Riot Games has officially announced VALORANT Mobile. This marks a significant expansion of its popular tactical shooter to handheld devices. Interestingly, the mobile version is being developed in collaboration with LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS, renowned for their work on PUBG Mobile.
Valorant Mobile to Launch First in China
The initial release of VALORANT Mobile will be exclusive to China, with plans to expand to other regions in the future. Pre-registration has already commenced, offering players in China exclusive in-game rewards, such as limited-edition player cards and sprays.
It's really happening. VALORANT Mobile has been announced with our partner LIGHTSPEED STUDIOS, and we're bringing it to China.
We're excited to bring VALORANT Mobile to as many players as possible, but we're starting in China and taking it from there. We will of course update…
The game is listed under the title VALORANT: Energy Operation on the Huawei App Store, indicating a region-specific branding for the Chinese market.
Valorant Mobile: Gameplay and Features
VALORANT Mobile aims to deliver a faithful adaptation of the PC experience, featuring 5v5 tactical gameplay, agent abilities, and precise gunplay. The mobile version will include:
A redesigned user interface optimized for touch controls
An Advanced Training Mode to help players master high-skill mechanics like jump peeking
A Replay System for reviewing matches.
Plans for Global Release
While the global release date has not been specified, Riot Games has expressed intentions to bring VALORANT Mobile to a wider audience following its launch in China. The company has committed to providing updates as development progresses.
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The global esports festival, World Cyber Games (WCG), is all set to make a grand return to India with the launch of WCG 2025 National Showdown India this September. Upthrust Esports, an Indian esports event organizer, will host the Indian edition of the event.
WCG 2025 Announces National Showdown India in Collaboration with Upthrust Esports
After the success of WCG 2024, which introduced the popular “Creator Rumble” format, WCG 2025 is expanding its footprint with National Showdowns in India, Korea, and the Philippines, culminating in a massive global festival in Indonesia this December.
The WCG 2025 National Showdown India will bring together some of the most prominent Indian gaming creators, who will battle it out in the Creator Rumble — a unique competition that fuses gaming skill with board-game-inspired elements of randomness. This format, which debuted in 2024, has quickly become a fan-favorite for its fresh, entertainment-driven approach to esports. Notably, the organizers have not yet revealed the lineup of creators, competition details, and streaming platforms.
To execute this creator-first initiative, WCG’s official organizer, Bigpicture Interactive, has partnered with Upthrust Esports, renowned Indian gaming and esports company.
“India is one of the most dynamic and fast-growing gaming communities in the world,” said Kyungjun Min, Director of Global IP Strategy Division at Bigpicture Interactive. “We’re excited to collaborate with Upthrust Esports to deliver a creator-first experience that truly reflects India’s passion for gaming and entertainment.”
“We are thrilled to partner with WCG to bring the world’s premier gaming festival to India’s doorstep. This Collaboration not only showcases the incredible talent & passion of our gaming community but also paves the way for a new era of opportunities – where Top Indian Creators will be participating & winning team will go against top global creators in the WCG Festival 2025 at the global stage. Together WCG & Upthrust are redefining what gaming & entertainment means in India & beyond.” said Kartik Sabherwal, Founder & CEO, Upthrust Esports.
With the end of Genshin Impact Version 5.5 approaching rapidly, fans of the open-world action RPG are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming Version 5.6 update.
The highly anticipated Genshin Impact 5.6 update is expected to bring with it tons of new content to the HoYoverse title, including new characters, fresh banners, map updates, events, and much more.
From the leaks and official confirmations surrounding the Genshin Impact 5.6 update we’ve seen so far, it’s safe to say that it’s set to be one of the biggest patches the game has seen recently.
Fans looking to know more about what the next update has in store for them can tune into the Genshin Impact 5.6 livestream and get a sneak peek at the contents of the new patch.
Genshin Impact 5.6 Livestream Date & Time
HoYoverse has yet to shed light on the Genshin Impact 5.6 livestream date and time. However, upon analysing the Genshin Impact update schedule, we can safely make an educated guess about the potential date of the Version 5.6 preview livestream.
The Genshin Impact Version 5.5 update launched on March 26, and given HoYoverse’s consistent six-week update cycle, the Version 5.6 update is expected to go live on May 7, 2025.
