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Riot Reveals Major Changes Coming to VCT 2027 Qualification Structure

Sonu Banerjee
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Riot Reveals Major Changes Coming to VCT 2027 Qualification Structure

Riot Games has unveiled fresh details on how teams will qualify for the Valorant Champions Tour in 2027, and this is perhaps the most significant overhaul to competitive Valorant since partnership leagues first launched back in 2023.

Rather than locking partner organizations into a season-long schedule, the new VCT circuit will see a chain of tournaments where results will determine who keeps playing rather than contracts.

“VCT 2027 is built around a simple belief: the best teams should earn their place every step of the way and every match matters,” Leo Faria, Global Head of Valorant Esports, said in a statement. “We wanted to create a system that rewards performance, opens more opportunities for teams around the world, and makes every match feel meaningful.”

Riot Games Revamps VCT Structure

As usual, VCT 2027 kicks off with three regional Kickoff events in the Americas, EMEA, and Pacific, each running a 12-team, triple-elimination bracket made up of eight partner organizations and four teams decided via the Open Qualifiers.

Finishing in the top three at Kickoff will send a team straight to the first Masters event. Partner teams will get a direct entry into Kickoff and nothing more, while any team that fails to rank highly at a Cup or Masters will get bumped down into Open Playoffs.

Partner teams with no prior track record, alongside teams that are knocked out early, will have to climb back up through the qualifiers like everybody else.

China runs a slightly different version. Eight partner teams and two visitor teams share Kickoff slots with two Open Qualifier entrants, and both partner and visitor teams get invites to the first two Cups of the year.

Feeding into all of this are 14 regional competitions, which will serve as the foundation for qualification into Cups.

VCT AmericasVCT EMEAVCT PacificVCT China
North AmericaEuropeSouth KoreaChina
LATAM NorthTürkiyeJapan 
LATAM SouthMENAThailand 
Brazil Indonesia 
  Vietnam 
  Wild Card 

VCT Pacific sees the most changes, with Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam now standing as their own regions alongside South Korea and Japan, plus a Wild Card bracket bringing together Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, and the rest of Southeast Asia. This Wild Card bracket is also how South Asian and Oceanic squads get a shot at the global stage.

To help emerging organizations build momentum and establish sustainable competitive identities, Riot has announced that open and creator-backed teams will be able to retain their competitive progress if they maintain at least three of five starting players.

On the money side, Riot is guaranteeing payouts to non-partner teams for the first time. Teams will get fixed qualification payouts tied directly to competitive achievement:

  • Qualify for Kickoff or a Cup: $100,000 USD
  • Qualify for Masters: $200,000 USD
  • Qualify for Champions: $400,000 USD

Note that these payouts are in addition to the tournament prize pools, travel support during major events, and other ecosystem incentives.

Teams that score a ticket to the Game Changers Championship can pick up another $100,000 USD.

Riot Games has stated that further details regarding slot allocation, regional qualification formats, and partner team selection will be disclosed ahead of Valorant Champions 2026.

Five Overtimes: Spirit Edge G2 in the Longest Series of the Cologne Major

Divyesh Moghe
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Five Overtimes: Spirit Edge G2 in the Longest Series of the Cologne Major

Spirit beat G2 2-1 in the IEM Cologne Major 2026 quarterfinal on June 19, taking Dust2 16-14 and Mirage 25-22 after G2 opened the series by winning their own map pick. Five overtime periods across two maps. A 47-round decider. LANXESS Arena did not sit down.

Five Overtimes: Spirit Edge G2 in the Longest Series of the Cologne Major

G2 won the map they were supposed to win

Overpass was G2’s pick and Spirit still led 7-5 at the half. Then G2 flipped sides and won eight rounds on CT, holding Spirit to two, and closed it 13-9. The world’s number one team, riding a twelve-match streak, looked ordinary for twenty-two rounds.

