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GTA 6 Guide: Release Date, Price, Map, Characters and Everything We Know

Satyam Kumar
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GTA 6 Guide: Release Date, Price, Map, Characters and Everything We Know

Grand Theft Auto VI is less than seven weeks away. Rockstar has now confirmed the release date, prices, editions, both main characters and a lot of gameplay, while some things, like a PC version, are still unannounced. This guide puts everything in one place and links to our detailed coverage of each topic.

GTA 6 at a glance

DetailStatus
Release dateNovember 19, 2026
PlatformsPS5 and Xbox Series X|S
PC versionNot announced
Price (US)$79.99 Standard, $99.99 Ultimate
Price (India)โ‚น5,999 Standard, โ‚น7,499 Ultimate
PreloadFrom November 12, 2026
Physical copiesDownload code in the box, no disc
Main charactersJason Duval and Lucia Caminos
SettingVice City and the state of Leonida
Age ratingM (ESRB) and PEGI 18
GTA Online sequelNot announced

GTA 6 release date

GTA 6 launches on Thursday, November 19, 2026, on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S. The game was first targeted for 2025, then set for May 26, 2026, and later moved to its current November date.

According to the PlayStation Store listing, the game unlocks at midnight in each time zone. Full details, including unlock times by region, are in our GTA 6 release date guide.

Is GTA 6 coming to PC?

Not at launch. Rockstar hasn’t announced a PC version. For comparison, GTA 5 came out on consoles in September 2013 and reached PC on April 14, 2015.

We’ve covered the likely timing in our GTA 6 PC release date prediction and what kind of hardware you might need in GTA 6 PC system requirements.

GTA 6 price and editions

There are two editions: Standard at $79.99 and Ultimate at $99.99, with preload starting November 12. Physical boxes contain a download code instead of a game disc.

Standard EditionUltimate Edition
US price$79.99$99.99
India priceโ‚น5,999โ‚น7,499
Full story campaignYesYes
Vintage Vice City Pack (pre-order bonus)YesYes
Exclusive shops, vehicles and weaponsNoYes

Pre-order bonus: Every edition includes the Vintage Vice City Pack, which has a ’55 Vapid Stanier, the Shore Court garage near Ocean Beach, Vice City-inspired outfits and hairstyles for Jason and Lucia, and a tropical weapon pattern. It applies to all digital purchases made before November 20, 2026, and to physical pre-orders while supplies last. Digital pre-orders also get one free month of GTA+.

Ultimate Edition extras: It adds Ultimate-only shops such as Stock 305, Sara’s Unisex Salon, Electric Fang Tattoo and Rideout Customs. Standard Edition owners will be able to buy the Ultimate upgrade separately later. You can compare the full lists on Rockstar’s official GTA VI editions page.

Collector’s box: Rockstar also sells The Goodtime State Vice City Collection, a $399.99 box of merchandise that does not include the game. Read our full GTA 6 collector’s edition guide.

Controllers: Sony made two limited-edition GTA 6 DualSense controllers, in black and white, at $84.99 each. Both launch on November 19.

GTA 6 story and characters

GTA 6 follows Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, a criminal couple in a Bonnie and Clyde-style story. Lucia grew up in Liberty City and dreams of a better life in Leonida.

Rockstar has also introduced a supporting cast, including Cal Hampton, Boobie Ike, Dre’Quan Priest, Real Dimez, Raul Bautista and Brian Heder.

During Rockstar’s August 2026 gameplay special, Rockstar North co-studio head Rob Nelson said his latest playthrough took about 80 hours. The campaign is built in chapters, and your choices can change how the story plays out. You can switch between Jason and Lucia freely, and romance between them is optional.

For more, see how Jason and Lucia’s relationship works and our article on the rumored GTA 6 voice actors.

GTA 6 map: Vice City and Leonida

GTA 6 is set in Leonida, Rockstar’s version of Florida. Besides Vice City, Leonida includes the Leonida Keys, Grassrivers, Port Gellhorn, Mount Kalaga and Ambrosia. Rockstar developers have said the map is much larger than the playable area in their earlier games.

Rockstar hasn’t given an official size, but early estimates after the gameplay reveal put the full map at roughly three times the size of Red Dead Redemption 2’s. Vice City alone is thought to be about twice as large as Los Santos.

RegionWhat it is based on
Vice CityMiami
Leonida KeysFlorida Keys
GrassriversEverglades
Port GellhornFlorida Panhandle
AmbrosiaInland sugar-farming towns
Mount KalagaNorthern Florida forests and parks

GTA 6 gameplay features

Here’s what Rockstar has confirmed or shown so far:

  • Six-star wanted level: The wanted system goes back up to six stars, and police react to your face, clothes and car.
  • Body system: The weight and muscle system from San Andreas returns, so your character’s body changes with diet and exercise.
  • Wildlife: More than 170 animal species, including flamingos, pelicans, alligators and monkeys.
  • Weather: Hurricanes, tropical storms, local rain and puddles that stay on the ground. More in our GTA 6 weather system article.
  • Bigger crowds and animations: Rockstar says the game has over 600,000 NPC animations, compared with about 55,000 in GTA 5.

Some details have drawn criticism. Reports say the base PS5 version runs at 30 FPS on consoles, and first-person view reportedly won’t be available at launch.

GTA 6 trailers and reveals

Rockstar has released two numbered trailers and one long gameplay special:

RevealDate
Trailer 1December 2023
Trailer 2May 6, 2025
GTA 6: An Extended Look (26-minute gameplay special)August 2026

The Extended Look premiered on Netflix in August 2026 and then came to YouTube. It was the first official GTA 6 gameplay. Our Extended Look breakdown covers everything it showed.

Since then, Rockstar has done magazine features. Game Informer’s 14-page cover story came with 12 new screenshots, and LOVE Magazine put Jason and Lucia on the cover of its Issue 27. If you want a copy of the second one, here’s how to get the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue.

GTA 6 leaks

GTA 6 has been hit by two major leaks. In 2022, a hacker leaked early development footage. In August 2026, a leaker known as CyberLeek posted map and gameplay footage weeks before the official reveal. Take-Two responded with subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord to find the leaker, and Rockstar publicly addressed the leaks.

Our CyberLeek leaks explainer covers what leaked and what Rockstar said.

GTA 6 age rating

GTA 6 is rated M by the ESRB and PEGI 18. See our GTA 6 age rating article for the listed content.

How big will GTA 6 be?

Analysts expect record sales. Global pre-orders have reached an estimated $260 million, putting the game on track for a potential $4.5 billion in sales by launch week, according to industry analysts, as reported by Variety. For the money that went into making it, see our article on GTA 6’s development cost.

What we still don’t know

  • A PC release date
  • Plans for a new GTA Online
  • An official map size
  • Confirmed performance modes on PS5 Pro
  • Download size

GTA 6 in India

Indian players pay โ‚น5,999 for the Standard Edition and โ‚น7,499 for the Ultimate Edition. For India-specific details, including unlock time, physical copies and payment options, read our GTA 6 India guide.

