TL;DR
- REJECT claimed Japan's Valorant title with a 3-2 upset over QT DIG∞ on July 26, earning a Pacific Play-In spot.
- Karmine Corp and G2 Esports both sit 2-0 after Week 1 of the LEC Summer split running under the Fearless Draft format.
- Patch 26.15 lands July 29 with a Bel'Veth rework, Alistar durability buff, and nerfs for Locke and Riven to reset the LoL meta.
- MLBB MSC 2026 group stage wraps today in Paris with Team Liquid eliminated and only four squads advancing to the bracket.
Tournaments and results
REJECT seized Japan's Valorant Challengers title on July 26, grinding past QT DIG∞ 3-2 at Arena Tachikawa in Tokyo. The grand final split five maps with REJECT closing on Ascent 13-6, punching their ticket to the Pacific Play-In and a shot at the VCT Pro Stage. (via VLR.gg)
Europe's League of Legends reboot on Fearless Draft kept the scripts torn to shreds through Week 1. Karmine Corp stayed flawless with a 2-0 start at the LEC Roadtrip in Paris, while G2 Esports matched their pace at 2-0. The nine-week run to Worlds qualification runs to September 6 with no mid-season breaks—early dominance won't translate into a coronation. (via Win.gg)
Paper Rex swept KIWOOM DRX 2-0 in Valorant Pacific Stage 2 play, keeping their qualification hopes alive while DRX faced another setback in Seoul. (via VLR.gg)
The PUBG EWC grand finals run through today with 16 of the world's best squads chasing the $650,000 top prize. Made in Thailand topped the group stage with 119 points, but standings reset for the finals bracket where every match hinges on survival. (via Esports.gg)
Patches and meta
League of Legends is about to turn the page. Patch 26.15 lands July 29 with a full Bel'Veth rework—Riot is pushing her late-game punch as a hyper carry—plus Alistar durability buffs and nerfs for Locke, Riven, Naafiri, and Sylas after weeks of post-tournament tuning. The same day brings League Classic, a nostalgia mode running early Summoner's Rift with pre-rework kits and the old 60-champion starting roster. (via Dot Esports)
Valorant handed Yoru his edge back in Patch 13.01 on July 14. Gatecrash stretched to 20 seconds from 15, and Fakeout clones now carry his last-held weapon instead of defaulting to his strongest gun. The Outlaw sniper took the hit with worse first-shot recovery, spread, and recoil—Riot was clear it overtuned the gun after a monster launch week. (via Dexerto)
Rosters and transfers
Counter-Strike's summer rostermania hit overdrive post-Cologne Major. HEROIC swapped rifler xfl0ud for Brollan and brought in MartinezSa as their recognized AWPer, while 100 Thieves signed Gizmy from Monte, the young British IGL. Luminosity returned to Counter-Strike with Monte's core trio—AZUWU, Bymas, and afro—plus Rainwaker, already stacking a squad. (via HLTV)
Valorant transfers kept flowing through mid-July. Inven Global's tracker logged personnel shifts across top teams, though specific team destinations remain fragmented across region-locked sources. The transfer window carries into the final VCT circuits as organizations lock rosters for the playoffs. (via Liquipedia Valorant)
Mobile esports
The Mobile Legends Mid Season Cup group stage wraps today in Paris with four teams punching into the bracket and the rest heading home. Team Liquid's title-defense run ended in the lower bracket after losing to Entity7, a harsh exit for defending champions in a $3.025 million field. Bigetron by Vitality and other regional powerhouses pile on points ahead of the July 29 knockout stage. (via GMA News Online)
The double-elimination format and Smash Rule—teams must Chicken Dinner on a match-point round to clinch—mean that bracket seeding matters as much as raw power. A peak of over one million concurrent viewers earlier in the week shows MLBB's gravitational pull on the esports audience, even while the year's biggest tournaments run concurrently in Paris. (via esports.gg)