Dust2 refused to end

HeavyGod opened with a 4k and G2 raced to 4-0. donk dragged Spirit level. SunPayus, huNter- and HeavyGod traded takeovers, and huNter- won a 1v1 to force overtime. It was donk who finished it, a 1v2 to close the map 16-14 despite huNter- turning a 3v5 that should not have been turnable.

Then Mirage happened

MATYS put up 17 kills and 122 ADR in a single half to build G2’s 8-4 lead, six opening kills among them. Spirit clawed back to 8-8. Nobody closed. Round 34 of the second overtime gave the series its defining moment: magixx alone in kitchen, 1v4, punishing G2’s spacing for a match point. G2 survived it. HeavyGod clutched a fourth overtime into existence. donk finished on 41 frags. zont1x won the last 2v2, sliding between pillars, and Spirit took it 25-22.

Reported peak concurrent viewership passed two million, a CS2 record.

What it actually proved

Nothing about Spirit’s system. Everything about their individuals. Spirit won because donk and zont1x refused to lose a 2v2, not because they solved Mirage. That distinction mattered a day later, when Falcons beat them 2-1 in the semifinal and then dismantled FURIA 3-0 to take the trophy.

G2 exited 5-8th with $45,000 and the better claim to having been unlucky. They were not the worse team in the room. They were the team that ran out of rounds.

Falcons Dethrone the Top Seed: Vitality Out of Cologne in the Quarterfinals

Divyesh Moghe
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Falcons Dethrone the Top Seed: Vitality Out of Cologne in the Quarterfinals

Three maps, three scorelines of 13-11, and not one of them arrived the way anyone had drawn it up. On June 19 at a sold out LANXESS Arena, the team walked into a quarterfinal against an opponent that had already beaten them three times running, and walked out of the tournament.

Falcons vs Vitality at IEM Cologne 2026: How the Top Seed Fell in the Quarterfinals

The receipts were public before a single round was played. Falcons had taken the last three meetings, at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025, BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 and IEM Rio 2026. Vitality still entered as favourites, carrying two straight Major titles and a longest streak of 30 consecutive LAN series.

On Anubis, kyousuke opened with a quad kill and Falcons ran five rounds before Vitality answered. The Frenchmen prised the half back to 6-6 by targeting karrigan’s position on B in consecutive rounds, then built a 10-6 lead after the switch. It should have held. Instead a B take on round seventeen unlocked six straight T-side rounds, and a kyousuke highlight closed it 13-11.

Vitality took Inferno by the same margin, ZywOo’s AWP finishing the job. Then Dust2, where Falcons went 8-4 up before halftime and never let the map breathe. TeSeS nearly clutched a Five-Seven duel against flameZ on two health. m0NESY won a 1v1 for match point. Round 24 ended it without overtime.

kyousuke finished the series with a 1.43 rating and a 52-50 K-D, and was named match MVP. Vitality exited in 5th-8th for $45,000, only the third time in eighteen months they had failed to reach a Major’s top four.

What gives the result its weight is what followed. Falcons beat Spirit, swept FURIA 3-0 in the grand final and took the organisation’s first Major, with m0NESY as tournament MVP. Vitality’s run was not ended by an outsider having a good night. It was ended by the eventual champion, coached by zonic, the man who built the Astralis dynasty whose record Vitality were chasing. Afterwards he admitted a small part of his Astralis heart enjoyed denying that conversation.

The Cathedral has a long memory. This one it will keep.

🔴BMPS 2026 Points Table Live for Day 1 Grand Finals: Check BMPS Overall Standings Here

Aditya Parsutkar
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🔴BMPS 2026 Points Table Live for Day 1 Grand Finals: Check BMPS Overall Standings Here

The BMPS 2026 Points Table for the Grand Finals Day 1 is now live. We are updating the BMPS 2026 Grand Finals points table after every match to provide the fastest and most accurate standings throughout the day. A total of six matches will be played today, with the action starting at 3:45 PM IST and concluding at 7:30 PM IST.

Stay tuned for live updates and check out the latest BMPS 2026 overall standings, team rankings, and match-by-match results from the BMPS 2026 Finals Day 1.

