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Valorant Mobile Closed Beta Launches in China June 2025

Riot Games has officially revealed that the closed beta for Valorant Mobile will roll out in China in June 2025. Andy Ho, Valorant’s Executive Producer, revealed this in a recent developer update. Riot has said that the beta will become available in the coming weeks.

Looking back at the journey of the game, Ho said, “When we released Valorant back in 2020, we really never thought that in five short years we’d be on the brink of introducing a mobile version of the game to millions of players.”

Pre-Registration and Exclusive Rewards

Pre-registrations for the closed beta are already available for Chinese players. If they pre-register, they will be able to participate in the playtest and receive special rewards in-game. The rewards include up to four special player cards that can be earned by completing certain in-game missions during the beta test. A rare Wingman-themed player card is one of the notable rewards.

To develop Valorant Mobile, Riot Games collaborated with Lightspeed Studios, a Tencent-owned game studio famous for its development of mobile versions of popular shooters such as PUBG Mobile and Apex Legends Mobile. Rick and Sydney from Lightspeed Studios provided insights into the process of development in the developer update and gave a sneak peek into different in-game aspects.

CS2 Austin Major Stage 1 Pick’Ems: Road to Diamond Coin

With the highly anticipated CS2 BLAST Austin Major 2025 just around the corner, Valve has opened up the Pick’Ems for the tournament.

As usual, any CS2 player can choose to participate in Pick’Ems for the Austin Major, but only Viewer Pass holders can make progress on their challenges and earn rewards.

It’s safe to say that the Austin Major Stage 1 Pick’Ems are one of the toughest stages that the CS2 community has seen in a while. With so many evenly matched teams and the inconsistencies they’ve been showing, it’s easy to get your picks wrong if you’re not following the current state of the pro scene.

If you’re confused about your CS2 Austin Major 2025 Pick’Ems, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered.

CS2 Austin Major Stage 1 Pick’Ems

The opening stage of any CS2 Major is notoriously difficult to predict, and the Austin Major is easily shaping up to be one of the toughest yet. With so many unpredictable matchups, locking in accurate Pick’ems is not an easy feat.

With that being said, I’ve tried to include some of the best picks that you can make on your Austin Major Stage 1 Pick’Ems below. However, it’s important to note that these are just my suggestions, so do your Pick’ems at your own risk—this stage is incredibly volatile, and there’s a good chance some of these picks might not pan out.

Best Stage 1 Picks for Austin Major 2025

Below, we have included our picks for the BLAST Austin Major 2025:

  • 3-0 Picks: Heroic, Complexity
  • 0-3 Picks: Lynn Vision, Fluxo
  • Qualifying Picks: BetBoom, Tyloo, Wildcard, B8, Flyquest, OG

While the 3-0 category is always prone to upsets, Heroic and Complexity seem to be the safest of the bunch, especially considering their recent form. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Lynn Vision and Fluxo look like the most likely candidates for a 0-3 exit, making them our picks for early elimination.

All the 3-1 and 3-2 picks have been in decent form lately and should advance to the next stage without much difficulty, barring any major upsets.

If you’re participating in the Austin Major 2025 Pick’Ems, it’s crucial to note that you’ll have to activate your Viewer Pass before the Stage 1 picks lock. If you grab the Pass afterwards, you won’t be able to earn any progress for this stage of the event.

New Marvel Rivals Auto Chess Game Mode: Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol Explained

Marvel Rivals is getting a new game mode! This time, though, players will have to focus less on shooting heads and more on tactical play as the new Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol mode seems to be heavily inspired by Auto Chess.

Auto Chess, which was originally a mod for Dota 2, sent shockwaves within the online gaming community with its unique, simplistic design and strategic depth. Featuring a blend of turn-based tactics and randomized unit placement, Auto Chess quickly managed to captivate players globally, paving the way for a brand-new game genre—auto battlers.

It didn’t take long for other video game developers to come up with their iterations of Dota Auto Chess, with some prominent ones being Riot Games’ Teamfight Tactics and Moonton’s Magic Chess. Now, Marvel Rivals appears to be introducing its take on the Auto Chess genre with the upcoming game mode, Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol.

Marvel Rivals Auto Chess Game Mode

Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol, which is set to be added to Marvel Rivals in Season 2.5, will feature gameplay elements that are seemingly inspired by Auto Chess, but with a bunch of unique twists.

While NetEase has yet to reveal full details about the new Marvel Rivals limited-time game mode, there’s already a wealth of information available about Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol for us to take a look at.

Marvel Rivals Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol Explained

Marvel Rivals introduces a unique twist to its Auto Battler right from the Hero Selection phase. Unlike most other Auto Chess games, players start with six heroes in Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol instead of the usual one. However, not every hero from Marvel Rivals will be available to play in this game mode.

