BGMI APK download is one of the easiest ways for Android users to install Battlegrounds Mobile India outside the Google Play Store. It can also be useful for players who are unable to download or update the game directly through the Play Store.
BGMI is currently running its 4.6 Update, which was released on September 16, 2026. The update introduced Midnight Hunters along with several new gameplay features and events. Android players looking for the latest version should always use BGMI’s official website or Google Play Store and avoid unknown third-party APK websites.
Here is a simple guide to downloading and installing the latest BGMI APK on Android.
How to Download BGMI APK on Android
Players can follow these steps for the latest BGMI APK download:
Tap on the download button and wait for the BGMI APK file to download.
Open the downloaded APK file.
If Android asks for permission, enable Install Unknown Apps for the browser or file manager you are using.
Install BGMI and launch the game.
Download any additional resource packs required inside the game.
Log in to your account and start playing.
The exact size of the initial APK and additional resources can change between updates, so players should keep enough free storage space before starting the installation.
BGMI APK Download Latest Version
Players should make sure they are downloading the latest BGMI APK. Using an older APK after a major update may result in version errors or prevent players from entering matches until the game is updated.
The safest options are BGMI’s official website and the Google Play Store. Avoid downloading modified APKs, unofficial installers, or files claiming to provide free UC, skins, hacks, or other advantages.
No. APK files are made for Android devices and cannot be installed on an iPhone or iPad.
iOS users should download or update BGMI through Apple’s App Store instead.
Is BGMI APK Download Safe?
Downloading BGMI through an official KRAFTON source is the safer option. Players should be careful with third-party websites because unofficial APK files can be modified or contain unwanted software.
If BGMI is already installed on your phone, checking the Google Play Store for an update is generally the simplest method.
With BGMI continuing to receive new updates and events, players should also keep the game updated to the latest available version to access new content and avoid compatibility problems.
KRAFTON India has released a new set of BGMI redeem codes on September 23, 2026. This drop gives players the Golden Miramar Pan, a gold-finished skin for the in-game frying pan. KRAFTON has confirmed that this is the final drop in the current redeem code series.
There are 51 codes in total. They are valid until September 25 and can only be used on BGMI’s official redeem website.
What is the Golden Miramar Pan?
The Golden Miramar Pan is a cosmetic skin for BGMI’s frying pan. It has a gold-tone finish, an engraved rim and a polished handle.
The skin changes how the pan looks. Like other weapon skins in the game, it does not change stats or damage.
BGMI redeem codes for September 23
Each code can be used by only 10 players, on a first-come, first-served basis. Popular codes run out quickly, so if one fails, move to the next code on the list.
Enter your Character ID. You can find it on your in-game profile page.
Enter one redeem code from the list above.
Complete the Captcha and click Redeem.
Open the in-game mail to collect your reward.
A confirmation message appears when a code works. If the code has already reached its limit, the site shows an expiry notice instead.
BGMI redeem code rules
KRAFTON India has listed these rules for the September 23 codes:
Each code works for a maximum of 10 players.
Each player can redeem one code per day.
A code can only be used once per account.
Expired codes cannot be used.
Guest accounts cannot redeem codes.
Rewards must be claimed from in-game mail within 30 days. After that, the mail expires.
Because of the one code per day limit, you only need one working code. Trying more codes after a successful redemption will not add extra rewards.
Why a redeem code is not working
A code usually fails for one of four reasons. The first is that 10 players have already used it. The second is that you have already redeemed a code today. The third is a typing error, since the codes mix letters and numbers that look alike. The fourth is logging in with a guest account.
Copying and pasting the code avoids most typing errors.
What else is new in BGMI
The BGMI 4.6 update is now live. It adds the Midnight Hunters theme mode, and actor Kiaraa is set to appear in an upcoming in-game activity. The Ocean Odyssey mode has also returned with its underwater theme.
Valve’s September 22 Counter-Strike 2 update is considerably larger than its headline features suggest. Silent reloads and the new Rush mode may have attracted most of the early attention, but the patch also changes Premier map selection, sniper audio, crosshairs, Clan Tags, several maps and even how chickens interact with the Zeus x27.
There is also something Valve did not mention in its published patch notes: chicken eggs. Players began discovering mysterious eggs after updating CS2, prompting a wave of screenshots and questions about what appears to be a new chicken-related collection system.
One of the strangest discoveries following the update does not appear anywhere in Valve’s official changelog.
Players have started receiving Chicken Eggs in CS2. Screenshots shared by the community show the eggs appearing as in-game items, with players reporting that the hatching process begins after the egg is redeemed.
A Reddit discussion about the newly discovered Chicken Eggs quickly attracted attention after players began trying to understand what the items actually do. Community reports indicate that the egg itself cannot be traded or sold on the Steam Community Market.
Players have also discovered what appears to be a picture-book or collection interface associated with the new pets. Eggs have appeared in different colours, further fuelling speculation that the resulting chickens could have different appearances or rarities.
For now, however, those possibilities remain speculation. Valve did not explain Chicken Eggs in its published September 22 patch notes, so details about possible chicken variants, rarity systems and future trading should not be treated as confirmed until Valve provides more information or players complete the hatching process. What Valve did explicitly mention about chickens is another wonderfully Counter-Strike-specific change: chickens can now take damage from the Zeus x27.
CS2 September 22 update: Full patch notes
Valve published the complete changelog alongside the update. The patch covers Premier, Rush, gameplay, settings, the Source 2 engine, maps, audio, social features, Workshop tools and miscellaneous fixes.
Updated the map selection process to give players more opportunities to play maps they’ve been learning.
Team 1 picks one map.
Team 2 picks two maps.
Team 1 picks a final map.
One of the four maps is randomly selected and the match begins.
This replaces Premier’s familiar elimination-style map veto with a system built around positive selections. Both teams contribute maps they want to play, after which CS2 randomly chooses one of the four.
Rush
Added Rush, a fast-paced queued 3v3 game mode.
Players fight through a series of battle arenas to reach the opposing team’s castle and win the match.
Battle arenas are randomly selected for each match.
Teams control the tower after eliminating the enemy team, or when time expires, to win the round.
Rush is the update’s biggest piece of completely new playable content. Instead of traditional Counter-Strike rounds on a full-sized competitive map, two three-player teams advance through smaller combat arenas toward the opposing castle.
