Valve has confirmed it will stop restocking Steam physical gift cards at retail stores. Existing stock is expected to sell through by the end of 2026, after which the cards will no longer be available in stores.
The company updated its Steam Support FAQ to explain the decision. It has been a long time coming.
Why Valve Is Pulling the Cards
Valve introduced Steam Gift Cards to retail in 2012. The digital gift card program came five years later, in 2017.
As we have continued to put more and more restrictions in place, scammers have adapted. They continue to have an impact on Steam customers and other unsuspecting individuals. So we’ve made the difficult decision to end the Steam Gift Card program at retail stores.
Steam
Over that period, the cards became a go-to tool for scammers. Criminals coerce victims into purchasing gift cards under the pretense of paying taxes, bail, debts, or delivery fees for sweepstakes winnings. The codes are hard to trace and easy to cash out, which makes them useful for fraud well beyond gaming.
What Valve Already Tried
Valve did not pull the cards without first attempting fixes. The company previously worked with retailers and law enforcement, added prominent scam warning labels to cards, limited redemption to the currency of a Steam wallet, reduced availability at certain retailers, and removed cards from sale when unusual activity was spotted.
None of it stuck. Scammers adjusted every time.
Steam will no longer be restocking physical gift cards at retailers due to scammers. pic.twitter.com/ILy9m4mKJq
Valve is likely to be among the first major platform holders to phase out physical gift cards for this reason, but probably not the last. Other brands face the same problem. Gift card codes are untraceable by design, which is exactly why fraudsters prefer them.
What Happens to Cards You Already Have
Valve confirmed it will still honor any existing physical gift cards, and will continue to offer gift cards in digital form. There is no expiry date on cards currently in circulation.
Digital gift cards remain available, and Valve has also pointed to guest checkout, added last year, as another option for friends and family who want to send Steam credit without needing an account. Valve says it is working to make the digital gifting experience better going forward.
With the highly anticipated Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 update being just around the corner, NetEase has officially shed light on the detailed release notes for the upcoming patch.
For the uninitiated, Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 is set to be a major content update for the hero shooter, bringing with it a brand-new playable hero, a new game mode, map, events, and more.
Husband. Leader. Mutant. 🕶️
As a founding member of the X-Men, Scott Summers is no stranger to hardship and discipline. Having overcome discrimination and tribulation, he stands as an unyielding protector of Mutantkind.
While you wait for the official release of the Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 update, now’s the perfect time to take a look at all the hero changes that the devs have in store for the players.
All Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 Hero Changes Explained
NetEase has recently revealed the full list of changes coming with the Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 update, and it’s certain to shake up the competitive meta of the hero shooter.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at all the changes coming to the Marvel Rivals roster with the new patch:
ADJUSTMENTS
VANGUARD
Angela
Asgard’s Assassin is now swifter and sturdier than ever! Angela’s survivability and mobility get a slight boost. – Reduce Assassin’s Charge cooldown from 6s to 4s. – In Shielded Stance, increase shield value from 300 to 350. Upon canceling the shield, increase shield recovery rate from 50/s to 60/s. Reduce the interval between shield uses from 1.5s to 1s.
Devil Dinosaur
Looks like Moon Girl needs to put her big buddy on a slight diet! We’re slightly reducing Devil Dinosaur’s damage, survivability, and crowd control to balance the experience for other Vanguards facing him. – Remove the knock-down effect from Impact Beam. – Increase Buddy Barrier cooldown from 10s to 12s. – Reduce the Percentage Damage per second of the Bleed effect from 3% to 1.5%.
Magneto
The mutant revolution will not be stopped! We’re increasing the functionality and threat level of Magneto’s Ultimate Ability. – Increase Meteor M (Ultimate Ability) maximum duration from 4s to 5s; increase the damage dealt when fully charged from 300 to 350.