How to Pre-Order the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 Issue: Price, Shipping and Availability

Satyam Kumar
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How to Pre-Order the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 Issue: Price, Shipping and Availability

LOVE Magazine’s Issue 27 has a Grand Theft Auto VI cover featuring Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, and it sold out almost as soon as pre-orders opened. If you missed it, here is what the issue costs, where it was sold, how shipping works, and what you can still do to get a copy.

LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue: quick details

DetailWhat we know
MagazineLOVE, Issue 27
GTA 6 coverArtwork of Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos by Rockstar Games
Priceโ‚ฌ25 per copy (plus shipping)
Main sellerKD Presse (Paris-based magazine shop)
Release dateNewsstands from October 5, 2026
Pre-order shippingDelivery from October 5
Ships toWorldwide, including India
Size and weight23 x 30 cm, about 1.25 kg
GTA 6 cover stockSold out at the time of writing

What is the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue?

LOVE is a fashion and culture magazine. It shut down in 2024 and returned in September 2025, now edited out of Paris by Juan Costa Paz and Nordine Benotmane.

Issue 27 is built around the theme of luxury and comes with six different covers. The sixth is the GTA 6 one. Inside, the team behind Grand Theft Auto VI talks to writer Kacion Mayers about a decade of world-building, the research trips that shaped Leonida, and what the American Dream looks like today. The cover artwork of Jason and Lucia was made by Rockstar Games.

The feature also includes new images of the pair, including scenes of them in a diner and playing pool. LOVE Magazine’s Instagram has posted previews of the artwork.

Price of the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue

A single copy costs โ‚ฌ25 on KD Presse. Some early reports listed it at โ‚ฌ24, but the store page shows โ‚ฌ25 for every cover.

Shipping is added at checkout, and the cost depends on where you live. The issue weighs about 1.25 kg, which is heavy for a magazine, so international postage can add a noticeable amount on top of the cover price.

How to pre-order the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue

Pre-orders ran through the official KD Presse Issue 27 page. If stock comes back, the steps are:

  1. Open the LOVE nยฐ27 page on KD Presse.
  2. Pick the cover named “Artwork featuring Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos by Rockstar Games.” This step matters, because the default selection is a different cover.
  3. Set the quantity and add it to your cart.
  4. Enter your address at checkout to see the shipping cost.
  5. Pay with a card, PayPal or Shop Pay.

Pre-order copies are listed for delivery from October 5.

Is the GTA 6 cover still available?

Not right now. The GTA 6 cover sold out on KD Presse within minutes of pre-orders going live.

Here is how each Issue 27 cover stood on KD Presse at the time of writing:

CoverStock on KD Presse
Francesca AlbaneseIn stock
Alex Consani and Anok YaiIn stock
Ms. Lauryn HillIn stock
GhaliSold out
Young MikoSold out
GTA 6 (Jason and Lucia)Sold out

All six covers belong to the same issue. If you mainly want the interview and the new images, not the Rockstar cover itself, ask the seller whether the cover variants still in stock include the full GTA 6 feature before you order.

Ways to still get a copy

  • Check newsstands after October 5. Copies are due in shops from that date, and some may go to stores that sell independent European magazines.
  • Follow KD Presse and LOVE on Instagram. A restock or a second print run would most likely be announced there first.
  • Be careful with resellers. Sold-out collectibles often show up on eBay at higher prices. Check photos and seller ratings, and remember the official price is โ‚ฌ25.

Ordering from India

KD Presse ships worldwide, and India is one of the countries available at checkout. Because the copy ships from France, expect higher postage and longer delivery times than for a European order. KD Presse’s delivery terms say the store is not responsible for customs charges, so you may have to pay import duty when the parcel arrives.

What Rockstar says about Jason and Lucia

According to Beebom’s coverage of the interview, the feature goes deeper into the two protagonists. Lucia is driven by the wish for a better life, while Jason often ends up reacting to decisions made around him. Game writer Elizabeth Gauvey-Kern said the team wanted both characters to be flawed and vulnerable, sometimes right and sometimes wrong.

For both of them, the American Dream means a home, a family and getting out of debt, not huge wealth. Rupert Humphries, Rockstar’s senior vice president of narrative, called the game’s world a “pressure cooker for all kinds of insanity.”

If you want more on how the pair’s story connects, read our explainer on how Jason and Lucia’s relationship works in GTA 6.

Part of Rockstar’s pre-launch push

LOVE’s feature arrived just days after Game Informer published its own new GTA 6 screenshots and details. GTA 6 launches on November 19 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Our GTA 6 release date guide has the full timing details, and if you are buying the game itself, here is how GTA 6 pre-orders and editions work in India.

LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue FAQ

How much does the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue cost?

โ‚ฌ25 per copy on KD Presse, plus shipping.

When does the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue release?

It reaches newsstands on October 5, 2026, and pre-orders ship from the same date.

Where can I pre-order the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue?

Through KD Presse. The GTA 6 cover is sold out there for now.

Does the LOVE Magazine GTA 6 issue ship to India?

Yes. KD Presse ships worldwide. Shipping is calculated at checkout, and customs charges may apply.

Who is on the GTA 6 cover of LOVE Magazine?

Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, in artwork made by Rockstar Games.

Steam Is on Track to Pass $20 Billion for the First Time

Satyam Kumar
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Steam Is on Track to Pass $20 Billion for the First Time

Steam is heading for its first $20 billion year. New estimates show that Valve’s store just had its best September and best third quarter on record. It now needs only a modest final three months to pass the mark.

The figures come from Alinea Analytics, a games market research firm. Valve does not publish Steam’s revenue, so every number here is an estimate, not an official figure.

How much money has Steam made in 2026?

According to Alinea Analytics’ September 2026 Steam report, Steam made an estimated $1.7 billion in September 2026. That is 13% higher than the previous September record, which was set in 2025.

Steam also had its biggest Q3 ever, at $5.5 billion, up 12% on last year. That brings the 2026 total to $16.5 billion so far, a 13% rise from the $14.5 billion Steam made in the first nine months of 2025.

PeriodEstimated Steam revenueChange vs 2025
September 2026$1.7 billionUp 13%
Q3 2026 (July to September)$5.5 billionUp 12%
January to September 2026$16.5 billionUp 13% (from $14.5 billion)
Full year 2025$19.9 billionPrevious record
Needed in Q4 2026 to reach $20 billionAbout $3.5 billion

For comparison, Steam made about $19.9 billion in 2025, its previous record year.

Steam has already made $16.5 billion, so it needs roughly $3.5 billion more before the end of December. Going by those same estimates, Steam made around $5.4 billion in the final quarter of 2025. That makes $3.5 billion a low bar. Alinea’s head of market analysis, Rhys Elliott, expects Steam’s yearly revenue “will blow past $20B for the first time.”

How the 2026 total has grown

Point in the yearEstimated totalSource
January to June$11.1 billionAlinea, July 2026
January to August$15 billionAlinea, September 2026
January to September$16.5 billionAlinea, October 2026

Steam made an estimated $11.1 billion in the first half of 2026. By the end of August, the total was about $15 billion, up roughly 15% on the same period in 2025.

