Ilya Davydov, better known as Maddyson, publicly stated that the high online numbers for Dota 2 and CS2 broadcasts on Twitch are largely the result of artificial inflation. In a message shared on his Telegram channel, he argued that many content creators do not choose these games out of genuine preference, but rather because outside parties push them into doing so.

Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato, a member of FURIA Esports' CS2 roster, has singled out a young prospect he believes could make a significant impact on the professional scene in 2026. In an interview, KSCERATO named 15-year-old rifler Gustavo "gtw" Porfirio as a player to watch, praising his potential while offering cautionary advice for the teenager's development.

The creators of Stranger Things, brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, revealed in an interview with Josh Horvitz that the series nearly ended differently, though they ultimately abandoned that idea because it didn’t fit with other developments in the story.

Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato, a member of FURIA Esports’ CS2 roster, discussed the team’s achievements in 2025 in an interview with HLTV.org. He assessed the season as one in which the squad outperformed what many expected, despite some uneven results late in 2024 and at the start of 2025.

German organisation BIG has announced it has parted ways with Lukas "FreeZe" Hegmann, ending his brief three-month spell as the main roster's in-game leader. The move closes a short chapter in which FreeZe took over leadership responsibilities at the highest level of the organisation.

The esports organisation BIG has announced a change to its CS2 roster: the club has ended its cooperation with team captain Lucas "FreeZe" Hegeman. The organisation published the news on its social media channels, confirming that FreeZe is no longer part of the squad.

Images and other data allegedly connected to the next installment in The Sims franchise have appeared online, according to reports. The material — said to show character models created in a new editor — was published by a community outlet that covers The Sims series.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has warned that the film industry is passing through a critical turning point: traditional movie theaters are losing popularity while streaming platforms continue to strengthen their position. He raised these concerns in an interview with The Times, reflecting on how viewing habits and distribution have shifted in recent years.

David Danielyan, better known by his handle n0rb3r7, a member of the HOTU CS2 roster, publicly commented on his team's defeat in the final of META Cup Season 3. In a post on his personal Telegram channel he expressed clear dissatisfaction with the squad's level of play after the loss.

Eternal Fire have reduced their active roster after the organization announced that three players have been benched: Ömer 'imoRR' Karataş, Berat 'jresy' Özcan and Baha 'lugseN' Emir Şengül. The moves leave the team with only a handful of active personnel while management reshapes the lineup.

B8 Esports is reportedly considering signing a 16‑year‑old sniper from Spirit Academy Black to its CS2 roster. The information was shared by insider Vladislav Radvilovich, known as harumi, on his Telegram channel.

Azbayar Munkhbold, better known in the Counter-Strike 2 scene as Senzu, has expressed readiness to change his in-game role and become his team’s main sniper. This development was reported by HLTV.org, which cited its own sources for the information.

Esports organization FlyQuest has confirmed changes to its Counter-Strike 2 roster: Lulian, better known by his in-game name regali, has left the team. The club published the news on its official social media channels.

On 4 January at 18:00 MSK, Virtus.pro will face 1win Team in a best-of-three match as part of the closed European qualifiers for BLAST Slam VI in Dota 2. The encounter is one of the elimination matches in the qualifier bracket, with the winner advancing further and the loser exiting the event.

Ivan Zhivitsky, better known by his in-game name OneJey and a member of the Cheeki_Breeki Dota 2 roster, commented on his team's advancement into the closed qualifiers for BLAST Slam VI. His remarks were shared by the BLAST RU by BetBoom Telegram channel.

On January 4, Nigma Galaxy will meet Cheeki_Breeki in a closed European qualifier for BLAST Slam VI in Dota 2. Betting analysts at BetBoom indicate a preference for the Nigma Galaxy roster, which features the well-known carry SumaiL.

A Russian-language insider known as solutioN00 wrote on Telegram that Ville "myltsi" Vilkman, a member of ENCE's Counter-Strike 2 roster, may continue his professional career with another organization. The report does not specify any potential destination clubs or timelines for a move.

Streamer Vitaliy "Papich" Tsal expressed a blunt opinion on the relative merits of video games and board games, arguing that tabletop titles cannot compete with computer games and occupy a lower level of development and engagement.

