We have prepared a digest of the main news for July 16, 2026, for Players readers.
Valve Proposes Resolving CS2 Ties Through 1v1 Duels: Details of the New Initiative
Valve has responded to community criticism regarding the 15-15 tie score in Counter-Strike 2's Premier mode. The developers introduced a concept for a new system designed to determine the winner in such situations through individual matchups.
Ukrainian Game Dear Passengers Reaches 700,000 Wishlists After Its Trailer Goes Viral
The cooperative "friendslop" game Dear Passengers by Kyiv-based studio Flexus Games is rapidly gaining popularity. The project, where players step into the shoes of the crew for the worst airline in the world, went viral on social media, with its trailer organically racking up tens of millions of views.
"I Was About to Retire": KRIMZ Shares How a Call from JW Saved Him from Ending His Career
Swedish veteran Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson admitted he was seriously considering retiring from professional play before receiving an offer from the EYEBALLERS organization.
Steve Allison, who served as Vice President at Epic Games and was directly responsible for the creation and successful launch of the Epic Games Store digital platform, has officially left the company.
Ubisoft Barcelona Strike: Developers Protest Layoffs Following Successful Release
The development team at Ubisoft Barcelona has launched a major strike. The protests are triggered by significant layoffs that began immediately after the successful release of the Assassin's Creed: Black Flag Resynced remake. The layoffs affected 51 employees of the Spanish branch, and in a show of solidarity and to protect their rights, the rest of the studio's staff joined them.
Faker becomes an Esports World Cup ambassador
T1's star mid-laner has joined the foundation's ambassador program, where he will represent the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup. The agreement runs until 2028.