The Gran Turismo World Series has announced that the opening round of the 2026 season will take place in Abu Dhabi.

Taking place at the Space42 Arena, 24 drivers will compete in the Nations Cup and the Manufacturers Cup to begin the four-round championship running throughout the year.

The first event taking place in Abu Dhabi coincides with the addition of the Yas Marina Circuit as part of Gran Turismo 7’s recent Spec III update. The Manufacturers Cup will see drivers represent the highest-ranked manufacturers from online qualifiers alongside Toyota and Mazda, the championship’s official partners.

One driver from each manufacturer will compete in each race. For round one, the top-ranked competitors from the Americas will compete for a chance to earn World Series Points.

The Nations Cup involves the top three players from 2025’s Gran Turismo World Series points standings, and the nine fastest drivers from this year’s online qualifiers. Four drivers from EMEA will earn a place, along with two from Central and South America. North America, Asia, and Oceania will have one driver representing their respective region.

Unlike other sim racing titles, the Gran Turismo World Series offers drivers opportunities to represent some of the largest car manufacturers in the world. Last year’s event saw Spanish driver José Serrano lift the Nations Cup, while Porsche won the Manufacturers Cup. Notably, the World Series doesn’t offer a monetary prize pool.

Launched in 2018, the event has seen some of its drivers transfer their skills into real-world motorsport. 2018’s Nations Cup champion Igor Fraga scored his first victory in the Japanese single-seater series, Super Formula.

Fraga isn’t the only sim racer to move from the virtual racetrack to the real thing. March 2025 saw four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen launch his own racing team, recruiting British sim racer Chris Lulham as one of the team’s three drivers.

Bilibili Gaming player Zhuo ‘Knight‘ Ding has been hospitalised following the organisation’s match against Dragon Ranger Gaming during VCT China Kickoff 2026.

According to the official announcement, the player experienced “a sudden episode of supraventricular tachycardia, with an abnormally high heart rate” backstage and was taken to the hospital for emergency treatment.

“After today’s matches concluded, player Knight suddenly experienced a rapid onset of physical discomfort in the locker room, with an abnormally elevated heart rate,” Bilibili Gaming said via a translated statement on its official Weibo handle.

The Chinese organisation also shared that Knight’s family has been informed regarding his condition. In addition to this, dedicated personnel will be assigned to closely monitor his treatment and assist with recovery through necessary medical support.

“The health of our players has always been the club’s top priority. We will strictly follow medical guidance, cooperate fully with all subsequent recovery work, and provide timely updates on Knight’s recovery progress. Here, we also sincerely thank everyone for their concern and care for Knight, and wish him a speedy recovery,” the organisation added.

Bilibili Gaming will return to the stage on February 8th to play its VALORANT Masters Santiago qualification match against the loser of the Upper Final. At the moment, it’s unclear whether Knight will compete in the upcoming series; however, an update from Bilibili Gaming is likely soon.

Editor’s Note: The quotes above have been translated from Chinese; therefore, there may be slight variations.

VCT China will be sending three teams to VALORANT Masters Santiago, with the first slot being decided on February 7th. The Upper Final will see All Gamers and Xi Lai Gaming battle for the region’s first seed, while the losing side will still get two additional chances at the qualification.

As mentioned above, Bilibili Gaming has reached the Middle Final, which will determine the second Chinese team heading to the first international VCT event of 2026. The final organisation representing China on the global stage will be confirmed with the Lower Final on February 9th. 

Fans will be able to catch all the action live on VCT China’s official Bilibili, Twitch and YouTube channels.

The 2026 edition of the EA Sports FC Pro World Championship will see players compete for a share of the event’s $1.5m (~£1.1m) prize pool.

Taking place from July 22nd to 26th as part of the Esports World Cup, the season-ending event for the EA Sports FC esports circuit will crown the EA Sports FC 26 world champion.

Unveiled on February 6th, this year’s prize pool is an increase of $500,000 (~£367,430) from last year’s event, which also featured as part of the Esports World Cup. This is due to the Esports World Cup Foundation‘s existing collaboration with Electronic Arts (EA).

A total of 36 players will earn qualification for the tournament through the FC Pro Partner Leagues and the World Championship Play-Ins. Two players earn a place at the main event through the partner leagues, while another eight can qualify through the FC Pro Open circuit.

Players compete across six rounds of best-of-one matches, with the top 24 advancing to the playoffs. The bottom 12 after six rounds are eliminated.

The playoffs see the remaining players compete in a single-elimination, best-of-one bracket to determine the eventual champion.

Throughout 2025 and the beginning of 2026, the EA FC esports scene has continued showing signs of growth, with several esports organisations signing players to compete in regional and international tournaments.