Rogue
Sugah, she’s tougher than ever! Anna gets a slight increase in her mobility and survivability. – Decrease the cooldown of Fatal Attraction from 14s to 12s. – Reduce energy consumption when using Defensive Stance from 60/s to 50/s. Increase absorbed damage energy conversion ratio from 35% to 55%.
DUELIST
Black Cat
Felicia’s luck might have finally run out! We’re increasing the Fortune cost to purchase relics, decreasing her Fortune acquisition efficiency, and lowering her survivability and damage. – Reduce Cat’s Cradle damage from 50 to 40; remove one charge, changing it to a cooldown, and reduce the cooldown from 10s to 8s. – Reduce Phantom Pursuit damage from 75 to 70. – Increase the Fortune cost for Chernobog’s Crystal, Ring of Zona, and Mento-Fish from 200 to 300. Increase the Fortune cost for Faltine Flame Orb from 100 to 300, and it can no longer Reveal enemies behind objects. – Reduce Calling Card (Ultimate Ability) dash targeting distance from 60m to 40m. Participating in eliminations no longer refreshes the remaining duration; instead, it adds 3s to the current remaining time, up to a maximum of 10s. Increase the Ultimate’s second hit base damage from 30 to 70, but remove the Percentage Damage (for 250 Health enemies, total damage of 2 attacks is reduced from 110 to 100; for 600 Health enemies, total damage of 2 attacks is reduced from 180 to 100). Additionally, reduce the Fortune gained from this attack from 300 to 200.
Blade
The Daywalker is ready to carve up the competition! We’ve slightly increased Blade’s close-range combat capabilities. – Increase the Unstoppable duration provided after each use of Scarlet Shroud from 0.4s to 1s. – While in sword stance, increase the initial hit damage of Daywalker Dash from 20 to 30, and increase the damage per spin from 8 to 10 (total damage increased from 52 to 70).
Daredevil
The Man Without Fear will need to rely a bit more on his other senses now! We’re reducing Daredevil’s ability to scout enemy team positions while roaming the outskirts, and lowering his engagement distance and post-engagement survivability. – Reduce Radar Sense’s maximum detection range from 50m to 40m. – Reduce Sonic Pursuit’s dash targeting distance from 20m to 12m. – Reduce “Objection!”‘s duration from 1.5s to 1.2s.
Elsa Bloodstone
The Bloodstone legacy grows stronger! Elsa is getting an increase to her Instinct accumulation speed for a slight bump to her baseline performance. – Reduce the damage required to upgrade the passive skill Inherited Instinct from 1667 to 1111 (the damage-to-rating conversion multiplier is increased from 0.0006 to 0.0009).
Human Torch
Flame on, Johnny! We are slightly increasing Human Torch’s mobility. – Reduce Flaming Meteor cooldown from 20s to 15s. – Reduce Plasma Body single charge energize time from 10s to 8s.
Moon Knight
Khonshu demands a bit more precision from his avatar! Marc is getting a reduction to his damage capabilities. – Reduce Crescent Dart single-shot damage from 25 to 23. – Reduce Moon Blade damage from 80 to 70. – When Crescent Darts and Moon Blades bounce between enemies or Ankhs, adjust the damage attenuation per bounce from 80% to 70% (Moon Knight will now deal less damage when bouncing attacks among multiple targets or off Ankhs).
Namor
The King of Atlantis commands the tides with greater frequency! Namor’s Monstro Spawns are getting a slight coverage increase. – Increase the Aquatic Dominion cooldown reduction granted when Trident of Neptune hits enemies from 1s to 1.3s.
Phoenix
The cosmic flames are burning a little less brightly from afar. We’re slightly reducing Jean’s flanking sustain and mid-to-long-range damage capabilities. – Reduce the Healing Over Time provided after detonating Sparks from 10/s to 5/s. – Cosmic Flames Damage Falloff: Adjust maximum damage falloff at 30m from 75% to 65% (the distance to KO a 250 Health enemy with two critical hits is shortened from 18m to 16m; at maximum falloff, single hit damage is reduced from 45 to 39; the number of hits required to KO a 250 Health enemy is increased from 5 to 6).
