Thursday, February 12, 2026
Home Blog Page 152

New COD Game Set to Get Paywall for Game Modes

0

With what is rumored to be Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, the developers have taken a shocking new decision in their efforts to monetize every sector of the game. Popular dataminer, GhostOfHope, who boasts a solid track record of delivering leaks, has suggested that the new game will have paywalls restricting players from accessing several game modes unless they are willing to pay for it.

According to the report, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will get a Battle Pass like previous iterations of the game, and unless users are willing to pay for it, they will not be able to access the game modes. Previous generations saw players able to access said game modes, but purchasing the Battle Pass was mandatory to realize the rewards; however, the new system restricts the game modes unless the Battle Pass has been purchased.

The developers have monetized almost every aspect of the game. The skin business remains a goldmine for the company, and this move will make sure that more and more players are compelled to purchase the Battle Pass to access the limited game modes that come with it. It is hard to tell whether this will result in significant monetary benefits, but unlike the skins, this will be far from well-received by a community already growing frustrated with the developers’ recent decisions.

Even though this information comes from a reliable source, it is better to take it with a pinch of salt. Given the salty reaction from the community, Activision may scrap the idea of monetizing limited-time game modes during the actual launch of the game. Black Ops 7 is still a few months away; in the meantime, we can expect to see many changes. Only time will tell whether they get more stringent with monetizing different aspects of the game.

For more such guides, keep following TalkEsport.

PM Modi Recognizes Esports as New-Age Career Path For Indian Youth

0

In a move that marks a progressive departure from the traditional career paths in India, Prime Minister Modi has hailed Esports as an emerging opportunity for the youth of the nation. The PM spoke at the launch event for the 7th Khelo India Youth Games, during which he stressed the evolving landscape of sports and its expanding influence beyond the traditional playing fields.

Esports Gains National Legitimacy in PM Modi’s Vision for Modern Sports Economy

Addressing a large gathering at the event, PM Modi stated, “The world of sports and the economy associated with it are no longer limited to just the playing field. Today, it is providing new opportunities for employment and self-employment to the youth. It includes physiotherapy, data analytics, sports technology, broadcasting, esports, management – and many such sub-sectors.”

This recognition from the highest level of government is genuinely a turning point for esports in India. Often misunderstood and dismissed as mere gaming,  Esports has quickly become a billion-dollar industry in its own right, comprising professional competitions, content creation, event management, and related services. The very fact that Prime Minister Modi mentioned Esports in the same line as sports and occupation related to sports indicates the changing mindset of the nation towards accepting what constitutes a viable and honorable profession in the 21st century. 

A Boost for Youth and Industry Stakeholders

In recent years, India saw tremendous growth in Esports, owing to the combination of smartphone penetration, affordable internet access, and a burgeoning young population. Titles like BGMI, Valorant, and FreeFire have created tremendous communities, competitive tournaments, and a growing number of professional players, streamers, and supporting professionals. 

PM Modi’s comments will further boost the sector by inspiring more youngsters to pursue Esports without feeling stigmatized. It also sends strong signals to policymakers, educators, and investors to build much-needed infrastructure, training, and institutional support for this industry. 

As India is all set toward becoming a digital-first economy, formal recognition of Esports by the Prime Minister represents a defining step toward the incorporation of new-age professions into the mainstream narrative. The Khelo India Youth Games thus serve to make a strong statement regarding the multiple avenues that are arising in the current sports ecosystems along with excellence in athletics. 

Valorant Season 2025 Act 3 Battle Pass: All Rewards With Images

The Valorant Season 2025 Act 3 Battle Pass is here, bringing tons of new cosmetics for players to collect.

As usual, the Valorant Season 2025 Act 3 Battle Pass includes a bunch of new weapon skins, player cards, sprays, gun buddies, and Radianite Points that you can collect by progressing through the BP tiers.

These rewards are divided between the free and paid routes. While any Valorant player can collect rewards from the free route, only the players who purchase the Battle Pass for 1,000 Valorant Points can access the paid route.