On February 1st, Team Falcons’ Anders ‘Vejrgang‘ Vejrgang won the FC Pro Open, becoming the first EA Sports FC players to win over $1m in prize money. As a result of securing the victory, Vejrgang is among the eight players who have already secured a place at the World Championship.

In addition to increasing prize pools, viewing figures continue to climb. The FC Pro Open became the sixth most-watched EA FC esports event in history, peaking at 219,666 viewers.

Following the launch of Ranked Play for Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, several players loading into the action are getting their first taste of Overload, a new objective-based game mode featured in the Call of Duty League (CDL).

With both casual and professional players competing in Ranked Play matches, several have criticised the mode due to bugs impacting gameplay and communication difficulties with teammates.

Overload involves players battling for control of a neutral EMP device. To score points, the carrier must run through one of two scoring zones located on the opposite side of the map. The team with the most points at the end of the match is declared the winner.

Shortly after Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 Ranked Play’s launch as part of the Season 2 update, players encountered a bug enabling them to see the location of the opposition while they’re in control of the device.

“Overload is the worst game mode ever added,” wrote content creator JonReflex on social media. “They really thought it was a good idea to give everyone unlimited wallhacks?”

In addition to content creators highlighting issues with players accidentally appearing on the map, Kaden ‘Exceed‘ Stockdale from the Carolina Royal Ravens has also shared his frustrations.

“Overload is really, really bad in ranked play,” he commented.

Former Cloud9 and Evil Geniuses player John ‘Xotic‘ Bruno believes Treyarch’s changes to the mode have failed to improve its viability for competitive play.

“They’ve made Overload miles worse. I don’t know why they changed it,” Xotic stated.

Overload requires plenty of coordination and communication for teams to outplay their opponents, both in Ranked Play and within the CDL. Problematic communication is problematic can make it difficult for players to execute strategies and compete for victory.

That said, the best players in the world still continue to master Overload and its nuances. Despite the criticism, the mode is here to stay and acts as a unique alternative to Hardpoint and Search and Destroy.

When Steam is down, it feels like the entire gaming world is on pause. While sudden outages are usually temporary, they affect purchases, matchmaking, trading, downloads, and updates, which can completely ruin your plans.

This naturally leads players to ask, “When will the Steam servers come back online?” In case there’s any doubt, you can find the latest status updates and tips on what to do when Steam servers are unavailable in this guide.

No, the Steam server status is currently stable across most global regions (last checked: 12:07 UTC on February 6, 2026)

Most players are reporting a smooth experience with no major disruptions today. That said, we did notice some brief hiccups during the routine Tuesday maintenance period, but the network is currently working for most players.

If you’re experiencing Steam connectivity issues, it might be a local or regional issue.

There’s no fixed timeframe for Steam outages, as they usually depend on the cause. However, most unexpected outages are short and are often resolved within minutes once Valve identifies the issue.

Routine Steam maintenance typically lasts 10–30 minutes and is designed to keep services running smoothly. In rare cases, especially during larger updates or technical problems, it can take a few hours for the Steam servers to come back online.

If Steam is down, you can still play many of your games in Offline Mode. As long as you are already logged in, you can still play single-player titles without a problem, provided that they don’t require an internet connection.

When Steam is down, it’s only natural that you’d want to know what the reason is and—more importantly—how long you’ll have to wait to get back into your game.

Here are some foolproof ways to check if the Steam servers are down:

Understanding why Steam servers are down helps take the stress out of a frustrating situation. Most of the time, it boils down to a few common reasons:

Steam goes down on Tuesdays because Valve runs routine platform maintenance during that time, usually between 1:00 and 3:00 PM PT.

These service windows usually last only a few minutes, but they’re the most common reason Steam servers go down.

During this time, shared backend systems can also pause, which is why critical game services, such as the Dota 2 game coordinator, may temporarily go offline. Your friends list, downloads, or store pages might also momentarily stop loading.

The easiest way to tell if the Steam outage is global or affecting only your device is to check status trackers. You can also check your friends list—if you see friends online but cannot join a game, it might be a global problem.

If you suspect the issue is on your end, start with the basics: restart your Steam client, your PC, and your router. These quick fixes may seem “simple,” but they resolve the majority of common connection and syncing problems.

If that doesn’t work, you can try the following troubleshooting steps:

At the start of the season, the LCK and the LCP introduced ‘Coach Comms’, an experimental feature that adds another variable to the League of Legends esports scene. 

For the first time ever, LCP and LCK team coaches can communicate directly with players in the game, similar to how engineers talk to their drivers in Formula 1. 

