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Prime Video Launches ‘Esports World Cup: Level Up’ Documentary

Alex77
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Prime Video Launches ‘Esports World Cup: Level Up’ Documentary

Prime Video is launching Esports World Cup: Level Up, a five-episode docuseries that follows the action backstage at the history-making 2024 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The series, premiering June 6, is directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker R.J. Cutler, whose credits include critical hits like Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry and Elton John: Never Too Late. With weekly new episodes, the show provides a unique, vérité-style look at the human narratives, high-pressure stakes, and emotional arcs that characterized the most ambitious esports tournament ever produced.

The 2024 Esports World Cup was a watershed moment in the history of competitive gaming globally. Extending over eight weeks of nail-biting action, the tournament united over 1,500 world-class players and 200 Clubs from 100 nations. They played 22 events in 21 high-profile game titles for a combined total prize amount of $62.5 million, historically the biggest in esports. At the center of the competition was the Club Championship, an innovative format where organizations earned points in various games, giving equal weight to consistency, team depth, and flexibility. Team Falcons ultimately became the overall Club Champion, taking home $7 million and making their mark on esports history.

What sets Level Up apart from typical esports coverage is its emphasis on the richly human stories beneath the virtual avatars. R.J. Cutler and his production crew immersed themselves in the tournament, shooting not just in Riyadh’s advanced esports venues but also in gamers’ hometowns around the globe. With raw storytelling and cinematic closeness, the series conveys the gravity of personal concessions, cultural pressures, and professional drive. As Cutler explains, “This story isn’t just about the $60 million on the line, it’s about identity, resilience, and passion under pressure. It’s where digital competition meets real-world consequence.”

One of the many gripping stories captured in the series is Soka from Team Falcons, a tough-talking and bold player who grew up on the rough streets of Oakland. His post-game trash talk tends to hide behind a background of adversity and personal strife, making his breakthrough more effective. And then there’s South Korea’s T1 FAKER, a living legend within the world of esports whose popularity is on par with that of global pop culture stars. Though celebrated as among the best to have ever played, he struggles with living up to his own legend and the emotional burden of being a world figure in an ultra-competitive arena.

Another compelling story is that of Sanford, a 19-year-old Filipino child prodigy, whose career becomes intensely personal when his father has a stroke. Since his family has no other breadwinner, Sanford bears so much more than the weight of winning—his journey is a witness to responsible youth and love for family. Just as inspiring is Atlanta FaZe’s Drazah, who was raised in a shed in North Pole, Alaska. With a single mother and seven siblings raised in humble circumstances, his return to his roots is an emotional reminder of the distance passion and determination can push one toward.

Level Up also shines a spotlight on Chel and Cinny, two rural Indonesian sisters who command the most dominant women’s team in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Their tournament run is threatened by the untimely passing away of their grandfather, pushing their emotional resilience to the test as they struggle to cope with loss and competition. Ukrainian Club NAVI CEO Yevhen Zolotarov has a story full of geopolitical undertones. Competing while his nation is embroiled in war, Zolotarov’s story is motivated by a need to bring hope and attention to his country. And then there’s Mossad Aldossary, the 24-year-old CEO of Team Falcons. A Riyadh native, he captains the country’s number one club with pride and pressure, looking to bring victory home and make history in front of a worldwide audience.

Aside from the tales of individual players and teams, Esports World Cup: Level Up also looks at the cultural and commercial implications of esports on today’s world. The 2024 EWC was watched by more than 500 million people globally, testifying to the rocket-like trajectory that competitive gaming had achieved in becoming a mainstream pop culture phenomenon. Amazon, as the official e-commerce partner of the event, opened dedicated gaming hubs for the Middle East and North Africa regions to increase digital fan interaction. At the same time, the Star Sports Network purchased broadcast rights and broadcast major tournaments in both English and Hindi—a recognition of the nation’s increased interest in esports content.

However, the tournament was not controversy-free. Critics raised an eyebrow over Saudi Arabia’s wider political scene and questioned human rights and sportswashing. Yet there were also moments of symbolic advancement. Team Liquid, for example, was permitted to don Pride-inspired jerseys, a bold move considering the conservative social mores of the region.

