In League of Legends, Diana is a popular jungler and mid-laner hero with fascinating lore. Starting her life as an orphan, Diana’s desire to learn more about the history between the Solari and Lunari religious orders eventually leads her to become a god-like entity. 

We’re going to dive deeper into Diana’s League of Legends story, including her humble beginnings and how she was able to ascend to become more than human. We’ll also take a closer look at Diana’s abilities and see how they connect to her backstory. 

In the narrative world of LoL, Diana is the mortal host for the Aspect of the Moon – the celestial entity that embodies the moon – and a Lunari warrior. The Lunari are a moon-worshipping faction in Runeterra who were branded as heretics by the Solari clan, who are the opposing sun-worshipping faction. 

Diana was always determined to find out more about the relationship between the Lunari and the Solari, due to her feeling a strong connection to the moon and the night sky. Her search for the truth eventually led to her discovering that the two factions were not always at war, and that the sun was not always the domineering force. After ascending Mount Targon to find more answers, she is chosen by the Aspect of the Moon and granted superhuman abilities (as well as silver hair), becoming the champion we know her as in League of Legends. 

As mentioned, Diana’s beginnings are somewhat tragic. She was discovered as a baby on Mount Targon alongside her perished parents. After being found by members of the Rakkor tribe – the major tribal faction on Mount Targon (from which both the Solari and Lunari originated) – Diana becomes a member of their clan and undergoes religious and physical training. 

As her studies continue, Diana becomes fascinated by the intricacies of the Solari faith, including why they behave the way they do. Her research leads her to realise that many of the texts that the Solari use have missing sections, with all references to the moon and the Lunari removed. This only intensified Diana’s curiosity, but it also began to isolate her from her peers. However, she always had one person who stayed by her side: fellow LoL champion Leona. The two were best friends, with Leona being a shining beacon of light for Diana. Their relationship developed to the point where they eventually became lovers. 

Diana eventually stumbles upon an alcove hidden in Mount Targon, where she finds imagery of sun and moon warriors fighting alongside one another, proving that the two clans were not always enemies. Diana rushes to tell Leona, but Leona warns her that she will be punished if she continues down this path. Frustrated at her best friend’s reaction and unable to find any more information, Diana decides to climb to the top of Mount Targon as a last attempt to find out more. 

After a harrowing ascent, Diana finally reaches the peak. It is here where she is chosen by the Aspect of the Moon to become its mortal host. She is shown visions of the Lunari’s past, her dark hair becomes silver, and she finds herself donning brilliant silver armour. Once Diana realises what she has become, she notices that she is not alone on the mountain. Leona is behind her, and she, too, dons her own armour, but hers is gleaming gold. Leona was also chosen, becoming the host and the chosen fighter for the Aspect of the Sun. 

Leona tries to get Diana to return with her to the temple to face the consequences of her ascension, but Diana argues that they should leave together to start a new future and try to finally bring the Solari and Lunari together again. Leona refuses, and the two fight. Diana overpowers Leona and returns to the temple, hoping to show the elders that they were wrong to erase the Lunari. 

Diana’s attempts are left in tatters, as she is called a heretic and sentenced to severe punishment. In her anger, Diana accidentally obliterates the entire temple, the elders and many members of the Solari with a huge moonlight burst. Scared and shocked at her own strength, Diana flees and finds herself on a journey to find any Lunari survivors, reveal the truth, and find a way to bring back the balance between the moon and the sun. 

Diana in LoL is a fighter/assassin who is best used as a Jungler or in the mid-lane. Her difficulty level is two out of three, and her powers are connected to her narrative. Diana’s lore revolves around her connection to the moon, and her abilities reflect this. Here’s a closer look at Diana’s in-game abilities.

Diana has an incredibly interesting League of Legends lore that not only strongly connects to the conflict between the Solari and the Lunari, but is also tied to fellow champion Leona. The warring factions of the sun and the moon, and the friends-to-lovers-to-enemies narrative that flows between Leona and Diana, make for a particularly engaging backstory.

Before recommending the best Deadlock heroes for beginners, players will first have to acknowledge that it’s a tough game for newcomers. From individual mechanics to macro strategies, there’s an overwhelming list of variables to learn and master. It’s the entry price of fun in Valve’s innovative MOBA hero shooter hybrid.

The good news is that some heroes are much more beginner-friendly than others. These six picks have more straightforward kits and gameplans that let you focus on fundamentals without getting lost in complex mechanics. 

Seven is a mid to late game carry that’s a perfect first hero for Deadlock beginners. His kit is all about dishing damage to multiple enemies at once through AoE abilities or through chaining targets with his empowered basic attack. This lessens the mental load of target prioritisation during messy teamfights since he can unload attacks against a cluster of enemies.

As a late-game carry that farms Souls fast and scales well with items, he’s perfect to teach newcomers how to gain an economic advantage with efficient farming patterns. Seven can clean out the jungle and lanes, while also moving towards objectives like Guardians or Urn. 

Even without an item lead, Seven can still be useful during the midgame with his ultimate that channels an expanding storm. That said, Seven is something of a glass cannon. He lacks burst damage and isn’t built for duelling up close, so you’ll learn the importance of positioning and timing. Fight from a safe distance during teamfights, while using your stun defensively for anyone aggressively closing the gap. 