Star-Lord
Time to get a little closer for those legendary plays! Peter’s baseline mid-to-long-range damage capabilities are getting toned down. – Element Guns Damage Falloff: Adjust maximum damage falloff at 25m from 65% to 50% (this does not affect his Ultimate Ability).
STRATEGIST
Adam Warlock
The Golden Gladiator’s cosmic karma flows more smoothly! We’re slightly increasing Adam’s damage-to-healing conversion efficiency. – Increase the Avatar Life Stream charge time reduction when Cosmic Cluster hits enemies from 0.48s to 0.6s.
Cloak & Dagger
The divine duo brings even more light to the shadows! Cloak & Dagger are seeing an increase in baseline healing capabilities. – When Lightforce Dagger directly hits allies, reduce the single-target healing from 16 to 12, and increase the spell field healing from 16 to 20 (for directly hit teammates, the healing remains the same, but the AoE healing is increased). – Increase the healing boost ratio provided by Veil of Lightforce ability from 15% to 20%.
Deadpool (Strategist)
The Merc with a Mouth is handing out even more band-aids! Wade is seeing a slight increase in his baseline healing capabilities. – In gun form, increase Bouncing Bobblehead continuous healing provided by the spell field from 40/s to 50/s (standard); and from 50/s to 55/s (upgraded).
Gambit
The Ragin’ Cajun’s biggest hand is losing a bit of its sting! We’ve reduced the offensive capabilities of Gambit’s Ultimate. – Reduce the bonus damage multiplier provided by Ragin’ Royal Flush (Ultimate Ability) from 25% to 20%; reduce the movement speed bonus from 40% to 30%.
Ultron
The Age of Ultron is facing some minor technical difficulties! Ultron’s drone coverage range is taking a hit to lower the buff capabilities provided to allies, and we’re reducing his Ultimate Ability charge speed. – Reduce Imperative: Patch maximum drone attach distance from 35m to 30m. – Increase Imperative: Firewall cooldown from 10s to 12s. – Increase the energy cost of Rage of Ultron (Ultimate Ability) from 4000 to 4300.
White Fox
Ami Han’s mystical charms are a little more contained! White Fox’s baseline crowd control capabilities are being slightly reduced. – Reduce the Charm and Invincibility spell field radius of Spectral Surge from 0.8m to 0.6m.
TEAM-UP ABILITIES
ADJUSTED OR REMOVED
Explosive Entanglement (Gambit – Magneto/Rogue) The mutant drama is cooling down just a bit! – Reduce the healing and damage provided by Hearts As One (Rogue). Reduce the percentage damage dealt per attack from 3% to 2%; reduce the spell field healing provided per attack from 55 to 25.
This concludes everything you need to know about all the hero changes coming to Marvel Rivals with the Season 8.5 update.
Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 is just around the corner, and it’s all set to introduce a plethora of fresh content to the game, including the brand-new playable character Cyclops, an 18v18 game mode, the Kun Lun Shenloong Arena map, events, and more.
Needless to say, fans of the hero shooter are excited to find out when the Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 update will finally drop. If you’re here to know more about the exact release date and time for the Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 update, you’ve come to the right place.
Marvel Rivals Season 8.5: What’s New?
As revealed in the official Marvel Rivals Dev Post by NetEase, Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 will bring with it the following new content to the game:
NetEase has confirmed that the highly anticipated Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 update will hit the live servers on June 12, 2026, at around 9 AM UTC.
Since this is a major update, the Marvel Rivals servers are likely to be taken down for maintenance for a few hours as the devs ship out the new patch to the game.
That’s everything you need to know about the Marvel Rivals Season 8.5 release date and time.
Two of India’s most influential esports organisations, S8UL and GodLike Esports, will come together at India Rising: Road to EWC. The country’s gaming and youth culture festival continues to bring together the biggest names across esports, creators, gaming communities and entertainment ahead of the Esports World Cup 2026.