In the end, Esports World Cup: Level Up is more than a documentary about gaming—it’s an examination of a changing global culture in which virtual spaces hold the passion and competitive heat previously exclusive to mainstream sports. It’s a glimpse into a new generation of competitors moving through fame, wealth, and self-discovery within an ever-changing system. With its exemplary storytelling and engaging lens, the series presents a vital glimpse into what it means to be a champion in the 21st century.

Is CS2 Available on PS5?

Aritra Patra
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Is CS2 Available on PS5?

If you are a PlayStation 5 player and also a FPS games lover, you have thought about playing CS2 on PS5 at some point. Haven’t you? You are not alone; thousands of PS5 players are wondering if CS2 is playable at all on PS5 or not.

In this article, we will find out if CS2 is available on PS5 or if you have to wait years. Without wasting further time, let’s dig into it.

Is CS2 Available on PS5?

Valve has always been dedicated to the PC gaming market, especially for the Counter-Strike franchise. The competitive environment of CS2 depends extensively on accurate mouse and keyboard inputs, which are difficult to imitate with console controllers. The game architecture and regular updates are also best suited to PC environments, so a console version will be more complicated.

Although there isn’t a native PS5 version of CS2, some gamers have found other means to play the game on consoles, just like playing CS2 on Mac. One of those involves employing third-party cloud gaming platforms like GeForce Now, which is capable of streaming PC games onto different devices, including consoles. However, doing this might have its downsides, such as higher latency and lower performance, which affect the competitive aspect.

At this time, there is no official news indicating that CS2 will come out on the PS5 or other consoles. There has not been any word from Valve about console ports, and the game’s setup still exists with PC play in mind.

At present, Counter-Strike 2 does not exist on the PlayStation 5, and as of yet, there are no announced plans to bring it to consoles.

How to Complete Shifting Earth Events in Elden Ring Nightreign?

Aritra Patra
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0
How to Complete Shifting Earth Events in Elden Ring Nightreign?

In Elden Ring Nightreign, players encounter a lot of dynamic challenges that test their adaptability and strategic prowess. Among these, the Shifting Earth events stand out as unpredictable occurrences that can dramatically alter the landscape of Limveld, introducing new threats and opportunities.

Shifting Earth events are unscripted events that intrude upon the game world, causing hasty changes to the environment, imposing powerful enemy spawns, and special boss fights. Not only do these events add to the replay value of the game, but they also make it so that players must improvise their strategies. For example, a peaceful forest may change into a Scarlet Rot-covered bog, or an inactive volcano may awaken, remapping the surrounding terrain and adding new foes.

Throughout these events, players are required to move across difficult environments and battle strong enemies to gain special rewards. Among the areas introduced via the Shifting Earth cycle is the Rotted Woods, which is identified by its poisonous environment and tough enemies. Being able to successfully navigate this biome earns players the Favor of the Rotted Woods, a major in-game benefit.

How to Complete Shifting Earth Events in Elden Ring Nightreign?

These events are added to enhance gameplay, but some players might wish to skip them to keep their experience streamlined. To skip them, use one of the mechanics in the Roundtable Hold:

  • Enter the Roundtable Hold, then go to the corridor containing the Remembrace Journal.
  • Make your way to the far end of the corridor and discover a different room.
  • On the right-hand side of this room, two beds are placed side by side.
  • If an active Shifting Earth event is ongoing, engaging with these beds enables players to rest and essentially bypass the event.

It should be mentioned that these beds cannot be utilized to trigger Shifting Earth events or raids, as their activation is random. Players may determine the active event by watching for pop-up messages or reviewing the Expeditions menu after visiting the Table of Lost Grace.

Shifting Earth events form part of Nightreign’s overall design ethos, which sees a changing and dynamic world at its core. The game exists on a three-day cycle, with each day taking around 15 minutes to complete. As players go forward, the world changes, bringing new obstacles and changing old areas of exploration

Heroic Outlasts Chinggis Warrior in Blast.tv Austin Major Stage 1

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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Heroic Outlasts Chinggis Warrior in Blast.tv Austin Major Stage 1

Starting strong in Stage 1 of Blast.tv Austin Major, Heroic has taken down Chinggis Warrior in convincing fashion, as only two wins are what separates them from a spot at the Austin Major Stage 2.