BMPS 2026 Points Table Live for Grand Finals Day 1

  • Divine Gaming – 85 Points
  • Nebula Esports – 53 Points
  • Genesis Esports – 52 Points
  • iQOO Reckoning Esports – 47 Points
  • iQOO 8Bit – 40 Points
  • iQOO Revenant XSpark – 39 Points
  • Vasista Esports – 38 Points
  • iQOO Team Tamilas – 37 Points
  • 7Gods Esports – 36 Points
  • Gods Reign – 29 Points
  • iQOO Orangutan – 26 Points
  • iQOO SouL – 25 Points
  • Myth Official – 24 Points
  • Team Apex Gaming – 23 Points
  • Victores Sumus – 22 Points
  • GodLike Esports – 21 Points

BMPS 2026 Grand Finals Day 1: Schedule and Teams

MatchMapTime
Match 1Rondo3:45 PM
Match 2Erangel4:30 PM
Match 3Erangel5:15 PM
Match 4Erangel6:00 PM
Match 5Miramar6:45 PM
Match 6Miramar7:30 PM

Teams

  • 7GODS Esports
  • 8Bit
  • Divine Gaming
  • Genesis Esports
  • Godlike Esports
  • Gods Reign
  • Myth Official
  • Nebula Esports
  • Orangutan
  • Reckoning Esports
  • Revenant XSpark
  • Apex Gaming
  • Team Soul
  • Team Tamilas
  • Vasista Esports
  • Victores Sumus

Prize pool and Esports World Cup 2026 Slot

The headline number is ₹4 crore, doubled from the ₹2 crore KRAFTON announced at launch. The champion takes ₹1 crore. Second place gets ₹60 lakh, with ₹40 lakh for third. All 16 finalists walk away with a share.

The international reward is where things get a little murky. KRAFTON’s BMPS 2026 launch tied the title to an Esports World Cup 2026 berth in Riyadh, with India holding two slots. More recent reports instead point to a PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) 2026 Paris spot for the winner. Either way, a global slot is on the table, so confirm the exact route on the official BMPS 2026 tournament page nearer the final.

Where to watch BMPS 2026 finals?

Fans can enjoy all matches of the Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series 2026 Grand Finals on the official YouTube channel of Krafton India Esports in a total of nine languages, including Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati, Punjabi, Mizo, Bengali, and Tamil.

BMPS 2026 Grand Finals Day 1: Match Timings, Teams, Maps, Streaming, and More

Aditya Parsutkar
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BMPS 2026 Grand Finals Day 1: Match Timings, Teams, Maps, Streaming, and More

BMPS 2026 Grand Finals Day 1 will be played today, 19 June, at the Jaipur Convention Centre in Jaipur, Rajasthan. A total of 16 teams, including popular names like Team Soul, Team Apex Gaming, Godlike Esports, Orangutan, Revenant XSpark, and more, will battle in a total of six matches on the first day across Rondo, Erangel, and Miramar starting from 3:45 PM IST. Check out the BMPS 2026 Finals Day 1 schedule, teams, map rotation, where to watch, and other details.

BMPS 2026 Grand Finals Day 1: Schedule and Teams

MatchMapTime
Match 1Rondo3:45 PM
Match 2Erangel4:30 PM
Match 3Erangel5:15 PM
Match 4Erangel6:00 PM
Match 5Miramar6:45 PM
Match 6Miramar7:30 PM

Teams

  • 7GODS Esports
  • 8Bit
  • Divine Gaming
  • Genesis Esports
  • Godlike Esports
  • Gods Reign
  • Myth Official
  • Nebula Esports
  • Orangutan
  • Reckoning Esports
  • Revenant XSpark
  • Apex Gaming
  • Team Soul
  • Team Tamilas
  • Vasista Esports
  • Victores Sumus

Prize pool and Esports World Cup 2026 Slot

The headline number is ₹4 crore, doubled from the ₹2 crore KRAFTON announced at launch. The champion takes ₹1 crore. Second place gets ₹60 lakh, with ₹40 lakh for third. All 16 finalists walk away with a share.

