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Indian players get access to Free Fire via VPN services

Divyesh Moghe
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Indian players get access to Free Fire via VPN services

Indian Govt. recently instated a ban order on 54 mobile apps and Garena Free Fire was one of them. Since this unprecedented action on Free Fire, its massive player base in India is left with no option but to wait for the ban to be removed or for Garena to come up with a solution. Many players have found other ways to enjoy their favourite game during this ban period itself.

Free Fire players in India have found a loophole in this ban and discovered that they can still use different VPN or IP changing services to play the game in India. The game is not accessible via normal internet connection but once you connect with a VPN, the game is still apparently playable.

A Virtual Private Network or VPN service allows its users to mask their private details online and also bypass several restrictions by connecting to different servers across the globe in an encrypted manner. It is often used to access global content from areas where it is restricted and Indian players are using it in a similar manner.

This was first pointed out on the Reddit megathread where the Indian fanbase was discussing the Free Fire ban in India. There were several mixed responses in the thread but some players were discussing ways via which the game can still be played in India.

As the ban has been placed on Free Fire only, the majority of its player base has shifted to Free Fire Max, the advanced version of this game. The future of this other iteration is still shady as it could be restricted by the authorities at any time. Free Fire Max is very similar to Free Fire with minor advancements in the user experience.

Players can access the game using VPN but we urge players to abide the Indian norms and wait for further progress before playing this game.

NiP, Astralis Extends Support to Ukraine

Mohd Laraib
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NiP, Astralis Extends Support to Ukraine

The esports community came together in support of Ukraine after the country was invaded by the Russian army earlier today. Organizations and players alike took to their social media handles, Twitter and Instagram in particular to show that they stand in solidarity with Ukraine in these troubled times.

Earlier today, reports of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine by Russia surfaced after Russian president Vladimir Putin announced that the Russian Army will carry out a ‘military operation’ in Ukraine. Videos and pictures of bombings, missiles, troops moving in and more have been circulating on the internet since morning, and ground reports attest to the same.

Ukrainian CSGO player Aleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev too tweeted about his city (Kyiv) being shelled. 

Natus Vincere, an org from the country of Ukraine itself changed their profile picture to that of the Ukrainian flag to show their support for Ukraine just after reports of the invasion surfaced.

NaVi also released a statement regarding the situation wherein they said “Russia attacked Ukraine. And now there are hostilities that take human lives and destroy actual destinies on the territories of our country.

It is impossible that during this war we pretend that everything is okay. It is not. We are devastated. Our main goal right now is to try to stay calm and take care of ourselves, our loved pens and those who need help. We are all together in this. And together we’ll get through it.”

Natus Vincere is perhaps an org that will be one of the most affected ones as they have their headquarters in Ukraine, and majority of their staff and players are from Ukraine. The esports world replied with words of kindness to their situation.

Astralis extended their support for Ukraine on Twitter as their social media handles changed their display pictures, in the colors of Ukraine’s flag captioned “We stand with our friends in Ukraine, peace, and free people across the world.”

Ninjas in Pyjamas soon followed suit and came out in support of Ukraine. The profile picture of NiP on Twitter and Instagram has been edited to match the colors of the Ukrainian flag. The picture was uploaded with the caption 

“We stand with the people of Ukraine and for peace in Europe.” and the hashtag #StandWithUkraine

https://twitter.com/NIP/status/1496781552075870209

Apart from the organizations, Pro CSGO players, k0nfig, Stewie2k, gla1ve, and others too tweeted out supporting Ukraine.

Long-time CSGO caster, Anders Blume and host Tres ‘Stunna’ Saranthus, among others stood in solidarity with Ukraine and extended their thoughts and prayers.

Riot Games Expands Publishing Business Into Asia-Pacific Region

Prateek Jain
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Riot Games Expands Publishing Business Into Asia-Pacific Region

Riot Games, developers of popular esports titles LoL and Valorant, is all set to further expand its business into the Asia-Pacific region via hyper-localization and expanding its publishing reach to now include Japan and India.

In a major reshuffle to its previous strategy, Riot Games will now open new publishing offices in the Philippines, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. These new offices will lead Riot’s push to localize its businesses of Games, Entertainment, Esports, and Enterprise with publishing being the forefront of the new strategy. 