VETO

  • Chinggis Warriors removed Mirage
  • Chinggis Warriors removed Dust2
  • HEROIC removed Inferno
  • HEROIC removed Nuke
  • HEROIC removed Ancient
  • Chinggis Warriors removed Train
  • Anubis was left over

Map 1: Anubis; Winner: Heroic

A solid, surprising start for CW on the defence, going 3-0 up when Heroic managed to convert the first gun round to get on the board. While rounds were few and far between for Heroic, CW managed to pull in most of the rounds, leading to them edging out the half with a 7-5 scoreline. Going down on the offence in Anubis against a team that has little to no tier-1 experience was shocking, but Heroic managed to turn it around in the second half. Not only did they manage to make a comeback, Heroic remained flawless in the entirety of the second half to dominate Chinggis Warrior and snatch away a touch win after a solid first half performance.

G2 bound AWPer, SunPayus dropped a masterclass on the defence after stunning in much of the first half, to see that Heroic avoided a massive upset to open up the first round of play in the Blast.tv Austin Major.

In what started as a total disaster for Heroic, they managed to turn it around, but CW left the stage with their heads held high as they managed to push one of the top teams to their limits, as the first half suggested that the match could have gone either way. While the expectations are high for Heroic, it will be interesting to see how CW performs in the coming games.

OG Stuns Complexity to Open BLAST.tv Austin Major Campaign

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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OG Stuns Complexity to Open BLAST.tv Austin Major Campaign

Despite being one of the teams touted as the dark horse, Complexity was dominated by OG on the opening day of BLAST.tv Austin Major Stage 1. A banging NICOODOZ performance saw the team, many predicted to go 3-0 in Stage 1, lose the first match to start their campaign.

VETO

  • OG removed Train
  • OG removed Anubis
  • Complexity removed Mirage
  • Complexity removed Dust2
  • Complexity removed Nuke
  • OG removed Inferno
  • Ancient was left over

Map 1: Ancient; Winner: OG

Starting strong on the defence, OG started the map with a clean and coordinated retake in the pistol round. It wasn’t until the first gun round that CoL managed to put a round on the board. Taking back the momentum from the fifth round, OG went on to put together a streak of seven rounds before CoL won a single round before switching sides. While 3 rounds were too few to begin with, CoL’s defence could not hold the fast-paced OG offence that did not waste any time or give the Americans the space to start mounting a comeback. Winning all the rounds on the offence, OG managed to pick apart the CoL defence to win the map with a 13-3 dominant scoreline.

nicoodoz, having performed well leading up to the Major, went on a tear as he dropped an unbelievable 33 kills in 16 rounds, surpassing the 2KD mark; amongst everything, he managed to bring out the performance of his life, and no better time to do it than the opening day of a Major.

OG now find themselves two wins away from Stage 2, and given how they delivered against what could be the best team from Stage 1, it is unlikely that qualification to be an issue for them. Only time will tell if this was a fluke or if OG is the team that the top contenders need to watch out for.

How To Unlock Sunshine Land Shark Jeff Skin in Marvel Rivals?

Sonu Banerjee
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How To Unlock Sunshine Land Shark Jeff Skin in Marvel Rivals?

Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 is in full swing, with fans of the hero shooter diving into the action by trying out Ultron and grinding the various new events that the update has brought to the game.

As with any other major Marvel Rivals update, Season 2.5 is also bringing a ton of new skins to the game. While there are a number of free Marvel Rivals skins for players to collect over the next few weeks, there are also some premium cosmetics that you can get once you’ve stacked up some Units in your inventory.

The Sunshine Land Shark skin is one of the newest skins in Marvel Rivals that you might look forward to grabbing if you’re a Jeff player. It features Jeff the Land Shark in a cute beach outfit with a purple flower necklace and a top hat.

In this guide, we will check out how to unlock the Sunshine Land Shark Jeff costume in Marvel Rivals.

How To Get Sunshine Land Shark Jeff Skin in Marvel Rivals

The Sunshine Land Shark costume for Jeff was officially confirmed by NetEase on June 2, 2025. However, it won’t be available to claim until June 5, 2025, at 7 pm PT.