In this article, we’ve compiled the full list of rewards included in the Valorant Season 2025 Act 3 Battle Pass.

Valorant Season 2025 Act 3 Battle Pass

The Valorant Season 2025 Act 3 Battle Pass adds three new skin lines to the game alongside various other collectibles.

Without further ado, let’s check out all the rewards that you can get from the new Valorant Battle Pass:

Tier 1-5

Premium

  • Spellbound Frenzy
  • Spellbound Buddy
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • First Duel Card
  • Solarex Odin

Free

  • You Wanna Play? Card
  • 5th Title

Tier 6-10

Premium

  • Wingman for the Win Spray
  • Vyse Approved Spray
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Tinkering Tunes Card
  • Tacti-Treat Guardian

Free

  • V25 Act III Coin Buddy

Tier 11-15

Premium

  • Prized Possessions Card
  • Feeling Defeated Spray
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Nightmare Toes Buddy
  • Spellbound Bucky

Free

  • 10 Radianite Points
  • 5K Title

Tier 16-20

Premium

  • Tacti-Treat Judge
  • Gone Rogue Card
  • The Raja Spray
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Spellbound Marshall

Free

  • Beta Key Buddy

Tier 21-25 

Premium

  • My Leg Spray
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Jett’s Windbreaker Buddy
  • Night.Market Conspiracy Spray
  • Solarex Phantom

Free

  • Peeking Vents Spray
  • 10 Radianite Points

Tier 26-30 

Premium

  • Refreshing! Spray
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Knives Only Spray
  • Personal Best Card
  • Tacti-Treat Ghost

Free

  • Squish Ball Buddy

Tier 31-35

Premium

  • Checkmate Card
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Boba Truck Buddy
  • Gaming Gekko Spray
  • Spellbound Bulldog

Free

  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Family Title

Tier 36-40

Premium

  • Scribble Shock Dart Spray
  • Solarex Buddy
  • Leer Card
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Solarex Spectre

Free

  • RIP Cypher Spray

Tier 41-45 

Premium

  • 10 Radianite Points
  • United Together Card
  • Need To Reload Spray
  • Balikbayan Box Spray
  • Tacti-Treat Operator

Free

  • Killbaner

Tier 46-50

Premium

  • Jump Peek Jett Spray
  • Killer Frog Buddy
  • Defy Definition Card
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Solarex Relic (melee)

Free

  • Solarex Sheriff
  • V25A1 Card

Epilogue

  • Epilogue: Jett’s Windbreaker Buddy
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • 10 Radianite Points
  • Epilogue: First Duel Card

Is ARC Raiders PvE or PvP?

0

When ARC Raiders was initially announced by Embark Studios, it immediately generated a lot of attention from fans of co-op shooters. The game, set in a post-apocalyptic sci-fi world, was initially sold as a third-person, cooperative PvE shooter. Players would assemble teams to resist relentless robot conquerors called ARC, in a world laid to waste by previous wars and technological failure.

In this article, we will find out if ARC Raiders is PvE or PvP. Keep reading till the end to find out.

Is ARC Raiders PvE or PvP?

But as development continued, ARC Raiders saw a major change in design philosophy. In May 2023, Embark Studios announced that the game would no longer be purely PvE. Rather, it would become a PvPvE (Player vs Player vs Environment) survival extraction shooter. This genre shift changed what players could look forward to, introducing a whole new level of complexity and player-generated tension.

Is Arc Raiders PvE or PvP

In its present form, there’s still exploration of the battered surface of the planet Calabretta for resources and tech while avoiding lethal ARC machines. But now, the actual challenge isn’t merely the AI foes. You can either compete against or cooperate with other human groups, all vying to pick up loot and survive in the same unforgiving environment. This survival-extraction aspect brings in strategic choice regarding when to interact with other people or stay away from a fight altogether.

Embark Studios described that the shift stemmed from internal testing that showed the combination of PvE and PvP interactions created the gameplay more engaging and unpredictable. In the opinion of the creators, blending those aspects made the missions feel more significant, in which every decision could result in great rewards or instant loss.