What drove Steam’s record September

Alinea looked at the top 500 highest-earning games on Steam, which brought in about three-quarters of September’s revenue. Here is how that money split:

Revenue source (top 500 games)Share
Established franchises79.5% (including 3.8% from remakes and remasters)
Brand-new 2026 IP20.5%
Games released in 202633.6%
Games released in 20258.7%
Games released in 20249.3%

In simple terms, new games helped, but familiar names still made most of the money.

Top premium games on Steam in September 2026

GameSeptember Steam revenueNote
Wardogs$86.9 millionEarly access launch on September 10
Onimusha: Way of the Sword$30.4 millionLaunched September 4
The Blood of Dawnwalker$26.9 millionNew single-player IP
Bodycam$24.2 millionBest month after its 0.8 update
EA Sports FC 27$20.7 millionMost sales are on console
How to Fish$19.3 million$7.99 co-op hit
Control Resonant$12.7 millionLaunched September 24

Wardogs was the clear winner. It made $86.9 million in September after it entered early access on September 10. In total, it has passed $100 million on Steam from 3.2 million copies. Alinea’s earlier Wardogs breakdown has more on how its launch compared with other shooters.

Wardogs still trails two older hits, though. Helldivers 2 has made $130 million on Steam and Arc Raiders about $125 million, because the buzz around both games lasted longer.

The Blood of Dawnwalker is an interesting case. Steam is its biggest platform by copies sold, but the PS5 version has made more money, at over $40 million. Alinea says this comes down to Steam’s regional pricing and more console players in higher-priced markets.

If you want the full list of what launched last month, see our roundup of the biggest games released in September 2026.

Esports games still bring in a big share

For esports fans, this may be the most interesting number in the report. Counter-Strike 2, Apex Legends, PUBG and Dota 2 together made almost $168 million on Steam in September. That is nearly 10% of everything Steam earned that month.

Free-to-play games as a group made 25.6% of the top 500’s revenue, even though they were only 16% of the titles.

None of these four games are new. They earn through in-game purchases instead of upfront sales, and they keep earning month after month. A big new release can top the chart for a few weeks. These games are still there years later.

Is the $20 billion Valve’s profit?

No. The figure is gross revenue: the total amount players spent on games through Steam. It is not the profit Valve keeps. Most of that money goes to the developers and publishers, and Valve takes a cut of each sale.

Also keep in mind that Steam has not released any official figures or forecasts. Alinea builds its estimates from sales tracking and player data, so the real numbers could be slightly higher or lower.

Steam revenue 2026 FAQ

How much did Steam make in September 2026?

About $1.7 billion, according to Alinea Analytics. It was Steam’s best September on record.

How much has Steam made in 2026 so far?

An estimated $16.5 billion from January to September 2026.

How much did Steam make in 2025?

About $19.9 billion, the previous record.

Will Steam make $20 billion in 2026?

Alinea expects it to. Steam needs only about $3.5 billion in October, November and December combined.

Does Valve publish Steam’s revenue?

No. Valve is a private company and does not share Steam’s sales figures. All public numbers are estimates from analytics firms.

The final 2026 total will not be known until early next year, and even then it will be an estimate. On current numbers, though, the only real question is how far past $20 billion Steam finishes.

PUBG Black Budget Cancelled: What Happened and Why Krafton Ended Development

Satyam Kumar
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PUBG Black Budget Cancelled: What Happened and Why Krafton Ended Development

PUBG: Black Budget will not be released. Krafton has ended development of the time-loop extraction shooter after two closed alpha tests and without ever setting a release date.

The news came through a development update on the game’s Steam page published on October 1. You can still read it on the official PUBG: Black Budget Steam page. Black Budget is the second PUBG spin-off Krafton has ended in 2026.

Why was PUBG Black Budget cancelled?

Krafton said it reviewed the project’s development status and future direction and decided the current direction could not deliver “an experience players could enjoy over the long term.” It called ending development a difficult decision and thanked everyone who took part in the closed alpha tests.

That is the only official reason. The statement does not mention budgets, player counts or test data.

The alpha tests did show some problems, though. Testers in the first alpha pointed to muddled combat perception and situational clarity, along with fatigue from repeating runs. The studio also noted crashes and unauthorised programs when that test closed.

Market pressure likely played a part too. In its report, Kotaku suggested that the increasingly saturated extraction shooter space, and possibly a lack of positive feedback from the closed tests, led Krafton to pull the plug.

What PUBG: Black Budget was supposed to be

Black Budget was designed as an FPP-first tactical extraction shooter. Players took the role of a Contractor hired for a classified operation on an island, with the goal of recovering top-secret technology from an abandoned research facility. The island is trapped in a time loop and affected by a supernatural phenomenon called the Anomaly.

The Anomaly gradually shrinks the playable area, which works a lot like the shrinking zone in PUBG: Battlegrounds. The difference is that you are trying to get out alive with loot, not be the last squad standing.

DetailWhat we know
GenreFirst-person PvPvE extraction shooter
DeveloperPUBG Studios (Amsterdam team)
PublisherKrafton
Map size2.5 x 2.5 km island
Match lengthUp to 30 minutes
PlayersUp to 45 per session, squads of up to 3
ProgressionThree rival factions, a personal Base, crafting, skills
PlatformPC (Steam)
Release dateNever announced

Development was led by Paweล‚ Smolewski, Creative Director at PUBG Studios Amsterdam. He oversaw early ballistics development for PUBG and also led Thunder Tier One, a tactical shooter that came under Krafton in 2020.

PUBG Black Budget timeline

DateWhat happened
2023Project Black Budget appears in Krafton investor material
November 2025Official reveal with a Steam page and teaser
December 12 to 14 and 19 to 21, 2025First closed alpha test
June 26 to 29, 2026Second closed alpha test
October 1, 2026Krafton ends development

Black Budget was first mentioned in a November 2023 investor presentation. The first closed alpha ran in two sessions in December 2025 for Steam users in North America, Europe and Asia. The second test took place from June 26 to 29, 2026. The second playtest window was short, and testers could invite up to two friends.

Before the second test, Krafton said player gameplay would be used to refine the game toward its official launch. That launch never happened.

What happens to players and testers now?

There is nothing to refund. Black Budget was never sold, and players only got in through free closed alpha access on Steam.

PUBG Studios said it will carry what it learned into future projects and keep listening to players, but it did not name a follow-up project. The announcement also gave no details on what the cancellation means for the team that worked on Black Budget.

The second PUBG spin-off cut in 2026

Black Budget is not the first PUBG experiment to end this year. PUBG: Blindspot, a 5v5 top-down tactical shooter, was shut down on March 30, 2026, only 54 days after its Steam Early Access release on February 5.

Krafton is still trying new ideas with the brand. PUBG: DED.NET was announced at Gamescom 2026 as a multiplayer roguelite shooter.

