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CS2 April VRS Update Locks In IEM Cologne Major Invites

Sonu Banerjee
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CS2 April VRS Update Locks In IEM Cologne Major Invites

Valve has officially revealed the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) update for April 2026, locking in the invites for the Munich-anticipated IEM Cologne Major alongside the upcoming LORGAR RANKINGS Season 1, and Stake Ranked Episode 2.

The updated VRS rankings for this month see FaZe missing out on a CS2 major for the first time in the organization’s history. For the uninitiated, FaZe entered the Counter-Strike scene back in 2016 and has participated in every single Major event since.

This comes as a result of FaZe’s heartbreaking 1-2 defeat against BIG in the grand final of HLC Belgrade Pro, bringing an end to the org’s decade-long streak.

April 2026 VRS Rankings Revealed

Below, we’ve listed the top 30 teams from the April 2026 VRS rankings, as confirmed by Valve:

StandingPointsTeam NameRoster
12063VitalityapEX, flameZ, mezii, ropz, ZywOo
21903Natus VincereAleksib, b1t, iM, makazze, w0nderful
31798PARIVISIONBELCHONOKK, Jame, nota, xiELO, zweih
41781FURIAFalleN, KSCERATO, molodoy, YEKINDAR, yuurih
51777AuroraMAJ3R, soulfly, Wicadia, woxic, XANTARES
61769Falconskyousuke, kyxsan, m0NESY, NiKo, TeSeS
71769MOUZBrollan, Jimpphat, Spinx, torzsi, xertioN
81747The MongolZ910, bLitz, cobrazera, mzinho, Techno
91721Spiritdonk, magixx, sh1ro, tN1R, zont1x
101689AstralisHooXi, jabbi, phzy, ryu, Staehr
111664G2HeavyGod, huNter-, MATYS, NertZ, SunPayus
121619FUTcmtry, dem0n, dziugss, Krabeni, lauNX
1316039zdgt, HUASOPEEK, luchov, max, meyern
141590paiNbiguzera, nqz, piriajr, snow, vsm
151539Monteafro, AZUWU, Bymas, Gizmy, Rainwaker
161530LegacyarT, dumau, latto, n1ssim, saadzin
171529GamerLegionhypex, PR, REZ, Snax, Tauson
181526BIGblameF, faveN, gr1ks, JDC, tabseN
191525BetBoomBoombl4, FL4MUS, Magnojez, S1ren, zorte
201518B8alex666, esenthial, kensizor, npl, s1zzi
211502HEROICChr1zN, nilo, susp, xfl0ud, yxngstxr
221480SINNERSbeastik, kisserek, MoDo, SHOCK, stressarN
231470Allianceavid, eraa, MaiL09, twist, upE
2414583DMAXEx3rcice, Graviti, Lucky, Maka, misutaaa
251456M80JBa, Lake, s1n, slaxz-, Swisher
261454FaZebroky, frozen, jcobbb, karrigan, Twistzz
271441TYLOOJamYoung, Jee, Mercury, Moseyuh, Zero
281429Ninjas in Pyjamascairne, r1nkle, sjuush, Snappi, xKacpersky
291412NRGbr0, Grim, nitr0, oSee, Sonic
301410K27kashl1d, qw1nk1, relaxxie, X5G7V, xeedo

The IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 Major is all set to kick off on June 2, 2026. The event will feature over two weeks of top-tier competitive CS before a champion is crowned on June 21 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. Fans unable to attend the event in person will be able to catch the action live on the official Twitch or YouTube handles of ESL CS.

3DMAX Secures Ticket to PGL Bucharest 2026 Playoffs

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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3DMAX Secures Ticket to PGL Bucharest 2026 Playoffs

3DMAX is in the playoffs bracket of the PGL Bucharest 2026 playoffs after taking down heavy favourites PARIVISION with a dominant 2-0 scoreline. With their form dropping since the start of the year, 3DMAX has pulled off one of the most shocking wins of the year.

VETO

  • 3DMAX removed Mirage
  • PARIVISION removed Nuke
  • 3DMAX picked Inferno
  • PARIVISION picked Dust2
  • PARIVISION removed Overpass
  • 3DMAX removed Ancient
  • Anubis was left over

Map 1: Inferno; Pick: 3DMAX; Winner: 3DMAX

3DMAX gave away the momentum after losing to a force-buy before they stabilised later in the first half to secure a respectable scoreline by the end of the first half. As they trailed 7-5, a 6-round streak to start the second half saw them take back momentum and hit double digits before PARIVISION could get on the board. Winning two rounds, the CIS side failed to continue their momentum, leading to the French side winning the final two rounds to secure an early lead in the series, thanks to the new addition misutaaa, who stood out as the most impactful player with 1.36 IR.