Though most players are interested in this new path, the transition hasn’t been controversy-free. Some long-time fans who were looking forward to a clean co-op PvE game were dissatisfied with the introduction of PvP. Issues include griefing potential and an increased learning curve for new players. Some players have requested an opt-in PvE-only mode to run alongside the existing PvPvE system, but to date, there has been no official confirmation of such a mode.

The developers are still intent on bringing a refined PvPvE experience, though. They’ve been gathering player feedback from early tests and seem intent on polishing balance and gameplay systems before the full release of the game, set for 2025. ARC Raiders will initially release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, with further updates to come in the months ahead.

How To Gift Skins in Valorant?

On May 1, 2025, Riot Games officially launched the Valorant Season V25 Act 3 update, introducing the highly anticipated ‘gifting’ feature to the popular tactical shooter.

The gifting feature in Valorant enables players to gift any featured skin or bundle from the in-game store to their friends, a feature that was requested by the community since the game’s release. However, there are certain restrictions involved.

Now that the gifting feature is finally live, players are eager to learn how to gift skins in Valorant and send some skins to their duos.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps you need to follow to gift skins to your friends in Valorant.

How To Gift Skins in Valorant?

Whether you’re looking to give the Divergence bundle to the friend who carried you to Diamond or the new Duo’s Day collection to the one who’s obsessed with collecting Player Cards, you’ll first need to know how to gift skins in Valorant.

Below, we’ve listed the detailed steps that you need to follow to be able to gift skins to your friends in Valorant:

  • Launch Valorant.
  • From the main menu, click on the store icon.
  • Select the bundle that you wish to gift in Valorant.
  • Under the price tag of the skin or the bundle that you’ve selected, you’ll be able to see a ‘Gift’ button. Click on it.
  • Select the recipient for the gift.
  • Confirm the skin or bundle that you are gifting, and hit ‘Next.’
  • You can then check the price summary for the purchase or proceed directly to gifting.

Now all you need to do is complete the final checkout process, and you should’ve successfully sent the gift to your friend.

The gift recipient will have up to sixty days to accept the gift. If they fail to accept the gift or if they reject the gift, your Valorant Points (VP) will be sent back to you.

Valorant Gifting Restrictions

Before you go ahead and start sending gifts to your friends in Valorant, you should be aware of certain restrictions that are involved with the gifting process.

Take a look at all the Valorant gifting restrictions below:

  • Currently, you can only send gifts from the ‘Featured’ section in the store.
  • Neither the gift sender nor the recipient should be banned from Valorant.
  • The sender and recipient need to be friends for at least seven days.
  • The gift sender should be at least Account Level 15.
  • You can only send gifts to other players within the same region as you (some regional restrictions may apply).
  • You can only send up to five gifts per day.
  • The gift recipient will have to accept the gift within sixty days.

This concludes everything you need to know about how to gift skins in Valorant.

Is Valorant Available on PS4?

0

“Is Valorant available on PS4?” If you’re a console gamer and a fan of fast-paced first-person shooters, chances are you’ve found yourself asking this question multiple times in the past.

Over the past five years, Valorant has rapidly risen to become one of the biggest competitive shooters of all time and has earned recognition from gamers throughout the world due to its unique gunplay and Agent mechanics. However, given its dominance in the competitive FPS scene on PC, console gamers might be curious to know whether they can play this game on their devices.

If you’re wondering whether Valorant is available to play on PS4 (or any other console), then look no further.

Is Valorant on PS4?

Valorant

At the time of writing, Valorant is not available to play on the PlayStation 4. However, that doesn’t mean that console gamers can’t play Valorant at all.

In August 2024, Riot Games officially launched Valorant on consoles, but it’s currently limited to current-gen platforms, specifically the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.

If you own one of the aforementioned consoles, you can hop on and enjoy Valorant on your device right away.