GameGenreStatus
PUBG: BattlegroundsBattle royaleLive
PUBG: Blindspot5v5 top-down tactical shooterShut down March 30, 2026
PUBG: Black BudgetExtraction shooterCancelled October 1, 2026
PUBG: DED.NETRoguelite multiplayer shooterAnnounced at Gamescom 2026

What this means for extraction shooters

Black Budget was entering a busy genre. Players already have Escape from Tarkov, and it is worth looking at how Arc Raiders is holding up after its launch surge. Bigger companies want in too: Epic Games and Disney are reportedly building an extraction shooter of their own.

Cancellations are also happening well beyond this genre. Live games are getting cut earlier and faster, and Riot ending active development on 2XKO shows that even big publishers are making these calls.

The time loop gave Black Budget a clearer hook than most extraction games. The problem is that testers flagged combat clarity and repetition, and those two things decide whether people keep playing an extraction shooter for months. Krafton chose to stop before a paid launch, not after one. After Blindspot closed with players already invested, that is the less painful way to end a project.

PUBG Black Budget FAQ

Is PUBG Black Budget cancelled?

Yes. Krafton and PUBG Studios confirmed on October 1, 2026, that development has ended. The game will not launch.

Why was PUBG Black Budget cancelled?

Krafton said the game’s current direction would not give players something they would enjoy over the long term. Alpha testers had also reported issues with combat clarity and repetitive runs.

Was PUBG Black Budget ever released?

No. It was only playable in two closed alpha tests on Steam, in December 2025 and June 2026.

Who was developing PUBG Black Budget?

PUBG Studios’ Amsterdam team developed it, with Krafton as publisher.

Will Krafton make another PUBG extraction shooter?

Nothing has been announced. Krafton said lessons from Black Budget will go into future projects, but it did not name one.

GTA 6 Age Rating Confirmed: Rated M and PEGI 18, Adult Scenes Listed

Satyam Kumar
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GTA 6 Age Rating Confirmed: Rated M and PEGI 18, Adult Scenes Listed

Update (October 7, 2026): None of the published ratings carry a gambling descriptor. Here is what that means for a casino in GTA 6.

Grand Theft Auto 6 now has its official age rating, less than 50 days before launch. The ESRB has rated the game M for Mature (17+) in North America, and PEGI has rated it 18 in Europe and the UK. This is the rating most people expected. What got attention was the list of content descriptors, especially the specific mention of sex scenes in some regional store listings.

GTA 6 age rating by region

RegionRating boardRatingContent listed
North AmericaESRBM (Mature 17+)Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Mature Humor, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
Europe and UKPEGI18Adult content, including violence and sexual content
Australia and New ZealandLocal classification18+Store listings include “sex scenes”

The ESRB also lists In-Game Purchases as an interactive element. The full ESRB rating summary has not been published yet. That summary usually describes specific scenes in more detail and is often the most useful source for parents.

What the GTA 6 rating descriptors include

The ESRB lists seven content descriptors for GTA 6. Here is how they compare with GTA 5.

DescriptorGTA 5GTA 6
ViolenceYesYes (Intense Violence, Blood and Gore)
Drug useYesYes (Use of Drugs and Alcohol)
Strong languageYesYes
Sexual contentListed as sexual materialStrong Sexual Content
NudityYesYes
Mature humorYesYes

The main difference is in the wording. GTA 5’s Australian listing said only “Sex”, even though the game had scripted sexual content. GTA 6 listings in Australia and New Zealand say “sex scenes” directly. On PlayStation Store listings in the US, the term used is Strong Sexual Content.

Why fans are talking about Hot Coffee again

When the sex scenes descriptor appeared, players on Reddit began asking whether Rockstar was “bringing back Hot Coffee.” One reply simply read “Hot Coffee confirmed.”

Hot Coffee was a hidden minigame in GTA: San Andreas (2004). Rockstar disabled the content before release, but the code was still on the disc. In 2005, PC modders found a way to unlock it. The minigame showed sexual activity with basic player controls.

The fallout was serious:

YearWhat happened
2005Modders unlocked the hidden content on PC
2005ESRB changed the San Andreas rating from M to AO (Adults Only)
2005Major retailers pulled the game from shelves
2005Rockstar released a new version with the content removed, and the M rating was restored
2008Take-Two settled a US Federal Trade Commission complaint over the issue

Rockstar has not said that GTA 6 includes any interactive sex minigame. “Sex scenes” in a rating can refer to cutscenes rather than gameplay. GTA 5 also included sexual content in scripted moments while keeping an M rating.

What we know about sexual content in GTA 6

Some context explains why the descriptor is not a big surprise:

  • GTA 6 has two protagonists, Jason and Lucia, who are in a romantic relationship. The trailers show intimate moments between them.
  • Leaked material shared by the account CYBERLEEK points to a nudist beach location in the game’s version of Florida.
  • The Nudity descriptor appears on GTA 6 just as it did on GTA 5.

Taken together, sex scenes most likely refer to story content tied to Jason and Lucia. Any interactive version would carry the risk of an AO rating. Sony, Microsoft and most retailers do not stock AO games, so Rockstar has strong commercial reasons to avoid that.

The in-game purchases label

The ESRB In-Game Purchases label also stood out. Rockstar had previously said there would be no ads in the game, which we covered in our report on the GTA 6 price and release date confirmation. The label likely relates to the Ultimate Edition upgrade, which adds cosmetics, stores and missions. GTA Online for GTA 6 is not expected at launch.

According to the ESRB ratings guide, the In-Game Purchases notice covers any option to buy digital goods or premium content with real money, including upgrades and expansions. It does not by itself mean loot boxes or a microtransaction store.

Ratings rules for paid content are also changing in Europe. PEGI now gives a higher rating to some games with paid random items, which you can read about in our piece on loot box games being rated PEGI 16. GTA 6 is already rated 18, so that rule does not change its rating.

What a PEGI 18 and M rating mean for buyers

An M rating from the ESRB means the content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. It is guidance for parents and is not a legal restriction in the US. However, many retailers ask for ID before selling M-rated games to minors.

A PEGI 18 rating is meant for adults only. In the UK, PEGI ratings are legally enforced, so shops cannot sell PEGI 18 games to anyone under 18.

Parents can use console parental controls on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S to block games above a chosen age rating.

GTA 6 release date and platforms

DetailInformation
Release dateNovember 19, 2026
PlatformsPlayStation 5, Xbox Series X
PC versionNot announced
ProtagonistsJason and Lucia
SettingLeonida (based on Florida), including Vice City
ESRB ratingM for Mature
PEGI rating18

Footage and map details have been surfacing ahead of launch. Our breakdown of the GTA 6 map and gameplay footage leak covers what has appeared so far.

GTA 6 Miami Heat Vice City Night: Date, Jerseys, Court and Merch

Satyam Kumar
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GTA 6 Miami Heat Vice City Night: Date, Jerseys, Court and Merch

The Miami Heat will play under the Vice City name for one night as part of a partnership with Rockstar Games for Grand Theft Auto VI. The event is called “A Night In Vice City.” It takes place on November 18, 2026, one day before GTA 6 releases on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.