Map 2: Dust2; Pick: PARIVISION; Winner: 3DMAX

PARIVISION hitting the board first saw 3DMAX trail from the get-go before PARIVISION dropped the ball later into the half, leading to the French side squeezing in a lead of 7-5 before switching sides. Losing only one round on their offence, 3DMAX managed to hit a series point. PARIVISION’s attempt at a comeback saw them win no more than two rounds before 3DMAX got that one round to edge out a much-needed win to reach the playoffs. Ex3ecice with 20 kills stood out as the best player and marked one of his best performances of the year that helped 3DMAX reach the playoffs.

PARIVISION will now sit with a 2-2 record, and having taken some big scalps to kick off the season, their recent performances have been poor, which indicates that teams have started to figure them out. As things stand, one more win would see them through, which they are expected to secure. Only then will we know if they can make another run at the trophy.

MongolZ Reaches PGL Bucharest 2026 Playoffs

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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MongolZ Reaches PGL Bucharest 2026 Playoffs

The Asian powerhouse MongolZ have secured a spot in the playoffs of the PGL Bucharest 2026 ahead of Wildcards through the Swiss brackets. Coming into the match with a 2-1 record, put on a confident performance to close out the series with a 2-0 scoreline and lock their spot in the next round of play.

VETO

  • Wildcard removed Ancient
  • The MongolZ removed Anubis
  • Wildcard picked Dust2
  • The MongolZ picked Nuke
  • The MongolZ removed Overpass
  • Wildcard removed Inferno
  • Mirage was left as the decider

Map 1: Dust2; Pick: Wildcards; Winner: MongolZ

Starting on Wildcard’s pick of Dust2, MongolZ secured a close 13-11 win despite Wildcards leading by the end of the first half with a narrow 7-5 lead. Solid T-side performance from Wildcards kept the Asian side at bay, only for momentum to shift in the second half. The MongolZ offense hit the ground running as Wildcards failed to stop them before they secured a lead, only to push the map over the line with the final round of regulation.

Map 2: Nuke; Pick: MongolZ; Winner: MongolZ

Nuke saw MongolZ come into their own with momentum on their side to kick off the map. They started strong on the T side and disciplined setups that Wildcards failed to get the better of. The second half from the Asian side saw a very composed and structured defense, which put the nail in the coffin for the North American team. As Wildcards failed to get past the MongolZ defense, the lead that MongolZ picked up helped secure the map despite giving away a few rounds.

MongolZ, having lost to Astralis the day before, had their weaknesses exposed, but as they build into the tournament, MongolZ will slowly come into form and become a lethal force capable of going all the way.

How To Get the Sakura // Tokyo Player Card in Valorant for Free

Sonu Banerjee
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How To Get the Sakura // Tokyo Player Card in Valorant for Free

To celebrate Japan’s cherry blossom season, Riot Games is giving out a brand-new themed Player Card to Valorant players, enabling fans of the shooter to add a hint of sakura aesthetics to their game profiles.

What’s even more exciting is that the new Sakura // Tokyo Player Card in Valorant can be obtained completely free, but there’s a small catch.

If you’re eager to add the new Sakura // Tokyo Player Card to your Valorant inventory and spice up your player profile, we’ve got you covered.

How To Get Sakura // Tokyo Player Card in Valorant

Riot Games has officially revealed that the Sakura // Tokyo Player Card will be given out to Valorant players in the form of Twitch Drops.

However, the devs have also pointed out that this card will be exclusively distributed in Japan first.

If you’re a Japanese Valorant player and want to get the Sakura // Tokyo Player Card in Valorant, all you need to do is hop on a participating channel streaming the “Devil Clutch Cup” on April 28-29 and watch it for the specified duration.

To be eligible for the drop, you’ll need to make sure that your Twitch account is linked to your Riot ID. If you haven’t linked your Valorant account with Twitch yet, we have a detailed guide on the topic that you can use.

Once you’ve watched a drop-enabled stream for the required duration, the Sakura // Tokyo Player Card will automatically be added to your Valorant inventory.

Can You Get the Sakura // Tokyo Player Card Outside Japan?

According to an official post by Riot Games, the Sakura // Tokyo Player Card will be rolled out to Japanese players first. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean players outside the region will be completely locked out from obtaining it.