Both organisations, Official Esports World Cup Club Partners, will be present at the event alongside their creators, talent, and fan communities. S8UL and GodLike collectively represent a creator ecosystem that reaches millions of gaming fans across their official channels and creator networks. Moreover, as two of India’s most influential esports brands and members of the prestigious Esports World Cup Club Partner Program, their joint presence marks a rare occasion. Two of Indian esports’ biggest organisations come together on the same stage to celebrate gaming culture at scale.
India’s Esports Giants S8UL and GodLike to Headline India Rising: Road to EWC
JioBLAST and the Esports Foundation (EF) will launch India Rising: Road to EWC in Mumbai on July 4 as the official Indian pathway event connected to the Esports World Cup ecosystem. The festival will feature esports, creator experiences, gaming showmatches, community activities, cosplay and live entertainment.
The presence of both organizations highlights the strategic importance of the region to the global gaming economy. India stands among a select few countries globally with multiple partner clubs in the Esports Foundation’s elite 40-club 2026 Partner Program, despite thousands of organizations competing worldwide. This places Indian esports alongside traditional global powerhouses like the US, China, and Brazil as top priorities for the EWC ecosystem.
Charlie Cowdrey, CEO, JioBLAST, said: “India Rising: Road to EWC was created with the vision of bringing the entire gaming ecosystem together under one roof. Having both S8UL and GodLike, alongside their creators and communities, reflects exactly what this event is about. These organisations have played a significant role in shaping Indian esports and gaming culture, and their presence helps make the gaming festival a true celebration of the industry as it continues to grow and connect with global opportunities through the Esports World Cup ecosystem.”
Fans attending the event will have the opportunity to interact with some of the biggest names in Indian gaming, including creators from S8UL such as Mortal, 8Bit Thug, Soul Regaltos, JokerKiHaveli, Snax Gaming, Krutika Plays, 8Bit Binks, 8Bit Rebel, 8Bit Mafia, Sid, Ankkitac, Mili, Jonty Gaming & much more. Additionally, GodLike Esports creators including Kronten, Amar, Mizo, ZGOD, Bachu, Lolz, Dobby, Sharkshe, Learn, Crow, Antaryami, SMR, Owais, Neutrino, Casper, Vivone, Steffen, Admino, Spower and Ankibot will also be present. The presence of both organisations reflects the growing maturity of India’s gaming ecosystem. Competition on screen is increasingly complemented by collective efforts to grow opportunities for players, creators and fans.
Thug and Kronten Comment on India Rising: Road to EWC
Animesh ‘Thug’ Agarwal, Co-Founder and CEO, S8UL, said: “Events like India Rising highlight the scale, passion and potential of India’s gaming community. As an Esports World Cup Club Partner for the second consecutive year, S8UL Esports is honoured to represent India on the global stage and contribute to strengthening the connection between India’s rapidly growing gaming ecosystem and the broader international esports landscape. “
Chetan ‘Kronten’ Chandgude, Co-Founder, GodLike Esports, said: “Events like India Rising are important because they bring together every part of the gaming ecosystem—players, creators, organisations and fans. While rivalries have always been part of what makes esports exciting, moments like these show how the industry can come together to create larger opportunities for the community. We’re looking forward to engaging with fans and contributing to what promises to be one of the biggest gaming celebrations India has seen.”
The India Rising: Road to EWC Gaming Festival will also feature the highly anticipated Chess Grand Finals between Indian Grandmaster Vidit Gujrathi and Dutch Grandmaster Benjamin Bok. The winner will earn a coveted place in the final stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 Chess competition. Expanding beyond chess, the event will also showcase competitive action across VALORANT and MOBA Legends: 5v5!. This brings together multiple gaming communities as part of India’s largest gaming and youth culture festival.
Tickets for India Rising: Road to EWC are now available on the District app.
