If you're playing in VALORANT’s V25A3 Premier playoffs, Riot Games is giving you more to win. The winners will receive a special player card effect to showcase their success. To earn it, you must play at least two weekly matches or one playoff match.

You’ll get this reward when V25A4 starts. Stay on your team until the playoffs end. Riot will also give out a gun buddy and a title to eligible players within 24 hours after playoffs finish.

Premier allows regular players to form teams and compete for a chance to qualify for the Challengers League. It’s a path to pro play for anyone who wants to compete seriously.

Riot has also made some updates in patch 10.11. Icebox is now disabled from Deathmatch and Escalation due to issues. A Finisher Cam is added to help clear visual clutter during skinline finishers.

A new map will be shown during the Masters Toronto Grand Final in a showmatch with streamers Tarik ‘tarik�?Celik and Jeremy ‘Disguised Toast�?Wang. This map will be in the competitive queue on day one and give players an RR bonus.

Leaks hint at a new agent, but Riot has not confirmed it. In 2025, major updates, including Unreal Engine 5 and a replay system, are planned.

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Sentinels defeated Wolves Esports 2-0 in their opening series at Masters Toronto, moving one step closer to the playoffs. Despite losing the first few rounds on Split, Sentinels came back strong to win the map 13-11, then secured the second map, Lotus, 13-8.

Wolves started the first map with a 4-0 lead and were up 8-4 at half-time. Their strategy targeted how Sentinels moved on defence, allowing them to stack early rounds. But in the second half, Sentinels' double-initiator setup paid off. They won key rounds with early ultimates and took control.

Lotus saw less resistance. Sentinels took an early lead, helped by strong utility use from Jordan ‘Zellsis�?Montemurro’s Vyse. Wolves failed to win important after-plants and only managed three rounds in the first half. Sentinels closed it out with smart plays, including a clutch from in-game leader Amine ‘johnq�?Ouarid.

Coach Adam ‘kaplan�?Kaplan said the team expected a tough match and didn’t underestimate Wolves. He praised the newcomers, Sean ‘bang�?Bezerra and Marshall ‘N4RRATE�?Massey, for fitting in well after Tyson ‘TenZ�?Ngo and Gustavo ‘Sacy�?Ross stepped down.

Despite the loss, the Wolves impressed fans and analysts with their early performance. Their IGL, Pong ‘SiuFatBB�?Ka-hei, said the team learned a lot from the match and stayed calm under pressure. Sentinels now prepare to face Bilibili Gaming in Round 2.

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Riot Games, best known for League of Legends (LoL), is not slowing down. After the success of Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and other spin-offs, the company now has several new titles in the works. These upcoming games are expected to span many genres, showing Riot’s push to stay at the top of gaming. Here’s a look at what Riot is building now.

2KXO: Riot’s first console fighter

Riot’s most complete project is 2KXO, a free-to-play fighting game set in the LoL world. You choose two champions and switch between them in battle. Names like Darius, Ahri, and Ekko are already confirmed. The game will be Riot’s first on console, launching on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. A set date hasn’t been given, but Riot has said it will come out sometime in 2025.

LoL Esports Manager: A mobile sim with no global plan yet

LoL Esports Manager was teased back in 2019. It’s a sim game where you run a LoL esports team. The game uses gacha-style systems and is made for mobile. It went into open beta in China in 2022. However, Riot has been quiet since then. There’s no update on when or if it will launch outside of China.

Project F: A ghost of the past?

Project F was teased in 2019 with a short clip, which looked like a top-down action RPG, close to games like Diablo or Torchlight. Since then, nothing has happened, the director left Riot, and there have been no updates. Riot hasn’t cancelled it, but no news likely means it’s stuck or nearly dropped.

Valorant mobile: Almost here, but not for everyone yet

Valorant Mobile was confirmed in early 2025, after leaks in 2022 and 2024 test clips. Riot has said it will first launch in China but didn’t say when it will reach the West. North American fans will need to be patient.