The international reward is where things get a little murky. KRAFTON’s BMPS 2026 launch tied the title to an Esports World Cup 2026 berth in Riyadh, with India holding two slots. More recent reports instead point to a PUBG Mobile World Cup (PMWC) 2026 Paris spot for the winner. Either way, a global slot is on the table, so confirm the exact route on the official BMPS 2026 tournament page nearer the final.

Where to watch BMPS 2026 finals?

Fans can enjoy all matches of the Battlegrounds Mobile India Pro Series 2026 Grand Finals on the official YouTube channel of Krafton India Esports in a total of nine languagaes including Hindi, English, Marathi, Kannada, Gujarati, Punjabi, Mizo, Bengali, and Tamil.

FURIA Takes Down 9z to Reach IEM Cologne Major Semi-Finals

Sonu Banerjee
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FURIA Takes Down 9z to Reach IEM Cologne Major Semi-Finals

FURIA has edged past 9z in a tense South American derby that had CS fans on the edge of their seats from the opening round. The Brazilian org pushed through adversity after dropping the opening map, rallying back to silence their rivals and book their spot in the semis.

Map Veto

  • 9z banned Anubis
  • FURIA banned Ancient
  • 9z picked Dust 2
  • FURIA picked Mirage
  • FURIA banned Inferno
  • 9z banned Nuke
  • Overpass was left over

Map 1: Dust 2 [Pick: 9z, Win: 9z, Final Score: 13-8]

9z had an amazing start to the T-side of Dust 2 with back-to-back flawless executions, leaving little room for error for FURIA to capitalize on. It wasn’t until the sixth round that the Brazilian org managed to grab a foothold for itself and put up their first round on the board. However, they failed to secure follow-ups as 9z shut them down once again. At the end of the first half, 9z found themselves in a strong lead as the scoreboard read 9-3.

FURIA attempted to retaliate, securing a pistol-round win on their own T-side and following it up with a couple more wins. But the lead proved too big to close, and 9z eventually finished out the game with a score of 13-8.

Map 2: Mirage [Pick: FURIA, Win: FURIA, Final Score: 13-9]

FURIA looked to secure an early lead on their map pick by grabbing the T-side pistol round, but a force-buy from 9z was enough to shut them down. From then on, 9z maintained their momentum to grab five consecutive round wins, but struggled towards the end of the half as FURIA chased down the gap and ended the half 6-6.

Despite losing the second pistol round of Mirage, FURIA proved to have the stronger CT-side on their map pick, conceding only three rounds over the half before closing out game 2 with a score of 13-9.

Map 3: Overpass [Win: FURIA, Final Score: 13-6]

9z opened the final map of the series on the right foot, taking the pistol round on the T-side along with the follow-up anti-eco. FURIA, however, hit back hard in the following rounds, showcasing their strength on the defending side with back-to-back wins to seize a 5-2 lead. The Argentine side could only add one more round before the break, with FURIA carrying a commanding 9-3 lead into the second half.

9z weren’t about to give up so easily, though. A pistol-round win on the CT-side helped the team claw their way back into the game, stringing together a few consecutive round wins to bring the score to 9-6. However, FURIA proved to be the better team on the day, regrouping to close out the game with a score of 13-6.

With this victory, FURIA once again proved why they’re considered one of the favorites to win the prestigious cup. Needless to say, the CS2 community will eagerly look forward to the Brazilian team taking on Aurora in the Semi-Finals, scheduled for 20th June.

Aurora Crushes BetBoom to Book IEM Cologne Major Semi-Finals Spot

Aurora Crushes BetBoom to Book IEM Cologne Major Semi-Finals Spot

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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Aurora Crushes BetBoom to Book IEM Cologne Major Semi-Finals Spot

Aurora is the first team to reach the semi-finals of the IEM Cologne Major, beating BetBoom by a 2-0 scoreline. Dominant performances in back-to-back maps saw the Turkish side put up a statement win after many considered them an underdog making a Cinderella run through the tough brackets.