To learn more about EWC, visit esportsworldcup.com and follow Esports Foundation on LinkedIn. For updates on JioBLAST and India Rising, visit JioBLAST and follow India Rising on Instagram.
The action continues at the BMPS 2026 Semi-Finals as Day 2 is set to take place today at the Nodwin Gaming Arena in Delhi NCR. After an exciting opening day, several teams have already made their mark on the leaderboard, while others will be looking for a strong comeback to keep their Grand Finals hopes alive.
A total of six matches will be played today across Rondo, Erangel, and Miramar. Group A and Group C teams will play all six matches together, while Group B will join Group A for the final three games of the day.
Team AX ended the opening day at the top of the leaderboard with 59 points. Meta Ninza remained close behind with 55 points, while Autobotz Esports secured third place with 47 points.
Team AX – 59 Points
MetaNinza Esports- 55 Points
Autobotz Esports – 47 Points
IQOO Reckoning Esports – 43 Points
Genesis Esports – 37 Points
Rising Esports – 36 Points
iQOO Team Tamilas – 34 Points
4TR Official – 28 Points
iQOO Revenant XSPARK – 28 Points
Mysterious 4 – 27 Points
Gods Reign – 25 Points
Zero Ark Official – 19 Points
Windgod Esports – 19 Points
Rapid Chaos Esports – 18 Points
Wyld Fangs – 16 Points
Lastade Esports – 15 Points
Nebula Esports – 15 Points
Higg Boson Esports – 15 Points
True Rippers – 15 Points
Team Apex Gaming – 13 Points
Team Versatile – 13 Points
Welt Esports – 8 Points
MYTH Official – 5 Points
White Walkers – 4 Points
Several strong teams such as True Rippers, Team Apex Gaming, Myth Official, and White Walkers will be aiming to climb the standings on Day 2 after a slow start to the competition.
Format
The Semi-Finals are being played from June 9 to June 12 with 24 teams competing for a place in the Grand Finals.
The teams are divided into three groups of eight teams each and will compete in a double round-robin format. Every team will play a total of 16 matches across the four-day stage.
Once all matches conclude:
Top 8 teams qualify directly for the BMPS 2026 Grand Finals.
Teams placed 9th to 22nd move to the Last Chance Stage.
Bottom 2 teams will be eliminated from the tournament.
With only eight direct qualification spots available, every point earned today could prove crucial.
Where to Watch BMPS 2026 Semi-Finals Day 2
Fans can catch all the action live on the official Krafton India Esports YouTube channel. The broadcast will be available in both Hindi and English.
Following some nail-biters, the CS2 IEM Cologne 2026 Stage 2 has finally concluded, and we now have our full list of teams heading to Stage 3 of the prestigious event.
The Pick’Ems for IEM Cologne 2026 Stage 3 are already open, and with the teams heading to the final Stage of the tournament getting decided, fans are racing against the clock to lock in their picks before it’s too late to do so.
While IEM Cologne 2026 had a rough start, with many shattered Pick’Ems due to early upsets, Stage 2 was a whole lot better. If you followed our Stage 2 Pick’Em guide, you should have secured at least the five correct picks needed to upgrade your coin.
Now, it’s time for Stage 3. Like Stage 2, the matches should, in theory, be somewhat more predictable than those in Stage 1. That said, given the inherently volatile nature of BO1s, upsets can still happen at any moment.
CS2 Cologne 2026 Major Stage 3 Pick’Ems
The Stage 3 matches at IEM Cologne 2026 are all set to kick off on June 11 at 9 AM UTC, giving fans well over a day to lock in their picks before the stage closes.
As with the previous two stages, the matches in this stage will be BO1s, with the exception of elimination and qualification matches, which will be played as BO3s.
Without further ado, let’s go through our detailed pick’em guide for IEM Cologne 2026 Major Stage 3.
Best Stage 3 Picks for Cologne Major 2026
Below, we have listed our picks for the Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3 Pick’Ems.
