Speaking to Jaxon about the upcoming M8 Türkiye Championship (MTC) and the future of the region, Ajay Jilka, the Head of Esports for MLBB EECA, Western Europe, and Türkiye, expressed why the region’s long-term growth matters and how MOONTON plans to nurture it.

Despite being one of the most popular mobile esports titles in Southeast Asia, this is the first time that the annual world championship is being hosted outside of the region.

With the M8 Championship being held in Türkiye, it marks a huge opportunity for MOONTON to grow the title outside of SEA.

Türkiye can lead to the growth of MLBB in Europe and MENA

Image credit: MOONTON

Ajay Jilka confirmed that MOONTON’s journey in Türkiye started with the launch of the MLBB Türkiye Championship (MTC) in 2023. The seventh season of the MTC was announced recently, and it features almost double the prize pool of Season 6.

He also emphasized that the MTC has created a structured national league, leading to a foundation for the local esports ecosystem. These changes heavily reflect MOONTON’s efforts to grow the title in the region.

Jilka went on to confirm that Türkiye is one of the “most important markets outside Southeast Asia” as it “sits at the intersection of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, which gives it a unique position as a natural bridge between regions.”

The goal for MOONTON is to make the region work as a “global touchpoint for MLBB,” allowing the title to grow across the global market while constantly building a strong base in Türkiye. This comes after the 2026 MLBB Esports roadmap introduced a five-region structure featuring SEA, EECA, EMEA, EA, and AMER.

While the continued growth in popularity on a global scale is highly beneficial, MOONTON has confirmed that the M8 Championship will hopefully “plug directly into longer-term growth” and not be a short-term attention grabber.

The publisher has committed to making substantial investments towards the growth of the playerbase, alongside keeping the community engaged with in-game content and campaigns.

With the esports industry booming in Türkiye, the upcoming championship is expected to drive plenty of attention, investment, and structure to the ecosystem.

• Read also: DXRacer explains why it chose MSL Thailand for its MLBB esports partnership in 2026

Featured image credit: MOONTON Games

The post MLBB eyes Türkiye as gateway to Europe and MENA with M8 World Championship appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

Getting the ideal crosshair will definitely make you feel more comfortable when clicking heads or lining up crucial angles.

While you can always tweak the settings manually and experiment to get your preferred setup, it does require a significant amount of time.

To help you save time and jump into your next ranked match more quickly, here are the best crosshairs that the CS2 pros are using in 2026, along with their codes for you to copy.

Best CS2 pro player crosshair codes

Most CS2 pros use compact and static crosshairs that rely on clarity and consistency compared to the default ones you get when playing for the first time. Every single parameter plays a crucial role in ensuring that your crosshair is exactly as you want it to be.

Having said that, here are some of the most popular CS2 pros’ crosshair codes.

You can find further breakdowns for every crosshair below.

S1mple

Image credit: Adam Lakomy via ESL

Often considered the greatest Counter-Strike player to ever grace the game, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev uses a clean and sharp crosshair that prioritises precision according to his playstyle.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-E8xcE-27Lmw-2ipNt-3HZvp-pevvE
• Style: Legacy
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: Yes
• Length: 1
• Thickness: 0
• Gap: -2
• Outline: No
• Red: 0
• Green: 255
• Blue: 255
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

ZywOo

Image credit: Joao Ferreira via BLAST

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, also referred to as ‘The Chosen One’ by the community, prefers a compact and static crosshair to go along with his calm and controlled game style, holding on to crucial angles.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-c2nZk-um3no-3LSxE-ZXO5n-Mv5qB
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: No
• Length: 1.5
• Thickness: 0.1
• Gap: -3
• Outline: No
• Red: 0
• Green: 255
• Blue: 255
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