VETO

  • BetBoom removed Inferno
  • Aurora removed Ancient
  • BetBoom picked Nuke
  • Aurora picked Anubis
  • Aurora removed Mirage
  • BetBoom removed Overpass
  • Dust2 was left over

Map 1: Nuke; Pick: BetBoom; Winner: Aurora

BetBoom’s conversion of the pistol gave them the early lead before Aurora converted the gun round to hit the board. Building on the success of the first gun round, Aurora put together a streak of 5 before BetBoom managed to make the scoreline competitive with a streak of their own. Switching sides with a 7-5 scoreline, BetBoom’s defense failed as Aurora, with their methodically played offense, picked the Russian side apart, walking all over them to close the map with a dominant 13-6 scoreline, securing their opponents’ pick. Stalwart rifler XANTARES, grabbing 24 frags, put his side 1-0 up to open the series.

Map 2: Anubis; Pick: Aurora; Winner: Aurora

Aurora’s pistol round win put them on winning ways in the less favored side of Anubis. As BetBoom found their footing late into the game, the Russian side managed to level the scoreline before switching sides. With 6 rounds to their name, Aurora put up a 5-round streak to start their offense, leading to an 11-5 scoreline before BetBoom could find their first round on the CT side. Despite winning a few rounds, Aurora’s massive lead proved to be a mountain too high for them to climb as the game closed with a 13-9 scoreline. AWPer woxic, dropping a masterclass on defense, laid the foundation for Aurora’s statement win that will see them reach the semi-finals.

Now that Aurora has started to click on the big stage, no team is outside their reach, and with experience and skill by their side, something tells us that a Grand Finals spot might be a reality. Only time can tell if they come out on top tomorrow, but as of now, they have a historic win to celebrate.

GTA 6 Pre-Orders Open June 25 as Rockstar Reveals Official Cover Art

Aritra Patra
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GTA 6 Pre-Orders Open June 25 as Rockstar Reveals Official Cover Art

Rockstar Games has confirmed that pre-orders for Grand Theft Auto VI will open on June 25, 2026. The announcement came on June 18 through a 33-second video posted on the studio’s official X account, which also revealed the game’s official cover art.

The game launches on November 19, 2026, for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. This date has held firm after two previous delays pushed the title from its original Fall 2025 window.

What the Cover Art Shows

The GTA VI artwork features protagonists Jason and Lucia at the top center, rendered in a purple and orange color palette consistent with the series’ pop-art style. The fictional state of Leonida, modeled on Florida, appears throughout the cover through imagery such as flamingos and alligators. A yellow car, a helicopter, and motorbikes are shown across separate panels.

A new story synopsis was also released by Rockstar: “When an easy score lands Jason and Lucia in a conspiracy stretching across the entire state of Leonida, the young criminal couple find themselves on the darkest side of the sunniest place in America, forced to rely on each other more than ever before.”

Rockstar has posted a high-resolution version of the cover art to its website, available for download as a desktop or phone wallpaper.

Where and How to Pre-Order GTA 6

Rockstar confirmed that pre-orders will open on June 25 through digital storefronts and select retailers. Fans can add the game to their wishlist on the PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store now to get notified when the pre-order button goes live.

Pricing has not been announced yet. For months, there has been speculation over how much the game will cost, with some analysts arguing it should charge as much as $80 to $100. GTA VI has not confirmed pricing, and Rockstar has not mentioned the editions that will be available when pre-orders open.

Bank of America analysts predicted an $80 price point would allow Rockstar to set a new standard for game pricing.

There is still no word on a PC port, which is expected to follow the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S launch in the coming years.

BMPS 2026 Prize Pool Distribution Explained

Divyesh Moghe
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BMPS 2026 Prize Pool Distribution Explained

KRAFTON India Esports has revealed the updated BMPS 2026 prize pool distribution, and the headline figure is huge. The champions will walk away with ₹1 crore, the centrepiece of a ₹4 crore pool that reaches all the way down to 32nd place.

