15 primarily stream in English.
When was Kick launched? December 2022. The platform grew rapidly through large creator deals in 2023 and 2024.
What content is most popular on Kick? IRL streams, Just Chatting, football commentary, and casino content dominate the top of Kick’s leaderboard. Pure gaming streamers are in the minority among the most-followed channels.
The Valorant Mumbai server is currently facing an outage due to severe weather conditions in the local region that caused power grid failures. The server is down as a result of external infrastructure issues, not a Riot Games platform failure. Riot has not given a timeline for restoration. Indian players trying to connect to the Mumbai server will be unable to queue until power is restored and the server is back online.
What Happened to the Valorant Mumbai Server?
The Mumbai server went down after severe weather in the region triggered power grid failures at the local data centre infrastructure. This is an infrastructure-level outage, meaning the issue is outside Riot’s direct control. The server hardware requires stable power to run, and the weather-related grid failure cut that power.
This is not the first time the Mumbai server has gone down due to external factors. In March 2026, Riot activated Mumbai as an alternative server for Middle East players after AWS data centre infrastructure in the UAE faced a safety-related shutdown. The Mumbai server has historically been one of the most reliable fallback options for APAC players, which makes this outage more disruptive than a standard technical issue.
What Should Indian Valorant Players Do?
Players who cannot connect to the Mumbai server have 2 options while the outage continues.
The first is to switch to the Singapore server manually. Open Valorant, go to Settings, click the General tab, and change the server under the Game Server region option. Singapore will have higher ping for most Indian players but is the next best available option.
The second is to check the official Riot Games server status page at status.riotgames.com and follow the Valorant India and South Asia account on X for updates on when Mumbai is expected to come back online.
If you receive an AFK penalty from being disconnected during the outage, contact Riot Player Support directly and request a review. As TalkEsport reported in previous Mumbai server outages, Riot has a history of reverting AFK penalties caused by server-side issues when players reach out through the proper channel.
No compensation or timeline has been announced by Riot as of writing. TalkEsport will update this article when the Mumbai server returns to service.
FAQs
Why is the Valorant Mumbai server down? Severe weather in the Mumbai region caused power grid failures at the local data centre, taking the server offline.
Is this a Riot Games issue? No. The outage is caused by external infrastructure failure due to weather-related power grid disruptions, not a Riot platform issue.
What server should I use instead of Mumbai? Switch to the Singapore server temporarily. Go to Settings, then General, and change the Game Server region.
When will the Valorant Mumbai server come back? No timeline has been confirmed. Monitor status.riotgames.com and the official Valorant India and South Asia account on X for updates.
Will I get my AFK penalty removed if I was disconnected during the outage? Contact Riot Player Support and request a review. Riot has previously reverted AFK penalties caused by server-side outages.
With The International 2026 just two weeks away in Shanghai, Valve has dropped what’s likely to be the final major update before the pros take the stage.
The Dota 2 7.41e patch arrived on July 30, bundling together a significant gameplay update, a series of bug fixes and QoL improvements dubbed “Summer Scrub 2026,” and the launch of TI 2026 Supporter Bundles, Fantasy, and Predictions.
In this article, we’ll go through everything new that the latest Dota 2 update brings to the game.
Dota 2 Gameplay Patch 7.41e
Despite being a letter patch, the Dota 2 7.41e update introduces a ton of changes to the heroes and items of the MOBA.
Several of the more popular heroes in the current meta have been tuned down significantly, including the likes of Drow Ranger, Bane, Clockwerk, Treant Protector, Snapfire, and more, while some of the underpowered characters receive direct or indirect buffs.
Items are also seeing some significant changes. The biggest highlight of the item changes is perhaps the removal of the mechanic that enabled stacking multiple Divine Rapiers on ranged spellcasters like Zeus or Snapfire for absurd magic damage output.
Moving forward, only one Divine Rapier’s spell amplification bonus will be in effect at a time.
There’s also a plethora of other changes included in the Dota 2 7.41e update, which you can read all about in the official patch notes page.