Gameplay
Players can reload silently, but more slowly, by pressing and holding the reload key.
Unscoping a sniper weapon no longer produces a sound.
Valve increased the visual clarity and fidelity of bullet-impact decals.
The ammo_grenade_limit_total setting now also enforces how many grenades a player can purchase during a round.
Chickens can now take damage from the Zeus x27.
Silent reloading is arguably the most consequential competitive change here. Players can conceal the familiar reload audio cue, but Valve balances the advantage by making the process slower. Sniper players also gain an information advantage because opponents can no longer hear them unscope.
Crosshair and Settings changes
Crosshairs are now resolution independent.
Added a dedicated Crosshair/Scopes tab to the Settings menu.
Added new crosshair styles.
Updated the default crosshair to Dynamic Quad, designed to represent weapon accuracy more clearly.
The crosshair overhaul should make configurations behave more consistently across resolutions. The new Dynamic Quad default also attempts to communicate weapon accuracy directly through the crosshair rather than functioning as a largely static visual reference.
Source 2 Engine
Updated engine code to the latest version of Source 2.
Valve did not provide a more detailed public breakdown of the underlying Source 2 changes in the patch notes.
Map changes
Valve made targeted fixes to Ancient, Cache, Mirage and Train rather than introducing broad competitive-layout changes.
Ancient: Fixed holes in the world in Long A Main Hall.
Ancient: Adjusted door geometry and grenade clipping inside Jaguar.
Cache: Fixed several gaps and adjusted clipping around the blue doors in Mid.
Mirage: Reinforced the scaffolding by Balcony on A site.
Train: Blocked a pixel gap in the crates on Bombsite A.
The Mirage scaffolding change is particularly noticeable because the long-standing Balcony geometry has been altered, while Train’s adjustment removes another pixel-gap sightline.
Clan Tags and social changes
Clan Tags have returned to Counter-Strike 2. Players who belong to Steam Community Groups can select an associated tag through their player profile and display it alongside their in-game identity.
The feature was familiar to CS:GO players but had been absent following Counter-Strike 2’s transition from the older game.
Workshop and SDK changes
The update also expands the tools available to community creators. Valve has added new functionality for map makers and Workshop developers, including location-specific minimaps and skyboxes, constrained death cameras and camera-shake volumes.
These additions will matter more to creators than everyday matchmaking players, but they broaden what community maps and custom experiences can do inside CS2.
Other CS2 changes in the Rush Hour update
The September 22 update contains several smaller changes alongside its major gameplay additions. Halftime scoreboard statistics have been corrected so they fully account for the preceding round, while music volume can now be configured separately across different game modes.
Valve has also released Starjunk 95’s Industrial Sunset Memories Music Kit in standard and StatTrak versions. C4 can now receive stickers as well, adding another customisation option to the game’s cosmetic ecosystem. The complete package makes Rush Hour one of CS2’s more substantial updates of 2026. Premier has a new map-selection philosophy, players can deliberately conceal reloads, sniper unscoping no longer gives away audio information, Rush adds another official way to play, and several long-requested quality-of-life features have returned.
Yet the community may end up spending just as much time talking about the feature Valve didn’t put in the changelog. Counter-Strike now has mysterious eggs, they appear to hatch, and players are already wondering exactly what kind of chickens are going to come out of them.
Counter-Strike has spent more than two decades teaching players to listen for one particular sound before making an aggressive move: the enemy reloading. Valve has now changed that equation.
A major Counter-Strike 2 update released on September 22 introduces silent reloads, allowing players to sacrifice reload speed in exchange for concealing one of the game’s most recognisable audio cues. The change arrives as part of Valve’s new “Rush Hour” update, which also introduces a 3v3 Rush mode, completely reworks Premier map selection, makes unscoping silent and brings back Clan Tags.
Unlike many of CS2’s recent updates, these are not simply bug fixes or cosmetic additions. Several of the changes directly alter decisions players make during rounds, particularly when information is being gathered through sound.
CS2 players can now reload silently
The biggest gameplay change is deceptively simple. Instead of tapping the reload key normally, players can now press and hold it to perform a silent reload. There is an important trade-off, silent reloads take considerably longer than conventional reloads. Players therefore have to choose between restoring ammunition quickly while potentially revealing what they are doing or accepting a slower reload to deny the opponent that audio information.
That distinction could become particularly important in clutch situations. Reload sounds have traditionally given opponents valuable information about when a player may be vulnerable, sometimes creating the brief window needed to swing an angle or close distance. A player can now deliberately remove that cue if there is enough time to accept the slower animation.
Valve described the mechanic in the official Rush Hour announcement as another way of adding stealth to players’ in-game decisions, with the additional reload time acting as the cost for staying quiet.
Whether silent reloading develops into a meaningful part of the competitive meta will depend on how players use that trade-off in actual matches, but it immediately introduces another layer of decision-making to situations where sound can be as valuable as vision.
AWP players can now unscope without making a sound
Valve has made another significant audio change for scoped weapons. Unscoping a sniper rifle no longer produces a sound that nearby opponents can hear.
That means an AWPer can disengage from an angle without giving away the same audible information as before. In situations where opponents are attempting to determine whether a sniper is still holding an angle, the absence of that sound could make the player’s next movement more difficult to read.
Together with silent reloading, the change makes audio information slightly less absolute than it previously was. Players still have to manage movement, weapons and positioning carefully, but two familiar sounds can now be deliberately removed from the information available to an opponent.
Premier’s map veto has been completely reworked
The other major competitive change affects CS2 Premier before a round has even begun.
Premier teams will no longer repeatedly ban maps until only one remains. Valve has replaced that system with a selection process in which both teams identify maps they want to play before the game randomly chooses one of the resulting four.
Under the new system, Team 1 picks one map, Team 2 selects two maps and Team 1 then chooses one final map. CS2 randomly selects the match map from those four choices.
Valve says the goal is to give players more opportunities to actually play maps they have spent time learning. Under the previous veto structure, less popular maps could repeatedly disappear during the banning process even when individual players had specifically practised them.
The introduction of randomness represents a substantial philosophical change to Premier matchmaking. Players still influence the pool through their selections, but neither team can guarantee the final map simply by manipulating a conventional veto down to one remaining option.