Once you have your roster set, the gameplay kicks off in a style similar to Dota Auto Chess. You’ll have to face off against five other players, with each player starting with 50 points. Each defeat takes away a few points from your total, and the last player standing wins.

Positioning & Synergies

Having good positioning with your characters is extremely crucial in Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol. Generally speaking, you’ll want your tanks at the front, while squishy damage dealers and healers should take the back line.

Taking a glance at the initial reveal, we can see that hero synergies are displayed at the left side of the screen. Players can also buy certain upgrades for their lineups, which are sold as cards in the ‘Card Shop.’ These cards can give your team various buffs to help you in combat. These buffs include additional health for your heroes, bonus damage, damage reduction, and more.

Marvel Rivals Ultron’s Battle Matrix Protocol Release Date

NetEase has confirmed that the new Marvel Rivals Auto Chess mode will hit the live servers on June 6, 2025.

Valve Releases Viewer Pass and Stickers for BLAST.tv Austin Major

The Austin Major is just a few weeks away, and we finally have the two things that make Majors even more exciting. Viewer passes and Stickers are an integral part of the Major League culture that fans eagerly wait for, given they help them connect to the festival of Counter-Strike in ways that make these events a phenomenon.

The Major is returning to the USA after a long time, and Texas has always boasted an amazing crowd, as witnessed in past IEMs. Given that the Major is being held at a place of rich cultural heritage, Valve has decided to put some Texas “flair” into the stickers. With a plethora of finishes to look out for, these stickers move away from the usual designs and are quite refreshing to look at.

Pick’Ems are another fun element that becomes very rewarding when paired with the viewer pass. Correctly predicting the outcome of the matches gives you bragging rights among your friends for your crafty analytic ability. Having the viewer pass lets you get the rewards if you get your prediction on point.

With Stage 1 set to begin on June 3rd, we are a week away from the first Major of the year. While recently, results have caused more than a few favorites to emerge, Team Vitality is the big dog that everyone will have their eyes on, and now it will be up to Falcons, MOUZ, and Spirit to stop them.

Elden Ring Movie Announced by Bandai Namco

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FromSoftware’s acclaimed RPG Elden Ring is coming to the big screen. Bandai Namco Entertainment and A24 have officially announced a live-action film adaptation, with esteemed filmmaker Alex Garland set to write and direct.

Garland, who has worked on Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Civil War, brings a personal story vision to the project. His past as a game writer includes co-writing Enslaved: Odyssey to the West and being the story supervisor for DmC: Devil May Cry, both games being developed by Ninja Theory and published by Bandai Namco. This experience makes him well-positioned to move through the series’ convoluted lore and deep world of Elden Ring.

The production crew of the film features great names like George R.R. Martin, who co-developed the game’s mythology, and Vince Gerardis, co-producer of Game of Thrones. Other producers are Peter Rice and DNA Films’ team, Andrew Macdonald, and Allon Reich. Although FromSoftware and Hidetaka Miyazaki’s direct involvement is not confirmed, their groundwork on the game’s universe will certainly have an impact on the adaptation.

A24, the production company behind highly acclaimed movies such as Everything Everywhere All at Once, Hereditary, and Talk to Me, is recognized for its unique storytelling and visual aesthetic. Their partnership with Bandai Namco is an attempt to bring the richly detailed world of Elden Ring to film, the narrative and atmospheric complexity of which they will strive to remain faithful.

Since its release in 2022, Elden Ring has been a massive hit, selling over 30 million copies across the globe and taking home the Game of the Year award. The game’s huge open world and rich lore have enchanted players, setting high standards for its movie adaptation. The upcoming movie aims to do justice to this legacy by providing both old fans and new ones with an immersive experience in the Lands Between.

Although information about the cast and release date is being kept under wraps, Bandai Namco, A24, and Alex Garland’s partnership is an encouraging foray into translating deep video game storytelling onto the silver screen.

How to Unlock Iridia Vayne Outfit in Fortnite?

Fortnite just keeps pushing the limits of interaction with its audience, and Chapter 6, Season 3 is no different. A big part of this season’s excitement is the limited-time-only Iridia Vayne skin, which can be completely unlocked for free by completing a limited-time questline titled “Party Up: Celestial Strike.” This event not only offers cosmetic rewards but also gets players more socially involved within the game’s platform.

In this article, we will find out how to unlock the Iridia Vayne outfit in Fortnite. Without wasting further time, let’s dive into it.

How to Unlock Iridia Vayne Outfit in Fortnite?

To unlock Iridia Vayne skin, players must finish all nine of the quests that are part of the Celestial Strike series. The quests were released on May 23 at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET, with each new challenge unlocking daily throughout May 31. Players have until June 7 at 2:30 PM ET to get through all of the objectives. Completing the entire series not only awards the Iridia Vayne outfit as the ultimate reward but also opens up LEGO-style skin, a further move forward by Fortnite in integrating LEGO-inspired content.