The total was doubled from ₹2 crore to ₹4 crore on June 8, and the new ladder rewards far more than just the winners. Here is the full breakdown, explained tier by tier.

The headline: a ₹4 crore pool

The total prize pool sits at ₹4 crore after KRAFTON doubled it ahead of the ₹4 crore showdown in Jaipur. The top of the table is where the real money lives. The champions take ₹1 crore, second place earns ₹60 lakh, and third pockets ₹40 lakh.

From there, the gaps stay meaningful through the upper half. Fourth place gets ₹30 lakh, fifth ₹25 lakh, and even eighth place still banks ₹14.5 lakh. A strong finals run pays well beyond the podium.

Full BMPS 2026 prize money breakdown

Here is the complete placement-by-placement split:

PlacementPrize money
Champions₹1,00,00,000
2nd₹60,00,000
3rd₹40,00,000
4th₹30,00,000
5th₹25,00,000
6th₹18,00,000
7th₹15,00,000
8th₹14,50,000
9th–10th₹10,00,000 each
11th–12th₹8,00,000 each
13th–14th₹6,00,000 each
15th–16th₹5,00,000 each
17th–20th₹2,50,000 each
21st–24th₹2,00,000 each
25th–32nd₹1,50,000 each

Why the ladder runs all the way to 32nd

You might wonder how the payouts reach 32nd place when only 16 teams play the Grand Finals. The answer is that the pool is spread across the tournament’s top 32 finishers, well beyond the 16-team Jaipur lineup.

So the finalists fight for the top 16 placements and the biggest cheques. Teams that fell short in the qualifiers, semifinals and Last Chance but still ranked among the top 32 overall pick up a smaller share. That is why even a 25th-to-32nd finish is worth ₹1.5 lakh.

It rewards consistency across the whole season rather than only the final weekend. For the orgs grinding through the long road to Jaipur, that safety net matters.

Individual awards: OMVP, Best IGL and more

Beyond team placements, KRAFTON has set aside cash for standout players. There are four individual awards on the board:

  • OMVP (Overall MVP): ₹4 lakh
  • Best IGL: ₹2.5 lakh
  • MVP (Grand Finals MVP): ₹2 lakh
  • Best Clutch: ₹1 lakh

The two MVP awards tend to confuse people, so it is worth clearing up. The OMVP, or Overall MVP, goes to the best player across the whole tournament and carries the bigger ₹4 lakh reward. The plain MVP recognises the standout of the Grand Finals itself, worth ₹2 lakh. Best IGL rewards the sharpest in-game leader, while Best Clutch celebrates the player who pulls off the biggest match-saving moment.

How it all adds up

Add everything together and the math lines up neatly. The placement prizes from first to 32nd come to ₹3.905 crore. The four individual awards add another ₹9.5 lakh. Together, that is exactly ₹4 crore, with nothing left unaccounted for.

The money is only part of the story. The BMPS 2026 champion also secures an international slot, with a second Indian team qualifying through KRAFTON’s rankings. You can follow the full prize breakdown on Liquipedia or catch every match on the official stream from KRAFTON India Esports.

When the dust settles in Jaipur on June 21, one roster will lift the trophy and the ₹1 crore top prize. Watch the final-day standings closely, because in a points-based finals, the gap between ₹1 crore and ₹60 lakh can come down to a single clutch.

Gameskraft ED Raid: ₹526 Crore Frozen, Founders Arrested, Then Freed by Karnataka High Court

Pranav Nalawade
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Gameskraft ED Raid: ₹526 Crore Frozen, Founders Arrested, Then Freed by Karnataka High Court

The Gameskraft ED raid has become one of the most closely watched cases in India’s gaming sector. What started as a money-laundering search in May ended with frozen accounts, three arrested founders, and a sharp legal reversal weeks later.

On June 16, the Karnataka High Court declared those arrests illegal and ordered the founders released. It was a major setback for the Enforcement Directorate, and a reminder that, at this stage, the agency’s claims remain allegations rather than proven facts. Here is a clear breakdown of what happened and where the case stands.