Riot had previously run the SEA business out of its Singapore hub office and also had an office

in Japan. The lead the new APAC strategy, Riot has brought in Alex Kraynov, its previous Managing Director of Emerging Markets (Southeast Asia, India, Latin America, Brazil, Middle East, North Africa, and Japan), as the new Managing Director for APAC.

With its goal of being the most player-focused game company in the world, Riot is all set to lead its businesses to new heights in every country they operate. In the last couple of years launched several new titles including VALORANT, League of Legends: Wild Rift, Legends of Runeterra, as well as Riot Forge titles Ruined King and Hextech Mayhem. Riot’s games within the League of Legends universe have garnered over 600 million players globally in the past decade.

Apart from the usual gaming business, the company had recently released Arcane, a globally acclaimed Netflix animation series set in the universe of League of Legends. The Riot Games Music group has also expanded its efforts by releasing royalty-free music under Riot Sessions, and virtual metal band Pentakill’s comeback EP, Lost Chapter.

Riot has also continued to widen its fashion presence and formed special partnerships with brands like Uniqlo to release a collection of League of Legends UT t-shirts, or Team Mania a Flipino streetwear brand to promote the release of Neon, the first Filipino agent in its tactical shooter VALORANT.

Speaking of the reorganization, Riot Games, Managing Director for the Asia Pacific, Alex Kraynov said:

This is a natural step in progression for our publishing business in Southeast Asia, and Riot recognizes that APAC has the potential to become the biggest region in the world for Riot. This region is intricately diverse, with massive gaming communities that have diverse needs and a strong appetite for mobile gaming.

In the past few years, our offices in Singapore and Japan have worked hard to release several new games and have nurtured new esports leagues to excite and delight players. Working towards more physical presence in our key APAC markets, we’re extremely excited to double down on these efforts to continue striving towards being the most player-focused gaming company in the world.

On top of bringing Alex Kraynov to lead APAC Publishing, Riot has also appointed the following

leaders within Alex’s team:

● Shinji Komiyama, Director of Country Management, APAC

● Jennifer Poulson, Head of Publishing Partnerships, APAC

● Alasdair Gray, Head of Marketing, APAC

● Derek Winder, Head of Business Development, APAC

● Yasushi Fujimoto, Country Manager of Japan

● Joel Guzman, Country Manager of the Philippines

● Resha Pradipta, Country Manager of Indonesia/Malaysia

This leadership team will continue to grow from 2022 and beyond, with a Country Manager of

Thailand, Country Manager of India, and a Head of Regional Tech to be appointed very soon. 

Ninjas in Pyjamas To Bid for fnatic’s Brollan

Mohd Laraib
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Ninjas in Pyjamas To Bid for fnatic’s Brollan

According to a report by HLTV.org, Ninjas in Pyjamas are going to make yet another superstar signing for their CSGO roster, this time lining up a bid for fnatic’s star player Ludvig ‘Brollan’ Brolin. The bid will cost NiP around €600,000, or 680,000 USD should it come to fruition.

The move comes after inconsistent performances by the Ninjas in Pyjamas CSGO squad, despite the addition of Legendary AWPer Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz from Astralis. Ninjas in Pyjamas were knocked out of IEM Katowice 2022 by Gambit in 7-8th place while fnatic went home ranked 9-12th at the hands of Astralis.

With the PGL Antwerp Major 2022 coming up in May, NiP have decided to ramp up their firepower once again. dev1ce has been out of action since December 2021, and the lion share of fragging output has been put on IGL hampus’ shoulders. The signing of Brollan would greatly help with that, once dev1ce comes back and phzy returns to the academy roster.

As a result of the bid from NiP, fnatic will be playing without Brollan in the first open qualifier for the first European RMR event for the PGL Antwerp Major. Just yesterday, fnatic announced that smooya would not be continuing with the roster and was benched, following that Brollan wasn’t part of the roster that played in the open qualifiers. smooya was replaced by fnatic academy player ‘regali’ while Brollan’s place was taken over by ‘Peppzor’ 

Brollan has been a part of fnatic since October 2018, joining the org as a 16-year-old. Since then he has been an HLTV top 20 player twice, #19 in 2019 and #15 in 2020. Still 19 years of age, he would be the youngest player on the NiP squad if he decides to join. Who he will replace on NiP’s CSGO roster remains to be seen.