While winrates and stats shouldn’t concern new players, it helps to know that Seven is one of Deadlock’s most consistent heroes. He’s been top-tier seemingly since Deadlock began, making him safe to pick up and master.

If you’re coming from traditional MOBAs like Dota 2 and League of Legends, this means you have an eye for macro concepts like roaming, ganking, and disrupting key targets. Deadlock’s tag-team hero Mo & Krill isn’t reliant on aim, instead enabling you to control the map and dictate teamfights.

Mo & Krill are a durable, mobile, and disruptive frontliner. His signature ability allows the duo to burrow underground, gaining additional movespeed, before erupting and knocking up anyone in the radius. Combined with a few items that give mobility, Mo & Krill can quickly traverse from lane to lane. Then, he can hold a target down for three seconds with his ultimate.

A good Mo & Krill is active during the mid-game and punishes bad positioning from the enemy team. Hunt every single time his ultimate is off-cooldown, and you’ll be setting your team up for success.

During teamfights, Mo & Krill stay in the thick of the brawl through self-healing and disarming foes. The simplicity of “see enemy, jump on enemy” will resonate the most with MOBA veterans as they develop good habits as an active player in Deadlock.

Infernus brings the firepower and is an ideal starter hero if you’re a reliable DPS player in hero shooters like Overwatch 2 and Marvel Rivals. He’s an auto-attacking damage-dealer who excels at hit-and-run tactics and strong tracking aim.

His main source of damage is Afterburn, where weapon hits build up a burning effect that deals Spirit damage over time. As bullets and abilities refresh the duration, Infernus is rewarded for keeping track of key targets during the most chaotic fights. 

Infernus’s active abilities layer on more carnage while giving him playmaking potential. He has a Napalm projectile that slows and causes enemies to be more vulnerable to his attacks, and a dash that gives him a burst of speed to reposition. His ultimate literally turns him into a living bomb that damages and stuns opponents in a close area around him, letting players choose to use it defensively or for a risky play.

Infernus’s abilities are most effective from close to medium range, which teaches players how to properly space themselves in fights. You’ll learn to poke enemies and then retreat, choosing when to fully commit with your abilities. He teaches calm aim and good movement, two skills all players need to excel in Deadlock.

For players who want to lead the charge and soak up damage, Abrams is hands-down the easiest frontline hero to start with. He’s a classic tank: beefy, melee-oriented, yet threatening enough to demand attention. Compared to the other frontliners with complicated kits, Abrams trades offensive tools for pure survivability.

The special sauce to his staying power is Siphon Life and Infernal Resilience. Abrams can drain health from nearby enemies with his first ability to keep himself alive mid-fight, and his passive regenerates a portion of any damage he takes over time, making him surprisingly hard to kill. As a beginner, Abrams gives more leeway during fights.

Abrams’s playstyle is straightforward and satisfying. He carries a shotgun for close-range and traditionally builds melee items for more powerful punches. His Shoulder Charge ability slams enemies, dragging them along and stunning them if you smash into a wall. However, you’ll soon learn that enemies can defend themselves with a parry, and you’ll have to quickly learn how to play around that.

For new players, his ultimate can be used as a get-out-of-jail-free card if you’re in a bad spot, but it’s best used offensively to crash down on the backline. As a new player, Abrams is a forgiving frontliner that will teach you how to engage and pace yourself during teamfights.

Support heroes often get a bad reputation for passive play, yet Dynamo’s kit forces you to become an active ally to turn the fight around. Dynamo can control the fight through a wide knock-up, save allies by teleporting them away from danger, heal nearby allies, and lock a cluster of enemies down with a game-changing ultimate.

The professor is a jack-of-all-trades support with an exceptionally well-rounded kit. As you put more time into him, you can itemise to enhance which of his abilities will be the most useful in the match. Dynamo’s versatility is a blessing, and you’ll get to practice a bit of everything while also learning how to build your hero on the fly.

For new players, it’s recommended to go all-in on his first ability, Kinetic Pulse. Buy items to increase the number of charges, cooldown, and area of effect, and you’ll have a disruptive value with just one easy-to-land ability.

While it’s tempting to save Dynamo’s Singularity for the six-man showstopping teamwipe, practice restraint and use it to lock down annoying targets for your damage dealers. An ultimate that takes out one or two enemies is more reliable than a clip-worthy opportunity that may never happen. He’s arguably one of the best Deadlock heroes for beginners who want to learn support play without feeling overwhelmed.

For those who love to hang back and pick off enemies from afar, Grey Talon is the go-to beginner-friendly backline hero. The seasoned monster hunter rewards good aim and positioning, but also provides tools to help less experienced players land their shots. 

His primary attack damage comes from Charged Shot, firing a powerful arrow that pierces through multiple enemies. If you’ve played snipers in other games, you’ll feel right at home. Outside of that, Grey Talon can glide high in the air to get a better vantage point for his bow. He also carries a Spirit Snare trap, which slows and curses enemies in the area.

For new players, they’ll get a kick out of Grey Talon’s ultimate, which throws a Guided Owl that you directly control like a missile. Eliminating an enemy this way provides permanent Spirit Power for Grey Talon. His infinite scaling potential teaches players how to capitalise on an early lead and push it to become even more oppressive.