Summer Scrub 2026
Alongside the balance changes, Valve has used this patch as an opportunity to clean house. The “Summer Scrub 2026” squashes more than 200 bugs while also rolling out a number of quality-of-life tweaks. Custom hotkeys for controlled units are among the more requested additions, while Dota Plus subscribers get a handful of usability improvements as well.
There’s also a soft reset to ranked matchmaking. Most Immortal players are seeing their MMR recalculated to under 9,500, effectively wiping out the inflated numbers that had crept up over the season.
Notably, the cutoff for Immortal Draft eligibility remains at 8,500 MMR, so many higher-ranked players might find themselves temporarily locked out.
TI 2026 Supporter Bundles
Lastly, the new Dota 2 update has officially introduced TI 2026 Supporter Bundles to the game, alongside Fantasy and Predictions modes for fans following along at home.
Bundles are available for all sixteen TI 2026 competing teams, plus talent across four different broadcast languages, along with a new community broadcast category. As always, every purchase you make in this category feeds directly into the prize pool, with 50% of the sales going to the creator or team, while 30% is added directly to the TI 2026 pool, which currently has a base prize pool of $1.6 million USD.
Team and talent bundles once again come in Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers, with each tier unlocking its own set of cosmetics including emoticons, sprays, loading screens, and chat wheel lines. This year, fans will also be able to get a team logo effigy that can be upgraded and customized with further purchases.
EA’s $55 billion deal to go private will finally close next week. Electronic Arts confirmed in a new SEC filing that it has received every regulatory approval needed to complete its buyout by the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF), Silver Lake, and Affinity Partners. The merger is expected to close on or about August 4, 2026, ending EA’s 35-year run as a publicly traded company. Andrew Wilson stays on as CEO, and EA’s headquarters remain in Redwood City, California.
Here’s what the deal covers, who owns EA now, and why it took longer than planned.
EA $55 Billion Deal: Closing Date and Filing Details
Electronic Arts filed an 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission confirming that all regulatory approvals for the merger have been obtained as of July 30, 2026. The company said it expects the deal to close on or about the close of trading on August 4, 2026, a Tuesday.
The buyout was first agreed in September 2025, when EA’s board accepted an all-cash offer of $210 per share from a consortium led by Saudi Arabia’s PIF, along with private equity firm Silver Lake and Jared Kushner’s Affinity Partners. The transaction values EA’s equity at roughly $52.5 billion and its total enterprise, including assumed debt, at $55 billion.
Once the merger closes, EA will delist from the stock market and operate as a private company for the first time in 35 years. This ranks as the largest leveraged buyout ever recorded, ahead of the TXU Energy deal that had held the record since 2007.
Why the Deal Took Longer Than Expected
EA originally targeted a close by June 30, 2026, the end of the first quarter of its 2027 fiscal year. The deal slipped by about a month while regulators reviewed the transaction. One of the final hurdles was clearance from the European Commission, which was granted in late July 2026.
Who Owns EA Now?
The PIF is set to hold approximately 93.4% of the newly private EA, according to a filing with Brazil’s antitrust regulator reported by the Wall Street Journal. Silver Lake will hold about 5.5%, and Affinity Partners will hold roughly 1.1%. The PIF is rolling over its existing 9.9% stake in EA, which was worth around $5.2 billion at the deal price, and is contributing fresh cash to reach its final ownership share.
The transaction is being financed through roughly $36 billion in equity from the consortium and $20 billion in debt fully committed by JPMorgan Chase Bank, of which about $18 billion is expected to be funded at closing.
Andrew Wilson will continue to lead EA as CEO after the deal closes, and the company will remain headquartered in Redwood City. EA’s franchise lineup, including EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, The Sims, Battlefield, Apex Legends, and multiple Star Wars titles, stays under the company. EA’s FIFA branding ended in 2023, when the series was renamed EA Sports FC.
Once the merger closes on August 4, EA will operate under private ownership for the first time since 1991, with the PIF-led consortium in control of one of gaming’s largest franchise portfolios.
Deadlock has just received one of its biggest matchmaking updates ever, introducing some major changes to the game’s queues and addressing a number of community complaints that were being raised over the past few months.
The contents of the July 30 Deadlock update include a complete overhaul to the game’s matchmaking system, new measures to combat smurfs, and a plethora of other miscellaneous content.