Premier remains one of Valve’s central competitive systems in CS2. TalkEsport has been following its evolution throughout 2026, including Valve’s seasonal Premier structure and map-pool changes that have continued to reshape the matchmaking environment.
Valve introduces Rush, a new 3v3 CS2 mode
The update takes its name from Rush, a completely new queued 3v3 mode built around a series of smaller battle arenas.
Teams progress through randomly selected arenas with the objective of eventually reaching the opposing team’s castle. Winning an arena requires controlling its tower after eliminating the opposing team or surviving until time expires.
The arenas are randomly selected for each match, meaning the sequence can change between games. Valve has also introduced a Rush friends leaderboard that tracks wins, adding a competitive element to a mode designed to move considerably faster than a conventional Counter-Strike match.
Rush also operates with limited budgets and shorter engagements, creating a format distinct from both traditional 5v5 Counter-Strike and Wingman. Rather than fighting repeated rounds across one full-sized bomb-defusal map, players effectively work their way through a changing gauntlet of compact combat spaces.
Clan Tags are finally back in Counter-Strike 2
The Rush Hour update also restores a feature that longtime Counter-Strike players have been requesting since CS2 replaced CS:GO: Clan Tags.
Players who belong to Steam Community Groups can once again select a Clan Tag from their player profile, with the tag appearing alongside their name in-game.
Crosshairs have received a substantial overhaul as well. Valve has made them resolution independent, introduced a dedicated Crosshair/Scopes settings tab, added new crosshair styles and replaced the default design with a “Dynamic Quad” crosshair intended to provide a clearer representation of weapon accuracy.
Blood and bullet impact decals have also been adjusted for greater visual clarity, while Valve has added the ability to apply stickers to the C4.
CS2 Rush Hour update: Other important changes
Beyond the headline additions, the September 22 patch contains a sizeable collection of smaller gameplay and technical changes. The total-grenade setting now also limits how many grenades a player can purchase during a round, halftime scoreboard statistics have been corrected to fully reflect the previous round, and players can adjust music volume separately for different game modes.
Valve has also added several new Workshop and scripting tools for map creators, including support for location-specific minimaps and skyboxes, constrained death cameras and camera-shake volumes.
A new Starjunk 95 music kit titled Industrial Sunset Memories has joined the store in standard and StatTrak versions.
Silent reloads could be the change players feel most
Rush may be the feature Valve named the update after, and the Premier overhaul will affect anyone regularly grinding CS Rating, but silent reloading is arguably the most fundamental change introduced on September 22.
Counter-Strike has always been a game in which sound functions as information. Footsteps, grenades, scopes, weapon fire and reloads allow experienced players to construct a picture of what an opponent is doing without actually seeing them.
Valve has not removed that principle. Instead, it has given players a new way to manipulate it. A normal reload remains faster and audible; a silent reload conceals the information but leaves the player vulnerable for longer.
That creates exactly the kind of decision Counter-Strike tends to build its deepest mechanics around: speed, information and risk. After more than two decades of players instinctively reacting to the sound of an opponent reloading, they can no longer be certain that silence means the magazine is full.
BMSD 2026 Day 2 takes place today, September 23, with Group C and Group A in action. Group C plays its first three matches of the Qualifiers, and Group A then finishes its final three games of Week 1.
Day 2 matters most for Group A. After three more matches, the bottom eight teams in the group drop to Group B. Several big names, including GodLike Esports, Orangutan and Apex Gaming, start the day inside that bottom eight.
Here is everything you need to know about BMSD 2026 Day 2: match timings, maps, teams, the current points table, and where to watch.
BMSD 2026 Day 2 schedule and timings
Day 2 of the BGMI Showdown 2026 Qualifiers is on September 23, 2026. The first match starts at 2:00 PM IST. Six matches are scheduled for the day.
Match
Group
Time
Match 1
Group C
2:00 PM IST
Match 2
Group C
2:40 PM IST
Match 3
Group C
3:20 PM IST
Match 4
Group A
4:00 PM IST
Match 5
Group A
4:40 PM IST
Match 6
Group A
5:20 PM IST
Timings after Match 1 follow the 40 minute gaps used on Day 1. Small delays between games are common, so later matches may start a few minutes behind schedule.
BMSD 2026 Day 2 maps
The BMSD 2026 map pool includes Erangel, Miramar and Rondo. Each Qualifiers day uses one Rondo, three Erangel and two Miramar matches.
On Day 1, the order was Rondo, then three Erangel games, then two Miramar games. The exact map for each Day 2 match had not been confirmed at the time of writing.
BMSD 2026 Day 2 teams
32 of the 48 invited teams play on Day 2. Group B does not play today.
Group C teams
Group C makes its BMSD 2026 debut today. Its 16 starting teams are:
GENxFM
K9 Esports
4Ends Esports
LEFP
Raspator Esports
Iris Esports
Team H4K
Santa Esports
The Knight Mobs
Naqsh Esports
Quantum Sparks
Vijay Esports
HyperCatz
Carpe Diem
Godsent Forever
SBS Esports
Every Group C team starts on zero points. The top eight after Week 1 move up to Group B.
Group A teams
Group A plays Matches 4, 5 and 6. Its teams are GodLike Esports, Team Outrage, Elite Nova, Gladiators Esports, Apex Gaming, Orangutan, Team Tamilas, Vasista Esports, Reckoning Esports, Nebula Esports, 8Bit, Genesis Esports, Team Soul, 7Gods Esports, Revenant XSpark and Myth Official.
BMSD 2026 points table after Day 1
Vasista Esports and Welt Esports lead their groups after Day 1. Both teams have 37 points and one Chicken Dinner. The full results are in our BMSD 2026 Day 1 points table and standings.
Group A standings after Day 1
Rank
Team
Points
WWCD
1
Vasista Esports
37
1
2
Reckoning Esports
31
1
3
Team Outrage
29
0
4
7Gods Esports
26
1
5
Team Soul
25
0
6
Revenant XSpark
23
0
7
8Bit
22
0
8
Nebula Esports
21
0
9
Orangutan
20
0
10
Gladiators Esports
18
0
11
Apex Gaming
15
0
12
GodLike Esports
14
0
13
Myth Official
13
0
14
Team Tamilas
10
0
15
Elite Nova
9
0
16
Genesis Esports
7
0
Vasista Esports, Reckoning Esports and 7Gods Esports each won one match on Day 1. Team Soul scored 17 of its 25 points from eliminations.