Jumping into Deadlock as a beginner might feel like being thrown in at the deep end, but the right hero will allow you to find impact while slowly learning the game. These six heroes have simple kits that cater to a wide variety of players, yet all teach core mechanics that will translate to the rest of the cast.

As you grow more comfortable, you can explore the rest of the diverse roster, as all Deadlock heroes play the game differently. Get comfortable with these beginner heroes and find one that clicks the most with your playstyle.

VCT Pacific saw one of its most turbulent exits in history, as TALON got removed from the International League and replaced by Thai esports organisation FULL SENSE ahead of the 2026 season.

Esports Insider sat down with TALON’s former head coach Hector ‘FrosT’ Rosario, who has recently joined Indian esports organisation Global Esports for VCT 2026. 

The veteran coach explained in detail about the chaos that unfolded during the Off//Season surrounding the future of TALON’s entire roster, as well as how he ultimately moved to GE. 

Prior to joining Global Esports, FrosT revealed that he had organisations “even bigger than Sentinels” on board to replace TALON in VCT Pacific; however, the proposals were turned down by Riot Games. In addition to this, he also expressed his disappointment with Riot’s decision to bring in FULL SENSE.

The head coach also spoke about the current GE roster he is working with, concerns over the limited practice time, VCT 2026 goals, and the current meta.

Check out the full interview below.

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Editor’s note: For confidentiality purposes, some team names have been redacted from this interview. 

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Esports Insider: First of all, we want to talk to you about you joining Global Esports after your contract with TALON was not renewed. How was that period for you? How did you end up with GE, and did you receive any other offers at the time?

FrosT: Yeah, it was kind of crazy because I had suspicions that things weren’t going well at TALON, and I pretty much felt that my time there was over after the Japan and Stage 2 Playoffs was probably my last game. By the end of August or early September, I was already fielding offers from Asia, America, and EMEA.

I then had what I’d call an exit meeting with my General Manager and Thanamethk ‘Crws’ Mahatthananuyut. During that meeting, we decided to try and run it back one more time. Because of that, I went back to some of the organisations that were interested in signing me and told them I’d probably be going back to TALON.

Shortly after, I heard whispers of Riot potentially hitting TALON with a sanction because of a former player, Peter ‘Governor’ No, because of the payments that were not received. That’s when I realised, “Oh, this is the problem.” So, I went back to some of the organisations I’d previously spoken to, including Global Esports, and explained that something serious was happening, asking if they were still interested. Some said yes, others had already moved on.

We then got the heads up from both people at Riot, and Crws ended up having a meeting with the head of the Pacific. At that point, it became clear that there was much bigger stuff going on.

After that, Crws and I had discussions with TALON’s management, and they were transparent about some of the stuff that was happening. That’s when we realised there was a chance that TALON might not even be in the league. When that happened, I started reaching out to other organisations I’d built relationships with over the years, trying to find a replacement that could come in if needed.

Crws and the rest of the boys wanted to keep everyone together. So I went forward with that plan. I got good advice from some people at G2 Esports about their situation and how they handled it when they had to get involved. I kind of copied the playbook and used it with my guys. That was basically what happened. I did my best to follow the playbook.

We even engineered a backdoor conversation with Riot and tried to keep everybody together. But, let’s just say Riot had other plans and decided to do everything contrary to what I feel is not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do, given that franchising is up at the end of this competitive year.

When we figured out that Riot was kind of going to let everybody hang out to dry, I went back to Dr Rushindra Sinha [Co-founder and CEO of Global Esports] and explained the situation. He basically said, “Listen, I can maybe give you until November 1st, but I can’t go past that.” Also, just so you know, we’d been dealing with this since the middle of September all the way to November 1st.

ESI: And the season finished in August.

FrosT: Right and I wasn’t officially on Global Esports until November 1st. On November 4th, there was a possibility that Riot would let one of the orgs back in or end up acquiescing and allowing us to go with our plan. So there was even a timeline where I’d have to make a really impossible choice on November 4th.

Then they gave TALON another two-week extension, and the whole situation was cooked.

They knew there were issues, and I wasn’t asking to get in the middle of the TALON–Riot negotiation about whether they stay or not. I just wanted a contingency plan. If their plan was to kick out TALON, we have a backup, we have an org, we keep the slot, and everything goes fine.

The organisation we brought in knew it was a one-year contract. They just wanted to show Riot that they could do a good job so that in the next round of applications they could say, “Hey, look how well we did when we took over TALON.” That was what happened.

I’m still not sure what Riot thought about our technical proposal, but given what they did and how they handled this situation, it would have been much better to listen to us in the first place and follow the protocol they had already set with The Guard.

Also, if you don’t think TALON is good enough, that’s fine. But there’s no way you thought FULL SENSE was, when you passed on them in franchising in the first place. Riot’s own evaluation said FULL SENSE wasn’t good enough.

And the organisations I brought were arguably bigger than most organisations in VALORANT. I don’t want to take names, but some of the organisations I had were bigger than even a team like Sentinels.

ESI: Did Riot provide any reasoning for rejecting your proposals?