While it’s currently limited to Japan, this fan-favorite Player Card will likely become available to the rest of the world in the future, possibly through a different promotion or an official event.

KRAFTON India Brings Back M416 Glacier in BGMI with Limited-Time Cricket League

Aditya Parsutkar
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KRAFTON India Brings Back M416 Glacier in BGMI with Limited-Time Cricket League

KRAFTON India has officially brought back the popular M416 Glacier skin in BGMI through a limited-time event called the BGMI Cricket League. This gives players a rare chance to unlock one of the most iconic weapon skins in the game during the ongoing T20 cricket season.

The M416 Glacier has always been one of the most wanted skins in BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA (BGMI). Earlier, getting this skin required a lot of luck and grinding, which made it a symbol of rarity among players. Over time, it became more than just a skin and turned into a legacy item in the BGMI community.

BGMI Cricket League brings cricket into gameplay

The new BGMI Cricket League event connects real-world cricket matches with in-game rewards. Players can support their favorite teams and earn tokens based on match results.

These tokens can then be used in the Glacier Lucky Spin, where players get a chance to unlock rewards, including the M416 Glacier skin.

Read More: BGMI Player Transfer Window Tracker (April 2026): All Rosters, Transfers and Latest Updates

How to get M416 Glacier in BGMI

Here are the simple steps to unlock the Glacier skin:

  • Select a team in the BGMI Cricket League
  • Follow match results and support your team
  • Earn Support Tokens and Win Spin Tokens
  • Collect tokens by participating in multiple matches
  • Use tokens in the Glacier Lucky Spin for rewards
  • Limited-time opportunity for BGMI players

The return of the M416 Glacier is only available during the BGMI Cricket League event. According to KRAFTON India, this is a time-limited and possibly final chance for players to get the Glacier skin through in-game participation.

Players are advised to take part in the event regularly to increase their chances of unlocking this legendary item.

In conclusion, the return of the M416 Glacier in BGMI is a big moment for players who missed it earlier. This event not only brings back a rare and iconic skin but also adds a fun twist by connecting cricket with gameplay. Since it is available for a limited time, players should take part in the BGMI Cricket League regularly and collect tokens to improve their chances. With KRAFTON calling it the final opportunity, this could be the last time players can unlock the Glacier skin through in-game events.

Nvidia’s DLSS 5 Trailer Hit with Copyright Takedown in Italy

Aritra Patra
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Nvidia’s DLSS 5 Trailer Hit with Copyright Takedown in Italy

Nvidia’s official DLSS 5 announcement video was taken down from YouTube in Italy. The culprit was not a competitor or a rogue uploader. It was a local Italian TV channel that had used the same DLSS 5 trailer for its own broadcast.

According to gaming content creator NikTek, who posted about the incident on X, an employee at the Italian media company filed a mass DMCA complaint targeting every YouTube video that used footage from the DLSS 5 trailer. YouTube’s AI content moderation system then acted on the complaints and removed those videos from the platform including the one posted by Nvidia itself.

How YouTube’s AI Moderation Made Things Worse

The irony is hard to miss. Nvidia owns the content. The trailer was Nvidia’s own material. Yet the platform’s automated system flagged and removed it because a third party claimed ownership over the same footage they had borrowed for a TV segment.

YouTube uses AI classifiers to flag potentially violating content at scale. On its blog, the company has stated that human reviewers then step in to confirm whether content actually crossed policy lines. In this case, that review process either did not happen fast enough or did not happen at all before the removals went through.

This is part of a broader problem on YouTube. The platform reportedly terminated more than 12 million channels in 2025 for terms of service violations, with most of those flags triggered by AI. Several affected creators have complained that the stated reasons for their takedowns were inaccurate. Some reported that their appeals were rejected within minutes, suggesting no human ever looked at their cases.

Nvidia Is Not the Only One Affected

Nvidia is easily the biggest name caught up in this particular wave of takedowns, but it is far from the only one. Content creators who posted reaction videos or coverage of the DLSS 5 announcement and included clips from the trailer have also had their videos removed.

This matters more for smaller channels than it does for a company like Nvidia. Nvidia has the legal team and the platform relationships to push for reinstatement. At the time the story was reported, its video had not yet been restored. Smaller creators face a harder road. On YouTube, a copyright strike does not just take down a video. It can count against a channel’s standing and, if strikes accumulate, lead to account termination.

