The developers of PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS continue to expand close-quarters combat capabilities. Update 43.1 introduces a new Kick mechanic to the game, adding more options for interacting with enemies and the environment. The new mechanic is available across all game modes. Unlike standard melee attacks, the kick features a stronger knockback effect and can also be […]

Esports organization T1 has successfully transformed from a loss-making marketing division into a profitable company, growing its annual revenue from $1 million in 2019 to $64 million last year. This transition began in 2019 through a partnership with the American company Comcast Spectacor, which turned the team from an SK Telecom advertising tool into an […]

Blizzard Entertainment has announced the release of a new line of legendary esports skins, Starlight Champion, in Overwatch 2. A portion of the sales revenue from these items will go toward boosting the prize pool for the Overwatch World Cup 2026 tournament, taking place September 12–13 as part of BlizzCon. The new set features light […]

Open Qualifiers for the VCT 2027 VALORANT season kick off in November. Riot Games' updated competition structure will grant amateur and independent teams a direct path to international events such as Kickoff, Masters, Champions, and the new VCT Cups. The official free agency window opens on November 2, marking the start of active roster building. […]

On September 9, 1996, Crash Bandicoot was released on the first PlayStation — a game that not only gave Sony one of the most famous characters of the era, but also helped define what a 3D platformer could be at a time when the industry was only beginning to learn how to work with the […]

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the creation of a new international festival dedicated to video games. He stated this on September 7 during the Sommet Lumière in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where France and South Korea held a joint summit focused on cultural and creative industries. "Since video games are part of our culture, we will create […]

We have prepared a digest of the main news for September 8, 2026, for Players readers. Neymar has played more than 11 000 hours of Counter-Strike Brazilian footballer Neymar has turned out to be just as dedicated a gamer as he is a professional athlete. A screenshot of his Steam account, published by the Brazilian Flow Games podcast, shows […]

Nintendo held a presentation celebrating the 40th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, with most of the event dedicated to the remake of Ocarina of Time. The original game was released in 1997 and still sits at the top of Metacritic’s list of the highest-rated games in history. Series producer Eiji Aonuma announced that the […]

Nintendo’s 40th anniversary presentation for The Legend of Zelda focused mainly on the Ocarina of Time remake, but the company also shared a small update on the upcoming movie adaptation. The film will tell a completely new story unrelated to any of the games in the series. We now know the movie’s official title, and […]

Mojang has revealed the name and details of Minecraft's third Game Drop of 2026, officially titled Wilderness Bound. The update will introduce the new Dappled Forest biome, featuring tall Poplar trees with red, orange, and yellow foliage, as well as Red Shrubs and Shelf Mushrooms that can be used for parkour. Players will also discover […]

Riot Games and Gozulting have officially announced the return of the Project Blender 2026 VALORANT competition, covering the EMEA region and offering a €100,000 prize pool. This tournament is open to teams of all levels and will feature two LAN stages in Paris, intended to compensate for the cancellation of the 2025 offline final due […]

Tournament operator BLAST has announced a massive partnership agreement with the Mongolian Esports Association (MESA). As part of the collaboration, the capital of Mongolia will host a world-class Counter-Strike event for the first time — the BLAST Premier Open Ulaanbaatar tournament, which will be BLAST's first event in Central Asia. The competition will take place […]

On September 8, 2009, Colin McRae: DiRT 2 was released — one of the most memorable racing games of its generation. And today, it is interesting not only as another installment in a famous rally series. DiRT 2 became a kind of transition point between classic rally simulators and more spectacular arcade racing games. Colin […]