In this article, we’ll go through everything that you need to know about Deadlock’s new matchmaking update.
Deadlock July 30 Matchmaking Update
The July 30 Deadlock update has completely revamped the game’s matchmaking system, splitting the game into two distinct queues and introducing a full-fledged Ranked Mode.
The Standard Mode now serves as a lower-stakes option with no rank adjustments or limits to party size and skill disparity between party members, while Ranked Mode will be a higher-stakes mode for players looking to put their skills to the test.
The update has also introduced Ranked Seasons to Deadlock, with players being able to commemorate their peak ranks each season with Hideout trophies.
After playing 8 calibration games, you’ll be able to see your new Deadlock rank this season. Players can only exit calibration at a max Rank of Oracle VI.
New Deadlock Ranks and Badges
The latest Deadlock update has introduced a series of new rank names and badges. Take a look at them below:
Obscurus (Uncalibrated)
Initiate (Brick)
Seeker (Stone)
Acolyte (Iron)
Sentinel (Bronze)
Mystic (Silver)
Ritualist (Gold)
Emissary (Platinum)
Oracle (Diamond)
Phantom
Ascendant
Eternus
Deadlock Ranked Mode Requirements
Players will have to meet a number of requirements to be eligible to queue in Deadlock Ranked.
For starters, anyone queuing for Ranked must have at least 60 wins in Standard Mode. Additionally, players must have at least 3 heroeswith 15 or more wins to unlock them for Ranked and have a valid-sized roster to queue with. You can only play heroes with 15 or more wins in ranked.
Currently, only solos and duo parties will be able to queue for ranked. If you are in a duo party, the rank disparity between the two players can not be more than 1 Rank away from each other. Eternus players can only queue with another Eternus player as long as they are within 3 Subranks of each other.
Note that players can’t be in a party for their calibration games.
New Hero Selection Process
Valve has added a new pre-game area to Deadlock. Upon entering a Ranked Match, players will be able to see a breakdown of the Ranks of all players in the game while in this pre-game area.
During this time, players can choose to change their given hero to any other hero that hasn’t been selected. To prevent counter-picking, there is no live update of what heroes the enemy team is changing into. Additionally, each player can only swap into a new hero once.
This new pre-game waiting area can also be used to adjust your starting lanes. However, you won’t be able to zipline swap after this. The pausing feature will also be disabled until 2 minutes after the game fully starts.
The total number of heroes banned in Ranked games has been increased from 2 to 3.
The first Ranked season for Deadlock starts today, and players have until October 7th to reach their peak rank before the next season begins. Future Ranked seasons will likely have longer durations with splits in between, as well as recency requirements on the heroes played.
Sony has confirmed it will not reverse its decision to end physical disc production for PlayStation games. CFO Lin Tao addressed the backlash directly during Sony’s FY2026 Q1 earnings call on July 31, 2026, saying the company will “cautiously move forward” with the plan despite weeks of fan protests and online petitions.
Here’s what Sony said, why it’s sticking to a digital-first strategy, and how fans are responding.
PlayStation Disc Production End Confirmed by Sony CFO
Sony announced in June 2026 that it would stop producing physical discs for new PlayStation games starting January 2028. The company stayed quiet on the growing backlash for weeks. That changed on July 31, when Lin Tao addressed it directly during the earnings call.
“There are various reasons we made this decision, the biggest being that the digitalization of content overall has been progressing. That’s the big factor,” Tao said. She added that Sony “cautiously considered” the move before reaching its conclusion.
Tao acknowledged the strong reaction from the community. “We understand that the community has put forth those views to us,” she said, adding that Sony recognizes the emotional connection gamers have to physical games and wants to explore new ways to engage them in a digital-only future.
Why Sony Is Moving Away From Physical Discs
The shift comes down to revenue. Physical software made up just 3% of Sony’s Game & Network Services revenue in its FY2024 report, with digital sales accounting for the rest.
Digital sales are also more profitable for Sony. The company keeps 100% of revenue from first-party digital sales through the PlayStation Store, compared to around 65% from physical copies after retailer cuts and production costs. For third-party games, Sony still takes a 30% cut of every digital sale.