While it’s definitely a notable experiment, reactions from League of Legends coaches and players have been mixed. Ultimately, it has boiled down to one open discussion: are Coach Comms a genuine competitive tool? Or just another gimmick that will tune out over time?

Coach Comms is a new system introduced at the start of the 2026 season. It essentially allows members of any team’s coaching staff to interact directly with the players in-game and acts as an extra tool of communication.

Over the past 15 years, League of Legends coaches only affected the team’s performance pre-game, through preparation, drafting, and strategy discussions. Once the players entered Summoner’s Rift, coaches lost all their influence until the end of the game. 

The new system aims to change that, giving an additional way to help teams perform on a higher level. This year’s Coach Comms allows coaching staff members to communicate with the team up to three times in a single game, with each intervention lasting up to 45 seconds. 

That being said, the initial sentiment regarding Coach Comms didn’t have much enthusiasm, as several coaches stated it would be a ‘new variable to manage’.

Gen.G head coach Ryu ‘Ryu’ Sang-wook, for instance, downplayed the impact at the start of the LCK Media Day: “I don’t think it will have a big impact, and it’ll probably play out similarly (to before),” he previously stated. 

Having said that, not having a big impact doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant. Now that the LCK Cup Group stage is over, let’s see what the pros and cons of Coach Comms are and which teams can benefit the most from it.

One of the most compelling arguments in favour of Coach Comms is that the coach can give extra inputs when teams seem to struggle to play the map according to the game state.

BNK FearX head coach Park ‘Edo’ Jun-seok suggested it could help when players are “in a rush” and need more coordination. It can be helpful to reduce chaos in moments where players seem lost and need to quickly reassess.

This feedback was further reinforced by KT Rolster’s mid laner Gwak ‘Bdd’ Bo-seong, who admitted that the system turned out to be more helpful than expected. He expressed that the continued guidance in the matches can be ‘very useful’, making sure that the players are playing according to the plan or extra reminders on how to play out the map better.

The other big benefit of using Coach Comms is the opportunity to help players maintain a good mental focus during the game. There are several historical instances where players struggled with tilt and the stress that comes with playing highly competitive matches. 

With this system, a coach can intervene and look to prevent excessive tilt, which can potentially help reduce mistakes that negatively impact the game. This aspect was supported by DN SOOPers’ head coach Ju ‘oDin’ Yeong-dal, who suggested it could help with ‘mental care’.

While the aforementioned aspects help the players in-game, Coach Comms also has indirect benefits for the viewers. 

The LCK has been using the new system to give fans a new team perspective by broadcasting segments of the communication between players and coaches. Alongside providing viewers with more content, it aims to also give clearer insights into the impact a coach can have on a team. This area, in particular, has often been questioned by the community in the League of Legends scene. 

While the upsides seem to be clear, there are some downsides to Coach Comms. T1 jungler Mun ‘Oner’ Hyeon-jun previously stated in an interview that his team doesn’t really use Coach Comms and even warned that the use can cause him to lose focus. This means Coach Comms can be detrimental when used during specific moments of a match where players need to remain sharp.

Hanwha Life Esports head coach Yoon ‘Homme’ Sung-youn was also worried about this aspect. Even though the coach’s input can be correct, the potential distraction caused by an additional voice can be greater.

League of Legends GOAT Lee ‘Faker Sang-hyeok acknowledged all the points explained above. “I think coach voice comms can be useful for pointing out things the team is missing mid-game. On the other hand, it can also break the flow and make it harder to maintain focus,” he explained in a post-match interview.

Overall, Coach Comms is not a must-have for all teams, but it seems to be beneficial for specific squads who might need extra guidance. 

In other words, it comes down to the individual teams to understand whether it can help improve overall on-stage performances. Generally speaking, the teams that may benefit from it the most are organisations with new rosters, those that struggle with finding synergy, or teams that lack an in-game shotcaller.

Coaches can’t change a player’s in-game mechanics, but their intervention can help those who require additional guidance and alignment between players, especially on macro plays.

Another segment of teams that can best use the new system is those who are more prone to underperform under stress or tilt. Coaches can help maintain composure and discipline through encouraging words. While it may be a subtle aspect, it can be a game-changer in high-stakes matches.

However, whilst the intention of a coach may be to help in this instance, it is not guaranteed that this will benefit the player. In fact, it’ll largely be case-by-case basis, with some players potentially becoming more stressed if another voice is suddenly added to in-game communication. 

Ultimately, though, for teams like T1, which already have long-standing synergy and a well-established framework, the benefits of Coach Comms are much more limited.