Lotan “Spinx” Giladi, the rifler for MOUZ’s CS2 roster, has pointed to a young talent he believes could make a name for himself on the professional scene in 2026. In an interview with HLTV, Spinx singled out 16‑year‑old Liam “MaiL09” Tügel as a player to watch.

On January 3 at 20:49, it was reported that the iLTW team was defeated by 1win Team and consequently exited the BLAST Slam VI qualifying tournament.

Professional Dota 2 player Denis "Rincyq" Bogushev has been entered into Nigma Galaxy's lineup for the team's participation in the closed European qualifier for BLAST Slam VI, according to a document released by the tournament organizers.

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Lotan Giladi, better known by his in-game name Spinx, reflected on MOUZ's performance in the 2025 Counter-Strike 2 season and offered a measured assessment of the team's results. Speaking in an interview with HLTV.org, the MOUZ rifler acknowledged the squad's strengths while stopping short of declaring them one of the absolute best teams of the year.

Yasei no Last Boss ga Arawareta! is an action anime about a gamer who finds himself transported into an online game, awakening in the body of a powerful ruler from the past. The series is adapted from a fantasy light novel of the same name and also has a manga adaptation. On the international database IMDb, the show currently holds a user rating of 7.1 out of 10.

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Lotan "Spinx" Giladi, a Counter-Strike 2 player for MOUZ, was ranked 10th in HLTV.org's list of the best players of 2025. The announcement, accompanied by key statistics, was published on HLTV's website and shared via social media channels.

Lotan "Spinx" Giladi has returned to the top 10 in HLTV's year-end player ranking, securing 10th place in 2025. This marks his fourth appearance on the Top 20 list and his second-best finish to date, behind the fifth place he achieved in 2023 when he helped Vitality to five tournament wins including the Paris Major.

The winners of the Steam Awards 2025 were announced on January 3 at 21:00 Moscow time. As in previous years, nominees and winners were chosen by the Steam community of players.

Esports organization BCGame has finalized its roster for Counter‑Strike 2. The club introduced the new lineup via its social media channels, announcing the additions that complete the current five‑man squad.

Portuguese organisation SAW has announced the sale of its Counter‑Strike roster, confirming that the active five have been placed on the transfer market. The move follows a series of transfer rumours that surfaced in recent days linking members of the squad to several high‑profile projects abroad.

Esports organization Metizport has announced changes to its Counter-Strike 2 roster. The club confirmed that Liam "MaiL09" Tugel has been removed from the main lineup; the announcement was posted on the organization’s official site and across its social media channels.

The team behind EA Sports FC 26 released a compilation highlighting the most spectacular goals scored in Ultimate Team during 2025. The selection focuses on memorable in-game finishes recorded throughout the year and presents a curated list of standout moments from that mode.

Players in Russia have begun reporting mass account bans on the Roblox platform. According to multiple user reports, the company is actively blocking attempts to circumvent the restrictions that were imposed earlier following a government decision.

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FACEIT has published a symbolic team for 2025 formed using statistics collected from matches on its platform rather than results from major tournaments. Role assignments were determined by the platform’s internal data on matchmaking outcomes together with opinions gathered from players ranked in the top 1,000. The announcement appeared as a post on X.

Danish organisation ECSTATIC have announced the additions of two former OG players, Christian 'Buzz' Andersen and Nico 'nicoodoz' Tamjidi, restoring the squad to a five-player roster.

The calendar is about to flip to a new month stamped "December," and the market is already saturated with end-of-year best-of lists. So instead of rehearsing the usual charts, here is a different take: ten obscure, atmospheric, and largely overlooked games that a typical casual player likely missed. This list is personal — expect indie oddities, tactile charm, and a few deliberately uncomfortable experiences.

Streamer Ilya Davydov, known as Maddyson, harshly criticized the television adaptation of the Fallout universe. In a post on his personal Telegram channel the content creator attacked the series and expressed strong negative opinions about the people producing Fallout-related content more broadly.

Actress Tenzin Crawford, known for roles in the projects "Прекрасные мелочи" and "Дом с прислугой", has been added to the cast of the upcoming television adaptation of the Assassin's Creed video game franchise, representatives of the streaming service Netflix announced on social media.

On January 2 at 22:20, organizers announced that Natus Vincere, Virtus.pro and PARIVISION have been invited to take part in the qualification stage for BLAST Slam VI.