Riot Games Reportedly Investigating KRÜ Esports’ Keznit For Alleged Racist Comments

Sonu Banerjee
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Riot Games Reportedly Investigating KRÜ Esports’ Keznit For Alleged Racist Comments

Riot Games is reportedly investigating South American Valorant pro Angelo “keznit” Mori for allegedly making racist comments that led to his suspension from a Brazilian Valorant practice Discord server.

Mori is a part of the KRÜ Esports Valorant roster that was suspended from the aforementioned Discord server on February 20th for violating the third rule of the server: “Any kind of prejudice is unacceptable. Racism, homophobia, bullying and derivatives lead to expulsion (kick) and banning.”

According to a recent statement by the KRÜ Esports Twitter handle, the org was reinvited to the server on Tuesday. 

“We have resolved the corresponding sanctions internally and, in turn, both teams were warned by the PRACC administration,” the statement reads. “After a good conversation with our Brazilian pairs/partners, the suspension that we’ve received has been lifted.”

Following the incident, Mori put out his own statement on Twitter. 

“KRÜ sanctioned me and may ruin my career and I have to keep quiet?” Mori said in his Tweet. “You can tell me that I don’t know how racism affects over there and I apologize for not having thought about that before making the comparison but NEVER put in my head thoughts I don’t have or words I didn’t say.”

According to Lau Agnolin, a journalist with OnlyGames, Riot Games Brazil is “internally evaluating” Mori’s incident. 

“Keznit apologized after what happened with the Brazilian player and mentioned that ‘I may lose my career’ because Riot Games is also ‘internally evaluating’ the case, according to the note issued to the Brazilian media,” Angolin said. 

All we know about Valorant mobile and its release date

Fariha B
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All we know about Valorant mobile and its release date

Valorant’s blockbuster success in the PC esports scene within its first year is hard to state. Riot Games is now eyeing mobile gaming for Valorant. 

Mobile gaming is the future, and Riot Games is making sure it has all the bases covered. The developer is now gearing up to release Valorant mobile for a modern audience that games a mile a minute. Anna Donlon has already confirmed that a mobile Valorant is underway, but when is it really coming? 

Valorant mobile may be coming sooner than expected. According to the leaks, a beta version is set to go out. 

When is Valorant mobile releasing? 

A beta version of Valorant should be released in the mid of 2022. Open beta should be expected by the end of 2022 or in 2023. 

Rumors of Valorant mobile started to circulate as soon as the PC variant found a stable footing. These rumors were fueled by a job posting on Riot Games’ website. Anna Donlon set the buzz to rest by confirming that Valorant mobile is indeed in the pipeline, providing a ballpark estimate for a release date. The Valorant executive producer says the game should be ready in “year two” of Valorant, 2022. 

It seems like the game would be ready in the provided time frame. According to credible leaker ValorLeaks, Riot Games will send out beta invites soon. He also shared an image of the beta, which suggested that Valorant’s exclusive version would require a friend invite system. This simply means that those with access will have to invite at least five friends to try out the game. It’s unknown whether this is a chain system where invited five can ask more players to take the app for a spin. 

How will Valorant mobile work? 

Valorant mobile may differ significantly from its PC counterpart. According to Anna Donlon, Riot Games is considering the needs of mobile players while building up the game. 

Valorant mobile may be a menace to play if Riot decides to clone the PC variant. FPS games aren’t the most enjoyable on phones anyway, so the developer may introduce features like aim assist. Anna Donlon has stressed that the devs aren’t looking to transfer the exact copy to phones. So, players should expect a Valorant that is more suited for mobile players. 

Will Valorant mobile have crossplay?

Riot Games has confirmed that Valorant wouldn’t have crossplay to ensure a healthy esports scene and enjoyable experience for all. 

Crossplay generally doesn’t work well for FPS games due to mechanical differences. Those on PC may have an edge due to high-end peripherals designed for a comfortable shooter experience. This disparity mars the competitive experience. However, Riot doesn’t plan to add crossplay, so Valorant players are in the clear.  

Who is Istaroth in Genshin Impact?

Sonu Banerjee
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Who is Istaroth in Genshin Impact?

Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG by miHoYo that offers a vast lore that players can enjoy while playing through the title. While some elements of the Genshin Impact lore are more transparent than others, a question that has continued to puzzle the players is the identity of Istaroth.