The Heat announced the event on October 2. The team called it “a historic partnership” and “a never-been-done-before event.” For the game, the team gets a new uniform and a custom court built around the game’s fictional version of Miami.

GTA 6 Miami Heat event: date, time and opponent

The Heat host the Milwaukee Bucks at Kaseya Center in Miami. Here are the confirmed details from the official Miami Heat Vice City page:

DetailInformation
Event nameA Night In Vice City
DateWednesday, November 18, 2026
Tip-off7:00 PM ET
VenueKaseya Center, Miami
OpponentMilwaukee Bucks
TVESPN, WPLG Local 10
RadioFM 104.3 WQAM
TicketsTicketmaster

ESPN is showing the game nationally, so people outside Miami can watch the Vice City court live.

Vice City jersey and court details

The Heat will wear a newly designed Vice City uniform for this game only. The team has not shown the design yet, and fans can sign up on the Heat website to be told when it is revealed.

The court is a custom hardwood floor made for this one night. Push Square reports that it will use the pink and sunset colors from GTA 6’s marketing, and that “Welcome to Vice City” signage will be projected onto the arena roof. The Heat say more in-game activities will be announced closer to the date.

The Heat’s own Vice Nights uniforms, inspired by the Miami Vice TV show, share the same retro Miami look that Vice City has always used. This is the first time the team has played under the Vice City name.

Miami Heat Vice City merch prices

The Court Culture Vice City Collection is on sale now at the Miami Heat Store, both in person and online.

ItemPrice
Court Culture Vice City Grill Oversized Tee$55
Court Culture Vice City Souvenir Oversized Tee$55
Court Culture I ๐Ÿฉท Vice City Crop$45
Court Culture x Duvin Vice City Pool Service Pocket Tee$55

GameSpot also lists a shirt that reads “Went to Vice City and all I got was this lousy t-shirt” for $55. The full range is on the Miami Heat Vice City store page.

Why the game is on November 18

GTA 6 releases on November 19, 2026, so the Heat game is the night before launch. Vice City is Rockstar’s version of Miami. The game’s map covers the wider state of Leonida, which is based on Florida.

The partnership follows other recent marketing for the game. Before this, Take-Two put an extended look at GTA 6 on Netflix, and fans have been studying gameplay and map footage from that showing since. Take-Two has said it wants to use unusual ways of marketing GTA 6 before release.

GTA 6 release details

DetailInformation
Release dateNovember 19, 2026
PlatformsPS5, Xbox Series X|S
Price$79.99 / ยฃ69.99 (standard edition)
DeveloperRockstar North
SettingVice City, state of Leonida

Rockstar has not announced a PC version. Official trailers and editions are on the Rockstar Games GTA VI page. If you want to know how the game’s Florida setting will look and play, see our breakdown of the GTA 6 weather system.

BLACKPINK LISAโ€™s Limited Edition PS5 Controller Is Already Selling Out

Deepak Ojha
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BLACKPINK LISAโ€™s Limited Edition PS5 Controller Is Already Selling Out

Pre-orders for BLACKPINK star LISA’s limited-edition PS5 controller have officially opened, and anyone hoping to add one to their collection may not want to wait too long.

The DualSense Wireless Controller โ€“ LISA Limited Edition went up for pre-order on October 2, with early availability already fluctuating in some of its biggest markets. Push Square reports that the controller has been moving in and out of stock across both the United States and United Kingdom following the opening of orders.

The demand is particularly notable because Sony had warned from the beginning that the LISA DualSense would be produced in highly limited quantities. The official PlayStation store is also limiting purchases to one controller per order due to high demand.

LISA PS5 Controller Pre-Orders Are Now Live

PlayStation opened pre-orders for the controller at 10am local time on October 2, with the United States getting access through PlayStation Direct at 10am ET. Sony is also distributing the controller through participating retailers globally, although availability varies considerably depending on the market. The limited-edition controller is priced at $84.99 in the United States, ยฃ74.99 in the United Kingdom, โ‚ฌ84.99 in Europe and ยฅ12,480 in Japan. It is scheduled to officially launch on October 30, 2026.

TalkEsport previously covered the LISA DualSense announcement, including its regional pricing, release schedule and the wider LISA x PlayStation collaboration. Unlike most PlayStation limited-edition controllers, which are typically built around major game releases, the LISA DualSense represents a crossover between gaming, music and pop culture.

LISA worked with PlayStation on the controller’s design, which uses a Chroma Pearl base alongside several details associated with the BLACKPINK member. Her recognizable bangs and eyes dominate the DualSense touchpad, while star motifs and prominent “LL” lettering extend across the controller.

According to PlayStation’s official announcement, the Chroma Pearl colorway is LISA’s personal favorite, while the smaller visual elements were chosen to give fans details they would recognize from the artist.

“Gaming is something I do whenever I have time to relax, so getting to create this collection with PlayStation was very exciting.”

LISA, via PlayStation

The hardware itself remains a standard DualSense rather than a technically upgraded controller. Players still get the familiar adaptive triggers, haptic feedback and built-in microphone, with the limited-edition treatment focused on the exterior design.

Will the LISA PS5 Controller Sell Out?

There is no guarantee that every allocation will disappear immediately, and stock can return as retailers release additional inventory or failed orders re-enter the system. However, Sony’s description of the controller as a highly limited release makes the early stock movement worth watching.

PlayStation’s own product page currently states that purchases are restricted to one unit per order due to high demand, while early reports indicate that availability has already changed repeatedly since pre-orders opened.

That means a temporary “sold out” notice may not necessarily be the end of the road. Buyers looking for the controller should continue checking PlayStation Direct and authorized retailers in their region as additional units could become available before the October 30 launch.

LISA x PlayStation Collaboration Continues in October

The controller is only one part of the wider collaboration. PlayStation and LISA have also prepared a merchandise range featuring apparel, hats, tote bags, keychains, stickers and a DualSense carrying case.

There has, however, been a change to the merchandise rollout. PlayStation updated its original announcement on October 2 to say that unexpected delays have affected the collection planned for PlayStation Direct in the United States, with new availability details to be announced later. The LISA Limited Edition DualSense pre-orders are proceeding as scheduled.

Additional LISA merchandise is still scheduled to arrive through her official Amazon store on October 23, the same day her new EP Press Play is due for release. For the controller itself, October 30 remains the date to remember. Whether stock survives all the way to launch day may depend on how much inventory Sony has allocated to each region, and the opening hours of pre-orders suggest LISA fans are already putting that supply to the test.

Pokemon GO Minior Meteor Showers Schedule 2026-27: All Dates and How to Catch Minior

Divyesh Moghe
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Pokemon GO Minior Meteor Showers Schedule 2026-27: All Dates and How to Catch Minior

Minior is coming to Pokemon GO, and it will only show up when real meteor showers are happening. Niantic has confirmed six Pokemon GO Minior Meteor Showers events. They start with the Orionids in October 2026 and end with the Perseids in August 2027. Each event adds a new Minior core color, so players who want all seven will need to log in during every shower.

