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Valve Aware of the Current State of CS2 Subtick, freakazoid Claims

As per a report from CS2 pro Ryan “freakazoid” Abadir, Valve is aware of the current state of the subtick system in the competitive shooter, hinting towards potential changes being made in the near future.

According to freakazoid, Evil Geniuses Head of Gaming Soham “valens” Chowdhury had recently visited Valveโ€™s headquarters. During that visit, the CS2 devs reportedly admitted that the current Subtick netcode architecture of the competitive shooter has several issues.

More importantly, he further claims that changes to the CS2 subtick system are on the horizon, and players might even be getting 128-tick servers.

โ€œTheyโ€™re aware of how bad subtick is right now,โ€ freakazoid said in his stream. โ€œThey canโ€™t make changes during the major obviously, [but] thereโ€™s gonna be changes coming since they know that this is not working well.โ€

โ€œ128-tick is on the table, though, according to valens because he went to their office and spoke with the people that are the devs there.โ€

For the uninitiated, CS2’s subtick system was introduced to replace the traditional tick-based netcode used in CS:GO. Instead of the server only registering actions at fixed intervals (every 15.625ms on a 64-tick server), subtick attaches a precise timestamp to each player action so the server can process the exact moment it happened, even between ticks.

In theory, this should let a 64-tick server feel as responsive as a 128-tick one, but in practice, pro players have complained for years that something still feels off.

This is certainly good news for CS2 players who arenโ€™t happy with the current state of the subtick system. And with the Major now wrapped up, Valve no longer has a reason to hold off on changes, meaning fans could potentially see the new subtick update arrive as soon as Premier Season 5.

Magisk to Take Over IGL Role for BC.Game: Reports

According to the latest reports, BC.Game is eyeing up veteran Danish rifler Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif to take over the IGL duties in what can be seen as a big move for the organization, which has failed to impress despite having secured big names like s1mple and electroNic.

With no significant progress to show, the team has undergone several roster changes over the course of recent seasons. Parting ways with the former sAw trio, the organization retained s1mple and electroNic and went on to acquire Mongolian star senzu. With the team slowly taking shape, Magisk will reportedly take over the IGL duties, with the final spot possibly left to a young gun.

Magisk is a player who needs little introduction. Having played the better part of his career in unimpressive roles, he managed to build a reputation as a reliable rifler with significant fragging output. With his experience playing teams with extreme tactical depth, the Dane is one of the best choices to lead a team of this caliber.

The BC.Game project has not delivered in the past few seasons and looked extremely out of place against top sides even with the likes of s1mple on their side, and this massive roster shakeup suggests nothing except the fact that they want to build a team that competes at the highest level of the game.

As of the time of writing, Magisk has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, but judging by how BC.Game is moving, this move will likely become official. Only time will tell if the roster reshuffle will give them their desired results, but all of us would love to have s1mple back at the apex of Counter-Strike, and this seems to be a step in the right direction.

ESL Announces Switch to Cache in CS2 Map Pool

ESL has updated the map pool across all ESL Pro Tour competitions. The change reflects Valve’s recent decision to remove Overpass from the Active Duty rotation and add Cache in its place.

The update applies immediately to every ESL Pro Tour event.

When Cache First Appears in ESL Events

The first ESL tournament to use the new map pool will be the opening European cup of the ESL Challenger League Season 52 series. That cup runs from July 12 to July 14.

Cache is not new to Counter-Strike. It has already returned to competitive play at lower tiers, with matches recorded in CCT and the European Pro League before ESL’s switch was confirmed.

Cache Makes Its Tier-One Debut at XSE Pro League

Cache will reach the top level of competition before ESL’s own events get there. The map will make its tier-one debut at the XSE Pro League, which starts on July 1 in Guangzhou, China.

The event runs from July 1 to July 12, with $1 million in prize money on offer. It also marks the competitive return of several rosters, including PARIVISION, FaZe, and MIBR, alongside Major quarter-finalists 9z and BetBoom.

BLAST Also Moves Quickly on the New Map Pool

ESL is not the only organizer adjusting its events. BLAST confirmed on June 26 that it would shift to the new map pool for most of its upcoming events and qualifiers. There is an exception. An NA qualifier that took place just days after Valve announced the change kept the old pool in place.

Teams competing at the XSE Pro League will be among the first to test Cache under tier-one conditions, ahead of ESL’s own competitions catching up in mid-July.

Fortnite Mastery Monday: Start Time, Schedule & Rewards

Mastery Monday is live in Fortnite today, June 29, 2026. Epic Games runs this weekly event to help players speed up their Sprite collection in Chapter 7 Season 3. Here’s the start time, end time, and every bonus active during the event.

What Is Mastery Monday in Fortnite?