NiKo

Image credit: Helena Kristiansson via ESL

Nikola “NiKo” Kovac is one of the best riflers in CS2, and his crosshair is perfectly designed to do just that, with an overall balanced design accompanied by a focused center.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-xQsAb-b7J42-qcvvS-5AG9v-VwLXL
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: No
• Length: 1
• Thickness: 1
• Gap: -4
• Outline: No
• Red: 0
• Green: 255
• Blue: 255
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

m0NESY

Image credit: Enos Ku via ESL

Playing alongside NiKo, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov is an excellent AWPer with an affinity for pulling off his trademark flick shots. For this reason, his crosshair focuses a bit more on visibility, making it easier to track targets during movement.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-wAD3c-ykt5L-zvZ98-vBisR-6sWPA
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: No
• Length: 1
• Thickness: 1
• Gap: -4
• Outline: No
• Red: 0
• Green: 255
• Blue: 255
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

ropz

Image credit: Turtle Entertainment

From playing FPL at the FACEIT HQ after facing accusations of cheating, Robin “ropz” Kool has come a long way, securing several top-tier championships with Vitality and FaZe Clan. The lurking assassin of Team Vitality prefers a clean and stable design to go along with his disciplined movements and positioning.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-MMQuh-Hs3Sj-Qv9zd-VaCmc-3QqNO
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: No
• Length: 2
• Thickness: 0.5
• Gap: -3
• Outline: No
• Red: 0
• Green: 255
• Blue: 0
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

dev1ce

Image credit: Sebastian Pandelache via PGL

The four-time Major-winning AWPer Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz focuses on visibility and clarity for his crosshair choice, making it ideal for him to hold crucial angles while also having a high contrast color choice for brighter maps.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-yUBv6-y5b38-fj2sY-ZvyEc-NCmDA
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: No
• Length: 1
• Thickness: 1
• Gap: -4
• Outline: No
• Red: 0
• Green: 255
• Blue: 255
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

donk

Image credit: Viola Schuldner via ESL

Danil “donk” Kryshkovets is the explosive entry fragger for Team Spirit, and his crosshair is focused on a design that provides him with stability during aggressive entry and retake scenarios.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-3aRT6-fRvcy-aKNOW-8xUAX-ZHZML
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: Yes
• Length: 1.5
• Thickness: 0
• Gap: -3
• Outline: No
• Red: 255
• Green: 255
• Blue: 0
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

XANTARES

Image credit: Sebastian Pandelache via PGL

Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dortkardes prefers a high-risk, high-impact style of entry-fragging, relying hugely on his raw aim. This makes it extremely important for him to have a clean and crisp crosshair that provides stability during quick movements.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-xbpe2-E24RJ-YXNuO-pQvt8-ppNAK
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: No
• Length: 3
• Thickness: 0.5
• Gap: 0
• Outline: No
• Red: 50
• Green: 250
• Blue: 50
• Alpha: 200
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

kyousuke

Image credit: Stephanie Lindgren via BLAST

The second entry-fragger of Team Falcons, Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin, is a more mechanically driven rifler in comparison to donk’s explosive playstyle. This allows kyousuke to use a more compact and clean crosshair to complement donk’s movements.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-4ttyQ-vfwMK-Gz9fL-hY6zW-4fWjM
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: No
• Length: 1
• Thickness: 1
• Gap: -4
• Outline: No
• Red: 0
• Green: 255
• Blue: 135
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

EliGE

Image credit: Joao Ferreira via PGL

One of the most accomplished North American players, Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, is one of the most mechanically gifted players to play CS2. His crosshair design is focused on enabling him as the primary rifler with a knack for picking up entry frags.

• Crosshair code: CSGO-rKc4z-te7O5-rS5zZ-5kZye-BQQhG
• Style: Classic Static
• Follow Recoil: No
• Dot: Yes
• Length: 0
• Thickness: 1
• Gap: -5
• Outline: Yes
• Red: 255
• Green: 100
• Blue: 255
• Alpha: 255
• T Style: No
• Weapon Gap: No

Featured image credit: Valve

The post Best CS2 pro crosshair codes to copy in 2026 appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

According to prediction market Polymarket, Overpass has made a staggering jump to become one of the most likely to be removed from the pool. The market ‘which maps will Valve remove by June 30’ has a staggering $700,000+ in volume.