Sony’s user base makes the math easier to justify. The company reported over 125 million active PlayStation users as of March 31, 2026, along with roughly 50 million PS Plus subscribers. Even a protest involving 500,000 subscription cancellations would represent only around 1% of that user base.
Fan Backlash and the Push to Save Physical Discs
The backlash hasn’t slowed down. A petition started by PNP Games CEO Jade Pearce had reached 352,708 signatures as of July 31, 2026. The petition argues that physical discs offer real ownership, letting players lend, resell, or pass down their games.
Critics have also raised preservation concerns, pointing out that digital licenses can be revoked and there’s no guarantee downloads will remain accessible for decades. Some fans have organized a voluntary protest called the PlayStation Blackout, planned for August 2026, to pressure Sony into reconsidering.
The decision suggests the PlayStation 6 could become Sony’s first home console without a disc drive, ending a tradition that started with the original PlayStation in 1994. Some fans have said they’re reconsidering whether to buy a PS6 at all, with a few looking at PC gaming or sticking with their current consoles instead.
For now, Sony’s plan to end physical disc production in January 2028 remains unchanged, and the company has not indicated that further backlash will change that.
Waylay has been disabled in Valorant as of July 31, 2026, due to a bug with her Refract ability that causes her to see incorrect visual information. Riot Games confirmed the disable through the official Valorant social channels, stating the agent will remain unavailable until a fix is deployed. There is no timeline for when Waylay will return. An update will be sent out when the fix goes live.
What Is the Waylay Bug?
Riot’s official statement reads: “We’re aware of a bug that’s causing Waylay to see incorrect visual information after using her Refract ability. Due to the implications on Competitive Integrity, we are disabling Waylay until we deploy a fix. We’ll send out an update when the fix is live.”
The bug affects what Waylay can see while using Refract. Refract is Waylay’s signature ability. When activated, it places a beacon of light on the ground and gives Waylay the option to teleport back to that position. While empowered, Waylay’s screen shows prismatic outlines. During and after the ability, she is receiving incorrect visual information, which means she can potentially see things she should not be able to see. This creates a competitive integrity issue because it gives a Waylay player an unfair information advantage over opponents.
The exact nature of what incorrect information she is seeing has not been detailed by Riot beyond the official statement.
What Is Waylay’s Refract Ability?
Waylay is a Duelist agent added to Valorant in Act 2 of Season 2025. She was the 28th agent added to the game and the first new Duelist since Iso. Refract is her signature ability.
When Waylay activates Refract, she creates a beacon at her current position and becomes empowered for a limited time. On reactivation, she transforms into a mote of light and travels back to the beacon, becoming intangible during the journey. While traveling, only map terrain is visible. After returning, her vision is briefly obstructed before returning to normal.
The bug is tied to this post-Refract window where the visual information she receives does not match what it should be.
This Is Not the First Waylay Bug
Refract has been a recurring source of bugs since Waylay launched. Riot has fixed multiple Refract-related issues across previous patches:
Patch 13.01: Fixed an issue where Waylay could reach unintended locations using Refract and Lightspeed
Patch 12.11: Riot acknowledged a separate issue where Waylay could place her Refract on a rooftop on Ascent
Patch 10.07: Fixed an issue where Waylay teleported incorrectly if Refract was activated while picking up an ult orb. Fixed an issue where Waylay could activate Refract outside the playable space on Abyss. Fixed an issue where Waylay was looking straight up after Refract return when directly above the beacon.
The current bug that triggered the disable appears to be a new visual information issue that none of the previous patches addressed.
Waylay Is Disabled in All Game Modes
When Riot disables an agent, they are removed from all queues, including Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, and Deathmatch. Players who main Waylay cannot select her in any game mode until the fix is live.
This is the same approach Riot took with Neon earlier in 2026. As TalkEsport reported, Neon was disabled from Valorant until Patch 12.09 after a Fast Lane exploit threatened competitive integrity. Neon returned with balance adjustments alongside the fix. A similar outcome is possible for Waylay, depending on what Riot finds during the investigation.
Waylay’s disable joins a short list of full agent disables in Valorant’s history. Previous agents disabled for similar reasons include Tejo, Reyna, and Omen, all pulled temporarily for game-breaking bugs.