Mastery Monday is a recurring weekly event in Fortnite Chapter 7 Season 3. It runs for a 24-hour window and gives players several buffs tied to Sprites, the in-game companions players collect and level up. The bonuses cover both discovery and progression.

Unlike Power Hour events, which run for shorter periods and add gameplay modifiers, Mastery Monday lasts a full 24 hours and focuses only on Sprite-related bonuses. It doesn’t add new weapons or other gameplay features.

Mastery Monday Fortnite Start Time Today

The Mastery Monday event on June 29 starts at 9 AM ET (6 AM PT). It runs for 24 hours and ends on June 30 at 9 AM ET (6 AM PT). The event goes live at the same time every Monday and always lasts a full day.

Mastery Monday Schedule by Region (June 29 to June 30)

Time zones make it easy to miss the start of the event. Here’s when Mastery Monday begins and ends across major regions:

RegionStart Time (June 29)End Time (June 30)
US West (PT)6:00 AM6:00 AM
US Central (CT)8:00 AM8:00 AM
US East (ET)9:00 AM9:00 AM
Brazil (BRT)10:00 AM10:00 AM
UK (BST)2:00 PM2:00 PM
Europe (CEST)3:00 PM3:00 PM
Middle East (GST)5:00 PM5:00 PM
India (IST)6:30 PM6:30 PM
Japan (JST)10:00 PM10:00 PM
South Korea (KST)10:00 PM10:00 PM
Australia (AEST)11:00 PM11:00 PM
New Zealand (NZST)1:00 AM (June 30)1:00 AM (July 1)

What Bonuses Are Active During Mastery Monday?

Mastery Monday stacks several buffs that make Sprite hunting and leveling faster. Here’s what’s active for the full 24-hour window:

  • Boosted Sprite spawn rates: Legendary and Mythic Sprites have a higher chance of dropping from Sprite Chests during the event.
  • 2x Sprite XP: Sprites level up twice as fast, so players reach higher-tier buffs and Mastery status sooner.
  • 2x Sprite Dust: Every successful extraction gives double the usual Sprite Dust.
  • Extra Portable Extractors: Players get bonus Portable Extractors during the event, making it easier to extract an equipped Sprite. These extra extractors can be earned by completing daily quests that go live during Mastery Monday.

The 2x XP bonus is also why Sprites level up, or “master,” twice as fast during the event, which gives the weekly event its name.

How to Get GTA 6 for Free

GTA 6 pre-orders are live, and the price has surprised a lot of players. The Standard Edition costs $80, and the Ultimate Edition costs $100. Both sit above what most games charge at launch.

A small number of players have found a way around that. They are pre-ordering GTA 6 without paying anything, using Microsoft Reward points saved up over time. It is not instant, and it is not for everyone, but it has already worked for at least two people. Here is how the method works.

How to Get GTA 6 for Free Using Microsoft Rewards Points

Step 1

Microsoft Rewards is a points system built into Bing, the Microsoft Store, and Xbox. You earn points by searching on Bing, buying things through the Microsoft Store or on Xbox consoles, and completing daily tasks on the Microsoft Rewards dashboard. Game Pass subscribers can also earn points by finishing quests inside Xbox Game Pass titles.

The points themselves have no value on their own. The value comes from what you redeem them for.

Step 2

Searching on Bing is the simplest way to build up a balance. Regular Bing searches alone can bring in around 5,000 points a month. Combining that with daily tasks under the Microsoft Rewards “More Activities” section adds more on top.

Game Pass owners have an extra route. Completing in-game quests tied to Xbox Game Pass titles also earns points, so regular Game Pass use stacks on top of search activity.

With several of these methods running at once, PC Gamer reported that players can realistically reach close to 10,000 points a month.

Step 3

This is the part that takes patience. The two GTA 6 buyers identified in reporting from Insider Gaming and PC Gamer did not earn their points quickly. One player, posting on Reddit under the name CarolinaKing704, spent three years building up a Microsoft Rewards balance before redeeming it. Another player, going by HugoWheynow on Reddit, said they used 98,000 Microsoft points to cover their GTA 6 pre-order.

HugoWheynow specifically credited Rockstar’s history of delays for giving them extra time to save. Each delay to GTA 6’s release pushed the game’s launch back, which meant more months to keep collecting points before pre-orders finally opened.

A third Reddit user, posting in the r/grandtheftauto community, said they were working toward the same goal. That player needed 100,000 Microsoft Reward points to redeem a $100 Xbox Gift Card and was actively saving toward that target.

Step 4

Once your points balance is high enough, head to the Microsoft Rewards dashboard and redeem them for an Xbox Gift Card. CarolinaKing704 shared a screenshot showing their full GTA 6 pre-order paid for this way, with the entire purchase amount deducted directly from their Microsoft account balance.