With that being said, here’s how you get the Sunshine Land Shark Jeff skin in Marvel Rivals once it drops:

  • Launch Marvel Rivals
  • From the home screen, go to the ‘Store’ tab
  • Under the ‘Featured’ section, look for the ‘Sunshine Land Shark’ skin
  • Alternatively, you can go to the ‘Heroes’ section, click on Jeff, and check his ‘Costumes’ list for the skin.
  • Once you’ve clicked on the ‘Sunshine Land Shark’ skin, you’ll be able to see the purchase options
  • Finish the transaction

Once you’ve purchased the skin, it will immediately be available in your Marvel Rivals inventory.

Marvel Rivals Sunshine Land Shark Jeff Skin Price

While the devs have yet to confirm the price of the Sunshine Land Shark Jeff costume, we can try to guess its price based on similar skins we have seen in the past.

Taking a glance at the new Jeff skin, it’s likely to fall under the ‘Epic’ tier, which means you should be able to grab the entire bundle for 1,600 Units. Purchasing the skin individually should set you back around 1,400 Units.

That’s everything you need to know about how to unlock the Sunshine Land Shark Jeff skin in Marvel Rivals.

Omen Temporarily Disabled From Valorant: Here’s Why and When He’ll Return

Sonu Banerjee
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0
Omen Temporarily Disabled From Valorant: Here’s Why and When He’ll Return

It’s not a good day to be an Omen main, as the fan-favorite Controller has been removed from Valorant. But don’t worry, this is a temporary change, and he will be added back to the Valorant roster before long.

Many Valorant players were taken by surprise today when they discovered that Omen was missing from the Agent roster and couldn’t be selected in any game mode. While there are plenty of other available Controllers in the game to fill his void, none of them can pull off sneaky solo plays like Omen can with his teleport and smokes.

As a result, fans were left confused, wondering why Omen was removed from Valorant and when he would return.

In this article, we will take a look at everything you need to know about Omen’s removal from Valorant and his potential return.

Why Was Omen Removed From Valorant?

Riot Games has confirmed that Omen was removed from the Valorant roster after a game-breaking bug involving the Controller was discovered.

The bug in question enabled Omen to see his enemies and hear footsteps when using his Dark Cover, giving the player an unintended yet significant competitive advantage.

The issue was brought to light by Wolves Esports coach ‘Fayde,’ who posted the bug in his X (formerly Twitter) handle.

His post reads, “Idk how my player got this bug but he can now see where the enemies are while using Dark Cover + hear the footsteps, hot fix please.”

When Will Omen Return To Valorant?

While Riot hasn’t given us an exact return date for Omen, the Valorant devs stated they’re “hoping to resolve the issue tomorrow” and assured fans they’ll continue to share updates.

Agents being temporarily disabled on account of game-breaking bugs hasn’t been an uncommon sight in Valorant’s history. Back in March 2025, Reyna got removed from Valorant after a bug surfaced where her Overheal wasn’t updating her health properly. She was added back to the roster after nearly four days.

Does Elden Ring Nightreign Support Duos?

Aritra Patra
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0
Does Elden Ring Nightreign Support Duos?

FromSoftware’s Elden Ring Nightreign presents a daring cooperative play, a departure from the studio’s customarily single-player-centric approach. The game, intended primarily for three-player groups, submerges players in the treacherous world of Limveld, where they must endure a three-day cycle with ever-mounting perils. Solo gameplay is possible, but through mechanisms and scaling to difficulty, Nightreign reinforces its trio-based cooperation focus.

Fundamentally, Nightreign is designed as a three-player expedition. Each of the players chooses from a list of pre-defined heroes, e.g., the tough Guardian or the nimble Duchess, each with their own set of abilities that complement each other in combat. The game’s system of progression, random maps, and adaptive boss battles is specifically designed around this three-player format to encourage strategic teamwork and cooperative victories.

Does Elden Ring Nightreign Support Duos?

In spite of the cooperative nature of the adventuring game, Nightreign does not currently support two-player parties. Players trying to venture out together as a pair will be found unable to start a session unless they engage in single-player mode. This feature has been a source of grievance from the community, particularly from those wanting to get into playing the game with just one buddy.