Generally, the devs organize the preview livestreams for Genshin Impact two weeks before the patch goes live. As a result, it’s safe to say that the Genshin Impact 5.6 livestream will be organized around April 25, 2025, at 8 pm UTC+8.
Genshin Impact 5.6 Livestream: Where To Watch?
Fans looking to catch the Genshin Impact 5.6 preview livestream can do so by tuning into the game’s official Twitch handle on the day of the stream.
We’ll be sure to keep you informed on further updates regarding the Genshin Impact 5.6 livestreams.
Fortnite has introduced WWE legend Cody Rhodes into the game as a part of the new crossover. Surnamed “The American Nightmare,” Cody Rhodes’ foray into Fortnite arrives at the perfect time to create hype for WrestleMania 41. Epic Games has a rich tradition of incorporating pop culture figures into their battle royale space, and this partnership is another prime exemplar of the trend.
In this article, we will explain how you can purchase the Cody Rhodes skin in Fortnite. Keep reading till the end to find out.
How to Get the Cody Rhodes Skin in Fortnite?
Right now, players can purchase the Cody Rhodes skin directly from the Fortnite Item Shop. The skin is available for 1,500 V-Bucks. For those looking to expand their collection, there’s also a special WWE bundle priced at 2,800 V-Bucks. This bundle features not only the Cody Rhodes attire but also iconic wrestler The Undertaker, as well as a range of themed items. These comprise the Nightmare Mantle Back Bling, Cody’s Cutlass Pickaxe, an American Nightmare weapon wrap, and the “WOOOAAHH!” emote, which captures Cody’s in-ring signature energy.
All of these also come as singles. Back Blings are $300 V-Bucks, Pickaxes are priced at $800 V-Bucks, emotes are $300 V-Bucks, and the weapon wrap is $500 V-Bucks. These cosmetics won’t be sticking around in the Item Shop much longer than that, as they’ll only stay until April 25, 2025, so this one is a time-limited release that WWE fans and Fortnite followers won’t be able to miss.
All that players have to do is open up Fortnite, navigate to the Item Shop from the home menu, scroll over to locate the WWE collaboration section, and click the Cody Rhodes skin or pack. When purchased, the skin and any other cosmetics will be delivered to the player’s locker for equipping and use within the game.
The highly anticipated Wuthering Waves version 2.3 preview livestream has recently concluded, offering fans a sneak peek at what the next update will bring to the game.
Wuthering Waves Version 2.3 Preview Special Broadcast is scheduled to air on April 19, 2025, at 19:00 (UTC+8). You can watch it live on Wuthering Waves' official livestream channels. Be sure to join us for a sneak peek of the upcoming version!
The Wuthering Waves 2.3 livestream, which took place on April 19th, showcased a bunch of exciting new content coming to the Kuro Games title with its upcoming patch, including new playable characters, weapons, events, and much more.
In addition to the aforementioned stuff, fans were also able to get a number of redeem codes that they can use to grab some free in-game rewards.
If you’re here to know more about the redeem codes given away in the Wuthering Waves 2.3 livestream, look no further.
Wuthering Waves 2.3 Livestream Codes & Rewards
Below, we have listed all the redeem codes that were given away during the Wuthering Waves 2.3 preview livestream, alongside their respective rewards:
1STANNIVERSARY – Astrite x 100, Premium Resonance Potion x 3, Advanced Energy Core x 3
EVERFLOWING – Astrite x 100, Forgery Premium Supply x 2, Shell Credit x 40,000
WITHYOU – Astrite x 100, Premium Tuner x 20, Advanced Sealed Tube x 5
Players are suggested to redeem these new Wuthering Waves codes as soon as possible, since you may not have a lot of time left to grab the rewards before they expire.
When Do the Wuthering Waves 2.3 Livestream Codes Expire?
As confirmed by the devs, the aforementioned Wuthering Waves 2.3 livestream codes are only available to claim until April 21, 2025, at 8:59 am PT.
Be sure to redeem your code before then if you don’t wanna miss out on the free stuff.
How To Redeem Codes in Wuthering Waves?