Below are the full schedule, the event hours, the bonuses and the steps to catch Minior.

Pokemon GO Minior Meteor Showers schedule

There are six Minior Shower events in total. Each one starts at 5:00 p.m. local time on the first day and ends at 11:59 p.m. local time on the last day.

Meteor ShowerStart DateEnd Date
OrionidsOctober 19, 2026October 24, 2026
LeonidsNovember 14, 2026November 19, 2026
GeminidsDecember 11, 2026December 16, 2026
Eta AquariidsMay 3, 2027May 8, 2027
Southern Delta AquariidsJuly 28, 2027August 2, 2027
PerseidsAugust 10, 2027August 15, 2027

Each event is timed to a real meteor shower. Peak dates and viewing tips for the real showers are on NASA’s meteors and meteorites page.

Image alt text: Pokemon GO Minior Meteor Showers schedule table with all six event dates from October 2026 to August 2027

Best time to find Minior each day

Minior can appear at any time while an event is live. Its spawn rate goes up between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time on every event day, so those four evening hours are when players should be out looking.

DetailInfo
Event start time5:00 p.m. local time (first day)
Event end time11:59 p.m. local time (last day)
Boosted spawn window5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. local time, daily
Event bonusIncreased Stardust for catching Minior

All Minior core colors in Pokemon GO

Minior has seven core colors: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet. Each meteor shower releases one new core. The Geminids event in December is the one exception. It releases two cores, one only in the Northern Hemisphere and one only in the Southern Hemisphere.

Niantic has not yet said which color comes with which shower. Players who want the full set will have to wait for the announcement before each event. Collectors in one hemisphere will also need to trade for the other hemisphere’s December core.

How to catch Minior in Pokemon GO

Catching Minior works the same way as catching any other wild Pokemon. These steps give you the best chance:

  1. Play during an event window. Minior only appears while a Minior Shower is live.
  2. Go out between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time. Spawn rates are higher during these hours.
  3. Use Incense. It brings more wild Pokemon to you, which gives you more chances to see Minior.
  4. Look for Meteor Form. Wild Minior always spawns in Meteor Form. Its core shows only in battle.
  5. Check the weather. Minior is a Rock and Flying type, so standard Pokemon GO weather boosts apply: Partly Cloudy for Rock and Windy for Flying.

Every Minior catch during an event gives extra Stardust.

Image alt text: Pokemon GO player catching a wild Minior in Meteor Form during the evening boosted spawn window

Minior’s form change in battle

Minior is the first Pokemon in GO that changes form partway through a battle. It starts in Meteor Form, which has higher Defense and lower Attack. When its HP drops below 50 percent, its shell breaks open and shows its core. The core form has higher Attack and lower Defense.

At launch, the form change only works in these battles:

  • Team GO Rocket battles
  • Team Leader battles
  • GO Battle League

Minior type and weaknesses

Minior is a Rock and Flying type. These are the move types it is weak to:

Attacking TypeDamage Taken
SteelDouble weakness
ElectricWeakness
IceWeakness
RockWeakness
WaterWeakness

Steel-type moves hit Minior hardest because both of its types are weak to Steel.

Minior and competitive play

Niantic has said Minior will not be allowed at the 2027 Pokemon GO Latin America International Championships. Players can still use it in GO Battle League. Competitive Pokemon GO is also growing in India: India’s Pokemon GO world champion Ved “Beelzeboy” Bamb signed with S8UL earlier this year.

Official announcement

Niantic confirmed the event in its official Minior Meteor Showers announcement. Before each event, it is worth checking a live event tracker such as Leek Duck to see which core color is confirmed. Pokemon GO has tied more of its gameplay to the real world over time, and Niantic has also used the 30 billion images Pokemon GO players helped collect to build its mapping AI. Event updates and new guides go up in our Pokemon news and guides section.

FAQs

When is the first Minior Meteor Shower in Pokemon GO?
The first one is the Orionids event. It runs from October 19, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. to October 24, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. local time.

How many Minior Meteor Shower events are there?
Six. They run from October 2026 to August 2027.

What time does Minior spawn the most?
Between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. local time on each event day.

How many Minior core colors are there?
Seven: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet.

Is shiny Minior available?
Niantic has not announced shiny Minior for these events.

Can Minior be used at the 2027 Latin America International Championships?
No. Niantic has confirmed that Minior is not eligible for that event.

Chinaโ€™s VALORANT Champions Nightmare Gets Worse as Three Home Teams Crash Out in Shanghai

Deepak Ojha
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Chinaโ€™s VALORANT Champions Nightmare Gets Worse as Three Home Teams Crash Out in Shanghai

China entered VALORANT Champions 2026 with four teams and home advantage in Shanghai. None reached the playoffs, with JD Gaming’s loss to T1 completing a remarkable group-stage collapse for VCT China.

China will have no home representative in the playoffs of VALORANT Champions Shanghai 2026. JD Gaming became the fourth and final VCT China team eliminated from the tournament after losing 2-1 to T1 in the Group A elimination match, completing an extraordinary group-stage collapse for the host region. China entered its home world championship with four organisations โ€” TYLOO, Xi Lai Gaming, EDward Gaming and JD Gaming โ€” distributed across the four groups. Every one of them has now been eliminated before the playoffs.

The final elimination arrived only hours after India’s Global Esports swept former world champions EDward Gaming 2-0 in Group B. TYLOO and Xi Lai Gaming had already been eliminated from their respective groups, leaving JDG as China’s final opportunity to preserve a home presence deeper into the tournament. T1 ended that possibility.

The Korean VCT Pacific side defeated JD Gaming across three maps, taking Lotus 13-11 before JDG responded emphatically with a 13-3 victory on Abyss. With China’s tournament resting on the deciding map, T1 controlled Haven 13-5 to win the series and eliminate the final Chinese representative. The result completes a remarkable reversal for a region that arrived in Shanghai with four Champions slots, a former world champion among its representatives and the advantage of playing Riot Games’ biggest VALORANT tournament in front of a domestic audience.

All four Chinese teams are eliminated from VALORANT Champions 2026

China’s Champions campaign can now be assessed in full, and the final group-stage picture is difficult to reconcile with expectations surrounding the host region before the tournament began.

Chinese TeamEliminated ByElimination Series
TYLOOTeam Liquid1-2
Xi Lai GamingNongshim RedForce0-2
EDward GamingGlobal Esports0-2
JD GamingT11-2

The elimination list is also notable for the variety of regions responsible. China’s representatives were knocked out by teams from EMEA and Pacific, with India’s Global Esports responsible for eliminating the most decorated Chinese team in the field. None of China’s four representatives therefore survived long enough to reach the eight-team playoff bracket at a world championship being staged in Shanghai.

China’s nightmare started with an extraordinary 0-8 map record

The warning signs appeared almost immediately. All four VCT China representatives lost their opening best-of-three series without winning a single map. TYLOO fell 0-2 against G2 Esports, Xi Lai Gaming were swept by Karmine Corp, EDward Gaming lost 0-2 against LOUD and JD Gaming were defeated in straight maps by FUT Esports. The combined result left China with an extraordinary 0-4 series record and 0-8 map record following the opening round.