In an interview, game director Junya Ishizaki acknowledged this oversight, stating, “The simple answer is that this is something that was simply overlooked during development as just a two-player option, so we’re very sorry about that.” He further indicated that the development team is considering post-launch support to address this gap.

The Seamless Co-op Mod

To address the call for duo play, the modding group has answered. One of their significant contributions is the “Seamless Co-op Mod,” crafted by a well-known Soulsborne modder. With the mod, players can avoid the game’s trio requirement and play in pairs or even bigger teams. The mod uses peer-to-peer connections to go around the official matchmaking servers of the game and adds functionality such as persistent sessions and modified respawn mechanics.

Yet, it must be pointed out that this mod so far only supports the PC version of Nightreign. Players on PlayStation and Xbox consoles will have to wait for official updates from FromSoftware for the two-player support.

Valorant 5 Year Event: Squad XP Boost Explained

Sonu Banerjee
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0
Valorant 5 Year Event: Squad XP Boost Explained

June 2025 marks the fifth anniversary of Valorant’s launch, and Riot Games is commemorating the milestone with a series of in-game events offering players a chance to earn some free rewards.

The 5-Year Event Pass in Valorant includes a bunch of free rewards, including Player Cards, Gun Buddies, and more, that players can obtain by simply playing the game. But that’s not all, since there’s also another exciting event for players looking to grind their Valorant Battle Passes and reach the max tier as quickly as possible.

The Squad XP Boost event is a recurring Valorant event that we’ve previously seen on multiple occasions throughout the game’s history. The event enables players to accumulate XP at a rapid pace by playing alongside their friends.

Valorant Squad XP Boost Event Explained

Throughout the 5-Year Event Pass, Valorant players will be able to earn loads of additional XP with the Squad XP Boost. But how does it work?

During the event period, you can party up with your friends and queue for any game mode to receive additional XP for your Battle Pass (or event pass). The amount of bonus XP depends on the number of friends that you play with.

Here’s a breakdown of the XP Boost percentages available during the event:

  • 2 Players: +8% XP Boost
  • 3 Players: +12% XP Boost
  • 4 Players: +16% XP Boost
  • 5 Players: +20% XP Boost

As you can see from the list, you can get the maximum bonus XP by playing in a full lobby with your friends.

The Squad XP Boost event runs until June 24, 2025, so you’ll have plenty of time to grind for all the rewards that you need.

Valve Unleashes June 2025 Ranking Update

Aritra Patra
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0
Valve Unleashes June 2025 Ranking Update

Valve has released the June 2025 update for its Valve Regional Standings (VRS). It is a critical measure of team invitations for IEM Cologne and the Esports World Cup. Not only does this update capture today’s competitive climate, but it also positions these high-pressure events.

Planned from July 23 to August 3, IEM Cologne 2025 is a pillar in the CS2 competitive schedule. Carrying a large prize money of $1,250,000, the event will be attended by 24 teams, mainly decided by the recent VRS rankings. The event’s format features several stages, ultimately leading up to a grand final that guarantees fierce matches between the world’s top teams.

After IEM Cologne, the Esports World Cup will be held between August 20 and 24 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This event will feature 16 elite teams, 15 of which will qualify based on the June VRS update, and one more team qualifying from the HERO Esports Asian Champions League. The tournament has a prize pool of $1,250,000, with the winning team receiving $500,000.

VRS Rankings as of June 2025

The VRS rates teams according to several performance factors, such as Bounty Collected (BCOL), Bounty Offered (BOFF), Opponent Network (NETW), LAN Wins (LANW), and Head-to-Head Adjustments (H2H). The top 10 teams are listed below:

  • Vitality (EU) – 2124 points
  • MOUZ (EU) – 1922 points
  • Team Spirit (EU) – 1905 points
  • Team Falcons (EU) – 1888 points
  • The MongolZ (AS) – 1790 points
  • Aurora (EU) – 1742 points
  • G2 Esports (EU) – 1636 points
  • Natus Vincere (EU) – 1632 points
  • GamerLegion (EU) – 1620 points
  • FaZe Clan (EU) – 1609 points

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