Valorant Archives

AppWizard

March 24, 2026

Epic Games is killing three popular Fortnite game modes after laying off 1,000 employees

Epic Games has announced the discontinuation of three modes from Fortnite: Rocket Racing, which will be removed in October 2026; Ballistic, which will be taken offline on April 16, 2026; and Battle Stage, also ceasing operations on April 16, 2026. This decision follows the layoff of over 1,000 employees due to a decline in player engagement since 2025. CEO Tim Sweeney stated that the downturn in Fortnite engagement has led to increased spending and the need for major cuts to keep the company funded.

AppWizard

March 17, 2026

Coming to Xbox Game Pass: Disco Elysium, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, Final Fantasy IV and More

- Available Today: - DreamWorks Gabby’s Dollhouse: Ready to Party (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – March 17 - South of Midnight (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC) – March 18 - The Alters (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – March 18 - Disco Elysium (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – March 19 - Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC) – March 24 - Absolum (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – March 25 - Nova Roma (Game Preview) (PC) – March 26 - The Long Dark (Cloud, Console, PC) – March 30 - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (Cloud, Console, PC) – March 31 - Barbie Horse Trails (Cloud, Console, Handheld, PC) – April 2 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, Handheld, PC) – April 2 - Final Fantasy IV (Cloud, Xbox Series X|S, PC) – April 7 - In Case You Missed It: - Minishoot’ Adventures (Console, Cloud, Handheld, PC) – March 3 - Game Updates: - Valorant (PC, Console) – March 18 - Sea of Thieves: Season 19 (Console, PC) – March 19 - In-Game Benefits: - Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 (Console) – Available now - Skate. (Console, Game Pass Ultimate only) – Available now - Leaving March 31: - Peppa Pig World Adventures (Cloud, Console, PC) - Mad Streets (Cloud, Console, PC)

AppWizard

March 2, 2026

Battlefield 6 explains how its Javelin anticheat system works—and it kind of boils down to ‘just trust me bro’

Battlefield Studios' anti-cheat system, EA Javelin, has thwarted over 580,000 cheating attempts in Battlefield 6. Players have expressed skepticism about the accuracy of the developers' claims regarding the percentage of cheaters caught. The Match Infection Rate (MIR) is a metric that includes confirmed cheaters and those suspected based on detection signals, which recently increased from 2.28% to 3.09% in January. The rise in MIR is attributed to improvements in the anti-cheat system's ability to detect stealth cheats and the implementation of a new ban acceleration method on January 26.

AppWizard

February 28, 2026

Best Marathon settings for peak gaming PC performance

Bungie's multiplayer FPS, Marathon, is currently in an early Server Slam until March 2, with a full release on March 6. The game is designed to be accessible on mid-range PCs and does not require high-end GPU power. Initial settings for optimal performance include Vsync on, frame rate cap off, field of view at 90°, and high graphics quality. Players can expect an average frame rate of 84fps with 60fps for 1% lows. The game is not compatible with the Steam Deck due to BattleEye anti-cheat technology but runs smoothly on other Windows-based handheld devices. While an SSD is not required, it is recommended for better load times. Performance monitoring can be done via a built-in FPS counter or overlays from Nvidia and AMD.

AppWizard

February 21, 2026

Some users are claiming Discord’s default process priorities are causing performance problems in esports games, so I’ve tested it myself to see what’s going on

Some users have raised concerns that Discord's default process priorities may be too high, potentially hindering gaming performance by consuming excessive CPU resources and leading to lower frame rates in games like Counter-Strike 2 and Valorant. A test on a Ryzen 9 9900X rig with an RTX 5090 showed that while frame times were marginally higher with Discord active, the differences were minimal—often just a millisecond or two. For casual gamers, these variations are unlikely to affect the overall experience. Adjusting Discord's priority to Normal in Task Manager may help free up CPU resources for gaming, though Discord is generally light on processor demand. Users are advised against setting game priorities to High or Real Time, as this can cause instability without real performance benefits.