Now that you have the Wuthering Waves 2.3 livestream codes list, it might be a good time to check out how to redeem them in-game.
Here’s how you can redeem codes in Wuthering Waves:
Launch Wuthering Waves
Go to the Pause Menu
Head to Settings
Select ‘Other Settings’
Go to the ‘Redeem’ tab
Paste the code that you have copied
Hit ‘Confirm’
And that’s it! You have now successfully redeemed your first code in Wuthering Waves.
Now all you need to do is repeat the process for every code you have, and you’ll find yourself receiving tons of free Wuthering Wave goodies in no time!
Valorant is famous for its fashionable and colorful cosmetic skins that enable players to customize their gameplay. Of all the methods through which these skins can be obtained, the Valorant Night Market is perhaps the most thrilling and eagerly awaited in-game event. It provides players with an opportunity to buy weapon skins at a reduced price, but the mechanism and availability are slightly different from the standard Valorant store.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to buy Valorant skins from the Night Market.
What is the Valorant Night Market?
Night Market is a temporary event that occurs about every two months in Valorant. It has six random gun skins available to the player at discounted prices, and each player gets a different choice. These skins are picked from a set of qualifying cosmetics, typically not including recently released bundles, ultra-premium, and exclusive-tier skins.
How to Purchase Skins from the Valorant Night Market?
Purchasing skins from Valorant Night Market is quite straightforward. Follow the steps mentioned below:
Look for the Night Market Availability
First, confirm if the Night Market is currently live. You’ll see a special icon, a card with colorful lights in the top-right corner of the main menu. Riot usually announces the event in advance on Valorant’s social media channels and in-game notifications.
Open Your Night Market
Click on the icon of Night Market. You can see six cards face down. Click on them to reveal your Night Market skins. These are fixed for the whole length of the event, and rerolls or refreshes cannot be done.
Look Over Your Offers
Carefully examine the skins you’ve gotten. Such promotions normally have skins from Select, Deluxe, and Premium bundles. Beside each product, there is a reduced VP (Valorant Points) price displayed, which tends to be between 20% and 50% reduced from the standard cost.
Check Your Valorant Points (VP) Balance
Ensure that you have sufficient VP before proceeding with a buy. If insufficient, visit the in-game Store, choose VP purchase, and select the intended quantity. Various modes of payment like credit cards, UPI, etc., can be availed based on your location.
Purchase the Skin
After selecting your preferred skin, click on it and purchase using your VP. Once you’ve confirmed the purchase, the skin will be stored in your inventory and can be worn from the Collection tab.
Currently, the Valorant S25 Act 2 Night Market is going on and if you are thinking about purchasing a skin, do it before the Night Market gets expired. What’s the best skin you have seen on your Night Market till now? Let us know in the comments below.
A former project coordinator at Skyesports has levelled detailed accusations of sexual harassment, intimidation, and alleged HR inaction against several senior executives of the Chennai-based tournament organiser.
In a lengthy post, ex-Skyesports employee Mrinal “Jollies” Baranwal recounts multiple alleged incidents she says occurred between April and October 2024. The complaint was followed by multiple comments made by former employees, who reiterated Mrinal’s statements.
Pressure during business travel: Baranwal alleges that CEO Shiva Nandy invited himself to her hotel room in Mumbai, urged her to drink alcohol, and later expressed displeasure when she declined.
Unwanted physical contact & personal questions: She claims Nandy repeatedly touched her shoulders and head during informal beach meetings and allegedly probed her marital plans, saying Skyesports wanted to “groom” her as the “face” of the company.
Suggestive remarks on dress: Head of Esports Vijay Krishnan allegedly advised her, “Don’t pack loose clothes, if you know what I mean,” ahead of the same trip.
Non-consensual photograph: Baranwal alleges that during a Dussehra puja, she caught Krishnan scrolling to an unsolicited, rear-angle photo of her taken that day without her knowledge.
HR inaction: After raising concerns with the HR team, Baranwal claims she received only a “small PoSH seminar” from which the named executives were absent; subsequent follow-ups allegedly went unanswered for five to six months.
Baranwal published WhatsApp screenshots backing several of these claims, including alleged conversations with HR representatives and the executives involved. Baranwal’s notice period ended in December 2024, and she has since left the esports industry to pursue postgraduate studies.