FrosT: No, they didn’t. They kept moving the goalposts. They kept saying, “Oh, we want APAC teams only,” which to me is really weird given the fact that it’s a one-year lease. It’s not like you’re dealing with this team for three more years.

Okay, fine, you want an APAC team? I even got [redacted] ready to take the TALON players, and the organisation said, “Fine, for a one-year lease, it’s okay.”

Also, [redacted] was the biggest one we were thinking about. They’re bigger than Sentinels. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re bigger in VALORANT, but in the grand scheme of esports, they are bigger.

So there’s no way you can look at me in good faith and say, “Oh, the organisation you brought wasn’t at TALON’s calibre.” It’s like, bro, what are we talking about?

But whatever the reason, it doesn’t make sense to me because it’s not like FULL SENSE is better for VALORANT, or even, I would argue, Thai VALORANT. 

Their best IGL on the roster is a coach now because the organisation has to field some of their young players, when in reality, the first thing they did was change the roster. Their whole Tier 2 team is basically gone now, and it didn’t make sense. It really didn’t.

ESI: In a recent interview, you mentioned that TALON was not your first choice and that you joined them because you were running out of money. Can you share a bit about that? 

FrosT: So I was actually trying to go to Fnatic, and I thought I had a pretty good in. I even had great recommendations and I’ve known Patrik ‘Carn’ Sättermon and some of the guys there for a really long time, but it didn’t work out. They ended up going with Chris ‘Elmapuddy’ Tebbit.

There were a few other organisations I spoke to as well, and yeah, it didn’t go my way. Even at TALON, I wasn’t their first choice either. But at the end of the day, it worked out, I guess.

ESI: When it came to Global Esports, was it your first choice?

FrosT: No, this off-season, no. I really wanted to go back to the Americas because I was trying to team up with Andrej ‘babybay‘ Francisty. Me and babybay had an opportunity in North America, and we’re probably going to talk about it later.

But the roster we could’ve put together in North America compared to the roster that ended up being on the team we were planning on going to, I don’t think you can really compare them. I think we’re going to gauge both our success and their success and probably  discuss it later down the road.

Me and babybay really tried to get on the same team this year. That was the number one goal.

ESI: Would babybay have joined as a coach or as a player?

FrosT: No, he was definitely going to play. 

ESI: It’s pretty impressive that he still has so much energy and strong mechanical skills even after staying inactive for such a long time.

FrosT: Yeah, I mean, he shouldn’t have been out of the league. I think this is what happens a lot here. It’s kind of ridiculous. He should have had a spot in the league, same as Xavier ‘xavi8k’ Juan. Kale ‘autumn’ Dunne should have been picked up by a number of EMEA teams, Pacific teams especially. Some EMEA teams wanted him this year, but I don’t think he was as highly sought after as I thought he should have been.

ESI: Regarding the current Global Esports roster, was it put together by you?

FrosT: Yeah, we have a General Manager, Minseong ‘UnknowN’ Kim, who coordinated a lot of the contractual stuff and negotiated a lot of the deals. But in terms of the players themselves, yeah, it started with me. Even autumn has said that working with me was one of the biggest reasons why he’s here, same with Patrick ‘PatMen‘ Mendoza and xavi8k. But obviously management had to clear it, negotiate the deals, the salary conversations had to work out, and everything had to fall under budget.

ESI: We’ll definitely come back to PatMen, as it was one of the most surprising moves of the VCT Pacific Off//Season. But for now, could you elaborate on why you believe this roster is better than all the GE’s previous line-ups? What sets it apart, and what goals do you have in mind with this team?

FrosT: I think this is for sure the best roster they’ve had. I know people might think, “Oh, they also had I ‘monyet’ Nugraha and Kim ‘t3xture’ Na-ra,” but I’m still pretty sure if you compare that roster to this one, it doesn’t really compare. So, that’s what makes it unique. It’s the last year of franchising, but yet this is the best roster they’ve put together.

I think position by position, this is probably also one of the best rosters in the Pacific. I can think of a few that, in theory, could shape up to be stronger than us on paper, with Paper Rex being one of them.

My expectation, obviously, is bare minimum. We are going to make it to the playoffs this year for sure. I’ve reached the playoffs every season. Last year TALON’s roster, with Governor and Joseph ‘ban’ Oh, was nowhere near as strong as the one I have today, we placed top four in Kickoff.

But if we [Global Esports] get a better placement, top three, means we qualify for Masters Santiago. So I would say my personal goal is to win Champions, but the roster goal is to qualify for it.

ESI: Speaking specifically about PatMen, he had a very strong 2025 VCT season and he must have had multiple offers. How did you guys manage to lock him down?

FrosT: The timing of his previous organisation deciding to make all these changes made it really difficult for him. It’s true that he could have ended up in different places, but I think he was really committed to joining xavi8k. Roster strength was probably another factor, and I was probably a part of the line-up too. He had other opportunities, but when he narrowed things down, there was probably no contest. He wasn’t going to do better than this roster in the short amount of time he had in the offseason.

ESI: There are six players on the roster at the moment. How are you planning to rotate them?

FrosT: No plan. Nope. It’s a five-man roster. Derrick ‘Deryeon’ Yee fought for his spot; he wasn’t able to get it. But in case of an emergency, he’ll fit right in. 