The gift card amount depends on how many points you redeem. Reaching the full $100 needed for the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition pre-order takes 100,000 points.

Step 5

With the Xbox Gift Card balance loaded onto your account, you can put it directly toward your GTA 6 pre-order. CarolinaKing704 used this exact process to pre-order the GTA 6 Ultimate Edition roughly five months ahead of release, without spending any of their own money at the time of purchase.

If you are starting from zero, the math is not in your favor for a quick win. At around 10,000 points a month with consistent daily activity, it would take close to a year to reach the 98,000 to 100,000 points.

Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix Face Lawsuit for Deliberately Driving Up RAM Prices

Three of the world’s biggest memory chip producers, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron, are now facing a federal class-action lawsuit filed in California on June 25, 2026, over allegedly creating an artificial RAM shortage.

The lawsuit, which was filed by frustrated consumers, accuses the aforementioned companies of deliberately restricting RAM supply to push prices higher. Together, these three firms control the vast majority of the global DRAM market.

The lawsuit arrives at a moment when memory prices have reached historic highs. DRAM contract prices rose an estimated 90-95% quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2026 alone.

The price hikes have not been limited to DRAM alone. NAND flash prices have also climbed, driving up SSD costs and increasing manufacturing expenses for a wide range of devices, including laptops, smartphones, and gaming consoles.

The complaint alleges that the manufacturers have used the AI boom over the past few years as cover for the artificial price hike.

Plaintiffs claim all three companies began coordinating production cuts in late 2022, reducing output, scaling back investment, and slowing expansion while prioritizing AI data center memory over standard consumer DRAM. Critics argue this was a strategic choice, not simply a market response to demand.

Plaintiffs further note that in a healthy competitive market, rising prices would typically prompt at least one supplier to ramp up output and capture customers, but that didn’t happen here, with all three companies simultaneously pulling back.

Previously, weโ€™ve seen Samsung and SK Hynix plead guilty to price-fixing charges related to a conspiracy spanning 1998 to 2002, paying hundreds of millions in fines.

That precedent could be exactly what plaintiffs are banking on. No trial date has yet been scheduled, but the pressure on these companies is certainly mounting.

Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls Open Beta: Date, Time, and How to Join

Arc System Works is giving Marvel fans worldwide a chance to take a first-hand look at its explosive new 4v4 tag-team fighter, and fans of the genre are going crazy over it.

Previously, we saw Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls organize two invite-only closed betas on PS5, both of which saw overwhelmingly positive feedback from the community. The upcoming July Open Beta throws the gates wide open for every fighting game enthusiast to try out the title, marking the game’s biggest playtest yet ahead of its official launch.

Whether you’re a seasoned fighting gamer whoโ€™s getting bored of the same old games dominating the genre or just a Marvel fan curious about the hype, now might be your best chance to jump in before the full game drops.

Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls Open Beta Date and Time

Arc System Works has confirmed that the Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls Open Beta will run from July 24 to July 26, 2026, giving players a three-day window to try out the highly-anticipated game ahead of its official launch.

Players will be able to explore the full hero roster, test team compositions, and get a sense of what the game will bring to the table.

For the uninitiated, Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls is scheduled to release on August 6, 2026, which means this open beta will take place roughly two weeks before its launch.

How to Join Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls Open Beta

Any player across PC and the PS5 will be able to access the Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls Open Beta.

Players on the PS5 can follow these steps to join the open beta:

  • Sign into your PSN account
  • Open the PlayStation Store
  • Search for the Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Open Beta
  • Download the client and launch it from the aforementioned window

If youโ€™re a PC player, simply follow these instructions to join the open beta:

  • Head over to your preferred platform (Steam or Epic Games)
  • Search for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Open Beta
  • Download the beta client
  • Log in with your PSN account
  • Launch the client during the open beta window

Note that you’ll need a PSN account to play Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, regardless of whether you’re playing on PC or PS5.

Thatโ€™s everything you need to know about how to join the Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls Open Beta for July 2026.

Saudi Football Club Al-Ahli Enters CS2 Esports

Saudi Pro League powerhouse Al-Ahli has officially expanded its portfolio to esports by signing a professional Counter Strike 2 roster, marking a major step towards its investment in the gaming ecosystem.

The freshly minted CS2 lineup, hailing from several nations, may not have notable names hailing from several nations might not have notable names from the CS2 community, but pack a punch that teams would be foolish to take lightly. Headlining the roster will be Algerian duo Lambdacore and zakarianh0, along with highly experienced rifler Remind. Rounding off this multi-continental roster will be European duo awks and njuKl. With such a diverse lineup, the structure of the team is yet to come to fruition, which will only be revealed in the coming tournaments.