3-0 Picks: Vitality, Spirit
0-3 Picks: Monte, B8
Qualifying Picks: NAVI, Falcons, FUT, MongolZ, MOUZ, FURIA
Vitality, Spirit, and NAVI are the strongest contenders for the 3-0 spot. We have picked Spirit as our flawless victory due to Donk’s recent performance, but don’t be surprised if NAVI snatches that spot and pushes Spirit to one of the qualifying picks.
The qualifying picks for Stage 3 are probably the safest in the entire event so far, with the current VRS standings of the teams being clear indicators of what to expect.
On the other hand, both Monte and B8 barely made it out of Stage 2 with a 3-2 record, so they’re our choice for the 0-3 spot.
Following the conclusion of the final day of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2, we have the teams that will be making it to Stage 3. The final day saw 6 teams go head-to-head for the 3 remaining spots, leading to the most exciting conclusion ahead of the Major.
Monte makes quick work of paiN
PaiN started 3-0, putting them on the right track, only for Monte to make a comeback and take the lead before the end of the second half with an 8-4 scoreline. After winning the pistol round, Monte quickly reached double digits. PaiN managed to secure just one more round, which went in vain as the map closed out in a 13-5 scoreline.
Starting 3-0 for the second time in the series, paiN secured a better half than the previous map with 7 rounds as Monte trailed by 2 with 5 rounds to their name. Converting the force buy, Monte got back on the board, which they built on to secure a close win with a 13-11 scoreline to book their spot in the next round of play.
Legacy ends TYLOO’s dream
Starting the map with a 3-0 scoreline, Legacy hit the scoreboard with the first gun round, leading to an 8-round lead by the end of the first half, leading to a dominant start for the Brazilian side. TYLOO, winning the pistol round again, closed the scoreline to some extent before Legacy hit the scoreboard and remained flawless till the end of the half with a 5-0 streak to close the game and take the lead in the series.
A 5-0 start for Legacy put TYLOO on the back foot before the Chinese side put two rounds on their board. With 10 rounds to their name, Legacy started on offence. Despite losing the pistol round, they quickly secured 3 rounds in a row to close out the game with a 13-4 domination, sending TYLOO home after a valiant fight.
B8 outlasts BIG
Starting with a 4-0 scoreline, BIG managed to hit the scoreboard as both teams started trading rounds before closing the half with an 8-4 scoreline in favour of the German side. With B8 starting with a pistol round win, BIG recovered in the gun round on their offence, which saw them close out the game with a 13-7 scoreline.
The next 2 maps changed the game. B8 reverse-swept the comeback king on Overpass and Dust2, making their way to Stage 3 of the Cologne Major.
The ever-expanding hero roster of League of Legends continues to grow with the addition of Locke, the game’s newest arrival.
Riot Games officially unveiled Locke on June 9th, revealing his full list of abilities to the public, and it’s already turning heads within the community.
While the Mid-lane AP Assassin champion being added to the LoL roster had already previously been leaked, this is the first time we’ve had the chance to take a look at his detailed kit.
Locke is the new Mid-lane AP Assassin champion coming on June 24 ‼️
His release skin will be High Noon, and Akshan will also be getting a skin from this theme. pic.twitter.com/fLdkGGwAnk
— League of Legends Leaks & News (@LeagueOfLeaks) May 27, 2026
In this article, we’ll check out everything you need to know about Locke in LoL, and explain all the abilities that the Ashen Exorcist will bring to the table.
LoL Locke Abilities Explained
As per the lore, Corvin Locke throws nails, performs dark rituals, and comes from a long line of Demacian occultists.
“Born into lies and hypocrisy, he learned young that demons aren’t the cause of humanity’s darkness, but the consequence. Now, Locke tears through every soul, exposing its darkness, intent on making the world a more honest place… one exorcism at a time.”
Here’s a list of all the abilities of Locke in LoL, as confirmed by Riot Games:
Passive – Silver Stake
Locke pins enemies’ souls with his attacks, dealing bonus magic damage On-Hit, increased based on the enemy’s missing Health.