This is not the first time a video has been pulled because another party that also used the same original content filed a complaint first. But the scale here is notable. A single mass DMCA filing from one TV station’s employee managed to take down Nvidia’s own product announcement video in an entire country.

YouTube’s content ID and DMCA systems are built to respond quickly at volume. That speed is also their weakness. When a complaint comes in, the system acts before anyone checks whether the claimant actually owns what they are claiming. In this case, the TV channel did not own the DLSS 5 trailer. Nvidia did. The channel had simply used it, then turned around and filed complaints against others doing the same thing.

Whether Nvidia will take any action against the Italian broadcaster, or whether YouTube will review its handling of the mass complaint, is not yet known.

Steam Is Testing a Feature That Shows FPS Estimates Before You Buy a Game

Aritra Patra
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Steam Is Testing a Feature That Shows FPS Estimates Before You Buy a Game

Valve is working on a new Steam tool that could show players how well a game will run on their PC before they buy it. The feature is currently in beta and was confirmed in a recent Steam client update.

What the Feature Does

Code discovered by ResetEra user Dex3108 in the latest Steam client contains a line that reads: “Select an App and a PC config to get a chart of estimated frame rates, based on the frame rates of other users.”

That single string tells you a lot. Players would be able to choose a game, enter hardware specs including CPU, GPU, and memory, and receive a chart of estimated frame rates. Those estimates come from real playthrough data, not theoretical numbers from developers.

The strings also reference a Framerate Estimator, options for CPU, GPU, and system RAM selection, a search field for games, and the ability to save hardware profiles.

Where Valve Is Getting the Data

In February, the Steam Client Beta added an option to provide anonymized framerate data. Valve said that when the setting is enabled, Steam collects gameplay framerate data and stores it without connection to a Steam account, while still associating it with the kind of hardware being used.

Valve said the data collection exists “to learn about game compatibility and improve Steam.” The data is anonymous and not tied to any individual account.

Valve also added the ability to show PC specs when posting a game review on Steam, which could help pull additional performance context from reviews.

Why Beta Testing Starts With SteamOS Devices

Valve says the beta will “focus on devices running SteamOS.” This is likely because there are fewer hardware configurations on SteamOS, which is primarily used by handhelds like the Steam Deck and the Lenovo Legion Go S, compared to desktop and laptop PCs, which can have an almost infinite number of component combinations.

This narrower hardware pool makes it easier to build a reliable baseline. It could also complement Steam’s existing Deck Verified programme, which currently identifies games optimized for Valve’s first-party hardware.

There is no confirmed timeline for a wider rollout. The stated end goal is to integrate these estimates directly into store pages.

Why This Matters for PC Gamers

Standard system requirements have been a frustration for years. The recommended and minimum specs listed by game developers often do not explain what actual performance you can expect. This has become a bigger issue with the rise of AI-assisted upscaling and frame generation, as many believe developers set their recommended specs assuming those technologies are in use, not reflecting raw game performance.

Knowing whether a game runs well on a specific PC can be a deciding factor in a purchase decision. It would also prevent buyer’s remorse, since players could identify in advance that a title might not run well on their hardware.

There are real complications ahead, though. Graphics settings, mods, and upscaling tools like DLSS and FSR can significantly affect frame rates. Background apps such as Discord or web browsers can also reduce performance during gameplay. Any estimate built on hardware specs alone will have to account for all of that to stay useful.

Valve has not announced when the feature will be available to the general public or when estimated FPS numbers might appear on Steam store pages. The feature is still in the early beta stage, and accuracy will be the real test once it rolls out more widely.

Astralis Qualifies for PGL Bucharest 2026 Playoffs

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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Astralis Qualifies for PGL Bucharest 2026 Playoffs

Astralis advanced to the playoffs of PGL Bucharest 2026, beating MongolZ 2-0. Qualifying with a 3-0 scoreline, Astralis becomes the first team to reach the playoffs, and a dominant performance leading up to it puts them in a prime position to go all the way.

VETO

  • The MongolZ removed Overpass
  • Astralis removed Dust2
  • The MongolZ picked Mirage
  • Astralis picked Ancient
  • Astralis removed Anubis
  • The MongolZ removed Inferno
  • Nuke was left over

Map 1: Mirage; Pick: MongolZ; Winner: Astralis

6-0 start for Astralis saw MongolZ get completely sidelined right from the get-go, before the Asian side managed three rounds before switching halves. With a 9-3 lead, Astralis hit the board on their offence with a force buy, having lost the pistol. Winning their first round, Astralis remained flawless and closed out the game with a 13-3 dominant scoreline, securing their opponent’s pick to kick off the map. Jabbi, with 19 kills, remained a key performer who helped the Danes secure their opponent’s pick.

