The Players editorial team has prepared a digest of the main news for January 27, 2026.
A minor CS2 update has been released, changing the mechanics of Molotov and incendiary grenades
- A small nighttime update for CS2 has been released, in which Valve focused on minor but noticeable tweaks to gameplay, sound, and overall game stability. In terms of gameplay, the behavior of Molotov and incendiary grenades has been changed.
- In 2026, Blizzard Entertainment will celebrate 35 years since its founding. To mark the occasion, the legendary studio released an atmospheric video that both summarized its journey and teased viewers with plans for the future.
- Liquipedia administrator hesketh2, together with Esports Charts, compiled a ranking of 2025 world championships in mobile esports disciplines based on peak viewership. Taking first place by a wide margin was the M7 World Championship for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which attracted over 5.6 million concurrent viewers. PUBG Mobile Global Championship 2025 also surpassed the 1 million peak viewer mark, reaching 1.3 million.
The LCK Cup final will be held outside South Korea for the first time
- Riot Games has announced that the LCK Cup 2026 final for League of Legends will take place outside South Korea. The lower bracket final and the grand final will be held at the Kai Tak Arena in Hong Kong. The matches are scheduled for February 28 and March 1, respectively.
Valve faces a lawsuit in the United Kingdom over high fees and prices on Steam
- Video game developer Valve is set to face trial in the United Kingdom over a £656 million lawsuit alleging that the company charged excessive commissions to publishers on Steam. The claim is filed on behalf of up to 14 million users who have purchased games or additional content through the platform since 2018.
FIFAe 2026 season roadmap — FIFAe Finals to be held in Saudi Arabia once again
- The Players editorial team has reviewed the plans of the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) for the development of virtual football competitions in 2026. The FIFAe strategy will continue to follow a multi-game portfolio approach. The focus will be on Rocket League, eFootball (both console and mobile), and Football Manager.