Who exactly is Istaroth? The answer to this question can be found by playing the game itself. 

Istaroth is a God in Genshin Impact who is referred to by several names throughout the game – a part of the reason why she continues to elude the players. Here are some of the names of Istaroth that we currently know about:

  • The God of Moments
  • The God of Time / Ruler of Time
  • Kairos
  • The Thousand Winds of Time / The Thousand Winds
  • Tokoyo Ookami 
  • The Undying Wind

The exact appearance of Istaroth is still not known to the players. However, we do have an idea about the character from the plenty of lore surrounding her. 

Istaroth is thought to be one of the four shades created by the Primordial One after their fight with the Seven Sovereigns and is also believed to precede the rise of The Seven Archons.

Istaroth was worshipped in Mondstadt and the newly-added area Enkanomiya. She was worshipped in Mondstadt alongside Venti, which can hint towards a connection between the two. However, no further lore involving the two has been introduced in the game. 

The Thousand Winds Temple located in Mondstadt might also be linked with Istaroth, but isn’t confirmed in the game. 

Hopefully, miHoYo will soon shed some light on the enigma surrounding Istaroth in Genshin Impact in a future update. 

Task Force 141 returns to Call of Duty: Mobile Season 2

The Crew
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Task Force 141 returns to Call of Duty: Mobile Season 2

After the appearance of Makarov in the first season, his greatest rival has been deployed in the Call of Duty: Mobile. Season 2 has brought various updates such as Hardhat, the Counter Intel-themed event, and a fresh Battle Pass featuring the new JAK-12 functional weapon, the Chopper Gunner Scorestreak, and much more.

Hostage Rescue in the Task Force 141 Battle Pass

Season 2 offers a brand-new Battle Pass that includes free and premium items like new Operators, a new functional weapon, Weapon Blueprints, Calling Cards, Charms, COD Points (CP), and more.

Battle Pass Free Tiers

Decimate your enemies from above using the new Chopper Gunner Scorestreak unlocked at Tier 14, and keep the bullets coming with the automatic JAK-12 Shotgun unlocked at Tier 21. Other free items include a variety of camos, Weapon Blueprints, and uniquely themed cosmetics like Charm – Naval Mine or Sticker – Gravity Snakes.

Premium Pass Tiers

Purchase the Battle Pass for the chance to earn all of the content available in the Task Force 141 stream, including Gaz and Ghost, two of the most iconic members of the team. Fill out your squad by unlocking Alex — Hard Wired and Charly — Striker, and equip them with new gear like the ASM10 — Snakeskin, Outlaw — Crash Course, Type 25 — Bolt Press, and the Jak-12 – Treecutter.

Hardhat

Construction’s booming in the city when a skirmish breaks out at a work site. First appearing in Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare 3, Hardhat is a classic small map featuring plenty of choke points and close-quarters combat. Navigate the unfinished buildings, watch for enemies in those pipes, and whatever you do, keep moving; if you don’t hunt them, they’ll hunt you.

New event: Counter Intel

Terrorists have seized control of the city, and it’s up to you to liberate the hostages in this epic event. Complete daily tasks across Multiplayer and Battle Royale to earn event points that allow you to retake territory one node at a time. Think carefully! Some nodes offer a strategic advantage, while others stack the odds against you. Keep fighting whatever the cost.

Earn rewards like new Operators, Weapons Blueprints, and more along the way. Complete the whole event to take home three epic rewards: the QXR — Gentleman’s Side Arm, the Minotaur — Maze Keeper, and the Charm — Nutcracker. There are thirteen rewards in all, so rescue those hostages and retake the city!

Astralis Sign Farlig To CSGO Roster, Lucky Benched

Mohd Laraib
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Astralis Sign Farlig To CSGO Roster, Lucky Benched

Astralis announced the signing of Danish AWPer Asger ‘Farlig’ Jensen via Twitter. The move comes after Astralis were unable to make it to the playoffs of IEM Katowice 2022. Astralis’ results have been below par even after the signing of Benjamin ‘blameF’ Bremer and Kristian ‘k0nfig’ Wienecke. Farlig will take over the role of Main AWP, while Phillip ‘Lucky’ Ewald has been moved to the bench, after spending 7 months with the roster.