ESI: You mentioned that the team didn’t have much time to practice together and that there were no Off//Season events left to participate in. Do you think this will affect your on-stage performance?

FrosT: I am slightly concerned about the lack of practice. For instance, our first scrim together was December 6th. Think about that, right? Sometimes I’m not sure whether we’re really ready. We win a lot of our scrims, but because of the timeline, if we’re winning on a particular map consistently, we move on to the next map.

Over time, it’s hard to gauge whether you’re actually good, because you’re never playing the same team on the same map, so you can’t see adjustments they have made. You’re kind of rolling the dice and assuming scrim performance will match stage performance.

Some of the mistakes we make when I do VOD review are indicative of a lack of chemistry. Sometimes in one round, three people think three different things, and you can hear it in the comms. So yeah, it’s a big concern. But overall, I still think we’re strong enough to beat anyone on any day.

Even though people think we’ll lose to VARREL because they’re the favourites, I don’t necessarily think that roster is better, especially having watched their games. I feel good about our chances to qualify and about what we’re doing with comms and how our veto looks.

ESI: Who takes the final in-game calls?

FrosT: Savva ‘Kr1stal’ Fedorov and PatMen help mid-round, but for the most part, xavi8k is the IGL. Given that he’s only been doing this for a month with this team, I think he’s doing a fine job. There are things he can improve, especially if our goal is to make Champs, but given the time we’ve had, I’m pretty happy with the results. He’s really solid.

ESI: In VCT Pacific and China especially, we have seen organisations work with scrim partners. Did Global Esports have anyone to help with preparation?

FrosT: No and hence, not having an Academy team has been really hard for me. At TALON, I used the Academy team a lot over the last few years. It’s something we’re trying to work through, but it’s been difficult.

It’s also hard because of scrim availability. For instance, we have a Korean team we play, which limits the amount of teams we can scrim because of what happened in the Pacific in the past. Chinese teams were on break, and it’s hard to know if you’re actually good when the teams you’re scrimming aren’t at the same calibre as your tier-one opponents.

ESI: As a coach, what challenges do you think VCT teams will face with the current agent balancing, Breeze changes, and the release of the new pistol?

FrosT: I think a lot of teams are going to struggle. Similar to last year, some of the best teams may not actually be able to perform at that level because of the changes. For example, Breeze is very different and we only started practising it recently. They changed the map, so you can’t run old strategies.

The new pistol is interesting, Francis ‘OXY’ Hoang said after the Americas Day 1 that the Bandit is as strong as a Guardian on pistol rounds, which could cause a big meta shift. The new map pool is weird, Abyss is in, and Veto — first off, stupid name for an agent given that map veto exists — is very strong.

I don’t think you’re going to see the best VALORANT early on, especially in the Pacific. Even if we come out as the first seed and reach the playoffs, I’m not sure I’d believe we’re the best team because so much changed so quickly. A map and a pistol coming in 12 days before competition is really tough.

But overall, franchising is hard and unforgiving. If you don’t perform, it doesn’t matter how good you think your roster is.

ESI: It’s a positive step that Riot is rewarding consistency through Championship Points and now, with the introduction of a triple-elimination bracket.

FrosT: I would like to get on my soapbox about that. People think the current structure is rewarding consistency, but I disagree. That’s not true. TALON placed fourth in Kickoff last year, sixth in Stage 1 with three rookies, third in Stage 2 playoffs and we didn’t go to Champions. DRX won Kickoff and were a point away from missing Champs. 

T1 won a Major and barely made it by one point in a tie break and we beat them twice. The system doesn’t reward consistency the way people think it does. If you average out our placements in the 2025 season, we basically placed fourth on average and certainly we deserved to be at every event.

ESI: So, according to you, should an average performance across events be taken into consideration?

FrosT: For sure, Split 1 playoffs shouldn’t mean more than Split 2 playoffs. It’s very weird that there’s also a Champions slot awarded for that. But in general, it’s their system, they get to do what they want. I just don’t think it actually rewards the consistency that they think it does.

ESI: Talking to Esports Insider, babybay mentioned that there could be a situation at Kickoff where a team might lose the Upper, Middle, and Lower Finals. What are your thoughts on that scenario?

FrosT: Yeah, that will happen. I’m pretty sure it’s going to happen. That’s three best-of-fives. Unfortunately, that’s just the way the system is. I don’t think it’s right or wrong. I will say, though, that three losses is a really interesting and different way to do it, so I’m all for it.

I think I’m going to like this system more than the previous ones. It’s kind of a weird Swiss-system-ish format. I’m excited to try it, but yes, one team could get screwed in that way, and that’s okay.

However, the reason I think they’re at such a disadvantage is because they have to play three meaningful best-of-fives back-to-back-to-back. That’s a lot of study. Also, that’s a lot of information people can dig into and get a really good idea of the team and their strategies. That’s going to be very hard on the coaching staff, for sure.

BNK FEARX has appointed Yoo Hee-ji as its new General Manager, marking this the first time a woman has held the role since the League of Legends Champions Korea (LCK) adopted its franchising model.