TalkEsport highlighted the scale of China’s winless opening on September 28, when all four representatives had already been pushed into elimination territory without VCT CN recording a single map victory. At that stage, however, the situation remained recoverable. Champions uses a double-elimination group format, giving each Chinese organisation another opportunity to respond after losing its opener. China did eventually begin winning maps. What it never managed to win was an elimination series.

TYLOO finally won China’s first map, but Team Liquid sent them home

TYLOO became the first Chinese representative to break the region’s map drought during its elimination match against Team Liquid. The Chinese side took Summit 13-7, finally putting VCT CN on the board after the region had lost its first eight maps of Champions. The recovery did not last. Team Liquid responded to force the series in the opposite direction, eventually defeating TYLOO 2-1 and making them one of the first Chinese teams eliminated from the home world championship.

That result is important when describing China’s tournament because the host region did not finish Champions without winning a map. The 0-8 figure describes its disastrous opening round rather than its final tournament map record.

Xi Lai Gaming were unable to produce their own recovery, with Nongshim RedForce eliminating the Chinese representative in straight maps. The result meant China had already lost half of its four-team contingent while the tournament was still deciding its playoff field, dramatically increasing the pressure on EDward Gaming and JD Gaming. For a region hosting Champions for the first time, the prospect of reaching the playoffs with little or no domestic representation had suddenly moved from an unlikely worst-case scenario to a realistic possibility.

Global Esports eliminate former world champions EDward Gaming

If one Chinese organisation appeared capable of changing the trajectory, it was EDward Gaming. EDG were not merely another VCT China representative. The organisation won VALORANT Champions 2024, becoming the first Chinese team to lift Riot’s world championship trophy and producing the defining international achievement in the region’s VALORANT history. Shanghai could scarcely have unfolded more differently.

After losing their opening series 0-2 against LOUD, EDG entered the Group B elimination match against Global Esports knowing another defeat would end their tournament. Global Esports gave them little opportunity to recover. The VCT Pacific champions dismantled EDG 13-5 on Summit before completing the sweep with a 13-6 victory on Sunset, eliminating the former world champions with a combined 26-11 round score.

As TalkEsport reported following the match, Global Esports’ dominant 2-0 victory kept India’s Champions campaign alive while ending EDward Gaming’s run. The symbolism was difficult to miss. Two years after EDG had placed China on top of global VALORANT, an Indian organisation making its first Champions appearance had eliminated them from a world championship taking place in China.

JD Gaming had one final chance to save China’s tournament

EDward Gaming’s elimination left JD Gaming carrying the entire remaining weight of the host region. JDG had entered Champions as one of China’s strongest representatives but immediately found themselves in the lower side of Group A after losing 0-2 against FUT Esports.

Their elimination match against T1 therefore carried consequences beyond JD Gaming’s own season. A victory would preserve China’s presence at Champions Shanghai; defeat would guarantee that the host region entered the playoffs without a single representative. For a period, JDG appeared capable of preventing the clean sweep.

T1 edged Lotus 13-11 to take the opening map, but JD Gaming produced one of China’s strongest maps of the tournament in response, crushing T1 13-3 on Abyss to force the series onto Haven. With China’s Champions campaign effectively reduced to one final map, T1 took control. The Korean organisation won Haven 13-5, closing the series 2-1 and officially eliminating the fourth and final Chinese team from VALORANT Champions 2026.

China will have zero teams in the Champions Shanghai playoffs

The consequence is now unavoidable: the host region will have no representative in the VALORANT Champions 2026 playoffs. China entered the 16-team competition with the same four-team representation afforded to the other major VCT regions, meaning one quarter of the entire Champions field came from VCT CN. None survived the group stage.

That makes the result substantially more significant than one prominent organisation suffering an upset. TYLOO, Xi Lai Gaming, EDward Gaming and JD Gaming arrived through different qualification routes and occupied different groups, yet every Chinese campaign ended before the playoff bracket. The scale of China’s collapse becomes clearer when compared with where the region stood only two years ago.

EDward Gaming’s victory at Champions 2024 appeared to complete China’s remarkably rapid transition from an emerging VALORANT region into one capable of winning Riot’s biggest international trophy. The title carried particular significance because VCT China was considerably younger than the established Americas, EMEA and Pacific ecosystems. EDG demonstrated that the region’s relative youth did not prevent its best team from competing at the highest possible level.

Hosting Champions in Shanghai two years later appeared to provide the ideal setting for the next stage of that development. Instead of relying entirely on EDG, four domestic organisations would have the opportunity to demonstrate the depth that had developed around China’s world champions. The group stage produced the opposite conclusion. Every Chinese representative lost its opening series. Three of the four then lost their elimination matches without taking the series, while JD Gaming became the final casualty after forcing T1 to a third map.

Home advantage became home pressure at Champions Shanghai

The location makes the collective exit considerably more painful. Champions 2026 is being staged in Shanghai, giving China’s players the opportunity to compete for VALORANT’s world championship in front of a domestic audience. The group stage and early playoff rounds bring the world’s leading teams together in the city before the tournament culminates with its final stages later in October. For the Chinese audience, however, the remainder of the tournament will now continue without a VCT CN organisation in contention.

The same home support that offered China’s representatives an advantage also magnified every elimination. EDG’s loss came against Global Esports in front of a crowd hoping the former world champions could rescue their campaign, while JD Gaming’s defeat against T1 ultimately confirmed that the entire host region had been removed before the playoffs.

Does this make VCT China the weakest VALORANT region?

The results will inevitably reignite debate about VCT China’s competitive strength relative to Americas, EMEA and Pacific, although one tournament should not automatically determine a permanent hierarchy between VALORANT’s regions.

China possesses evidence that cannot simply be erased by one poor tournament: EDward Gaming won Champions 2024. International esports can also produce dramatic regional swings between events, and the performance of four teams across one group stage is not necessarily predictive of what the region will produce next season. What can be judged without extrapolation is China’s performance at this world championship, and on that measure the result is exceptionally poor.

Four Chinese teams entered. All four lost their opening matches. None reached the playoffs, despite competing at the season’s biggest tournament on home soil. The question for VCT China after Shanghai will therefore not simply be why individual teams lost, but why the region’s collective representation failed to convert four Champions places into even one playoff berth.

Two years after EDward Gaming put China on top of the VALORANT world, the world championship arrived on Chinese soil with four opportunities to produce another historic run. Before the playoffs could even begin, all four now stand eliminated.

India’s Global Esports Knock Former World Champions EDG Out of VALORANT Champions 2026

Deepak Ojha
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India’s Global Esports Knock Former World Champions EDG Out of VALORANT Champions 2026

Global Esports kept India’s VALORANT Champions 2026 campaign alive with a commanding 2-0 victory over former world champions EDward Gaming, winning Summit 13-5 and Sunset 13-6 in the Group B elimination match.

Global Esports are not done in Shanghai yet. India’s representative at VALORANT Champions 2026 produced its most convincing performance of the tournament on October 2, sweeping EDward Gaming 2-0 in the Group B elimination match to keep its world championship campaign alive.