Alexa Reiterates Similar Harassment from Skyesports Executives
Following Mrinal public allegations, another former Skyesports employee, Alexa, shared her experience on X, echoing similar concerns. Alexa revealed that she worked remotely at Skyesports and believed that working from home shielded her from much of the misconduct that Sharma described.
However, she recounted an incident during a company event in Bangalore where Vijay Krishnan allegedly invited her to dinner, during which he became inappropriately touchy and, at one point, forcibly grabbed her hand when she froze in discomfort.
“This was it. I didn’t know how to react,” Alexa wrote.
She further stated that in the months that followed, she was given an ultimatum: either relocate to Chennai for an in-office role or resign. She chose to resign. “Skyesports is the worst place to work at,” she concluded, urging those still employed there to reflect on their environment.
Alexa’s account adds weight to the pattern of allegations surfacing around Skyesports’ internal culture, specifically concerning the behavior of senior leadership and the lack of structural support for female employees.
In Mrinal’s live stream post her expose, she revealed that HR continued to be in touch at the time of complaint, but failed to take any substantial action. The HR only contacted her once she teased about going public yesterday on her X account, which is about six months after the official complaint.
She further mentions, how these “bunch of married men” continue to harass women with no repercussions and whatsoever. And that she has a lot of “secrets” about the company’s operations that would come out in the open should anyone forces her.
Scout speaks against the harrassment
Soon after the news broke out, top streamer Tanmay ‘Scout’ Singh, commented on the matter and expressed his displeasure in growing incidents of harassments in the industry. At the time of writing this article, her live stream was viewed by over 10,000 people.
Under India’s PoSH Act, 2013, employers are required to maintain an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and resolve sexual harassment complaints within 90 days.
Skyesports has long positioned itself as a pioneer in India’s esports ecosystem. These recent testimonies, however, raise serious questions about leadership ethics and internal culture. TalkEsport has reached out to SkyEsports for an official comment, and we will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
If you or someone you know has a relevant account to share, you can reach our editorial team at contact [@] talkesport[.]com
Update: Skyesports CEO Shiva Nandy Issues Formal Response
On 20th April, Shiva Nandy, CEO and founder of Skyesports, issued a detailed public statement responding to the allegations made by Mrinal, Alexa, and another ex-employee named Ananya. His response, published via a PDF attached to a post on X (formerly Twitter), addresses each accusation while strongly denying any intent of misconduct.
In his statement, Nandy characterizes the allegations as “unfounded and malicious,” expressing disappointment over what he calls a “social media trial.” He adds that internal discussions with HR had already taken place before the posts went public, and that Skyesports has since conducted PoSH training sessions for its staff.
Key highlights from his response include:
On the alleged room-sharing with a female colleague: Nandy states that the room listing incident was due to a hotel logistics issue, denying any inappropriate relationship and calling the accusation defamatory to both parties involved.
On the alcohol and hotel-room incident: He admits to having a drink with Mrinal in her hotel room but maintains it was a mutually agreed informal meeting, stating she did not indicate any discomfort during or after.
On touching her during a beach outing: Nandy claims he was consoling Mrinal after a professional setback and says his actions were “brotherly” in nature, with no sexual intent. He adds that after Mrinal voiced discomfort, he limited all future interaction to professional matters only.
On Alexa’s allegations: He says Alexa never reported any harassment during her employment or exit process, calling her social media post “an afterthought or motivated.”
On the broader work culture: Nandy acknowledges the company’s lack of formal HR structure, attributing it to the startup culture of esports. He expresses regret and says the situation has made him realize the need to evolve professionally: “Maybe this was my oversight… but at no time have I harassed, intimidated, or propositioned anyone.”
The CEO concluded by reaffirming his commitment to transparency and pledged to cooperate with any scrutiny from partners, media, or internal stakeholders. He also released internal performance evaluations and documents concerning the complainants in annexures to his statement.
NetEase has added the new Peni Parker Yatsukahagi skin to Marvel Rivals with the game’s latest update, and players are currently able to grab it via the store.
Drawing inspiration from Peach Momoko’s Demon Days, the Peni Parker Yatsukahagi costume will change the appearance of both Peni and her mech SP//dr.