Al-Ahli, primarily a successful football club from Saudi Arabia, coming into Counter Strike 2 esports may come as a surprise for many, but taking a deep dive into this decision would suggest that they are doubling down on their commitment to explore sporting areas in games of the new generation.

While these players may not be household names for the CS community, their talent is undeniable, and a proper organization backing them might just be what is needed to unlock their potential. Al-Ahli’s deep pockets are enough to provide them stability and the resources that would have been a blocker up until now, and the club’s influence can directly reflect in their performances.

We have seen the likes of Falcons coming out of the Middle East, and within a few years of forming a side, they are the reigning Major champions. With time, we shall see more organizations coming out of the region. If done right, Saudi Arabia might just be the new hub for esports.

MSI 2026 Begins in Daejeon Without Gen.G as T1 Face Play-Ins

Two years of MSI trophies sit in a cabinet in Seoul, and the team that won them is watching this one on a stream. Gen.G will not be in Daejeon. The team that put them there will be, though it is starting from a place nobody expected.

MSI 2026 Opens in Daejeon Without Gen.G, and T1 Have to Start in Play-Ins

MSI 2026 begins on June 28 at the Daejeon Convention Center II, running to July 12. Eleven teams from six regions are competing for a $2,000,000 prize pool, with $500,000 and a direct Worlds 2026 berth going to the winner. Gen.G, champions in 2024 and 2025, are not among them.

The elimination that reshaped the bracket

T1 knocked Gen.G out 3-2 in the lower bracket final of the LCK Road to MSI on June 14. It is the first time Gen.G have missed the Mid-Season Invitational since 2022. Their absence does more than remove a title contender. It removes the measuring stick. Hanwha Life Esports arrive as the LCK first seed and the tournament’s likeliest Korean favourite, yet HLE have never played an MSI before, and the region no longer has the team everyone used to calibrate against.

T1’s reward for winning was a longer road

Beating Gen.G came at a cost. The lower bracket run left T1 as the LCK’s second seed, which drops the reigning world champions into a four-team Play-In bracket of second seeds, all best-of-fives, with exactly one ticket to the main event.

Doran, Oner, Faker, Peyz and Keria open against Team Liquid on June 28, a roster that reached the LCS grand final and was swept 3-0 by LYON. Karmine Corp and Deep Cross Gaming fill the other half.

There is an argument the extra series help. Fearless Draft forces champion variety across a full Bo5, and Patch 26.13 landed days before the tournament. T1 will have played real matches on it before Bilibili Gaming and Top Esports, who skipped Play-Ins entirely on the back of the LPL’s First Stand win, play a single game.

Three more series, or an early flight home. Full schedule on LoL Esports, and our running coverage lives in TalkEsport’s esports news hub.

Hikari Wins 2XKO at Evo Vegas 2026, Beats SonicFox/INZEM

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Kayne, Ekko, Teemo, and a man who never doubted himself. Jo’siah “Hikari” Miller went 14-1 across the weekend, fell to the losers side in Top 8, and walked out of Las Vegas with the trophy anyway. Asked afterwards if there was ever a moment he thought he might lose, his answer was one word: no.

Hikari Wins 2XKO Evo Vegas 2026 Championship, Beating SonicFox and INZEM

Hikari defeated the duo of Dominique “SonicFox” McLean and Lenwood “INZEM” Arnold in the Grand Finals of 2XKO at Evo Vegas on June 28, 2026, claiming his fourth Evo title. It is his second 2XKO major crown of the year after Evo Japan.

The losers run that decided it

The twins Toshi and Haru sent Hikari down early, which should have been the story. Instead it became the setup. He ground out a timeout win against Globo’s Teemo, then cut through 2WINZ, Poka and Supernoon without dropping a beat. SonicFox and INZEM arrived at Grand Finals unbeaten all weekend. Hikari reset the bracket 3-0 and took the second set with the duo managing a single game.

His preparation was almost rude in its specificity. “I definitely watch their VODs and habits,” he said of facing a two-player team. His practice partners for the tournament? SonicFox and INZEM.

Why this one matters for 2XKO

Gaming Nexus counted 938 entrants outlasted; esports.gg logged 1,080 registrations, making 2XKO the third-largest title at the event ahead of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves and Guilty Gear Strive. It was also the game’s first appearance on the Evo Main Stage, a real milestone for a Riot fighter that shed developers to layoffs and has been fighting the perception that its casual audience already left.

Hikari, for his part, is not entertaining the argument that Evo’s regional expansion has dulled Vegas. “It’s the Super Bowl of fighting games.”

Next stop is Evo France. He says he already knows which mistakes to fix, which will be news to anyone who watched him.