The gap between eighth and ninth place is one point. Nebula Esports holds the last safe spot with 21 points. Defending BMSD champion Orangutan sits just below with 20.
Group B top three after Day 1
Welt Esports leads Group B with 37 points. BLEG is second with 33, and MadKings is third with 32. Group B returns on Day 3 for its last three Week 1 matches.
What is at stake for Group A on Day 2?
Day 2 is the final Week 1 matchday for Group A. Once Match 6 ends, the Week 1 table for the group is locked.
The top eight teams stay in Group A for Week 2. The bottom eight drop to Group B and are replaced by Group B’s top eight.
Based on Day 1, these teams are currently in the relegation zone:
Orangutan (20 points)
Gladiators Esports (18 points)
Apex Gaming (15 points)
GodLike Esports (14 points)
Myth Official (13 points)
Team Tamilas (10 points)
Elite Nova (9 points)
Genesis Esports (7 points)
A single Chicken Dinner is worth at least 10 placement points plus eliminations. That is enough to move most of these teams into the top eight, so the table can change quickly over three matches.
Group C teams play three of their six Week 1 matches today. The remaining three are on Day 3, after Group B finishes its week.
The top eight in Group C after Week 1 move up to Group B. The bottom eight stay in Group C. No team is eliminated after Week 1. Elimination only applies to the bottom eight of Group C at the end of Week 3.
BMSD 2026 points system
Teams earn placement points in each match, plus one point for every elimination.
Placement
Points
1st
10
2nd
6
3rd
5
4th
4
5th
3
6th
2
7th to 8th
1
Each elimination
1
BMSD 2026 Week 1 schedule
The Qualifiers use a rotating schedule so that every group plays six matches each week.
Day
Date
Groups in action
Day 1
September 22
Group A, then Group B
Day 2
September 23
Group C, then Group A
Day 3
September 24
Group B, then Group C
Promotion and relegation take place after Day 3. Week 2 then begins with the new group lineups.
The event is offline at the Savaaya Convention in Hyderabad.
BMSD 2026 format recap
BMSD 2026 has 48 invited teams and a ₹1 crore prize pool. The champion earns a direct slot at PMGC 2026. The Qualifiers run from September 22 to September 30, and the full event ends with the Grand Finals from October 16 to 18.
After Week 3, the top four teams in Group A go straight to the Grand Finals. Group A’s fifth to 12th place teams and Group B’s top four reach the Semi Finals. Other teams move to the Upper or Lower Bracket Survival stages, and Group C’s bottom eight are eliminated. Our BMSD 2026 schedule, prize pool and format guide lists every stage date.
How Does Promotion and Relegation Work in BMSD 2026?
The promotion and relegation system is one of the most important parts of the BMSD 2026 Qualifiers.
After each of the first two weeks, the top eight teams from Group B will be promoted to Group A, while the bottom eight teams from Group A will drop to Group B.
Similarly, the top eight teams from Group C will move to Group B, while the bottom eight teams from Group B will fall to Group C. Teams already finishing in the top eight of Group A remain there, while the bottom eight of Group C stay in Group C for the following week.
This means a team can theoretically begin the Qualifiers in Group C, move to Group B after Week 1, reach Group A after Week 2, and then fight for a direct Grand Finals spot in Week 3.
The opposite is also possible. A team starting in Group A could suffer two poor weeks and eventually fall all the way to Group C.
BMSD 2026 Day 2 FAQs
Which groups play on BMSD 2026 Day 2?
Group C and Group A. Group C plays the first three matches, and Group A plays the last three.
What time does BMSD 2026 Day 2 start?
The first match starts at 2:00 PM IST on September 23, 2026.
Who leads the BMSD 2026 points table before Day 2?
Vasista Esports leads Group A with 37 points. Welt Esports leads Group B with the same total.
Where is GodLike Esports in the BMSD 2026 standings?
GodLike Esports is 12th in Group A with 14 points. The team needs to reach the top eight by the end of Day 2 to avoid dropping to Group B.
Can teams be eliminated on Day 2?
No. Week 1 only decides promotion and relegation. Eliminations happen after Week 3.
Mojang released Minecraft Bedrock 26.60.28 Beta and Preview on September 22, 2026. It is the fourth test build for version 26.60. The update fixes two game crashes, changes how players get off a Strider, and adds an experimental block component that lets creators store entities inside custom blocks.
This guide explains how to download Minecraft Bedrock 26.60.28 beta and preview on every supported platform. A summary of the patch notes follows the download steps.
What is Minecraft Bedrock 26.60.28 beta and preview?
Beta and Preview builds are test versions of Bedrock Edition. They let players try upcoming changes before those changes reach the main game. Mojang states that these builds are unfinished and can be unstable.
On Windows, Xbox, PlayStation and iOS, Minecraft Preview is a separate app. It installs next to your regular game, so your main worlds stay untouched. Android works differently. The Android beta replaces your regular Minecraft app for as long as you stay enrolled.
Nintendo Switch is not part of the public Preview program.
Mojang has also said the Android beta may arrive later than other platforms this week. If you do not see the update on Google Play yet, check again in a day or two.
How to download Minecraft Preview 26.60.28 on Windows
Open the Minecraft Launcher.
Select Minecraft for Windows from the left menu.
Open the version dropdown next to the Play button and pick Minecraft Preview.
Click Install. Once the download finishes, click Play.
If Preview is already installed, the launcher updates it when you open it. You can also open the Microsoft Store, go to Library, and select Get updates.
How to download Minecraft Preview 26.60.28 on Xbox
Open the Xbox Insider Hub app. Download it from the Microsoft Store if you do not have it.
Go to Previews, select Minecraft Preview, and choose Join.
Open My Games and Apps, then Full library, then Owned games.
Find Minecraft Preview and install it.
Already have it? Go to Manage, then Updates, to pull the 26.60.28 patch.
How to download Minecraft Preview 26.60.28 on PlayStation
Launch your regular copy of Minecraft.
Open Settings from the title screen.
Scroll down the left menu to Preview and select Get PlayStation Preview.
The store page opens. Download Minecraft Preview from there.