According to an announcement released by the organisation, the appointment formed part of a wider leadership and structural overhaul approved during a board meeting on January 22nd. As part of the changes, BNK FEARX also rebranded its operating entity from SBXG Co., Ltd. to FearX Co., Ltd., aligning the company name with its esports organisation.

The organisation said the move was designed to create brand consistency across its competitive and commercial operations, with all future initiatives operating under the unified FEARX name.

Yoo Hee-ji, newly appointed General Manager at BNK FEARX, is a long-standing figure in the Korean esports industry, with experience spanning team operations and competitive management. Her appointment has drawn attention not only for its seniority but also for its historical significance within the LCK ecosystem, where leadership roles at franchised teams have traditionally been held by men.

Alongside Yoo’s appointment, BNK FEARX confirmed that Kim Hae-chan has been promoted to Chief Executive Officer. Kim previously served as the team’s General Manager throughout 2025 and was credited by the organisation for overseeing a period of competitive growth.

The leadership changes follow a strong competitive year for FEARX. The team won the League of Legends Asia Invitational 2025, and has since carried that form into the ongoing LCK Cup 2026.

Beyond management changes, the organisation is also continuing its brand consolidation efforts offline. Its Jonggak clubhouse café, previously operating as Mouse Potato Café, has been rebranded to FEARX Café, incorporating updated FEARX and NEXX intellectual property throughout the venue. The team previously competed as Sandbox Gaming and Liiv SANDBOX.

According to the announcement, BNK FEARX plans to use its recent momentum to further strengthen the FEARX brand and explore additional global business opportunities under its unified identity.

Finally, the long-awaited Deadlock major update has arrived, and it’s the biggest one yet. Released on January 22, 2026, Old Gods, New Blood comes with a wealth of new content, gameplay improvements, and sweeping visual overhauls. 

Valve’s 6v6 MOBA hero shooter hybrid continues to improve with every update, and this patch brings new heroes, a fast-paced mode, a full map overhaul, and even fleshes out the game’s occult setting. New players and returning veterans, here’s everything you need to know about Deadlock’s latest update.

The biggest highlight of the Old Gods, New Blood major update is that a batch of six new heroes is coming to Deadlock. However, much like the last time Deadlock released a batch of new characters, their staggered release will depend on community votes.

Two characters will arrive in the Cursed Apple every week on Mondays and Thursdays, starting from January 26. Players can earn the right to vote simply by playing Standard or the new mode Street Brawl (more on that later). The first win of the day counts as four additional votes. Players can cast their votes in the Hideout between rounds.

As of now, the only official data we have on the six characters is their name, small descriptive tags from Valve, and beautiful splash art. Here are the first impressions of the characters that may help sway your vote:

One fortunate addition is that players will now also earn priority tokens while completing matches, which they can use to secure one of the new heroes during match selection. Campaign season has officially started, and it’s time for you to vote for which Deadlock hero will release first. Make your case in-game using sprays or Deadlock’s online forums to have better chances for your chosen hero to get in faster.

Another highlight of the Deadlock’s major update is the introduction of Street Brawl. The Casual mode pits two teams of four players against each other in one cramped lane over a best-of-five match. Each round only takes a couple of minutes, ending whenever one side manages to destroy a Guardian.

Additionally, players don’t buy items but are instead presented with a batch of three items they can choose to add to their inventory each round. If they’re lucky, they can even earn an Enhanced or Legendary item in the mix.

There is no farming in this game mode. Every player starts with equal resources, and every round is a chance to breathe and come back from a bad start. 

While it is a fast-paced take on the game, players can still experience the chaotic skirmishes of Deadlock firsthand without the time investment or the Soul disadvantage. It’s a great way for new players to dive deep into Deadlock’s fun combat, without burdening them with the game’s more complicated aspects.

The basics of Deadlock’s lore are that two Patrons, supernatural deities trying to enter the world, task Occultists to help them complete their ritual while simultaneously preventing the other Patron from completing their mission. In exchange, the Patrons promise to grant them their wish.

The scale of these elder gods wasn’t properly depicted by grumpy floating ice cream cones and makeshift bases made from unfinished concrete. However, the Old Gods, New Blood update took special attention to flesh out the look and bases of each side.

The Amber Hand and Sapphire Flame Patrons are gone, replaced by the secretive Hidden King and powerful Archmother. Their bases were also fitted to their stature, the former depicted by a rundown hideout, while the other resembles a grand chapel. Additionally, their troopers also received a makeover to better reflect their masters.

Deadlock’s bases were not the only ones to receive a makeover, as the Cursed Apple itself is also changing along with it. Jump into a custom match and thoroughly move through the map to discover all the new locations and tweaks.

Deadlock’s newest update also brings tons of quality-of-life changes, polishing the game to a near-finished state. One change is that the postgame summary and MVP scoring system have received a touch-up, more accurately highlighting standout performances in each match.

In-game, Deadlock has received reactive portraits that change based on your performance and condition during the game. For example, earning a kill streak will show your character having a smug portrait, flaunting it for everyone to see. Meanwhile, a character with low health will have a beat-up portrait, showing that they’re a few hits away from dying.

Other small but meaningful improvements include:

All of these improvements come together to make Deadlock better with every update, giving it the level of detail and polish Valve is known for in its previous games.