Q – Ritual Nails
Locke readies a set of Soul Nails to throw forward, dealing magic damage and marking enemies hit. The nails apply a slow based on stacks. Attacking the enemy consumes the Soul Nails, dealing magic damage per stack. Restores a portion of cooldown and mana for unspent Nails.
W – Soul Ignition
Locke releases his own seals, gaining Move Speed decaying over time. While this effect is active, he suffers % health true damage per second but heals back a portion of damage taken plus an additional amount based on missing health and time passed. The seals remain unbound for a few seconds and can be Recast to end early.
E – Ashen Pursuit
Locke blinks to a location, dealing magic damage around him. Afterward, his next attack dashes to his target, dealing magic damage to all enemies in his path. Each of these hits consumes Soul Nails. Cooldown resets on takedown.
R – Purgatory
Locke kicks a binding artifact to a location that opens on arrival, shooting chained Soul Nails at enemies in the area, dealing magic damage and slowing. Marked Champions that are brought below a threshold are pulled inside and killed. If a Champion is executed, the duration of the binding is reset on other affected Champions. After a few seconds, the artifact seals itself and is left on the ground if a Champion was sealed. If Locke picks up the artifact, he permanently increases the execution threshold and refunds a portion of his current cooldown for each Champion sealed.
LoL Locke Release Date
As confirmed by the devs, Locke will be available to play in the LoL PBE servers starting today.
For everyone else, mark your calendars: Locke will officially hit the live servers on June 24, 2026, alongside the release of patch 26.13.
Earlier today, Riot Games officially unveiled Locke, the newest character to be added to the ever-expanding roster of Champions in League of Legends.
The nail-slinging exorcist will join the LoL roster as the game’s newest Mid-lane AP Assassin champion.
While some previous leaks had already suggested the arrival of Locke to LoL in the near future, the full list of his abilities remained shrouded in mystery up until today.
In this article, we’ll go through everything you need to know about Locke in LoL, including his abilities, release date, and more.
LoL Locke Release Date
Locke will officially release on the live LoL servers on June 24, 2026, alongside the Patch 26.13 update.
Fans who are interested in checking out the new LoL champ early will be able to do so by tuning into the PBE servers starting June 9, 2026.
Note that Locke’s abilities might see minor tweaks by the time he is released on the live servers.
LoL Locke Abilities
Below, we have listed all the abilities of Locke in LoL, as confirmed by Riot:
Passive – Silver Stake
Locke pins enemies’ souls with his attacks, dealing bonus magic damage On-Hit, increased based on the enemy’s missing Health.
Q – Ritual Nails
Locke readies a set of Soul Nails to throw forward, dealing magic damage and marking enemies hit. The nails apply a slow based on stacks. Attacking the enemy consumes the Soul Nails, dealing magic damage per stack. Restores a portion of cooldown and mana for unspent Nails.
W – Soul Ignition
Locke releases his own seals, gaining Move Speed decaying over time. While this effect is active, he suffers % health true damage per second but heals back a portion of damage taken plus an additional amount based on missing health and time passed. The seals remain unbound for a few seconds and can be Recast to end early.
E – Ashen Pursuit
Locke blinks to a location, dealing magic damage around him. Afterward, his next attack dashes to his target, dealing magic damage to all enemies in his path. Each of these hits consumes Soul Nails. Cooldown resets on takedown.
R – Purgatory
Locke kicks a binding artifact to a location that opens on arrival, shooting chained Soul Nails at enemies in the area, dealing magic damage and slowing. Marked Champions that are brought below a threshold are pulled inside and killed. If a Champion is executed, the duration of the binding is reset on other affected Champions. After a few seconds, the artifact seals itself and is left on the ground if a Champion was sealed. If Locke picks up the artifact, he permanently increases the execution threshold and refunds a portion of his current cooldown for each Champion sealed.