When Will Waylay Come Back?
There is no confirmed date for Waylay’s return. Riot has only stated they will send an update when the fix is deployed. Based on how Riot has handled previous agent disables, the fix could arrive as a hotfix within days or could be packaged into the next scheduled patch.
As TalkEsport reported in the Valorant 13.01 patch notes, Riot was already addressing Refract-related location bugs in the most recent patch. The current visual bug is a separate issue and will require its own fix.
Players who want to follow updates should watch the official Valorant social channels and the Valorant website for the announcement when Waylay is re-enabled.
FAQs
Why is Waylay disabled in Valorant? Waylay was disabled on July 31, 2026, because a bug in her Refract ability causes her to see incorrect visual information after using it. Riot disabled her to protect competitive integrity while a fix is developed.
What ability is causing Waylay to be disabled? Refract, her signature ability. The bug causes Waylay to receive incorrect visual information during or after using Refract.
Is Waylay disabled in all game modes? Yes. When Riot disables an agent, they are removed from all queues including Competitive, Unrated, Swiftplay, and Deathmatch.
When will Waylay come back in Valorant? No timeline has been confirmed. Riot will send an update when the fix is live.
Has Waylay been disabled before? Not for a full agent disable, but Refract has had multiple bugs patched in previous updates including patches 10.07, 12.11, and 13.01.
What happened with Neon’s disable? Neon was disabled earlier in 2026 due to a Fast Lane exploit. She returned with Patch 12.09 alongside balance adjustments.
The PMWC 2026 prize pool is $3,000,000, split across 3 stages: Group Stage ($1,148,000), Survival Stage ($152,000), and Grand Finals ($1,700,000). Every 1 of the 32 teams at the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2026 walks away with prize money, including teams eliminated in the Group Stage. The Grand Finals holds 56.7% of the total prize pool, which means teams that make it the furthest earn the biggest paydays. This article breaks down exactly how the $3 million is distributed and what each stage placement is worth.
PMWC 2026 Prize Pool: Stage-by-Stage Breakdown
The total prize pool for PMWC 2026 is $3 million. $1.148 million is distributed in the Group Stage, $152,000 is reserved for the Survival Stage, and the biggest portion, $1.7 million, goes to the Grand Finals.
Stage
Prize Pool
% of Total
Group Stage
$1,148,000
38.3%
Survival Stage
$152,000
5.1%
Grand Finals
$1,700,000
56.7%
Total
$3,000,000
100%
The structure rewards progression. Teams that reach the Grand Finals have already earned money from the Group Stage and, if applicable, the Survival Stage too. Prize money is cumulative, not stage-exclusive.
In the PMWC 2026 Group Stage, 32 teams divided into 2 groups play 12 matches each from August 6 to August 9. The top 5 from each group, 10 teams in total, advance directly to the Grand Finals. The 6th to 13th placed teams, 16 in total, move to the Survival Stage. The bottom 3 from each group, 6 teams in total, are eliminated from PMWC 2026.
The $1,148,000 Group Stage prize pool is distributed across all 32 teams. Even teams finishing at the bottom of their group receive a payout. Exact per-placement Group Stage prize amounts have not been officially published by KRAFTON. TalkEsport will update this section once the official breakdown is confirmed.
What is confirmed: no team leaves the Group Stage empty-handed. The prize structure incentivises every team to compete hard across all 12 matches, since Group Stage placement determines both advancement path and prize money simultaneously.
PMWC 2026 Survival Stage Prize Pool
The Survival Stage carries $152,000 of the total prize pool. 16 teams fight in the Survival Stage on August 11 and 12 for the remaining 6 spots in the Grand Finals. 10 teams are eliminated at this stage.
The 6 teams that advance from the Survival Stage to the Grand Finals earn additional money beyond their Group Stage prize. The 10 eliminated teams earn their Survival Stage placement prize and exit. Per-placement Survival Stage payouts have not been officially published.
PMWC 2026 Grand Finals Prize Pool
The Grand Finals hold $1,700,000 of the total prize pool. 10 teams from the Group Stage and 6 from the Survival Stage, 16 teams in total, compete in the Grand Finals from August 14 to August 16 for the PMWC 2026 title.