Old Gods, New Blood marks a major turning point for Deadlock, delivering fresh content and a much-needed layer of polish. Valve is gearing up Deadlock for something bigger, as its playtesting state is already better than most competitive games out there. If this is what Deadlock looks like during public testing, the full release will be something special.

Whether you’re a newcomer or a returning player casting a vote for Rem, now’s the best time to jump into Deadlock.

Over the last five years, Timofey ‘Chronicle’ Khromov has established himself as one of the most accomplished VALORANT athletes in the history of the esports title.

However, after three successful years of competing for Fnatic, he decided to follow the footsteps of his former teammate, Nikita ‘Derke’ Sirmitev, and make the switch to EMEA rival Team Vitality. 

While many within the VALORANT community have set their eyes on this new ‘superteam’, Chronicle’s expectations for the 2026 VCT season remain the same as always.

“There is a thing that I always say in any interview, to any teammate at any time: ‘No expectations’. For me, the most important thing in the game is having fun, and after that, everything comes with it,” Chronicle told Esports Insider in an exclusive interview after his first series win at VCT EMEA Kickoff.

“Like, if you don’t have fun, you will never enjoy it. And even if you win, again, without fun, of course, it will not be enjoyable. So what’s the point in even playing the game at that point? Even with the losses, you can sometimes enjoy what you did,” continued the player. 

“And if this will be another year of me losing a Champs, maybe last place or maybe again in second, it doesn’t matter. If we win, we win all the same.”

Chronicle won his first global trophy (Masters Berlin 2021) when he competed for Gambit Esports alongside VALORANT esports icons such as Ayaz ‘nAts’ Akhmetshin and Igor ‘Redgar’ Vlasov. 

Like all members from this legendary roster, Chronicle was part of orgless team M3 Champions in early 2022. In the 2023 season, he joined Fnatic, one of the partner teams for Riot Games’ semi-franchised VALORANT Champions Tour (VCT). 

It was on Fnatic, where the Russian player first competed alongside Derke, who had joined the UK-based organisation a year prior. Together, the two players helped Fnatic become a historic name in competitive VALORANT, claiming two international titles (2023 LOCK//IN São Paulo and Masters Tokyo 2023) in one season.

However, for the 2025 VCT season, Derke and Chronicle played on different teams for the first time in two years. While Derke joined Team Vitality’s first attempt at a superteam, Chronicle had another successful year with Fnatic, reaching second place at both Masters Toronto and Champions Paris. Following Chronicle’s move to Team Vitality, the two are reunited again for the 2026 VCT campaign.

“Yeah, it feels good because I’ve known him as a person for a long time and also as a player,” shared Chronicle. 

“I know which things he’s pretty strong at, and even in this match [against ULF Esports], he showed them all, all those qualities that he has as a person. So I’m pretty happy for him. And I’m also happy to play alongside him and support him whenever I can.”

On Fnatic, Chronicle also spent three years under the leadership of one of VALORANT’s most experienced in-game leaders (IGLs), Jake ‘Boaster’ Howlett.

Meanwhile, Team Vitality recently signed Elias ‘Jamppi’ Olkkonen as its new IGL for the 2026 VCT season. Jamppi has been competing in tier-one for almost five years, but only took over the role of IGL when playing for BBL Esports in the 2025 season. Still, Chronicle believes in the unique leadership style of his new IGL. 

According to the former Fnatic player, there are two main differences between Boaster’s and Jamppi’s approach to the role: “The key things I will say between both of them is that Boaster loves to have very clean, properly polished defaults and set rounds. I think it’s his style of always being fully prepared, while Jamppi is more able to go into adaptations and improvising.

“I think another one is kind of a mentality, and also his energy, the way he gives it. […] He has that aggressive energy in him, and maybe some of the people who watched this match saw how much energy he gives, for example, after the rounds when we’re winning the rounds. 

“While it still does the same job, it gives other teammates enough energy to continue playing and be focused on the same level.”

He continued: “Like Boaster is more entertaining, and Jamppi is more focused on the team itself and keeping everyone in the same boat.”

Team Vitality’s first match of the season was an incredibly clean 2-0 sweep against one of the two EMEA Ascension 2025 teams, ULF Esports. 

“I don’t think ULF in particular played really badly. I think it was maybe some stress from their team members. Maybe because it was the literal first match in VCT for all five of them. Like it is really tough to play like that,” commented Chronicle after the series.

The match against ULF also saw Team Vitality pick Breeze for the very first time since the map received its major rework and returned to VALORANT’s competitive map pool ahead of VCT Kickoff. For this occasion, Chronicle frequently purchased the Odin to help lock down sites on Breeze’s defence.

When asked whether it was him or Team Vitality’s coaching staff that encouraged his Odin usage, Chronicle replied: “It was a bit of both, to be honest. I previously was a pretty good Odin player before, especially when I played on recon initiator roles like back, for example, in the days when I played for Gambit. I was consistently doing Odin plays. Maybe some old [viewers] really remember I was doing some insane clutches on Ascent all the time with the Odin.”

Chronicle further explained why he considers the Odin so strong in the current meta, particularly on Breeze.

“I think Odin on this map is pretty good because it lets not only, for example, recon players, but also even smokers actually fully destroy many execs for the team,” he said.