To update an existing install, highlight the Minecraft Preview tile, press the Options button, and choose Check for Update.
How to download Minecraft Beta 26.60.28 on Android and ChromeOS
Open the Minecraft page on Google Play.
Scroll to the section about joining the beta and tap Join.
Wait a few minutes, then update the app from the same page.
Back up your worlds before you join. Because the beta replaces your main app, worlds you open in it may not load in the regular version later. Mojang’s official guide to joining the Minecraft beta also covers how to leave the program.
How to download Minecraft Preview 26.60.28 on iOS and iPadOS
Install Apple’s TestFlight app.
Join the Minecraft Preview test through Mojang’s TestFlight invite.
Install Minecraft Preview from TestFlight.
TestFlight has a cap on testers. When the slots are full, new players have to wait for spots to open. Updates to the Preview arrive through TestFlight.
Minecraft Bedrock 26.60.28 patch notes: main changes
The game no longer crashes when it loads damaged resource archives. A second crash, caused by drawing too many hearts on the HUD, is also fixed.
Xbox Live sign-in could previously hang with no end. It now times out and shows a network error instead. Split-screen performance on Nintendo Switch 2 has been improved in the main game code, though Switch players cannot test it through Preview.
Gameplay changes
Getting off a Strider works differently now. The passenger lands one block away, in the direction they are looking, on a block that is not lava.
The HUD also shows the right effect when two effects of the same type overlap. When a stronger, shorter effect ends, the weaker, longer one now displays correctly. Sheep no longer get stuck in their grazing animation.
Block fixes
Hoppers and other containers used to lose their items when replaced with the /fill or /setblock commands. That bug is fixed. Players who use these tools often can find more examples in our Minecraft commands guide.
Redstone now connects visually to custom blocks that produce a Redstone signal. Red and brown mushrooms also need support from the center of the block below them.
Graphics and user interface
Character Creator clothing, such as outerwear, leggings and belts, now hides under equipped armor. Texture support detection is fixed on older Windows graphics cards.
A failed server join now takes you back to the Servers tab instead of the main menu. If you keep running into version errors on servers, our guide to fixing the outdated client error in Minecraft explains why it happens.
Profile stats on the achievements page no longer load forever when opened from the pause menu. Turning off Extra Large UI now returns the game to its default GUI scale.
Realms
Players with an unused Realms subscription now get a setup flow in the Realms tab. The remaining days counter was removed from the subscription tab, since it did not always match the real renewal date. The member search bar also updates results as you type.
Experimental features for creators
The largest addition in this build is the minecraft:entity_storage block component. It sits behind the beta API and needs the Upcoming Creator Features experiment turned on.
Here is how it works:
A block can store up to four entities.
The component only appears on blocks that have a minecraft:block_entity component with entity_storage set to true.
Creators get five methods: store, transfer, release, getEntities and size.
Storage is split by content pack, but the four entity limit applies across all packs.
Block collision also changed. From format version 1.26.60, minecraft:collision_box only accepts arrays, not single box objects. With the experiment on, it also supports min and max coordinates alongside origin and size.
Other creator updates in this build:
Jigsaw structures get an optional on_placed callback that runs after placement.
Custom dimension cloud height can be set anywhere from -512 to 512.
Two tamed entity properties moved to stable in @minecraft/server v2.11.0.
Dedicated servers get new settings for ticking area limits.
Things to know before installing
Back up your worlds before trying any test build. This matters most on Android, where the beta replaces the main app.
Multiplayer works only with players on the same build. Friends on the regular version cannot join your Preview world.
If you find a bug, report it on the Mojang bug tracker. Reports from testers shape what gets fixed before the full 26.60 release.
Frequently asked questions
When was Minecraft Bedrock 26.60.28 released?
Mojang posted the 26.60.28 Beta and Preview on September 22, 2026. The Android beta may reach players later than other platforms.
Is Minecraft Preview free?
Yes. Preview is free for players who already own Minecraft Bedrock Edition on that platform.
Can I play Minecraft Preview on Nintendo Switch?
No. Switch is not included in the public Beta and Preview program.
Will Preview affect my main worlds?
On Windows, Xbox, PlayStation and iOS, Preview is a separate app, so your main worlds stay safe. On Android, the beta replaces your main app, so make a backup first.
Genshin Impact Version 7.1, “A Rekviem for the Underworld,” goes live after a scheduled server maintenance on September 23, 2026. HoYoverse’s official notice states that update maintenance begins on 2026/09/23 at 06:00 (UTC+8) and is expected to take about 5 hours.
This guide lists the Genshin Impact 7.1 maintenance start and end time for every major region, along with compensation details, pre-install size, and what unlocks once servers reopen.
When Does Genshin Impact 7.1 Maintenance Start?
The maintenance begins at the same moment worldwide. The start time is a single global instant rather than a per-server time: it equals 22:00 UTC on September 22, 2026, which shows as 06:00 on September 23 on the Asia server, 23:00 on September 22 on Europe, and 17:00 on September 22 on America.
This means players in North America and Europe see the update on the evening of September 22, even though the official release date is September 23.
If maintenance runs on schedule, servers reopen at around 03:00 UTC on September 23. A normal five hour window puts the server return at roughly 11:00 UTC+8 on September 23, provided everything stays on schedule.
The five hour figure is an estimate. HoYoverse usually announces extended maintenance through its official channels and compensates players when downtime goes past the scheduled window.
Maintenance Times by Server
Server
Maintenance Starts
Estimated End
Asia (UTC+8)
6:00 AM, September 23
11:00 AM, September 23
Europe (UTC+1)
11:00 PM, September 22
4:00 AM, September 23
America (UTC-5)
5:00 PM, September 22
10:00 PM, September 22
TW, HK, MO (UTC+8)
6:00 AM, September 23
11:00 AM, September 23
Maintenance Times by Local Time Zone
Time Zone
Maintenance Starts
Estimated End
Pacific Time (PDT)
3:00 PM, September 22
8:00 PM, September 22
Eastern Time (EDT)
6:00 PM, September 22
11:00 PM, September 22
Brasília Time (BRT)
7:00 PM, September 22
12:00 AM, September 23
United Kingdom (BST)
11:00 PM, September 22
4:00 AM, September 23
Central Europe (CEST)
12:00 AM, September 23
5:00 AM, September 23
India (IST)
3:30 AM, September 23
8:30 AM, September 23
Indonesia (WIB)
5:00 AM, September 23
10:00 AM, September 23
China, Singapore, Philippines
6:00 AM, September 23
11:00 AM, September 23
Japan and Korea (JST/KST)
7:00 AM, September 23
12:00 PM, September 23
Australia Eastern (AEST)
8:00 AM, September 23
1:00 PM, September 23
Server clocks do not follow daylight saving time. That is why the America and Europe server times can differ from your local clock.