The Grand Finals use a maximum of 18 matches across 3 days (6 per day). The Smash Rule is applied on Day 3. Teams play under regular tournament rules until a team reaches the Match Point threshold. Once a team reaches Match Point, they become Match Point Eligible. The first team to secure a Chicken Dinner after becoming Match Point Eligible is crowned PMWC 2026 champion.
Grand Finals per-placement prize amounts have not been officially confirmed by KRAFTON as of the time of writing. Based on comparable PUBG Mobile World Cup editions, the champion is expected to receive the largest single payout in the tournament. TalkEsport will update this section once the official Grand Finals prize breakdown is published.
PMWC 2026 Prize Pool vs Previous Editions
KRAFTON and Level Infinite increased the number of participants from 24 to 32 for PMWC 2026. However, the total prize pool of $3 million remains the same as the previous 2 editions.
This means more teams share the same total pool in 2026 compared to 2025 and 2024. The per-team average prize money is lower in 2026 as a result, even though the headline figure is unchanged.
PMWC 2026 as Part of EWC 2026
PMWC 2026 is part of the Esports World Cup 2026, held in Paris, France. The overall EWC 2026 prize pool is $75 million across all 25 tournaments. The PUBG Mobile World Cup’s $3 million represents 4% of the total EWC 2026 prize fund.
PMWC 2026 also awards PMGC qualification points, which feed into the PUBG Mobile Global Championship later in 2026. Finishing well at PMWC 2026 is not just about the immediate prize money; it also affects each team’s PMGC seeding and automatic qualification for the year’s biggest prize pool.
As TalkEsport reported in the PMWC 2026 schedule guide, the updated Event Calendar splits Group Stage days by group and sets Grand Finals to begin at 11:30 UTC+0 each day. For the complete tournament overview including groups, streaming details, and Indian team rosters, see TalkEsport’s PMWC 2026 complete guide.
PMWC 2026 Prize Pool Summary
Stage
Prize Pool
Teams Competing
Teams Eliminated
Group Stage
$1,148,000
32
6
Survival Stage
$152,000
16
10
Grand Finals
$1,700,000
16
15
Total
$3,000,000
FAQs
What is the PMWC 2026 prize pool? $3,000,000 total across 3 stages: $1,148,000 in the Group Stage, $152,000 in the Survival Stage, and $1,700,000 in the Grand Finals.
How is the PMWC 2026 prize pool split between stages? The Group Stage gets $1,148,000 (38.3%), the Survival Stage gets $152,000 (5.1%), and the Grand Finals gets $1,700,000 (56.7%).
Do eliminated teams get prize money at PMWC 2026? Yes. All 32 teams receive prize money based on their Group Stage placement, including the 6 teams eliminated in the Group Stage.
How much does the PMWC 2026 winner earn? The exact per-placement prize breakdown has not been officially published by KRAFTON. TalkEsport will update once confirmed.
Is the PMWC 2026 prize pool bigger than previous years? The total is the same as PMWC 2024 and 2025 at $3 million. However, PMWC 2026 has 32 teams instead of the previous 24, meaning the pool is shared among more teams.
What does PMWC 2026 have to do with PMGC? PMWC 2026 awards PMGC qualification points in addition to prize money. High finishes at PMWC 2026 affect a team’s seeding and automatic qualification for the PUBG Mobile Global Championship.
KRAFTON India has launched 3 new Druvaen X-Suits in BGMI as part of the 4.5 season’s X-Suit Collection, available from August 1 to September 30, 2026. The Verdant Druvaen, Pyre Druvaen, and Frost Druvaen are 7-Star X-Suits from the same elemental bloodline, available through a new selection crate. For the first time in BGMI, part of the X-Suit upgrade path is unlocked through gameplay, not purchases. Players earn a new upgrade material exclusively by playing matches. The collection also includes the Naturespirit Growth ACE32, a Level 7 upgradable weapon skin that completes the Druvaen look.