Riftbound: A LoL card game for 2025

Riftbound is Riot’s new card game, first shown in late 2024. It brings champions like Jinx, Yasuo, and Lux to a standard TCG format. You can play 1v1, 2v2, or even 4-player battles. Some card art has been changed after fan feedback. The first set, Origins, drops in China in the Summer of 2025. English regions follow later in the year.

Can Riot strike again?

Riot once ruled esports. LoL, Valorant, and TFT changed how we view online play. But not every new title has hit the mark. Wild Rift failed to lead mobile MOBAs. Legends of Runeterra lost to older card games. Now, Riot must prove it can lead again. With fighting games, shooters, and card games on the rise, Riot has one more chance to shape the scene again.

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The Esports World Cup (EWC) 2025 will offer a $70 million prize pool, the largest in gaming history. This event features over 2,000 players and 200 global teams focusing on top games like Valorant, League of Legends, and more. They will compete in 25 tournaments in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July 7 to August 24, 2025.

However, this huge event raises questions about how it will affect the esports scene. This article explores the good and bad sides of this massive event and what it means for the future of esports.

The issue with the $70M prize pool

Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF), sees the $70 million prize pool as a big step forward for esports. However, Reichert also admitted that this kind of prize can disrupt the current esports scene. He said the goal should be to support and grow the existing ecosystem, not harm it. 

The event also faces other issues due to its ties with Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and the Esports Awards. Critics argue that this partnership is about ‘sportswashing�? where they use sports assets to boost a country's image instead of supporting the community. The EWCF denied these claims and explained that it’s financed through host nation support and sponsorships.

Is the $70M prize progress or pressure for esports?

The $70 million prize pool could help esports grow or put too much pressure on the industry. While it shows esports has potential, it's unclear if the industry is ready for such a big event. 

Smart move

This huge investment is a smart move for esports as it has many benefits:

• Exposure: The big prize will grab media attention, making esports more visible. It will also help esports compete with regular sports and change others�?view of it as a simple hobby.
• Long-term growth: It can help esports build a solid footing. Players may also land bigger deals, join elite teams, and secure solid contracts.

Risky play

Meanwhile, the $70 million prize comes with risks. It may give too much control to large investors and change how the industry works.

• Control: Powerful sponsors may push esports to benefit them, not the community.
• Exclusivity: The focus may shift to top players and teams, leaving smaller or lesser-known gamers with fewer chances.

The balance between progress and influence

The 2025 EWC could shape the future of esports in a good way or send it down the wrong path. As esports grow, players, teams, and fans must stay active and ensure things are fair. How the industry handles this event will decide what comes next—either more doors will open, or some will quietly close.

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Esports has grown into a massive industry, with over 3 billion gamers around the world. While professional esports is still male-centric, women make up a noteworthy part of the gaming community. Studies show that nearly 45% of all gamers are women, amounting to about 1.39 billion female players.

However, challenges such as gender bias and online harassment remain. Even so, these women refuse to back down. They are breaking barriers, making history, and inspiring a new generation of female gamers. 

Here are three of the most iconic female esports players who have left their mark on competitive gaming:

Sasha ‘Scarlett�?Hostyn (StarCraft II)

Scarlett is widely known for her dominance in StarCraft II and was dubbed the ‘Queen of Blades�?for her unmatched skill as a Zerg player, inspired by the game’s Sarah Kerrigan.

She is considered one of the greatest female esports players of all time. From 2011 to 2024, Scarlett has won 18 S and A-tier tournaments. In 2018, she became the first female player to win a major StarCraft II event at the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Season XII in PyeongChang, South Korea.

Throughout her career, Scarlett has earned over $400,000 in prize money and she’s sitting on top of the highest-paid female esports gamers in history. 

Ava ‘florescent�?Eugene (Valorant)

Seen as a teenage prodigy, florescent is arguably one of the best Valorant Game Changers players in history. She is widely known for her flawless aims and fierce playstyle. Despite being only 18 years old, she has already become a champion for diversity in gaming as a proud transgender woman. 

