Welcome to the first edition of the LFN Herald, where the most important news in esports is sent to your inbox alongside the latest from our gaming, tv, and film channels.
After years of public bad blood, Thorin and HLTV's Striker sat down on Snake & Banter, shook hands, and proceeded to spend two hours in agreement. The most incendiary point they landed on: the fans of ZywOo, currently the world's best Counter-Strike player, are the most toxic fandom in the entire sport.
Meanwhile in R6, two-time Major champion Hotancold found out he'd been cut from M80 via a tweet that dropped while he was live on stream. Both stories below, plus everything else worth your time across the network.
💣 COUNTER-STRIKE
The Vitality dynasty argument is finally getting the airtime it deserves, FaZe's IGL crisis keeps creating waves, and a Falcons prediction landed this week that has the potential to age very fast. Plus: rare scenes when Thorin and HLTV's Striker actually agree on something publicly.
→ Counter-Points: Vitality have surpassed Astralis as the greatest Counter-Strike team of all time. The debate is over. Watch →
→ Snake & Banter: Thorin and Striker bury years of public bad blood, then spend two hours in violent agreement, including a verdict that ZywOo's fans are the most toxic fandom in the entire sport. With special guest Striker. Watch →
→ Hot Take Point Made: A bold prediction lands that karrigan won't survive 2027 at Falcons, plus the actual top three teams in CS right now and what's coming at IEM Cologne. Watch →
⚔️ LEAGUE OF LEGENDS
The FlyQuest co-streaming controversy lit the LoL community on fire this week, the LCK is dealing with disciplinary precedents that could cost teams their seasons, and the most counterintuitive take of the week argues that LoL esports getting smaller is actually a good thing.
→ Power Spike: Death threats over a co-streaming opinion, FlyQuest's incendiary video, and whether streamers are actually killing competitive League's viewership. With special guest Nymaera. Watch →
→ HTPM LoL: The case that LoL esports shrinking is actually good for the game. A leaner scene full of people who care beats a bloated one propped up by venture capital. Plus every LEC jungler ranked. Watch →
→ Summoning Insight: Faker's wrist injury theory, the real reason KeSPA might pull out of the Esports Nations Cup, and why Keria's three-year re-signing is the best news T1 fans have had all split. Watch →
→ Let's Cover Korea: Keria signs a new contract with T1 through 2029 in a cinematic Home Ground event, what it means for the roster, and Faker's dip in form is impossible to ignore anymore. Watch →
🎯 VALORANT
The Vodfathers dropped a global Valorant power ranking that has T1, one of the most recognizable organizations in all of esports, sitting outside the top five, bumped by a South American squad most people had written off. Plus the early-season fallout from G2 and NRG's shocking 0-2 starts in VCT Americas.
→ The Vodfathers: The definitive top five Valorant teams in the world ranking. T1 doesn't make the cut. A South American squad that most people wrote off does. Watch →
→ The Vodfathers: G2 and NRG's shocking 0-2 starts in VCT Americas, and whether LATAM has already taken over the league. Watch →
🛡️ RAINBOW 6 SIEGE
R6 Kickoff scrambled the global standings, the mid-season Rauora buff has teams reworking compositions, and the Mooda cheating controversy got the full forensic treatment. All of it framed by the most personal story of the week: how a two-time Major champion learned he'd been cut.
→ Down But Not Out: Hotancold breaks down exactly what happened with M80, including how he found out he was dropped while live on stream. With special guest Hotancold. Watch →
→ Down But Not Out: A 40-minute forensic case on the Mooda cheating controversy that ultimately concludes the hard evidence points to clean play, plus full Kickoff coverage and the Rauora buff impact. Watch →
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Esports delenda est.
MonteCristo