Genshin 7.1 Maintenance Compensation
All eligible players receive 300 Primogems for the downtime. The reward is calculated at 60 Primogems per hour, and players must be Adventure Rank 5 or above at 06:00 (UTC+8) on September 23 to qualify.
A few rules apply:
The Primogems arrive through in-game mail within 5 hours after maintenance ends, and that mail expires after 30 days.
There is no redemption code for this reward. It goes straight to your mailbox.
Because the payout is based on the hourly rate, 300 is the amount for a five hour window, not a fixed cap.
HoYoverse has also sent a second payment in the past. During Version 7.0, a separate Issue Fix Compensation of 300 Primogems followed the standard reward, and it had a much shorter claim window of about three days. Check your mail early in case the same happens with 7.1.
Genshin Impact 7.1 Pre-Install Size
The 7.1 pre-install is 10 GB on PC and 4 GB on mobile, compared with 8 GB and 3 GB for Version 7.0. These sizes assume one voice-over pack. Extra language packs need more space.
How to pre-install on each platform:
Mobile: Open the Paimon Menu and go to Settings, then Resources, then Pre-Install Resource Package. Players on mobile cannot play the game while the pre-install is running.
PC: Click the Pre-Install button next to Start Game in the launcher.
PlayStation: The pre-install starts on its own when you launch the game, as long as storage is free.
Xbox Series X|S: Go to My games & apps, open Manage, then select Updates.
Version 7.1 continues the Snezhnaya storyline. The update adds two new 5-star characters: Vesna, an Anemo sword user, and Vodyanitsa, a Hydro catalyst user.
Here is what opens after maintenance:
Character banners: Phase 1 runs “When Warm Winds Cavort” for Vesna and “Surging Ballad” for Vodyanitsa. Both banners last until October 13 at 17:59 server time and share the same featured 4-stars: Diona, Faruzan, and Chongyun.
Weapon banner: It features two new 5-star weapons, the sword Beyond the Chrysalis and the catalyst Hymn of the Maelstrom.
Archon Quest: Chapter VII Acts III and IV become permanently available, but the Epilogue that follows Act IV is a time-limited quest open until November 3 at 14:59 server time.
Free 5-star character: The Tabletop Troupe event lets players pick one 5-star from Tartaglia, Nilou, Baizhu, Chiori, Clorinde, and Varesa, with a requirement of AR 18 and completion of Chapter VII Act IV.
Anniversary rewards: Genshin Impact’s sixth anniversary falls on September 28, five days after the 7.1 release. A login mail event pays 400 Primogems per day from September 28 to October 1, for 1,600 total, and a separate login event gives 10 Intertwined Fates.
Genshin Impact usually releases a new version every six weeks, so 7.1 is expected to run until early November.
FAQ
What time does Genshin Impact 7.1 maintenance end? The estimated end time is 03:00 UTC on September 23, 2026. That is 11:00 AM on the Asia server, 8:30 AM in India, and 11:00 PM Eastern on September 22.
How long is Genshin 7.1 maintenance? HoYoverse estimates the maintenance will last 5 hours.
What time is Genshin 7.1 maintenance in India? Maintenance starts at 3:30 AM IST and is expected to end at 8:30 AM IST on September 23.
How many Primogems do players get for 7.1 maintenance? Players at Adventure Rank 5 or above get 300 Primogems by in-game mail.
Who are the new characters in Genshin 7.1? Vesna (5-star Anemo sword) and Vodyanitsa (5-star Hydro catalyst) both appear in Phase 1.
KRAFTON India has released the full BMSD 2026 prize pool distribution. The BGMI Showdown has a total prize pool of ₹1 crore, and the champion will take home ₹30 lakh.
The top 16 teams share the team prize money. Five individual awards make up the rest of the pool.
BMSD 2026 started on September 22 with 48 invited teams. The LAN Grand Finals will be played from October 16 to 18 at the Savaaya Convention in Gandipet, Hyderabad.
BMSD 2026 Prize Pool at a Glance
Detail
Information
Total prize pool
₹1 crore (about $104,000)
Champion’s prize
₹30 lakh
Paid team placements
Top 16
Team prize total
₹95.25 lakh
Individual awards total
₹4.75 lakh
Teams invited
48
Grand Finals
October 16 to 18, 2026
Venue
Savaaya Convention, Gandipet, Hyderabad
BMSD 2026 Prize Pool Distribution by Placement
Here is the full placement breakdown for the BGMI Showdown 2026:
Placement
Prize Money
Share of Pool
1st
₹30,00,000
30%
2nd
₹15,00,000
15%
3rd
₹10,00,000
10%
4th
₹7,50,000
7.5%
5th
₹6,25,000
6.25%
6th
₹4,50,000
4.5%
7th
₹3,75,000
3.75%
8th
₹3,75,000
3.75%
9th
₹2,50,000
2.5%
10th
₹2,50,000
2.5%
11th
₹2,00,000
2%
12th
₹2,00,000
2%
13th
₹1,50,000
1.5%
14th
₹1,50,000
1.5%
15th
₹1,25,000
1.25%
16th
₹1,25,000
1.25%
The winner gets 30% of the full pool. The top three teams together earn ₹55 lakh, which is more than half of the total.
From 7th place down, prizes are paid in equal pairs. Teams finishing 7th and 8th get the same amount, and the same rule applies all the way to 15th and 16th.
BMSD 2026 Special Awards and Individual Prizes
Five player awards carry cash prizes at BMSD 2026:
Award
Prize Money
Tournament MVP (listed as Google Play MVP)
₹2,00,000
Finals MVP
₹1,00,000
Best IGL
₹75,000
Best Clutch (Finals)
₹50,000
Grenadier (Finals)
₹50,000
The Tournament MVP covers the whole event. The Finals MVP, Best Clutch and Grenadier awards are based on Grand Finals performances only. An “Eliminator” badge will also be given out, but it has no cash value attached.