Overpass returned to the map pool in the middle of last year, replacing Anubis. Since then, the map has stayed active in the pool while Train got removed earlier this year. However, it seems likely that the map could be rolling out of active duty in the near future.

With that said, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming map rotations in CS2 according to Polymarket.

Is it likely for Overpass to get removed from the active duty CS2 map pool by the end of June?

Yes, according to Polymarket, Overpass has a 39% chance of getting removed from the active-duty map professional map pool in CS2.

Although Overpass proves to be favorable for teams that have a strong grasp on utility management, rumors suggest that Cache could be returning to the competitive map pool in the next rotation.

However, despite Overpass holding a strong 39% likelihood, there are a few other maps in the pool that could face the axe when the map rotation cycle rolls around in June.

Here’s the list of which maps could be removed in the upcoming rotation, along with Polymarket’s chances of it happening.

Image: Polymarket

As you can see from the ratings, Overpass has jumped quite a bit to become the likeliest map to be cut off from the active pool after IEM Cologne.

However, Nuke is still holding strong as the second most likely map to get removed from the active pool.

Inferno, though, has fallen quite a bit and is expected to continue its presence in professional matches for the rest of the season.

Mirage’s possibilities of getting removed have also dropped significantly, while Dust 2 and Ancient continue being the least likely choices to go missing from the professional scene.

With four top-tier tournaments still to go before the map rotation happens, it will be interesting to keep an eye on the matches happening, as that could have a major impact on which map rotates out for the remainder of the season.

Upcoming premier CS2 tournaments before map rotation

There are four premier CS2 tournaments scheduled for May and June before the map rotation happens. Here’s a full list of these four tournaments along with their schedule:

• PGL Astana 2026 – May 7 to 17, 2026
• IEM Atlanta 2026 – May 11 to May 17, 2026
• CS Asia Championships 2026 – May 19 to 24, 2026
• IEM Cologne Major 2026 – June 2 to 21, 2026

The expected date for the map rotation is June 30, 2026, meaning that the Cologne Major will be the last tournament to feature the current set of maps in professional CS2.

• Read also: EWC hosts, Esports Foundation, address Valve’s CS2 Major hosting possibility

Featured image credit: Valve

The post CS2 map rotation odds: Overpass leads on $700k Polymarket prediction market appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

The Director of Clubs, National Teams, and Players at the Esports Foundation said during the Club Partner Program 2026 Online Media Rumble on April 27 that the goal with CS2 at the EWC and ENC is to build something that fits into the existing Counter-Strike ecosystem instead of competing with it.

“…we understand ourselves as additive to the ecosystem. We don’t want to compete with the existing structures, rather [want] to provide more value, to provide more opportunity,” Jagnow said.

Just like the Esports Foundation, Valve sponsors two Majors per year, selecting different tournament organizers to host its pinnacle Counter-Strike 2 esports event every year.

Its next major is the IEM Cologne from June 2 to 21, 2026, which is being hosted by ESL, owned by Saudi Arabia’s Savvy Games Group.

“We’re not interested in competing with what the Counter-Strike community celebrates as a pinnacle every half year, as their Major,” said Jagnow.

Esports Foundation states the immediate goal for the CS2 ecosystem

The immediate goal for the Esports Foundation, however, revolves around launching a massive standalone CS2 event.

“What we want to add is an S-tier tournament that is well-received by the players as a valuable opportunity in one of the most interesting regions of the world to play great Counter-Strike.”

The EWC is already pushing major changes forward to prove its commitment to the game, adding more slots to the Counter-Strike tournament in 2026.

Expanding the number of slots for the 2026 tournament signals ambition, aiming to attract a broader mix of teams. The goal is to bring together the best players in the world, while also opening doors for more organizations to be part of the experience.