BGMI Druvaen X-Suits: All 3 Suits Explained
The 4.5 season X-Suit Collection introduces 3 new 7-Star X-Suits, all part of the Druvaen bloodline. Each one carries a different elemental identity:
X-Suit
Star Rating
Element
Verdant Druvaen
7-Star
Nature
Pyre Druvaen
7-Star
Fire
Frost Druvaen
7-Star
Ice
All 3 suits are available through a single selection crate. They share the same Druvaen bloodline design language but each is distinct in appearance and elemental theme.
The New Gameplay-Based Upgrade Path: How It Works
The biggest change in this X-Suit Collection is the new upgrade material. It cannot be bought, traded, or obtained through any existing in-game system. It is earned only through playing matches, making this the first time BGMI has tied an X-Suit’s progression directly to playtime rather than spending.
Here is how KRAFTON has structured the upgrade path:
Players who unlock 1 X-Suit are automatically placed onto the new upgrade path with that suit.
Players who unlock 2 or all 3 X-Suits must choose 1 suit for the new gameplay-based upgrade path. The choice is permanent.
The remaining suits can still be upgraded through BGMI’s existing X-Suit upgrade system.
The permanent nature of the choice means players should think carefully before selecting which Druvaen suit goes onto the new path. Once decided, it cannot be changed.
Naturespirit Growth ACE32: The Matching Weapon Skin
Alongside the X-Suit Collection, KRAFTON India has introduced the Naturespirit Growth ACE32 (Level 7), an upgradable weapon skin built around the same Druvaen aesthetic. It is available during the same window as the X-Suit Collection, from August 1 to September 30, 2026, and gives players a way to carry the Druvaen look from their character to their weapon.
Availability: Dates and How to Get Them
Item
Type
Available
Verdant Druvaen X-Suit
7-Star, Selection Crate
August 1 to September 30, 2026
Pyre Druvaen X-Suit
7-Star, Selection Crate
August 1 to September 30, 2026
Frost Druvaen X-Suit
7-Star, Selection Crate
August 1 to September 30, 2026
Naturespirit Growth ACE32
Level 7 Weapon Skin
August 1 to September 30, 2026
The X-Suit Collection launched on August 1, 2026, as part of the broader BGMI 4.5 season content rollout. As TalkEsport covered in the BGMI 4.5 update rollout guide, the 4.5 season is one of the most content-heavy updates BGMI has released, bringing the Naruto collaboration, Spider-Man: Brand New Day theme mode, Ferrari Speed Drift, and now the Druvaen X-Suit Collection across different phases of the season.
The Druvaen X-Suits are the latest addition to BGMI’s growing premium cosmetic lineup. For context on how this fits into the broader 4.5 season event schedule, see TalkEsport’s BGMI 4.5 anniversary update full breakdown.
What KRAFTON India Said
Srinjoy Das, Director, Marketing and BGMI Product Management at KRAFTON India, speaking about the 4.5 season earlier, said the company’s vision is to turn BGMI from a game into a platform where players create, connect, and belong. The Druvaen X-Suit’s gameplay-based upgrade system is a direct extension of that direction, tying premium cosmetic progression to time spent in matches rather than purely to spending.
FAQs
What are the 3 new Druvaen X-Suits in BGMI? Verdant Druvaen, Pyre Druvaen, and Frost Druvaen. All 3 are 7-Star X-Suits available through a selection crate from August 1 to September 30, 2026.
What is the new upgrade system in the BGMI Druvaen X-Suit Collection? For the first time in BGMI, one X-Suit from the Druvaen collection can be upgraded using a material earned only through gameplay. This material cannot be bought, traded, or obtained any other way.
Can I upgrade all 3 Druvaen X-Suits through the new gameplay path? No. Only 1 suit can be placed on the new gameplay-based upgrade path. Players who unlock 2 or all 3 suits must choose which one gets the new path. The choice is permanent. The remaining suits can still be upgraded through BGMI’s existing X-Suit upgrade system.
What is the Naturespirit Growth ACE32? It is a Level 7 upgradable weapon skin built around the Druvaen aesthetic. It is available from August 1 to September 30, 2026, alongside the X-Suit Collection.
When does the BGMI Druvaen X-Suit Collection end? September 30, 2026.
Which season is the Druvaen X-Suit Collection part of? BGMI 4.5 season, which launched on July 16, 2026.