We have a separate article explaining all the abilities with videos. Click here to check it.
LoL Locke Lore
According to Locke’s lore, he comes from a line of Demacian occultists and is well-versed in forbidden rituals. His full name is Corvin Locke.
“Born into lies and hypocrisy, he learned young that demons aren’t the cause of humanity’s darkness, but the consequence. Now, Locke tears through every soul, exposing its darkness, intent on making the world a more honest place… one exorcism at a time.”
Riot Games has officially revealed the patch notes for the Valorant 12.11 update, shedding light on the full list of changes coming to the shooter with the upcoming patch.
Valorant 12.11 is the last update that the title will receive before the big 13.0 patch. As a result, it doesn’t include any drastic changes that could impact the competitive meta ahead of Masters London.
In fact, the highlight of the latest Valorant update is something that’s outside the game client: My VALORANT Cards. This newly added feature enables players to express their skill, personality, and connect with other players using personalized cards.
These cards can be crafted by any player with over 5 games through the official Riot Games website and can be shared with other gamers globally.
Other than this, the Valorant 12.11 patch also brings a series of bug fixes and improvements that have been outlined in the official patch notes
Valorant 12.11 Patch Notes: All Changes
Below, we have listed the detailed patch notes for the Valorant 12.11 update, as confirmed by Riot:
ALL PLATFORMS
GENERAL UPDATES
My VALORANT Card is now live!
Flex your skill, highlight your personality, and connect with other players using a personalized VALORANT card. You can use My VALORANT Card to find the perfect new addition to your squad based on what matters most to you—rank, roles to fill, or purely vibes.
Check out mycard.playvalorant.com to create your card, share on socials, and find new friends to add to your stack.
BUG FIXES
Agents
Fixed a bug where Agents would frequently repeat the spike pick up line when dropped on the zipline in Fracture.
Fixed a bug where if in left-handed mode Skye, Neon, and Fade’s HUD VFX would sometimes appear shifted into the middle of the screen.
Fixed a bug where Miks was getting assists for healing uninjured allies with M-Pulse.
Fixed a bug where Viper’s Pit was getting stuck unable to expand in a few specific spots.
Fixed a bug where Sage’s Healing Orb was not usable during the buy phase.
Fixed a bug where Miks’ M-Pulse could not be toggled after quickly swapping between abilities.
Fixed a bug where Clove’s Not Dead Yet first person and third person SFX were not playing when the ability was available and when the ability timed out.
Fixed an issue where Raze’s Blast Pack wasn’t dealing damage to destructible enemy abilities.
Fixed an issue where Gekko’s reclaimable ability globules would disappear after using Thrash.
Maps
Fixed a bug on Breeze that allowed multiple Agent abilities to lock onto enemies who were out of sight behind the large boxes on A Main.
Store
Fixed an overlap issue on buy button prompts in Arabic while previewing bundles.
KNOWN ISSUES
Agents
We’re aware of the issue with Waylay where she can place her Refract on a roof on Ascent.
Maps
We’re aware of the issue on Lotus where the doors sometimes don’t open.
PC ONLY
PREMIER UPDATES
V26A3 Contender and Invite Division schedule changes:
Playoffs now take place across multiple days.
The first round of playoffs will be on June 20
Teams that advance from the first round return on June 21 for their next matchup
Make sure to check the schedule in client for round start times for your zone!
BUG FIXES
Premier
Fixed a bug where Premier team tags would not show up in the Buy menu during pre-round phase.
Added clearer error messaging during the ‘Create Team’ flow when a name and tag is already taken.
CONSOLE ONLY
WEAPON UPDATES
Judge
Minimum spread increased from 2.25 >>> 2.5
This change was made in Patch 12.09 for PC and is now being implemented for Console as we previously mentioned in the Patch 12.09 Patch Notes.
BUG FIXES
Fixed an issue where you couldn’t see the Cypher camera model when placing the ability.