While this makes fans wonder if this massive S-tier event might eventually turn into an official Valve Major, fitting into the annual CS2 calendar, Jagnow did not make any promises.

“That being said, if there is in the future an opportunity and an interest from Valve and the opportunity to host a major in the region, I think this is every tournament organizer’s dream,” he explained.

The EWC fully understands the reality of the business.

“Let’s see what is in the cards,” Jagnow said before clarifying exactly who holds the final say. “But that is not our decision. It is the publisher’s decision.”

Image credit: Esports Foundation

Esports Nations Cup and Singapore Major in November

Having said that, Valve’s timeline for TOs to reply to the ‘request for proposal’ (RFP) for hosting CS2 Majors in 2027 and 2028 is already over, with the deadline for applications closed on March 1, 2026.

The publisher is scheduled to make the final decision and announce the Major structure for the upcoming years on June 1, 2026. There is no way of knowing if the EF submitted a proposal, too.

In case it has not, the EF will have to do so for 2029 when Valve announces the next schedule for the RFP process.

The second Valve Major of 2026, hosted by PGL, is scheduled to kick off on November 25, 2026, whereas the final of the ENC will be played on November 15, 2026. This ensures that top players have plenty of time to rest and participate in both.

Featured image credit: Esports Foundation

The post EWC hosts, Esports Foundation, address Valve’s CS2 Major hosting possibility appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

The teams that wins will observe a day of rest before the knockout stages. This will be vital for the qualifying rosters when it kicks off from April 17.

FURIA vs MOUZ match preview

• Betting tip: MOUZ have won four out of the last five head-to-head series between the two teams.
• Our pick for FURIA vs MOUZ: FURIA as the match winner @ 1.86 odds on GG.BET.

FURIA vs MOUZ match analysis

MOUZ will be facing off against FURIA in the IEM Rio 2026 Group B upper bracket final after both teams put together strong runs in the event so far.

MOUZ are coming off the back of a strong showing against Aurora, securing a 2-0 win.

FURIA, on the other hand, are high on confidence after their strong comeback against NAVI to win the third map in overtime after dropping the first map 3-13.

The stakes are clear at this stage of the bracket. The winner moves a step closer to locking in a semifinal spot, while the losing side drops into the quarterfinal of the playoffs.

Looking at their recent history, MOUZ holds a slight advantage in the overall head-to-head.

Across 26 head-to-head matches, they have come out ahead 15 times compared to FURIA’s 11 wins. Their most recent meeting took place at IEM Chengdu 2025, where MOUZ secured a 2-1 result.

FURIA’s last win in this matchup came earlier that year at BLAST Open London 2025, where they closed the series 2-0.

This matchup carries added significance given both teams’ recent performances on the international stage.

Each side has already shown it can compete deep into tournaments, which makes this series an important step in shaping how their IEM Rio campaign unfolds.

FURIA vs MOUZ betting odds snapshot

Counter-Strike 2 betting odds via GG.BET.

FURIA vs MOUZ betting prediction

Image credits: ESL

Recent results suggest a narrow advantage for MOUZ going into this matchup. Their latest series win against FURIA came at IEM Chengdu 2025, where they managed to close things out convincingly.

On the other hand, FURIA’s most recent success in this pairing dates back to BLAST Open London 2025, where they secured a 2-0 result. Even with that head-to-head split, the overall outlook remains close.

The current read leans toward FURIA to take the series, based on how they have been performing across recent matches.

At the same time, MOUZ has shown enough in past meetings to stay competitive across multiple maps.

In a best-of-three format, that balance often leads to longer series. MOUZ have the tools to take at least one map, which keeps the matchup open despite FURIA entering as the likely favorites, while a spot in the semifinal awaits the winner.