Map 2: Ancient; Pick: Astralis; Winner: Astralis

Winning the pistol on the offence, Astralis gave away 7 rounds to let MongolZ take charge of the game before closing out the half with a respectable 4 rounds to their name. With 4 rounds in their corner, Astralis started mounting a comeback, where 7 rounds in a row from them saw the Danes push ahead to an 11-7 lead, and lost one more round before closing out the game with a 13-8 win.

MongolZ sit just a win away from qualification, and while this loss doesn’t affect them much; however, gaps within their tactics need to be addressed within their tactics need to be addressed as soon as possible.

FaZe Knocked Out of PGL Bucharest 2026

Sarjyo Mukherjee
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0
FaZe Knocked Out of PGL Bucharest 2026

With their Major dreams crushed just the day before, FaZe Clan was eliminated from PGL Bucharest without winning a single map at the hands of Inner Circle, who were arguably the worst-performing team in the event leading up to the match.

VETO

  • FaZe removed Anubis
  • Inner Circle removed Inferno
  • FaZe picked Nuke
  • Inner Circle picked Mirage
  • Inner Circle removed Overpass
  • FaZe removed Ancient
  • Dust2 was left over

Map 1: Nuke; Pick: FaZe; Winner: Inner Circle

Inner Circle’s strong start put FaZe 5 rounds behind before they could see a round. Total disaster in their offence, with Inner Circle dominating for the entirety of their defence, saw them bully FaZe with a 10-2 half before switching sides. Winning 6 rounds helped FaZe close the deficit, but that was far from enough given the buffer Inner Circle had built, leading to the latter closing the map out with relative ease: a 13-9 scoreline. 18-year-old ZeRRoFIX topped the charts with impeccable impact against FaZe with 17 kills and 1.7 IR.

Map 2: Mirage; Pick: Inner Circle; Winner: Inner Circle

Following a tough defeat on Map 1, FaZe went 6-0 up before dropping the ball, which enabled Inner Circle to secure 4 rounds by the end of the first half to close with an 8-4 lead, which otherwise would have been a far more dominant scoreline. Inner Circle hit back in the second half with a near flawless defence, where FaZe could manage only a single round before closing out the second map with yet another 13-9 scoreline. Headtr1ck with 1.62 IR and 18 kills saw his AWP dominate FaZe; Inner Circle now moves to the next round of play.

FaZe Clan’s downfall is arguably one of the strangest stories in the history of esports. To think that this team played in a Major Grand Final the season prior makes their current performances more shocking. Now with their Major dreams collapsed, only time can tell what becomes of this roster, but with this result, they are out of Bucharest.

IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 Major: All Participating Teams

Sonu Banerjee
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0
IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 Major: All Participating Teams

Following FaZe’s heartbreaking defeat against BIG in the grand final of HLC Belgrade Pro, we now have our full list of teams who will be heading to IEM Cologne 2026 for the first Counter-Strike 2 Major of the year.

Scheduled to take place in June 2026, IEM Cologne 2026 will see 32 elite CS2 teams battling it out for the lion’s share of a $1,250,000 USD prize pool. The teams have been invited based on their VRS rankings, with the highest-ranked squads securing direct spots in Stage 3, while the lowest-ranked entrants begin their run in Stage 1.

Ready to find out all the participating teams in the IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 Major? Look no further.

All IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 Major Teams List

The following 32 teams have managed to secure their slots at the upcoming IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 Major:

Stage 1

  • B8
  • BetBoom Team
  • BIG
  • FlyQuest
  • Gaimin Gladiators
  • GamerLegion
  • HEROIC
  • Lynn Vision
  • M80
  • MIBR
  • NRG
  • Sharks Esports
  • SINNERS Esports
  • Team Liquid
  • TYLOO
  • THUNDER dOWNUNDER

Stage 2

  • 9z Team
  • Astralis
  • FUT Esports
  • G2 Esports
  • Legacy
  • Monte
  • paiN Gaming
  • Team Spirit

Stage 3

  • Aurora
  • Falcons
  • FURIA
  • MOUZ
  • Natus Vincere
  • PARIVISION
  • Team Vitality
  • The MongolZ

The IEM Cologne 2026 CS2 tournament will kick off on June 2, 2026, featuring more than two weeks of top-tier competitive action before a champion is crowned on June 21 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany.

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