How the ₹1 Crore Adds Up
The numbers add up exactly. Team placements account for ₹95.25 lakh, and the five individual awards add ₹4.75 lakh. Together, that makes ₹1 crore.
The top six teams, who also qualify for BMIC 2026, share ₹73.25 lakh. Teams placed 7th to 16th share the remaining ₹22 lakh.
BMSD 2026 vs BMSD 2025 Prize Pool
The total prize pool has not changed from last year. BMSD 2025 also offered ₹1 crore, and the top three payouts were identical.
In 2025, Orangutan won ₹30 lakh as champion. K9 Esports took ₹15 lakh for second place, and Team SouL earned ₹10 lakh for third. The 2025 individual awards also matched this year’s top three: ₹2 lakh for MVP, ₹1 lakh for Finals MVP and ₹75,000 for Best IGL.
The main difference is the size of the field. KRAFTON has doubled the number of invited teams from 24 to 48, but prize money still stops at 16th place. That means one in three teams will earn prize money this year, compared to two in three last year.
For context, the BMPS 2026 prize pool distribution was much larger. That event had a ₹4 crore pool, with ₹1 crore going to the champion.
BMIC and PMGC Slots at Stake
Prize money is only one part of BMSD 2026. The tournament also decides who moves forward on the road to the global stage.
The BMSD 2026 champion earns a direct spot at the PUBG Mobile Global Championship (PMGC) 2026. The top six teams qualify for the BGMI International Cup (BMIC) 2026.
BMIC 2026 runs from October 30 to November 1 at the Dome, SVP Indoor Stadium in Mumbai. It features 16 teams: six from India, five from South Korea and five from Japan. That event has its own ₹1 crore prize pool.
The top two teams at BMIC then qualify for PMGC 2026 in Türkiye, which has a $3 million prize pool. Indian teams can secure up to three PMGC spots through this pathway. You can read more on how BMIC 2026 slots transfer to PMGC.
All matches are played in Squads TPP mode. Teams earn 10 points for a Chicken Dinner, 6 for second and 5 for third. Placement points drop to 1 point for 7th and 8th, and each elimination is worth 1 point.
BMSD 2026 is invite-only. There was no open registration. KRAFTON selected the 48 teams based on the KRAFTON India Esports (KIE) Leaderboard, BGIS 2026 and BMPS 2026 results.
Orangutan enter as defending champions. GodLike Esports won BMPS 2026, and Team SouL won BGIS 2026. Nebula Esports, winners of BGMI Masters Series Season 5, are also in the field.
Other invited teams include Apex Gaming, Genesis Esports, Gladiators Esports, Reckoning Esports, Revenant XSpark and Team Tamilas.
Where to Watch BMSD 2026
BMSD 2026 streams live on the KRAFTON India Esports YouTube channel from 1:00 PM IST daily. Official updates are posted on the KRAFTON India Esports website.
Gabe Newell has accumulated plenty of unusual hobbies during his decades running Valve, but one of them apparently became difficult for his own employees to ignore.
According to Counter-Strike co-creator Minh “Gooseman” Le, Newell once spent roughly five months practising Mongolian throat singing around Valve’s offices, frequently walking through the hallways while experimenting with the unusually loud vocal technique.
The fascination lasted long enough that some Valve employees reportedly began closing their office doors to escape the sound. Le remembers the episode with considerably more amusement today, describing it as one example of Newell’s tendency to become intensely interested in subjects far removed from video games. And throat singing was hardly the strangest thing Le encountered during his time at Valve. Newell’s interests also extended to knives, bladesmithing and medieval weapons, with Le recalling a room at the company that became filled with swords and axes.
Gabe Newell’s unusual obsession lasted around five months
Le shared the story during a recent interview with Indie Game Joe about the creation of Counter-Strike, his years at Valve and what it was like working alongside one of the gaming industry’s most recognisable executives. Newell’s interest apparently began after he encountered Mongolian throat singing and decided that he wanted to learn how to perform the technique himself. He did not restrict the practice sessions to his home. Le recalled Newell walking through Valve’s offices while throat singing, something that became a regular occurrence rather than a brief experiment.
“A lot of people in the office, they were kind of annoyed with this because it’s kind of loud,” Le recalled, adding that employees would close their doors while Newell practised.
Le estimated that the phase continued for approximately five months and said Newell was practising virtually every day during that period. The recollection has since been independently picked up by GamesRadar following Le’s new interview, while Newell’s interest in throat singing has also appeared in earlier accounts of the Valve co-founder’s many hobbies.
Valve also had a room filled with medieval weapons
Throat singing was only one of the interests that apparently followed Newell into the workplace. Le recalled Newell developing a fascination with knives that gradually expanded into larger weapons. The Valve boss began acquiring medieval-style swords and axes, with some of the pieces being delivered directly to the company’s offices.
The collection eventually became substantial enough that, according to Le, Valve effectively had an entire room filled with the weapons. Newell subsequently became interested in bladesmithing itself rather than simply collecting finished pieces. Those stories fit an established pattern around Newell. Over the years, the Valve co-founder has pursued interests ranging from knives and race cars to scuba diving, marine research and brain-computer interfaces, often approaching subjects with the same intense curiosity Le remembers from his years at the company.
Minh Le remembers a very different kind of boss
Le’s recollections of Newell extend beyond his hobbies and offer an unusually personal picture of Valve during Counter-Strike’s formative years.
During one of Le’s early company lunches, Newell unexpectedly asked the young developer what he thought made a game great. Le was still in his early twenties, had only recently entered professional game development and suddenly found himself being asked a surprisingly fundamental question by the person running Valve. Looking back, Le interpreted the exchange as part of Newell’s personality rather than an attempt to put him under pressure. He remembers the Valve co-founder as intensely curious and unusually willing to skip conventional small talk in favour of discussing ideas directly.
That reputation remains relevant to Valve today. The company continues to take unconventional approaches to some of the industry’s largest problems, including Counter-Strike’s long-running battle against cheating. TalkEsport recently reported that a CS2 dataminer believes Valve is working on an unprecedented change to VAC, although Valve itself has not publicly detailed the underlying technology.