Winsage

February 15, 2026

Microsoft Refreshes Secure Boot Certificates via Windows Update

Microsoft will begin rolling out new Secure Boot certificates through Windows Update starting in March 2026, coinciding with the expiration of original certificates from 2011, which will phase out in June 2026. The new certificates include Microsoft Corporation KEK 2K CA 2023, Microsoft UEFI CA 2023, Microsoft Option ROM UEFI CA 2023, and Windows UEFI CA 2023. Not all Windows users will receive the update simultaneously; eligibility will focus on high-confidence devices with strong update histories. Newer PCs sold from 2024 will already have the 2023 Secure Boot certificates, while some devices may require additional firmware updates from their OEMs. PCs that do not receive the new certificates will still boot but will operate with diminished security, increasing vulnerability to exploits and compatibility issues with anti-cheat software and future Windows versions. Users on unsupported Windows versions will not receive the new certificates, leading to heightened security risks after June 2026.

AppWizard

January 15, 2026

Marathon fully unveils all seven of its Runners, and I’ll take the one with the grappling hook and loot-stealing drone, please

The author initially lost interest in Marathon due to its challenges and competition from Arc Raiders, but recent updates, including enhanced visuals and the introduction of Runner Shells, have rekindled their enthusiasm. The Runner Shells are highly customizable, offering more flexibility than traditional hero selections in other games. Various Runner Shells, such as Destroyer, Assassin, Recon, Vandal, Triage, and Thief, have unique abilities inspired by Destiny, with Thief particularly appealing for its loot-gathering capabilities. The author expresses optimism about Marathon's potential and intends to engage with the game at launch.

Winsage

January 6, 2026

Microsoft’s latest ad proves even its own marketing team won’t use Edge

Microsoft's recent advertisement for PC gaming featured Google Chrome pinned to the taskbar of a Windows computer, despite the company's promotion of its own browser, Microsoft Edge. The ad displayed Chrome prominently early in the video, which is notable given that nearly 95% of Steam gamers use Windows, with 70.83% having upgraded to Windows 11. Although Windows dominates the gaming sector, there is a growing interest in alternatives like Linux, which now supports about 90% of Windows games, though major titles remain unavailable due to anti-cheat systems. The inclusion of Chrome in the ad is seen as an anomaly, as promotional content typically avoids showcasing competitors. It is also noted that not all Microsoft employees exclusively use Microsoft Edge, suggesting a disconnect between the company's advertising and user behavior.

AppWizard

December 19, 2025

Riot Games found a motherboard security flaw that helps PC cheaters

Riot Games has identified a significant security vulnerability in recent motherboards that could be exploited by cheaters, allowing cheats to operate undetected and undermining competitive gaming integrity. Major motherboard manufacturers, including Asrock, Asus, Gigabyte, and MSI, have released BIOS updates to mitigate this issue. If unaddressed, the vulnerability would have rendered existing direct memory access (DMA) detection and prevention technologies ineffective. The vulnerability involves DMA hardware devices connecting via PCIe slots, which could bypass input-output memory management unit (IOMMU) protections. Riot's Vanguard anti-cheat software may soon require players to update their BIOS to continue playing Valorant, and other anti-cheat systems are likely to implement similar checks.

AppWizard

December 18, 2025

Analyst firm says the games market is expected to reach a record-breaking $197 billion by the end of 2025, ‘driven primarily by stronger-than-expected performance on PC and mobile’

In 2025, the global games market is projected to reach 7 billion, reflecting a year-on-year growth of 7.5%, driven by strong performances in PC and mobile gaming. The mobile gaming sector is expected to generate around 8 billion, accounting for approximately half of the total revenue, while the PC gaming market is projected to grow by 10.4%. Activision and Microsoft have announced a strategic shift away from releasing consecutive titles in the Call of Duty franchise. Despite a lukewarm reception, Black Ops 7 ranks seventh in total sales across consoles and PC. Titles like Monster Hunter Wilds and Civilization 7 continue to perform well in sales rankings despite challenges. Established live service games such as Counter-Strike 2, Minecraft, Roblox, Fortnite, and Valorant dominate player engagement, with a newcomer, Peak, also gaining attention for its social interaction aspect.