As of now, if you own an older console, you won’t be able to play Valorant without upgrading.

If you don’t own a PC, PS5, or Xbox Series X|S but still want to jump into the world of Valorant, your best bet might be to wait for Valorant Mobile, the launch of which has recently been confirmed by Riot.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Star Wars Event: Dates, Weapons, NPCs and More

0

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3, which is known as Galactic Battle, brings with it a vast Star Wars crossover, integrating iconic figures, vehicles, and more. Unlike seasons in the past, which had set release times, this one occurs over several weeks, introducing new challenges and content.

The Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 began on May 2, 2025, and will end on June 7, 2025.

The Force Awakens – May 8

The Force Awakens
  • New Weapons:
    • Purple Lightsaber
    • Force Pull ability
    • Red Lightsaber
    • Force Throw ability
  • New NPCs:
    • Leia Organa
    • Luke Skywalker
    • Han Solo
    • Holograms of Mace Windu and Darth Maul

The Force is exerted as Leia Organa and Luke Skywalker appear on the island, helping gamers in their combats. Accomplishing tasks related to the hologram of Mace Windu unlocks the Purple Lightsaber and the ability of Force Pull, which pulls enemies or items towards the gamer. The appearance of Darth Maul’s hologram brings the Red Lightsaber and the ability of Force Throw, which throws nearby items as projectiles.

Chewbacca’s Assistance – May 15

Chewbacca's Assistance
  • New Weapons:
    • Wookiee Bowcaster
    • CA-87 Jawa Scatter Blaster
  • New NPC:
    • Chewbacca

Chewbacca joins the battle with his trusty Wookiee Bowcaster. Players can discover this weapon from chests or get it straight from Chewbacca by saving him from an Imperial Roadblock. The CA-87 Jawa Scatter Blaster also joins the mix, providing close-range firepower.

Mandalorian Units – May 22

Mandalorian Units
  • New Weapons:
    • Amban Sniper Rifle
    • WESTAR-34 Dual Blaster Pistols
  • New NPCs:
    • Mandalorian Heavies
    • Scouts
    • Supply
    • Medics

Mandalorians assert themselves, with players being able to recruit specialized troops: Heavy, Scout, Supply, and Medic troops. These troops provide exclusive specializations that can help players in battle. Mandalorian Jetpack is back, giving players better mobility. Classic favorites and new guns, such as the Amban Sniper Rifle and WESTAR-34 Dual Blaster Pistols, are added, suiting different fighting styles.

Star Destroyer Assault – May 29

Star Destroyer Assault
  • New Weapon:
    • Star Destroyer’s Turbolaser
  • New NPCs:
    • To Be Revealed

The gameplay balance changes as players gain access to a portal that takes them to a control room of a Star Destroyer. Access to this area provides control over the turbolaser of the ship so that players can deal huge damage from a high altitude and change the tide of battles.

Final Confrontation – June 7

  • Event:
    • Death Star Sabotage
  • New Weapon:
    • Undisclosed
  • New NPC:
    • Emperor Palpatine (Boss Encounter)

The season concludes with a live in-game event where players battle Emperor Palpatine in an attempt to destroy the Death Star. The event guarantees cinematic action, massive environmental shifts, and gameplay surprises, giving the Star Wars story arc within Fortnite a proper finale.

How to Fix Nintendo Switch Error 2206-1015?

Nintendo Switch error 2206-1015 has been a pesky issue for quite a while, and there are hardly any problems that annoy Switch owners more than this. Fortunately, the latest firmware update will see the bug get ironed out, and in this article, we discuss how you can fix yours.

While the firmware has been released by Nintendo, it will take a few steps from the user’s end to make sure that their devices are updated. While the process is not complicated, it requires you to boot your switch in maintenance mode and update the firmware manually.

How to Fix Nintendo Switch Error 2206-1015?

Follow the steps below to get the latest firmware:

  • Power off the device.
  • Press the power button while holding down the two volume buttons simultaneously.
  • Once the device starts, it will boot into maintenance mode.
  • Hit the “Update System” button, and you will have the latest firmware.

