As Europe melts thanks to the sun, it is officially summer and that can only mean one thing. We are almost ready for the glut of mid-season tournaments and world championships to kick off. The Cologne Major got things underway with an incredible matchup in the final, and now as we progress into July we have the likes of the Esports World Cup, MSI, The International and tons more just a matter of weeks away.
But with so much excitement coming up it’s also important to look back at what June bought, to make sure that you haven’t missed anything. From some major news from ourselves, to major mainstream recognition of esports’ biggest name, and the announcement of some massive events, June was certainly a busy one in the world of esports. So be sure to keep reading to make sure you are all up to speed.
Industry News
The Esports Awards And Esports World Cup Extend Partnership And Introduce New Award
We’ve extended our partnership with the Esports World Cup through to 2028, meaning we will continue to honour the industry’s best alongside one of the biggest events of the year. We’ve also revealed the new EWC Players’ Choice Award, where players who compete at EWC can vote for the player they think deserves recognition, although they can’t vote for themselves, obviously.
The FIA Is Looking For A New Sim Racing Partner
The FIA, the governing body of world motorsport, has released a request for proposals for a new sim racing circuit it plans to launch. Companies have been invited to submit suggestions on what the competition looks like, but this is a clear signal from the FIA that it wants to expand its presence in the world of esports, which it has dabbled with over the years with a handful of events. With the likes of Max Verstappen also expanding their esports endeavours this year, it seems that many in the motorsport world are looking to move into the digital world.
1Win Acquires Tundra Esports’ Dota 2 Roster
1Win has acquired the Dota 2 roster of Tundra Esports, in a rare move that sees a team move organisation just before the biggest events of the year. The former Tundra roster is one of the top Dota 2 teams in the world, having won multiple LAN events this season and earning a direct invitation to The International, as well as qualification to the Esports World Cup. With their position secured at these major events you would assume Tundra would keep the roster until the end of the season, but seemingly the offer from 1Win was too good to refuse and the team now has a new home. The roster was the last signed to Tundra, with the organisation now moving into content creation rather than competitive play.
Fortnite Global Championship Heads To Belgium
BLAST and Epic Games have announced that the Fortnite Global Championship will take place in Antwerp, Belgium later this year. The world championship for one of the biggest games in the world looks set to be a massive event, with 50 of the top Fortnite duos from around the world competing for a share of $2 million. The event runs on September 26th and 27th, leaving enough time for a new solos competition to run before the end of the year, with details expected to be released soon.
Krimz Leaves Fnatic After 12 Years
Counter-Strike legend Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson has left Fantic after being a part of the organisation’s CS roster for 12 years. Krimz joined Fnatic back in 2014, and bar a short two month stint with Godsent in 2016, has been a consistent member of the roster ever since. He was part of the legendary team that dominated some of the early CS:GO days, winning multiple Majors and countless LAN events. This is truly the end of an era, but with the Fnatic roster struggling over recent years it is not entirely a surprise. Krimz will go down as one of the all time greats, and it seems his career is not over yet, as he has joined former Fnatic teammate Jesper “JW” Wecksell on the EYEBALLERS roster.
Riot Brings Its Games To Kick With New Deal
Riot Games and streaming platform Kick have announced a new deal that will see streams for League of Legends, Valorant, TFT, and Wild Rift esports appear on the platform. The deal is already underway, kicking off with the MSI broadcast. With Kick becoming a popular alternative to Twitch over recent years, and their push to get more esports on the platform, this deal should come as no surprise and ultimately gives viewers even more choice of where to watch their favourite games.
Faker Listed In Time 100
League of Legends icon Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok was named in the Time 100 most influential people in sports in 2026 list, sitting alongside names such as Lionel Messi, LeBron James and Lando Norris. The list celebrates the biggest names in sports, with Faker being the lone esports representative. While the recognition is surely nice, we’re sure his multiple Esports Awards will continue to have pride of place in his house.
Tournament Results
Credit: Colin Young Wolff/Riot Games
Leviatán Wins Valorant Masters London
In one of the greatest lower bracket runs the esports world has ever seen Leviatán, won the Valorant Masters London event this month. The South American roster lost to Paper Rex in their opening match of the playoffs, but then went on to beat multiple top contenders such as Team Heretics, XLG Esports, Team Vitality and EDward Gaming to set up a rematch with Paper Rex in the final. Despite being just a few rounds from losing in map four, Leviatán went on an incredible run to turn things around and claim the trophy.
NiKo Finally Wins A Major At IEM Cologne
Considered as one of the best Counter-Strike players ever, Nikola “NiKo” Kovač had never won a Major in his 10 plus year career until IEM Cologne rolled around. With a roster change just weeks before the event that saw Finn “karrigan” Andersen reunite with NiKo many assumed it was too soon for the new look Falcons roster to stand a chance at the trophy. But the team proved everyone wrong, and took a dominant 3-0 win over Furia in the final to finally give one of the GOATs the Major trophy he deserves.
MSI Teams Set After Regional Leagues Conclude
The mid-point of the League of Legends season is here, with MSI kicking off in Daejeon, South Korea. That of course means the Spring Split, or local equivalent, for all the regional LoL leagues is in the books and multiple teams have lifted trophies. In news that will surprise no one, perennial LEC champions G2 Esports claimed another split victory, and in the LPL Bilibili Gaming took another title. In the LCK Hanwha Life Esports took the top spot after beating T1 and in the LCS LYON took a dominant victory. Rounding out the main regional leagues were Secret Whales lifting the LCP trophy and FURIA claiming the CBLOL trophy.
OpTic Texas Claim CDL Major 4, But Weren’t The Stars Of The Event
OpTic Texas took home the win at the Call of Duty League Major 4, beating out the LA Thieves 4-3 in a memorable grand final. But despite lifting the trophy, they were arguably not the stars of the event, with the home team of Paris Gentle Mates feeding off the crowd support to claim third place. Many would argue that it was the Parisian fans that were the stars of the show, with an atmosphere that could rival any other esports, or even sporting event. Off the back of that, the crowds at the Esports World Cup now have a lot to live up to!
Made in Thailand Dominate At PUBG PGS 2026 Circuit 2
The second major LAN meeting of the PUBG Battlegrounds season was dominated by a team few expected to be a title challenger heading in. The unique format where three LAN events are held in the same location back to back to back and the unpredictability of battle royales means it is usually hard for a single team to dominate, but Made in Thailand didn’t get that message, as they won two of the three tournaments, with their second win being one of the most convincing ever seen in PUBG. They now look to be a threat heading into EWC.
And Finally…
LoL Player Fined Over $22,000 For Missing Fan High Five
Chen “Bin” Zebin, a League of Legends player for Bilibili Gaming in the LPL has been fined ¥150,000 RMB, which is just over $22,000, for failing to high five fans after a game. The LPL rules state that players must take part in the post-match stage walkout, where they typically high five fans who have come to watch the game. However after their victory over EDward Gaming on June 3, Bin did not follow the required protocol and missed the activity, which has now resulted in a fine. It’s one of the more unique fines we’ve seen in esports, but considering Bilibili ended up winning the LPL, it’s likely the fine was barely noticeable on Bin’s paycheque for the month.
