The CS2 rosters of BetBoom Team and HOTU were unable to collect the Valve points required to secure direct invites to IEM Kraków 2026. At the time of publication, Pavel "s1ren" Ogloblin's lineup was eight points short of the invitation threshold, while David "n0rb3r7" Danielian's roster trailed by 18 points, according to HLTV.org.

Former Dota 2 professional Ilya Korobkin, better known as ALOHADANCE, has publicly criticized his current matchmaking rating (MMR), arguing that the number does not match his actual skill. Korobkin, who now streams, said the visible rating fails to represent the level at which he plays.

A ceremony in Jordan recognized esports athletes who achieved notable results while representing their national teams during 2025. The event drew attention from prominent regional players, including Amer "Miracle-" al‑Barkawi and Ammar "ATF" Assaf, who were present to accept honors and support their peers.