Global Esports controlled the series from beginning to end, dismantling EDG 13-5 on Summit before completing the sweep with a 13-6 victory on Sunset. The result sends EDward Gaming out of Champions while GE advance to the Group B decider, where one more victory would take them into the playoffs. The identity of the opponent makes the result considerably more significant. EDward Gaming are former VALORANT world champions, having won Champions 2024, and remain one of the most recognisable teams produced by the Chinese VCT ecosystem. Global Esports entered the elimination match knowing that another defeat would end their first-ever Champions appearance, but instead delivered a 26-11 aggregate map score across the series.

For an Indian organisation making its debut at VALORANT’s biggest tournament, eliminating EDG represents another milestone in a season already defined by Global Esports winning its first VCT Pacific championship.

Watch: Global Esports’ reaction after eliminating EDward Gaming

Clip via VALORANT on Twitch.

Global Esports dominate EDward Gaming on Summit

Global Esports established control almost immediately on Summit, refusing to allow EDG to settle into the elimination series.

GE built an 8-4 advantage on their attacking half, giving themselves considerable breathing room before the sides switched. What followed was even more decisive, as EDward Gaming managed only a single round during the second half while Global Esports rapidly closed the map. The resulting 13-5 victory gave GE the ideal start to an elimination series in which the pressure could scarcely have been higher.

Patrick โ€œPatMenโ€ Mendoza led the way for GE on Astra, finishing Summit with 21 kills, 326 ACS and a 1.55 rating. Savva โ€œKr1stalโ€ Fedorov was similarly influential on Fade, recording 17 kills and a 1.49 rating as Global Esports repeatedly denied EDG opportunities to establish momentum. Go โ€œUdoTanโ€ Kyung-won added 19 kills on Neon, while Xavier โ€œxavi8kโ€ Juan contributed to the balanced team performance that has characterised much of Global Esports’ successful 2026 campaign.

Taking Summit so convincingly changed the complexion of the best-of-three immediately. EDG now needed to win two consecutive maps to remain at Champions, while GE required only one more to secure another opportunity at reaching the playoffs.

GE finish the job with a 13-6 win on Sunset

Any expectation that EDward Gaming would recover after the opening-map defeat quickly disappeared on Sunset. Global Esports maintained the pressure that had defined Summit, denying EDG the opportunity to turn the second map into the prolonged fight the Chinese side desperately required. GE eventually closed Sunset 13-6, completing a clean 2-0 sweep without allowing the elimination series to reach a deciding third map.

Photo credits; VALORANT/Riot Games

The two scorelines tell much of the story. Across Summit and Sunset, EDward Gaming managed only 11 rounds against Global Esports’ 26, an unusually one-sided margin for a match carrying elimination stakes at VALORANT Champions. For Global Esports, the performance was also an emphatic response to the disappointment of their opening series against Team Vitality, where the Pacific champions had come within two rounds of forcing overtime on the deciding map before falling 13-11 on Summit.

Global Esports bounce back after heartbreaking Vitality loss

Global Esports entered the EDward Gaming match with no margin for another defeat after losing their Champions opener 1-2 against Team Vitality. TalkEsport covered GE’s opening battle against Vitality, where the European side took Abyss 13-10 before Global Esports responded with a 13-9 victory on Ascent. The series eventually came down to Summit, where the teams entered halftime tied 6-6. Vitality established an advantage after the break, but GE fought back from behind and narrowed the score to 12-11 before Vitality secured the final round to deny overtime and take the map 13-11.

That result dropped Global Esports into the Group B elimination match, while EDward Gaming arrived there after suffering a 0-2 defeat against LOUD. The format left both teams in exactly the same position entering October 2: win and remain in Shanghai, or lose and leave the tournament. Global Esports responded to that pressure with their most dominant series at Champions so far.

EDward Gaming are eliminated from VALORANT Champions 2026

The defeat brings EDward Gaming’s Champions 2026 campaign to an unexpectedly early conclusion. EDG entered the tournament as one of China’s representatives and qualified for the season-ending world championship through Championship Points after a difficult domestic Stage 2 campaign. The organisation’s international pedigree nevertheless made it one of the most recognisable names in Group B. EDward Gaming won VALORANT Champions 2024, becoming the first Chinese organisation to lift the game’s world championship trophy and delivering one of the defining moments in the development of China’s VALORANT scene.

Champions 2026 produced a very different outcome. LOUD defeated EDG in their opening match before Global Esports handed the former world champions another straight-map defeat in the elimination series. EDG therefore leave Shanghai without winning a series and, more strikingly, without taking a single map across their two Group B matches.

Global Esports’ remarkable 2026 run continues

Global Esports reaching this position would have appeared improbable earlier in the VCT season. The Indian organisation arrived at Champions as the VCT Pacific Stage 2 champion after completing a remarkable playoff run that culminated in a reverse sweep against Nongshim RedForce in the Grand Final.

Global Esports came back from 0-2 down to defeat Nongshim RedForce 3-2 in that final, winning three consecutive maps to secure the organisation’s first VCT trophy and the Pacific region’s first seed at Champions. That championship also secured something Indian VALORANT had spent years waiting for: Global Esports’ first appearance at VALORANT Champions. The organisation has represented India within the VCT Pacific partnership system since its creation, but had never previously reached the season-ending world championship. Winning Pacific Stage 2 transformed that narrative completely, sending GE to Shanghai not merely as a participant but as the region’s top seed.

Eliminating EDward Gaming now adds another significant international result to that run.

What does Global Esports need to qualify for the Champions playoffs?

VALORANT Champions uses a GSL-style group format in which two series victories qualify a team for the playoffs while two defeats eliminate it. Global Esports are now 1-1 in Group B after losing to Vitality and defeating EDward Gaming. That puts GE into the Group B decider, where the winner will claim the group’s second playoff position and the loser will be eliminated from Champions.

Team Vitality have already secured the first Group B playoff berth after winning the upper side of the group. Global Esports therefore have one final series standing between them and a place among the tournament’s final eight teams. TalkEsport’s VALORANT Champions 2026 hub tracks the groups, standings, schedule and playoff picture as the Shanghai tournament progresses.

Global Esports are now one win away from the VALORANT Champions playoffs

That is ultimately what the victory over EDward Gaming changes. Global Esports arrived against EDG with their entire Champions campaign on the line. Two maps later, the Indian organisation had eliminated a former world champion and earned one final opportunity to reach the playoffs on its tournament debut. The manner of the victory may be almost as important as the result itself. GE did not survive through overtime, a narrow third map or a desperate comeback; they controlled Summit 13-5 and followed it with a 13-6 victory on Sunset, producing a performance far more decisive than the stakes might have suggested.

India’s first representative at VALORANT Champions is therefore still alive in Shanghai, and after winning Pacific, pushing Vitality to the final rounds of a decider and now sweeping EDward Gaming out of the tournament, Global Esports are one series away from extending an already historic season into the Champions playoffs.

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