Following these steps will make sure you get the latest firmware in your switch and say goodbye forever to Switch error 2206-1015. These simple steps will make sure this error doesn’t touch your device anytime soon, but if you continue to face this issue, make sure to get in touch with Nintendo Support.

Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass Rewards Revealed

The third season of Fortnite Chapter 6 is already out, and it will focus entirely on Star Wars, especially with the “Galactic Battle” update. Goes without saying that all the rewards are focused around the franchise, and in this article, we will discuss the rewards available at different levels of the battle pass.

1. Apprentice Evie

  • Apprentice Evie Outfit
  • Star Wars Main Title Theme Jam Track
  • Electro Pairing Blades Pickaxe
  • Feel The Force Emote
  • Explorer Evie Loading Screen
  • Choose Your Alignment Wrap
  • Twin Blasters Backbling

2. Sith Evie

  • Sith Pairing Blades Pickaxe
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Dark Legacy Loading Screen
  • Sith Blasters Backbling
  • Training Remote Trail Contrail
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Sith Evie Outfit

3. Poe Dameron Outfit

  • Black One X-Wing Glider
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Lil’ Resistance Bomber Emote
  • Black Squadron Dive Contrail
  • Black Leader Wrap
  • Cantina Hangout Loading Screen
  • Poe Dameron Outfit

4. Resistance Poe

  • S-Foil Scrapaxe Pickaxe
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Poe’s Model X-Wing Back Bling
  • Targeting… Emote
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Poe’s Takeoff Loading Screen
  • Resistance Poe Outfit

5. Wookiee Team Leader

  • Mini Dogfight Emote
  • Rebel Wookiee Lander Glider
  • Wookie Paw Pickaxe
  • Wookie Team Combat Loading Screen
  • Where My Wookie At? Jam Track
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Wookie Team Leader Outfit

6. Tarfful Team Leader

  • Metal Team Mishap Backbling
  • Wookie Fist Pickaxe
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Desert Dust-Up Loading Screen
  • Banner Icon Homebase Banner
  • 100 V-Bucks
    • Tarfful Team Leader Outfit

7. Emperor Palpatine

  • Force Lightning Emote
  • Imperial Shuttle Dive Contrail
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Palpatine’s Cane Pickaxe
  • Emperor’s Might Wrap
  • Senate Repulsorpod Glider
  • 100 V-Bucks
  • Emperor Palpatine Outfit

Bonus Rewards in Fortnite Chapter 6 Season 3 Battle Pass

  • Imprerial Holo Backbling
  • Poe Hammerin’ Drums
  • The Empire Strikes Emote
  • Wookiee Rebel Wrap
  • Sith Dominance Loading Screen
  • Chancellor Palpatine Outfit

The battle pass will end on June 7, 2025, so time is of the essence. If you are thinking about getting it, then make sure you make the most out of it and get all the rewards that come with it.

GTA 6 Delayed to 2026; Here Is the Final Release Date

0

Arguably, the most anticipated game of all time, GTA 6, which was all but confirmed to be released for consoles by the end of this year, is supposedly getting delayed once again, pushing the release to as far as next year.

This game will be Rockstar’s biggest launch to date, so it is justifiable that they are unwilling to take any risks leading up to the launch. As confirmed by their latest post on X, the game will not be released within its promised time frame, and fans are requested to hold their horses for some more time.

“Grand Theft Auto VI is now set to release on May 26, 2026, “ read their post.

“We are very sorry that this is later than you expected. The interest and excitement surrounding a new Grand Theft Auto has been truly humbling for our entire team. We want to thank you for your support and patience as we work to finish the game, “ added Rockstar.

May 26, 2026, is the date confirmed for the game to be released for PlayStation and Xbox.

Now that the release for the console has been delayed. The PC version, which was already delayed, is likely to get its release pushed back even more. While RockStar has not specified a reason behind the delay, it is hard to speculate what aspect of such a massive project is responsible for this.