There are over 150 weapon skin collections in VALORANT, but not every one of them is worth burning a hole in your pocket. While they don’t offer any competitive edge, the best VALORANT skins bring unique satisfaction with every bullet fired or knife slashed. From dragon-powered rifles to sleek sci-fi designs, skins have evolved from simple cosmetics into a core part of the game’s identity.

VALORANT might be a tactical shooter at its core, but its skin game is anything but subtle. Over the years, Riot Games has turned weapon skins into mini spectacles, complete with custom sounds, animations, and finishers that make every kill feel cinematic. The best weapons in VALORANT can take your game to the next level, as can selecting the best agents. However, skins may not improve your aim, but they definitely bring a significant difference in the shooting experience.

Here are the 10 best VALORANT skin collections in 2026.

While a “best skins” list is naturally subjective, we’ve considered multiple factors while putting ours together. For starters, these skin collections are popular in both pro and ranked play. Some are newer releases, while others have been fan favourites for years. This ranking also weighs design quality, in-game feel, and VFX-SFX pairings.

Personal preference will always play a role in choosing the best VALORANT skins, but these rankings prioritise creativity, finish, and how memorable each collection feels in actual matches.

This is one of those skin collections that proves less can be more. Recon skins come with no flashy VFX or glowing effects, but a lot of flair. This iconic collection leans into a simple military aesthetic: realistic designs, randomised cosmetic attachments, and grounded SFX. No wonder, it’s a favourite among minimalist players who want clean aim without distraction.

Best Recon skins: Ghost, Phantom, Guardian, Recon Butterfly melee

If you love nature and want its beauty reflected in your VALORANT skins, then Gaia’s Vengeance is the perfect collection for you. Featuring a wooden base structure, glowing vines, and a finisher that literally spawns a beautiful tree, it’s one of the most visually unique and elegant collections in the game. 

Best Gaia’s Vengeance skins: Shorty, Ghost, Phantom, Vandal, Marshal

The RGX 11z Pro collection comes with weapons that feel like you’re wielding new-age RGB gaming hardware. The switching LED lights and clean digital aesthetic are perfect for players who love a futuristic vibe without much visual drama. 

Best RGX 11z Pro skins: Vandal, Phantom, Spectre

EX.O delivers a sleek sci-fi experience with sharp features and polished animations. It’s futuristic without being noisy, making it appealing to players who want premium flair without compromising visual clarity. It also features one of the best VALORANT Vandal skins released recently.

Best EX.O skins: Vandal, Sheriff, Spectre

This collection became an instant hit with its Japanese-inspired aesthetics and stormy VFX. Its flowing visuals and crisp and musical sound design make every bullet feel impactful. The finisher turns the battlefield into a rainy landscape, making the chase for the final kill feel completely worth it. 

Best Kuronami skins: Vandal, Sheriff, Marshal, Kuronami no Yaiba melee

Phaseguard blends sci-fi with fantasy to create skins that feel minimal yet stylish. From its standout canted-sight hold to the reality-warping finisher and smooth SFX-VFX pairing, everything about this collection feels just right.

Best Phaseguard skins: Ghost, Vandal, Phaseguard Splitter melee 

The Radiant Entertainment System is, hands down, one of the most creative skin lines Riot has ever released. It’s a love letter to retro arcade games, made complete with pixel-style effects and playful finishers. Every variant feels distinctly different, and it’s understandably one of the priciest skin collections of VALORANT.

Best Radiant Entertainment System skins: The entire collection

Yet another pricey collection, Evori Dreamwings is one of the most adorable skin bundles in VALORANT. Leaning into a whimsical fantasy theme, its bright, glowy colours, cute interactive creatures, and magical effects make these skins stand apart. It also comes with one of the best finishers in the game.

Best Evori Dreamwings skins: Vandal, Ghost, Evori Spellcaster melee 

Araxys skins draw power from alien technology, resulting in smooth transforming animations and an aggressive audio design that makes them incredibly satisfying. It’s premium, intimidating, and stylish all at once.

Best Araxys skins: Sheriff, Vandal, Phantom, Araxys Bio-Atomizers melee

Mystbloom takes the top spot on this list of best VALORANT skin collections by blending elegance, fantasy, and premium polish almost perfectly. The flowers-meet-magic aesthetic feels refreshing in a game dominated by tech-heavy, sci-fi, and darker cosmetics. Even with its bold, musical SFX-VFX combo, the skins never feel overwhelming, letting you line up satisfying headshots every time. The real highlight, though, is the stunning finisher that transforms the battlefield into a garden of dreams.

Best Mystbloom skins: Phantom, Sheriff, Vandal, Operator, Mystbloom Fanblade melee