The raids and the ₹526 crore freeze

The Enforcement Directorate’s Bengaluru zone searched Gameskraft Technologies and its founders from May 7 to May 13, 2026. The operation covered 17 locations across Karnataka and the Delhi-NCR region, taking in company offices and the homes of senior executives.

According to the ED, the agency froze movable assets worth about ₹526.49 crore, including bank balances, payment gateway deposits, mutual funds, bonds and fixed deposits. It also reported seizing around 2.3 kg of gold and diamond jewellery and bullion worth roughly ₹3.5 crore, plus ₹11 lakh in cash. All of it fell under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

What the ED alleges

The case rests on a set of serious claims, none of which has been tested in a full trial. The agency says Gameskraft ran real-money rummy platforms including RummyCulture, RummyPrime, RummyTime and Playship, plus a B2B app called RummyCorner, with a user base of roughly 3 crore.

The ED alleges the company used bots, or automated software, during gameplay without telling users, while publicly claiming the platform was transparent and bot-free. It also claims the firm kept operating in states where real-money gaming is restricted, such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, by working around geolocation checks. New players, the agency says, were allowed small early wins to build confidence before bots were used harder in higher-stake games, with users drawn in through bonuses, referral rewards, instant cash offers and tournament perks. The company charged a 10 to 15 percent commission on stakes, it adds.

On the money trail, the ED claims the founders laundered around ₹250 crore of alleged proceeds through foreign investments, dividends, mutual funds, bonds, property and bogus expense entries. It has separately claimed users lost more than ₹1,100 crore to bot-linked accounts, and that the platform’s design pushed vulnerable players into serious financial and, in some cases, severe personal distress. Gameskraft has not accepted these characterisations, and its founders have fought the case in court.

The arrests and the founders’ challenge

During the May searches, the ED arrested three founders, Deepak Singh, Prithvi Raj Singh and Vikas Taneja, under Section 19 of the PMLA. Two were taken into custody in the Delhi-NCR area and brought to Bengaluru on transit remand; the third was held in Bengaluru. A special court sent them first to ED custody, then to judicial custody.

The founders moved the Karnataka High Court fast, arguing the agency had produced no fresh evidence and was reviving stale allegations. They pointed to a January 22, 2026 order, when the same court had stayed an earlier ED probe after the underlying police case was closed. With that foundation gone, they said, the new arrests could not hold.

Karnataka High Court calls the arrests illegal

On June 16, Justice M. Nagaprasanna agreed and declared the arrests illegal, calling them “contrary to law” and ordering an immediate release.

His reasoning was pointed. The ED had not thought arrest necessary six months earlier on much the same material, so a fresh case could not turn old allegations into new grounds for custody. The court found no fresh predicate offence beyond a handful of recent complaints, noted that no summons had been issued before the arrests, and held that the agency had skipped the safeguards built into Section 19 of the PMLA. It relied on the Supreme Court’s Pankaj Bansal and Arvind Kejriwal rulings, which treat money-laundering arrests as a serious step rather than a routine one.

A detailed copy of the judgment is still awaited. Crucially, the order deals only with the legality of the arrests, not the wider investigation, so the broader probe and the asset freeze remain open questions.

The case sits against a wider regulatory backdrop. India banned online real-money games in 2025 through the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, and Gameskraft suspended RummyCulture and its other paid platforms that August, saying it respected the law and treated compliance as non-negotiable. The online gaming rules that took effect in 2026 tightened the ban further.

This is not the company’s only legal battle. Gameskraft is among the firms named in GST disputes worth roughly ₹2.5 lakh crore now before the Supreme Court, and it separately flagged alleged irregularities tied to a former finance executive in 2025. Some reports suggest the latest action could further unsettle investors in a sector already strained by the ban.

For now, the key things to track are the detailed High Court judgment, whether the ED appeals, and what happens to the frozen assets and the underlying probe. For an industry still finding its feet after the real-money gaming ban, the answers could shape how hard agencies go after former operators next.

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