The Players editorial team has prepared a digest of the main news for March 4, 2026.
EDward Gaming and XLG Esports Exit VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026
- The first major international Valorant tournament of the year brought bitter disappointment for VCT China. Two regional representatives — EDward Gaming and XLG Esports — ended their run at VALORANT Masters Santiago 2026 after failing to make it past the Swiss Stage.
Stream Awards 2025 Winners Announced — roolex9 Named Streamer of the Year
- roolex9 claimed the title of Streamer of the Year. However, the undisputed triumph of this year’s ceremony was Leb1ga, who took home multiple awards.
Trump Administration Discusses Tencent’s Stakes in Riot Games and Epic Games
- Washington is reviewing Tencent’s investments in Riot Games and Epic Games over data security concerns ahead of talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, according to the Financial Times.
Former Natus Vincere Academy Roster Secures Major Qualification
- These may be the last mentions of FUT Esports as the “former NAVI academy roster.” The team has already reached a level where it should clearly be remembered as FUT Esports in its own right. The management’s decision proved intriguing: last summer, they parted ways with their newly assembled Turkish lineup and signed NAVI’s academy roster, which had been put up for sale — notably without its main star, makazze.
Monte Defeat PARIVISION to Reach Stage 2 of ESL Pro League S23
- Monte defeated Russian club PARIVISION, which had already reached two finals this year and even secured one S-tier trophy. The match proved challenging — Monte occasionally dropped rounds they seemed certain to win — but overall looked confident. Monte claimed a 2–1 victory over PARIVISION and advanced to the next stage of ESL Pro League Season 23.
Marvel Rivals Roadmap Includes MCU Collaborations Ahead of Avengers: Doomsday
- Marvel Rivals is preparing a масштабний content roadmap for the entirety of 2026, culminating in the release of Avengers: Doomsday. At the offline event Marvel Rivals Assemble, the development team unveiled a new roadmap that effectively mirrors the logos of all Avengers films from the MCU.
Microsoft Reveals First March Additions to Xbox Game Pass
- The headline release will be the cult RPG Cyberpunk 2077. However, it will only be available on Xbox home consoles, and the major story expansion Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty will not be included in the offer.