Every quest completed during the event rewards something unique, culminating in the final prize. The journey starts with a musical addition, “Alien Boy” by Oliver Tree, being offered as a Jam Track. Future challenges pay players back in special cosmetics like the Victory Plume spray, the Opaline Slashers pickaxe, the Confident Iridia spray, and the Peacock’s Dream weapon wrap.

As the challenges get progressively harder, progressively more complex and colorful items are unlocked, including the Opaline Scabbard back bling, the High Five! emoticon, and the animated Origami Battalion emote. The ultimate reward, the optional Iridia Vayne costume, is meant to be eye-catching with its two versions, standard and LEGO-styled, providing players with a dynamic cosmetic for different game modes.

The optional quest has an obvious social aspect. The name “Party Up” is not optional because all challenges are meant to be done with friends. Players must earn XP by playing together in either Epic-created game modes or community-generated experiences labeled as XP-enabled. This method is designed to encourage collaboration and interaction, challenging solo players to interact more directly with the community. For players who normally play alone, the need to be in a party might seem like a stumbling block. But it also provides a chance to make new friends or team up with other players.

When accomplishing the XP requirements is the goal, playing game modes that are known for high XP output is a must. Default Battle Royale and Zero Build are sure things, but for variety, you can also experiment with Fortnite Festival, Rocket Racing, or LEGO Fortnite, which both have XP rewards. Creator-made maps with the XP Device symbol are also perfect for grinding the most efficiently, especially when playing with friends for the sole purpose of finishing the event.

BGMI Redeem Codes For May 23, 2025 – Unlock Skins, Cosmetics & More!

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KRAFTON India is thrilled to release a fresh batch of exclusive BATTLEGROUNDS MOBILE INDIA – BGMI redeem codes! These new codes unlock a curated collection of limited-edition skins, exclusive cosmetics, and themed in-game gear — perfect for players looking to elevate their Battle Royale experience and personalize their loadout. Whether you’re an experienced warrior or a newcomer to the battlefield, these rewards offer a powerful edge and a bold new look.

BGMI Redeem Codes For May 23, 2025

These BGMI redeem codes are valid until June 6, 2025, and can be redeemed only via BGMI’s official redemption page.

  1. DEZBZKTQK4S3
  2. DEZCZHFE48XH
  3. DEZDZEMKJGR3
  4. DEZEZHMNBT3C
  5. DEZFZAFN7AX6
  6. DEZGZTNGU5CR
  7. DEZHZEWWTGJ3
  8. DEZIZDDG5N46
  9. DEZJZFMCGKPW
  10. DEZKZHTUGCJF
  11. DEZLZ8EVAPSX
  12. DEZMZFBXCNEX
  13. DFZBZ8AUP3RW
  14. DFZCZPW6QXCC
  15. DFZDZUT3WHTK
  16. DFZEZPJ5TJHP
  17. DFZFZTM69VTV
  18. DFZGZTMX9SQW
  19. DFZHZJ4UDRPW
  20. DFZIZUVR6EKC
  21. DFZJZTHC7E9P
  22. DFZKZX6DU96S
  23. DFZLZ5J9JCMP
  24. DFZMZETXBFEB

How to Redeem BGMI Redeem Codes

Players can follow these simple steps to claim their rewards:

Step 1: Go to the Redeem section on BGMI’s official website:

www.battlegroundsmobileindia.com/redeem

Step 2: Enter your Character ID

Step 3: Enter the Redemption Code

You can pick any code from above

Step 4: Enter the verification/ Captcha code >

A message will confirm ‘Code redeemed success-fully’

Step 5: The reward will be delivered via in-game mail

Rules to Remember:

  • A maximum of 10 users can redeem each code on a first-come, first-served basis
  • A user cannot redeem a code twice
  • Users must claim their rewards via in-game mail within 7 days, else the mail will expire
  • If a player is among the first 10 users to successfully redeem the code, a message will confirm ‘Code redeemed successfully’. If not, users will see ‘Code expired’ or a similar expiry message
  • Each user account can redeem only one code per day and a maximum of two codes until June 6th, 2025
  • Redeem codes cannot be used via guest accounts

Stay tuned to the TalkEsport app for detailed gaming and esports coverage, latest news, and much more!

Marvel Rivals Ultron Abilities Revealed: All You Need To Know

Through an announcement video on May 22nd, NetEase has officially shed light on the upcoming Marvel Rivals hero Ultron, showcasing its abilities, character design, and playstyle.

While we’ve seen numerous leaks regarding Ultron and his abilities in the past, this marks the first official unveiling of his kit by the developers.

Without further ado, let’s check out everything you need to know about the new Marvel Rivals hero Ultron, including his abilities, release date, team-ups, and more.