“A lot of spammable walls, also very straight chokes, very neat to spam. You have some easy lines to spam. And I mean, on Odin, it’s pretty easy to play there. As an anchor or as an initiator, I think that might be the meta for the next few months,” emphasised the 23-year old player.

Whilst Team Vitality’s debut at VCT EMEA Kickoff was a success all around, the superteam is still missing one of its key star players. Ștefan ‘Sayonara’ Mîtcu is meant to be Vitality’s new duelist prodigy, but cannot compete in VCT until his 18th birthday in March. 

Therefore, the team will rely on stand-in Bartosz ‘UNFAKE’ Bernacki for the whole of Kickoff and potentially Masters Santiago, the first global event of the year. The Polish player had a short stint with Team Vitality last season and has now returned to fill the gaps on the 2026 roster.

“Even without Sayonara, we really want to go to Chile. It’s obviously kind of our main goal going into Kickoff. And without Sayonara or with him, it wouldn’t really matter for us,” assured Chronicle. 

Moreover, Chronicle is confident in UNFAKE’s capability to adapt to different roles as needed by the team.

“I think it’s also very important to mention UNFAKE’s abilities because he really surprised everyone on the team,” shared Chronicle. 

He added: “On some other maps, we obviously had to test some stuff. And on some of the maps, we’ll probably have him on not just Sova or Fade, and that’s already kind of a challenge. I think he did it really well, at least in scrims. We’ll find out in officials how it will go.”

Team Vitality will be back on the VCT EMEA stage later today, facing off against Team Liquid in the upper bracket. The match will be broadcast via the league’s official Twitch and YouTube channels. 

Call of Duty: Warzone developer Raven Software has revealed a new game mode to expand the competitive side of the battle royale title.

Known as Iron Gauntlet, the mode makes its debut as part of the Season 2 update launching on February 5th, 2026.

Revealed in a social media post, Iron Gauntlet will launch in beta, enabling the developer to monitor feedback and data that will determine where the mode will fit in Warzone’s existing range of competitive modes.

Described as an evolution of the Iron Trials mode from previous seasons, the mode will use the title’s large map with several tuned features, including the loot pool and player health values.

“Iron Gauntlet represents an important step forward in refining competition for traditional battle royale, as well as an opportunity for us to experiment with a fresh mode with the long-term health of competition in Warzone in mind,” said Raven Software.

While Iron Gauntlet is active, Warzone’s Ranked Play Resurgence mode will be disabled temporarily. The decision to suspend the mode aims to unite competitive Warzone players in a single mode, resulting in stronger matchmaking and competition during matches.

Depending on the popularity of Iron Gauntlet, the mode enables Raven Software to determine which mode works best for competitive play. Combined with a dedicated circuit for Resurgence, the developer is actively looking at ways to improve Warzone’s competitive experience.

Notably, Call of Duty’s publisher hasn’t shared information on the World Series of Warzone, its circuit that uses larger maps and in-game qualifiers to give all players a chance of competing on the big stage.

Alongside the arrival of Iron Gauntlet to offer a new competitive experience, Activision has unveiled the Call of Duty Warzone Resurgence Series. Using the title’s fast-paced Resurgence mode, the esports circuit features three LAN events in addition to a $1.2m (~£884,711) prize pool.

Dallas Fuel has unveiled its roster competing in the 2026 Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) season.

The team, owned by North American esports organisation ENVY, will begin its season at the OWCS Pre-Season Bootcamp taking place from February 12th to 15th.

Announced on January 22nd, the roster marks Dallas Fuel’s return to Overwatch esports, three years after fielding a team in the now-defunct Overwatch League (OWL). During its six-year tenure in the franchised league, the team won the league in 2022.

The roster includes the North American trio of Christopher ‘Cjay‘ Smith, Rocco ‘Kronik‘ Iacobacci, and Luke ‘Lukemino‘ Fish, who will play the roles of Support and DPS. The pair of Cjay and Kronik joins after representing Spacestation Gaming in 2025, while Lukemino makes the step up to the OWCS after winning the Overwatch Collegiate Homecoming Fall 2025 Open under the Illinois State University banner.

“We are very excited to return to Overwatch and also very happy to welcome this roster as an OWCS partner,” said ENVY owner Mike ‘Hastr0‘ Rufail on social media. “This is a new beginning for the most storied team in Overwatch esports history.”

Joining the American trio is the South Korean pair of Park ‘SeonJun‘ Seon-jun and Kim ‘Kellan‘ Min-jae. In 2025, Kellan represented Spacestation Gaming from January to August, while SeonJun joins from WAY, which ended 2025 with victory at the G-Star Cup.

The Pre-Season Bootcamp is the first opportunity OWCS partner teams gain access to unreleased content and the competitive build of Overwatch 2. Taking place from February 12th to 15th in Seoul, South Korea, 11 partner teams and an invited Japanese roster will take part in the showmatch.

Although no prize pool is on the line, the bootcamp provides teams with an opportunity to test their respective line-ups before Stage 1 of the OWCS begins in March.

Dallas Fuel is one of the most recognisable names in Overwatch esports. With ENVY’s recent return to esports, it’s no surprise to see the organisation revive the brand as it returns to the hero shooter title.