Astralis’ CSGO roster has been in an up and down state ever since the departure of superstar Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz. Since then the team has found it difficult to find somebody to fill his shoes, having to make do with ‘dupreeh’ and ‘gla1ve’ AWPing. Once they signed Lucky, it was expected that the results would improve but they have been in a middling state since then. Their best finish in the last year has been a top 3 finish at BLAST Premier Fall Finals.

After dev1ce left, they found their groove back for a bit at IEM Cologne, but were knocked out in the semis. They then qualified for the PGL Major after a 4th place finish at IEM Fall RMR and benched bubzkji as gla1ve returned to the roster. They qualified for the Legends stage at PGL Stockholm but couldn’t do anything after that and were sent home in 12-14th place.

Following an early exit, dupreeh, Magisk and zonic were moved to the bench as blameF, k0nfig and former CS 1.6 player ave were signed to the roster. The roster then peaked in their honeymoon period as they finished 3rd at BLAST Premier Fall finals 2021. But even then it was gla1ve AWPing over Lucky and the problems were there for all to see.

Following their exit from IEM Katowice 2022 at the hands of G2, Astralis decided to bench Lucky, unable to get the best out of him, and have signed Farlig to their main roster. Farlig has previously played for Copenhagen Flames, GODSENT, and then FunPlus Phoenix. He has been on the bench ever since FPX stopped their CSGO operations. 

Asger possesses many of the qualities we need on the team: He is an aggressive impact player who’s not afraid to take on the fight and take initiative. He creates space for his teammates, while at the same time contributing to the team dynamics by being the person he is. You should always be careful not to put too much pressure on new players, but we actually expect Asger’s playing style and skills will add positively to his teammates’ performance and help us take the next important steps The change means that we have to bench Philip “Lucky” Ewald. For 7 months he has worked with himself and the team, but, unfortunately and despite all his and the team’s work, we have not been able to get the best out of him. Philip is a cool and very well-liked guy with some obvious skills we have not managed to unfold. He will stay on contract for now, and no matter what happens, I am sure we will hear more from ‘Lucky’ in the future” Hvidt added.

Kasper Hvidt, Director of Sports at Astralis

More about the announcement can be read here.

Astralis CSGO are now:

  • Lukas “⁠gla1ve⁠” Rossander
  • Andreas “⁠Xyp9x⁠” Højsleth
  • Benjamin “⁠blameF⁠” Bremer
  • Kristian “⁠k0nfig⁠” Wienecke 
  • Asger “⁠Farlig⁠” Jensen
  • Alexander “⁠ave⁠” Holdt (coach)
  • Philip “⁠Lucky⁠” Ewald (benched)

Artist Makes CSGO Map Set in the Shores of Ganga: Here’s How to Play it

Sonu Banerjee
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0
Artist Makes CSGO Map Set in the Shores of Ganga: Here’s How to Play it

The CSGO workshop is home to thousands of community-made custom maps that don’t necessarily make it to the official game. However, CSGO fans who are eager to try new experiences can play on these maps at will by downloading them directly from the community workshop.

CSGO workshop artists Geno and Squeezit have recently launched a community map that is catching the eyes of fans worldwide, and it seems to be heavily inspired by the Indian holy city of Varanasi.

The map, named ‘Dharma‘, is currently a work in progress but is still available to download from the Steam community workshop.

A quick glance at the map reveals that it’s set near the shores of the Ganga in India, with the stairs descending into the river. According to the map description by the creators themselves, the ‘Dharma’ map “is based on an old town along the ghats of holy Ganges.”

In the short span since the map has been released, ‘Dharma’ has managed to win the hearts of CSGO fans throughout the globe. The overwhelmingly positive response that the map has received from the community is certain to encourage the map developers into developing the map even further. 

Here are the things that the map developers are currently working on:

  • Accurate radar
  • Optimization
  • Tertiary details and visual enhancements
  • Custom Soundscapes

Members of the Steam community are also actively giving their precious input in the workshop comments, helping in the development of the map as it progresses. Some are also requesting Valve to add this map to CSGO as a part of the official map pool. 

Whether or not this map makes its way to the official CSGO maps’ list still remains to be seen. Meanwhile, fans can choose to play ‘Dharma’ with their friends by creating custom games.

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