Marvel Rivals Ultron Abilities

As per the official character reveal of Ultron, he will assume the Strategist role and possess the following abilities:

  • Encephalo-Ray (LMB) — Unleash a burning energy beam.
  • Dynamic Flight (Shift) — Quickly dashes in the direction of movement, then enters free flight.
  • Imperative: Patch (E) — Commands a giant drone to follow an ally, providing constant healing to all allies within its radius. The designated ally gets additional healing.
  • Imperative: Firewall (RMB) — Summons drones to grant bonus health to nearby allies, centered on Ultron and the ally marked with Imperative: Patch.
  • Rage of Ultron (Ultimate) — Summons Drones to fire Encephalo-Rays, damaging enemies or healing allies.
  • Algorithm Correction (Passive) — Hold SPACE to fall slowly.

Marvel Rivals Ultron Team-Up Abilities

In the latest Marvel Rivals Season 2.5 Dev Talk video, NetEase has highlighted Ultron’s team-up at the time of his debut.

The devs have revealed that Ultron will have a team-up with Iron Man for the time being. The Ultron team up, called ‘Stark Protocol’, will grant him the ability to use Iron Man’s Unibeam to unleash a powerful blast that damages enemies and heals allies.

Marvel Rivals Ultron Release Date

Ultron is set to be added to the Marvel Rivals roster with the game’s Season 2.5 update on May 30, 2025.

Fans can check out the official character reveal trailer for Ultron below:

How To Change Gender in GTA Online?

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GTA Online presents a wide variety of customization options to its players that can be utilized to change a character’s heritage, appearance, and a number of other aspects. However, one key feature missing from GTA Online is the ability to change a character’s gender.

While you can easily change your GTA Online character’s appearance with the click of a button and a small fee, changing your character’s gender can get incredibly complex if you don’t know how to do it properly.

Whether you’re one of the many players who accidentally chose the wrong gender or simply looking to change your character’s gender in GTA Online, we’ve got you covered.

In this guide, we’ll take a look at how to change gender in GTA Online.

GTA Online: How To Change Gender Guide

At the time of writing, there’s no official method to change the gender of your character in GTA Online.

However, does that mean you’re permanently stuck to the gender you initially picked? Not necessarily.

While Rockstar has yet to implement an official way to change genders in GTA Online, players have managed to find ways to circumvent the safeguards in place by abusing glitches to change their character’s gender.

While the glitch can be quite difficult to pull off for beginners, doing it successfully will enable you to change your character’s gender in GTA Online.

GTA Online Change Gender Glitch

The GTA Online glitch to change genders requires you to have two characters ready alongside $100,000 in your shared bank account.

To get started, pick the character whose gender you don’t want to switch. Once you’re loaded in the game, turn off your internet connection to boot yourself back into single-player mode.

In the single-player mode, make sure that you’re spawning as Michael. If you spawn as either of the other two protagonists, you’ll have to start over.

After loading into single player, reconnect your internet.

Now, load back into GTA Online, but pick ‘Select Character‘ instead of jumping in directly. This time, pick the character whose gender you wish to switch.

Now, you should see a prompt for altering your appearance. Accept it, go to Apparel, highlight the Crew Emblem menu point, and press ‘return to menu‘.

Once done, you have to spam the randomization button. If the glitch works, spamming the randomization button will eventually switch your character to the opposite gender.

You are now free to customize your character’s appearance, but all your saved outfits will be removed.

Note that this is not an official method to change your character’s gender, but simply a glitch. So, make sure that you’re aware of the consequences of abusing glitches in GTA Online before attempting it.

How To Get Vapid GB200 in GTA Online for Free?

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GTA Online players have the exciting opportunity to grab the Vapid GB200 vehicle for free, but they have to be quick since the car is only up for grabs for a limited time.

If you’re an avid fan of GTA Online, then you certainly don’t wanna miss out on this offer. You can get the Vapid GB200, which usually has a price tag of $940,000, without spending a dime before May 28, 2025.

If you’re curious to know more about how to get the free Vapid GB200 in GTA Online, look no further.

In this guide, we’ll check out how you can get yourself the Vapid GB200 free vehicle in GTA Online during the event period.

Free Vapid GB200 GTA Online: How To Get

Vapid GB200 GTA Online

Between May 22 and May 28, players can get the Vapid GB200 vehicle in GTA Online for free.

The Vapid GB200 is available as the Podium Vehicle prize in The Lucky Wheel.

To get your free car, you’ll have to spin The Lucky Wheel in a way that it lands on the Podium Vehicle Prize.

For the uninitiated, the Vapid GB200 landed in GTA Online as part of the game’s Southern San Andreas Super Sport DLC. The vehicle is known for its exceptional handling, but this rally-inspired ride also delivers impressive speed, topping out at 114.25 MPH.

So what are you waiting for? Go and grab your own Vapid GB200 in GTA Online while you still can!