Best picks

• FURIA Match Winner @ 1.86
• MOUZ Map 1 +1.5 Rounds @ 1.31

Read also: Karrigan and NiKo reunion rumored in potential Team Falcons CS2 move

Featured image credit: ESL

The post FURIA vs MOUZ predictions, betting odds, and best picks: IEM Rio 2026 group stage appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

The winner of this series will progress directly to the semifinal of the playoffs, while the defeated team will have to fight it out in the quarterfinals for a spot in the next round.

Vitality vs Falcons match preview

• Betting tip: Falcons have won four out of the last five head-to-head maps between the two teams.
• Our pick for Vitality vs Falcons: Vitality as the match winner @ 1.46 odds on GG.BET.

Vitality vs Falcons match analysis

Falcons are set to face off against Vitality in the IEM Rio 2026 Group A upper bracket final, with both teams coming through their opening matches to reach this point. The winner of this series secures a direct spot in the semifinal playoffs from the top side of the group, while the losing team finds its way into the quarterfinals.

Looking at recent history between the two, Vitality holds the stronger record overall. Across 26 meetings, Vitality have come out on top 15 times, while Falcons have secured 11 wins.

Despite that edge, the most recent encounter tells a slightly different story where Falcons defeated Vitality 2-1 at the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 Finals, showing they can break through in a full series.

Both teams arrive in Rio with solid momentum. Vitality advanced after a 2-1 win over G2, a series where they had to recover after dropping the first map.

Falcons, on the other hand, reached this stage with a clean 2-0 victory against Team Spirit, which gives them a more straightforward lead-in to this match.

Map selection is expected to play a major role once again. Recent meetings between these sides have rarely been one-sided, often stretching across all three maps.

Vitality’s long-term consistency in the matchup contrasts with Falcons’ ability to adapt and close out tight series, which points toward another competitive best-of-three rather than a quick result.

Vitality vs Falcons betting odds snapshot

Counter-Strike 2 betting odds via GG.BET.

Vitality vs Falcons betting prediction

Image credit: ESL

Vitality head into the IEM Rio 2026 upper bracket final as the current world number one team, carrying a long winning streak that stretches across multiple top-tier opponents. Their recent run includes victories over G2, RED Canids, NAVI, and Aurora, among others, which underlines the consistency they have maintained over the past few events.

Falcons are also coming into this series with solid momentum. They have picked up four wins in their last five matches and have looked particularly clean in their most recent outings, securing back-to-back 2-0 results against Spirit and 3DMAX.

The head-to-head between these teams adds another layer to the matchup. In their most recent meeting saw Falcons defeat Vitality 2-1 at the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 Finals in January. Since that loss, Vitality have remained unbeaten, which makes this rematch a key test of whether that streak can continue against the same opponent.

According to pre-match analysis, Vitality holds the stronger overall profile heading into the series based on form and consistency. At the same time, Falcons’ previous win in this matchup keeps the possibility of an upset in play.

The expectation going in is that Vitality is the safer pick to take the series, though Falcons have already shown they can compete across multiple maps and push a best-of-three into deeper territory.

Best picks

• Vitality Match Winner @ 1.46
• Falcons Map 1 +1.5 Rounds @ 1.54

Read also: Karrigan and NiKo reunion rumored in potential Team Falcons CS2 move

Featured image credit: ESL

The post Team Vitality vs Falcons predictions and betting odds at the IEM Rio 2026 appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

Bijan Tehrani, the co-founder of Kick, recently posted on X (formerly known as Twitter), providing an in-depth update about the milestone, explaining that for him this is nothing more than “vanity” since the platform is far from reaching its potential and what its developers envision.

First of all, the management states that Kick rushed into the market and there were some sacrifices regarding the quality of the product. As Tehrani stated, Kick was launched with “weak plumbing, purchased tech, and [lack of] experience in streaming.”

As he mentioned in his statement, Kick has managed to work hard over the past three years, and now that the platform includes almost 100 million users, it still operates in beta mode. The reason behind it was the need for further development.

