Prepared for readers of Players, here is a digest of the main news for June 22, 2026.
HLTV: Luminosity plan to sign Monte core
- North American esports organization Luminosity is in talks to acquire the main trio from the CS2 roster of Ukrainian club Monte. They are reportedly interested in signing Aurimas “Bymas” Pipiras, Oscar “AZUWU” Bell, and Aurélien “afro” Drapier. According to sources cited by HLTV, the contracts of these players with Monte are expected to expire soon.
Counter-Strike 2: Cache replaces Overpass in active competitive map pool
- Valve has announced an update to the active tournament map pool in CS2. The map Cache will replace Overpass immediately after the current Premier season ends, scheduled for July 6.
Valve announces pricing for Steam Machine
- Valve has revealed the pricing, available configurations, and purchasing method for its new gaming system, the Steam Machine. The starting price for the base model will be $1049.
Newzoo reports record gaming market: industry reaches $201.6B in 2025
- The global gaming industry set a new financial record in 2025. According to analytics firm Newzoo, total market revenue reached $201.6 billion, marking the first time in history the figure surpassed the $200 billion threshold. Compared to 2024, revenue increased by 9.1%. The main growth drivers were PC and mobile segments, while console growth was noticeably slower.