In 2024, she made history as the first woman to join a Tier 1 Valorant team by signing with Apeks. Prior to this, she competed in Game Changers, Valorant’s female league, where she’s one of the two Canadians to win a back-to-back championship in 2023 and 2024.

Se-yeon ‘Geguri�?Kim (Overwatch)

Geguri is also one for the books as she’s the first-ever female gamer to compete in the Overwatch League in 2018 with the Shanghai Dragons until 2020. While it’s an achievement, her journey to the top wasn’t an easy one.

At just 17 years old, Geguri faced accusations of cheating due to her insanely precise aim. Male players doubted her skills, claiming she used an aimbot. To silence the critics, she live-streamed herself playing, proving that her talent was real.

Breaking barriers and making history

Women in esports have fought for recognition and proved that skill goes beyond gender. While challenges remain, their achievements show that the future of esports is becoming an inclusive one. These women are not just playing the game—they’re changing it.

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Riot Games has added a new duelist, Waylay, to VALORANT just two months after the release of Tejo. The fast changes in the game make it hard for players to keep up, mainly with so many events happening back-to-back. Sentinels' coach, Adam ‘kaplan�?Kaplan, shared his worries that adding powerful agents like Waylay could tire out players.

With Waylay now part of the game in VCT Stage 1, Esports Insider asked Jordan ‘Zellsis�?Montemurro what he thought. Zellsis said that Waylay is good but doesn't think she will be as strong as Tejo was. He said she is like Yoru or Raze but would choose them for his team instead.

Zellsis also talked about how the game is changing. He said that now, the game is more about picking the right agents than just having good aim. Too many skills and power are being used, making it hard to focus on the shooting part. Other players, like Team Vitality’s Saif ‘Sayf�?Jibraeel, have also said there are too many abilities in the way of a good gunfight.

Even with these changes, Sentinels are still ready for Stage 1.

Get into esports and follow your favourite teams!

Most teams rolled out simple strategies in the early days of professional VALORANT. They were more reliant on skill rather than having set strategies. It was a bare-bones approach early on, which paled in comparison to the uber-tactical Counter-Strike. Since many players moved over from that esports circuit, some players stood out as strategists. 

The tactical masterminds often went into in-game leader roles (IGL), and one of them was American player Anthony ‘vanity�?Malaspina. He stood out for Cloud9 for three years, with some stints for Version1 and Shopify Rebellion. After a great stint as arguably the North American region’s best IGL, he has decided to step away from esports.

Vanity is stepping away from esports entirely

After last competing for Cloud9’s VALORANT team in August 2024, vanity was rumoured to return to Counter-Strike. That did not pan out for him, which has led to his decision to step away from esports.

He is a big-time miss for esports as he was a brilliant tactical mind. Even in Counter-Strike, he was a respected leader, as he knew how to set up his team to compete at the highest level. That improved in VALORANT because it was a game waiting for innovations.

While he is not stepping away from gaming, vanity has laid out a plan for himself for 2025. He took to X to announce his plans, stating, ‘I will be going back to school to finish my degree part-time & pursue streaming full-time for 6 months, if I don't enjoy it or it seems unsustainable after 6 months I will be going back to finish my degree full-time�?

Vanity will be missed in the VALORANT space

As the VALORANT scene has progressed, in-game leaders have become an important part of the system. Any team that wants to succeed needs an IGL who can either be a brilliant tactician or a strong motivational figure. That has been the case for esports as a whole, no matter what game they play.

However, VALORANT is not the type of game that has the best IGLs, especially in the North American region. With fellow NA IGL standout Pujan ‘FNS�?Mehta hinting at retirement after the 2025 season, the region is starved of good IGLs running the game for their teams. 

It will be interesting to see how the NA region adjusts because they are falling behind other regions. They have the talent to keep up with the individual battles, but since VALORANT is a team-based game, every team will need a leader to guide the way. 

As other teams forge a path to success, NA’s best representation for leadership has decided to leave. No matter what one’s opinion is on vanity, he left a mark on the VALORANT scene.

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