Future of Kick’s development

Image credit: Bijan Tehrani via X (formerly Twitter)

Currently, according to Tehrani, things are starting to become better in terms of the quality of development.

Moreover, the co-founder confirmed that the mobile application will be fully built from scratch, and he mentioned that he was personally involved in the process.

Although the platform has become more stable and the app has become “almost crash-free,” it still needs work in terms of overall experience. The co-founder also mentioned that Kick has no plans to move along Twitch’s or TikTok’s product roadmap.

In terms of the company’s operations and financial performance, Bijan Tehrani has stated that currently, Kick is trying to move from quick success with temporary arrangements with creators to a long-term growth approach. The platform also recently announced a partnership with ESL. As a part of this, the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Rio and upcoming ESL Pro Tour events being broadcast on it.

Regarding cleaning up the system of the platform, Tehrani mentioned that Kick got rid of thousands of users who joined the program and promoted their content by means of using viewbots.

Additionally, “tens of millions of fake spam accounts” were closed because of their activity.

What is also interesting is that the company wants to create a system where only genuine creators with an audience are competing with one another, and not with bots.

In other words, creators will no longer compete against bots or get any advantage due to the preference of moderators.

Read also: How to stream on Kick from PS5

Featured image credit: Kick 

The post Kick co-founder says they are rebuilding app from scratch as it hits 100m users appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.

NAVI vs FURIA match preview

• Betting tip: FURIA have won seven out of the last 10 head-to-head maps between the two teams.
• Our pick for NAVI vs FURIA: NAVI as the match winner @ 1.72 odds on GG.BET.

NAVI vs FURIA match analysis

NAVI and FURIA will face off against each other in the semifinals of the upper bracket at the group stage of IEM Rio 2026 after securing wins in their opening games of the tournament. However, only one of them will advance further in the race for the playoffs, while the other will fall into the lower bracket of the competition.

FURIA secured a comfortable 2-0 win in their first series of the group stage, showing a dominant performance with scores of 13-3 and 13-7 on Inferno and Mirage, respectively, against Passion UA.

As for NAVI, it is worth noting their performance in the intense series against B8. They started strong by securing Ancient with the score of 13-0; however, they lost the following map on Inferno by 4-13.

Eventually, the team rallied and ultimately won the series on the decider Dust2 with the score of 13-5, proving that the team possesses high potential, but still has a few inconsistencies to work out.

The head-to-head between NAVI and FURIA has always been competitive, with both teams trading wins across major events. However, at IEM Rio, NAVI’s current form will go up against a FURIA roster that has already proven it can edge them out in a full best-of-three at IEM Krakow 2026.

With a direct path toward playoff qualification on the line, this is one of the matches to watch from the group stage. A win keeps momentum intact and simplifies the road ahead, while a loss immediately increases the pressure of elimination in the lower bracket.

NAVI vs FURIA betting odds snapshot

Counter-Strike 2 betting odds via GG.BET.

NAVI vs FURIA betting prediction

Image credit: ESL

According to pre-series analysis, this match is likely to go the distance with all three maps coming into play.

FURIA has a slight edge before the match due to their previous 2-1 win at IEM Krakow 2026, as well as the 2-0 stomp against Passion UA in their first match of the group stage. However, NAVI can also apply a lot of pressure on their opponents if they manage to win the first map.

As far as tactical benefits are concerned, FURIA should focus on the maps that led to their success before. However, it would be advantageous for NAVI to secure the first map, thus making it impossible for opponents to mentally treat the second map like a best-of-one.

Although odds are on the side of NAVI, their advantage seems negligible with FURIA’s recent run of form against them.

Best picks

• NAVI Match Winner @ 1.72
• FURIA Map 1 +1.5 Rounds @ 1.36

Read also: Karrigan and NiKo reunion rumored in potential Team Falcons CS2 move

Featured image credit: ESL

The post NAVI vs FURIA predictions and betting odds: IEM Rio 2026 appeared first on EsportsBetting.com.