🎭 The Master Puppeteer Controls Her Own Fate! 🌟
"In the yokai-infested Kirisaki Mountain, Peni Parker has repurposed her late father's "Lion Dance" costume into a wooden puppet creature with the mystically infused mud of the mountain. Many of the peaceful tsuchigumo gathered… pic.twitter.com/ILfSruoqyr
In this guide, we will take a look at how you can unlock the Peni Parker Yatsukahagi Costume in Marvel Rivals.
How To Unlock Peni Parker Yatsukahagi Skin in Marvel Rivals
At the time of writing, the Peni Parker Yatsukahagi costume is up for grabs in the Marvel Rivals store.
Here’s how you can unlock it:
Launch Marvel Rivals
Go to the ‘Heroes’ tab
Click on Peni Parker
Click on the Yatsukahagi bundle
Hit ‘Acquire’
Once you finish the checkout process, the Peni Parker Yatsukahagi costume will be added to your inventory.
Before you try purchasing the skin, make sure you have enough Units to be able to get it.
Peni Parker Yatsukahagi Skin Price
Players who want to grab the complete Yatsukahagi bundle will need to spend 1600 units, while those only interested in the costume can pick it up separately for 1400 units.
Below, we have listed the contents of the Peni Parker Yatsukahagi bundle in Marvel Rivals:
Peni Parker Yatsukahagi costume
‘Bonded in Battle’ MVP animation
‘Jump Scare!’ Emote
‘Yatsukahagi’ Nameplate
‘Yatsukahagi’ Spray
That’s everything you need to know about the Peni Parker Yatsukahagi skin in Marvel Rivals. Alongside this new Peni Parker skin, the Marvel Rivals April 17 update has also brought with it an exciting new outfit for Doctor Strange, alongside the costume customization feature.
The newly introduced Marvel Rivals April 17 update has brought some exciting new additions to the hero shooter, including a couple of new bundles and the highly anticipated costume customization feature.
For the uninitiated, the new costume customization feature in Marvel Rivals enables players to spice up their skin collection by adding a personal touch to the character costumes that they own. However, this process isn’t free, and you require a special currency to be able to customize your skins in Marvel Rivals: Unstable Molecules.
Unstable Molecules is the newest form of currency to be added to Marvel Rivals, and it’s exclusively used to customize skins that you already own with new color palettes.
In this guide, we will check out how to obtain Unstable Molecules in Marvel Rivals and how you can use them to customize your costumes.
How To Get Unstable Molecules in Marvel Rivals
At the time of writing, Unstable Molecules can only be obtained by exchanging Lattice, which is a premium currency in Marvel Rivals.
Upon exchanging your Lattice, you will get Unstable Molecules in a 1:1 ratio.
With that being said, NetEase has confirmed that they will introduce additional ways to obtain Unstable Molecules starting Season 3. So if you’re short of Lattice in Marvel Rivals, you’ll have to wait for a few more months.
Hi Rivals!
Customized Color Costumes will cost 600 Unstable Molecules for exchange. Unstable Molecules can be exchanged from Lattice at a 1:1 rate. You must first obtain the costumes before you can customize them. Initially, only a select few costumes will have this feature and…
A new feature devised to verify the age of users is getting tested for Discord, where users will now have to upload a photo or scan their faces to verify their account.
Discord is no longer a voice chat software; it has turned into a social media platform of its own, boasting communities, lobbies, and a plethora of features. As more features are introduced, moderation efforts have also increased, and Discord is getting more stringent as the platform continues to battle sensitive content.
“For Face Scan, the solution our vendor uses operates on-device, which means there is no collection of any biometric information when you scan your face. For ID verification, the scan of your ID is deleted upon verification,” they explained.
As the number of unverified accounts continues to rise, we must see a change in the dynamic, and Discord’s approach to keep its users safe is commendable. This would require users to go through an additional step before logging in, but it is worth it, given that it makes Discord a safer place to be.
Users with underage IDs will have their accounts revoked, while users who were wrongly banned will have the chance to appeal to have their accounts reinstated. We do not have any idea when this feature will come to Discord, but this feature will cause a lot of sensitive content to get removed from the software.