Early Valve felt like getting paid to attend university
For all the eccentricities Le remembers, his broader description of working at early Valve is overwhelmingly positive. Counter-Strike began in 1999 as a Half-Life mod developed primarily by Le and Jess Cliffe. What started as a community project rapidly became a phenomenon, eventually leading Valve to acquire Counter-Strike and bring its creators into the company.
For Le, the transition meant suddenly working alongside experienced professional developers after years of creating mods. He has compared the environment to attending university, except that he was being paid while learning from people building some of the most important PC games and technology of the era. It was also a formative period for Valve itself. Half-Life had established the studio internationally, Counter-Strike was rapidly becoming one of PC gaming’s defining multiplayer titles, and Valve would subsequently launch Steam before releasing Half-Life 2 and Counter-Strike: Source.
More than two decades later, Valve remains unusually secretive about much of its internal development. Even apparently significant projects can first emerge through datamining rather than announcements; TalkEsport reported earlier this year on references to a mysterious “SteamGPT” system discovered inside Steam code, potentially connected to Steam Support and CS2’s anti-cheat infrastructure.
Why Counter-Strike’s creator eventually left Valve
Le eventually left Valve in 2006, although his departure had nothing to do with Newell’s unconventional office habits.
Counter-Strike’s enormous success had created a different problem for its co-creator. Le wanted greater freedom to experiment with the game, while changing a formula already being played by millions of people naturally carried considerably greater consequences than it had during Counter-Strike’s days as a mod.
Le has described his eventual departure as amicable and went on to pursue other projects, including Tactical Intervention. His original creation, meanwhile, continued through Counter-Strike: Source, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive and eventually Counter-Strike 2.
That makes his memories of early Valve particularly fascinating today. They come from someone who witnessed both Counter-Strike’s transformation from a free Half-Life mod into a Valve franchise and the growth of Valve itself from a comparatively young studio into the company behind the world’s dominant PC game storefront.
And apparently, for about five months of that history, working there also meant knowing that if a strange low-pitched sound started travelling down the hallway, Gabe Newell was probably on his way.
A modder has rebuilt the entire GTA 4 intro cutscene inside GTA 5 Enhanced. The project runs on the PC version’s ray tracing features, so the 2008 opening scene now plays with modern lighting and reflections.
The work comes from modder MrVicho13. It was shared on X by community member Ben (@videotech), who called it the first time a custom cutscene of this size has been ported into GTA 5.
What the GTA 4 intro mod includes
For the first time in GTAV modding history, mod developer MrVicho13 has ported #GTAIV intro cutscene into GTAV (enhanced version with ray-tracing).
This is the first time anyone has ported custom cutscenes in GTAV.
The mod goes beyond playing the original video file inside GTA 5. MrVicho13 imported the scene’s assets and rebuilt it in real time using the GTA 5 engine.
The recreated cutscene includes:
Niko Bellic and his cousin Roman
The Platypus cargo ship that brings Niko to Liberty City
The boats and planes seen around the harbor in the original scene
The animations, voice acting and subtitles were also adapted so they work inside GTA 5. That means the scene plays with the original dialogue, not a silent recreation.
How ray tracing changes the GTA 4 opening scene
GTA San Andreas’s map has been modded into Red Dead Redemption 2 in its entirety by modders (MrVicho13).
Genuinely insane to see this classic map running on Rockstar’s last-released game, looks surreal! pic.twitter.com/6rf8LC2igl
The cutscene runs on GTA 5 Enhanced, the upgraded PC version of the game. This version supports ray traced global illumination, reflections and improved ambient occlusion.
In practice, light behaves differently than it did in 2008. Sunlight bounces off surfaces, water and metal show live reflections, and shadows in corners and under objects look softer and more accurate.
GTA 4 was known for its grey, hazy look. Running the same scene through GTA 5’s lighting gives a direct comparison between the two eras of Rockstar’s RAGE engine.
What is GTA 5 Enhanced?
GTA 5 Enhanced is a free upgrade for PC players that launched on March 4, 2025. It brought ray traced shadows and reflections from the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S versions to PC. It also added two PC-only effects: ray traced ambient occlusion and global illumination.
Rockstar later added more ray tracing options through updates, including higher resolution reflections. These features are what make a project like this GTA 4 intro in GTA 5 possible.
Can you download the GTA 4 intro mod?
The posts shared so far do not mention a public download link or release date. For now, the project appears to be a showcase of what the modder was able to build.
Players who want to follow MrVicho13’s work can check the modder’s GTA 5 mods profile, where past releases are listed.
MrVicho13’s other Rockstar mod projects
This is not the modder’s first cross-game project. MrVicho13 also worked on a mod that brings the GTA San Andreas map into Red Dead Redemption 2.
That project surfaced while the community was focused on the GTA 6 map leaks, which put a large part of Leonida online weeks before Rockstar’s official showcase.
Other ways to play GTA 4 with ray tracing
Players who want GTA 4 itself with modern lighting have another option. Modder xoxor4d has released a GTA 4 RTX Remix path tracing mod, built with NVIDIA’s RTX Remix platform. The first public version arrived in December 2025, and a later update added DLSS 5 support.
The RTX Remix mod works on the original game. MrVicho13’s project is different because it moves GTA 4 content into GTA 5.
Fan projects that keep older GTA games playable in new ways are common. Another example is the fan-made web version that lets you play GTA Vice City in a browser with no install.
[Image: Side-by-side comparison of the original GTA 4 intro and the GTA 5 ray traced version | Alt text: GTA 4 intro original vs GTA 5 ray tracing mod comparison]
Will Rockstar allow the mod?
Rockstar and Take-Two have not commented on the project. Mods that move content between Rockstar games have faced action before. In 2017, a fan project that aimed to bring the Red Dead Redemption map into GTA 5 was cancelled after the team was contacted by Take-Two.
Whether this mod gets a public release may depend on that history. Rockstar’s focus right now is GTA 6, which has a confirmed $80 standard price and is due on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S later this year.
FAQ
Who made the GTA 4 intro mod for GTA 5? The mod was made by MrVicho13 and shared on X by @videotech.
Does the mod use ray tracing? Yes. It runs on GTA 5 Enhanced and uses ray traced global illumination, reflections and ambient occlusion.
Is the GTA 4 intro mod available to download? No download link has been shared at the time of writing.
