Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates winning the second round women’s singles match against Maya Joint of Australia at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Thursday, July 2, 2026.(AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
The journey continues for Alex Eala—and it will go through a familiar foe on an unfamiliar surface hosting their duel.
The 21-year-old Filipino star heads into Wimbledon’s third round, where she will meet defending champion Iga Swiatek, hoping to add more days to what has already been a historic stretch for Eala at All-England Club.
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The popular left-hander surrendered just two games in the final two sets and took down Maya Joint, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, late Thursday evening (Manila time) in the second round of the grass court Grand Slam.
But things are about to get harder for Eala, already making history as the first seeded female player from the Philippines to win two games at Wimbledon.
Eala and Swiatek have met twice in the past, with both splitting those matches.
Eala stunned Swiatek on the hardcourts of the Miami Open last year, one of the huge upsets the Filipino carved in the tournament to trigger her rise to tennis superstardom.
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Swiatek got payback a month later on clay at the Madrid Open, rallying from a set down to beat Eala in the second round.
Their third-round duel on Saturday (Manila time) at Wimbledon will be their first on grass.
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic produced a Wimbledon masterclass as the history-chasing star raced into the third round on Wednesday, while defending champion Jannik Sinner battled through before French Open champion Mirra Andreeva suffered a shock exit.
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Djokovic demolished Stefanos Tsitsipas in a 98-minute rout that served as a statement of intent to Sinner and the rest of his Wimbledon title rivals.
The seven-time Wimbledon champion won, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, hitting 33 winners and making just seven unforced errors.
Djokovic’s latest attempt to make history by winning a record 25th Grand Slam singles title got off to a rocky start as he laboured against unheralded Wu Yibing in the first round on Monday.
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He plays French 25th seed Arthur Rinderknech in the last 32.
“I’m feeling great. I like the terminology ‘vintage’, it brings back the best days and you feel very satisfied and joyful on the court when you’re playing this way,” said Djokovic after being asked if it was a vintage performance.
Bidding to become the oldest man to win a major title in the Open era, Djokovic—who won the most recent of his Wimbledon crowns in 2022—has increasingly looked his age over the last two Grand Slams.
The 39-year-old Serb crashed out in the French Open third round, blowing a two-set lead against Joao Fonseca.
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But Djokovic underlined his enduring class with his latest win against Greek world No. 87 Tsitsipas, who has now lost their last 12 meetings.
Djokovic’s 104th match win at Wimbledon leaves him just one behind Roger Federer’s Open era record in the men’s singles.
Sinner wasn’t at his best again, but the world number one did just enough to beat Portugual’s Nuno Borges, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2), 6-4.
The 24-year-old Italian had narrowly avoided an embarrassing first-round exit when he fought back from two sets to one down to beat Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic on Monday.
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The four-time Grand Slam champion ended Carlos Alcaraz’s two-year reign as Wimbledon champion with a brilliant final victory over the Spaniard last year.
Andreeva arrived at the All England Club hailed as one of the sport’s rising stars after winning her maiden Grand Slam crown in Paris in June.
But the Russian teenager was unable to maintain the momentum from Roland Garros as Barbora Krejcikova recaptured the magic that inspired her unexpected Wimbledon title triumph two years ago.
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The 30-year-old Czech, who also won the French Open in 2021, fought back for a dramatic 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory.—REPORTS FROM INQUIRER SPORTS DESK AND AFP
MCG will play host to Saturday’s
Round 17 AFL game between Richmond Tigers and
Carlton Blues. The game kicks off at 7:35 pm with Carlton Blues heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Richmond Tigers vs.
Carlton Blues
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Carlton will look to continue its remarkable resurgence when it meets Richmond at the MCG on Saturday night. The Blues have won all six matches since Michael Voss departed as coach and are rapidly climbing back into finals contention after another convincing victory over West Coast. Sam Walsh and George Hewett continue to drive Carlton’s midfield, while Harry McKay has provided a consistent target inside 50. Richmond remains anchored near the foot of the ladder despite another spirited display from Tim Taranto in last week’s loss to Collingwood. Their Round 1 meeting was decided by just four points, suggesting the Tigers are capable of making life difficult despite the contrasting trajectories.
Grigor Dimitrov has once again found himself at the center of controversy at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships during his second-round clash against Jakub Mensik. The debate began after officials decided to close the Centre Court roof mid-match, a decision that reminded Dimitrov and many fans of a similar incident from last year.
Dimitrov began his Wimbledon campaign with a 7-6(4), 6-3, 7-5 win over Dane Sweeny before taking on Mensik in the second round. The Bulgarian eventually came through 7-6(5), 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, but not before play was halted after he had taken a two-sets-to-one lead, as officials closed the roof and delayed the match.
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The interruption visibly frustrated Grigor Dimitrov, who was reminded of his fourth-round meeting with Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon last year. That match was also paused for the roof to be closed before ending in heartbreaking fashion, as Dimitrov was forced to retire while leading after suffering a serious right pectoral muscle injury.
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“It’s like Deja vu,” an angry Dimitrov told the umpire. “From last year it was the same thing. When I was on Centre, we knew it was not gonna finish, and we kept on having the court open.”
Fans were quick to take to X (formerly Twitter) to express their frustration over the decision, with many fuming that Grigor Dimitrov had once again been affected by a mid-match roof closure. One user wrote:
“They scammed Dimitrov again wow.”
“And they close the f**king roof to f**k Dimitrov momentum seriously f**k the Wimbledon,” another wrote.
“Grigor Dimitrov just got absolutely hosed. They knew they were going to keep playing and didn’t start to creep the roof in. Instead he gets cold, they wait for 15 minutes and comes out in the fourth and gets broken immediately. Just a joke from Wimbledon officials there,” one account posted.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Argentina has the World Cup titles, arguably the best player of all-time in Lionel Messi, the rich history and a roster filled with stars.
Cape Verde has none of that.
Soccer’s version of David vs. Goliath happens Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium, where defending World Cup champion Argentina faces a Cape Verde squad with absolutely no burden of expectations going into the Round of 32 match.
“I believe we can do a great thing here,” Cape Verde backup defender Ianique dos Santos Tavares, who goes by the name Stopira, said through a translator on Thursday. “And this is no exception. This match is no exception.”
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A win by Cape Verde would be one of the most stunning upsets in soccer history, maybe even sports history. Think of it on a “Miracle on Ice” scale from 1980, when the youthful U.S. hockey team stunned the supposedly unbeatable Soviet Union at the Lake Placid Olympics and went on to win the gold medal.
This would be a Miracle on Grass, without question.
The Argentines mean no disrespect when they say this, but when the draw for the tournament came out, they thought Spain or Uruguay would be waiting for them in this round. It was going to be the Group J winner — three-time champion Argentina — against the Group H runner-up, and most people would have picked Spain or Uruguay for that spot.
Enter Cape Verde, the tiny island nation with a 40-year-old goalkeeper, the tale of how his mother needed help to get to the U.S. to watch some of the group stage and how one of the longest long shots in the tournament grabbed everyone’s attention by playing Spain to a draw in its opening match.
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“The truth is that when the draw was decided, the group that we would (have) to face … there were two world champions there,” Argentina midfielder Rodrigo de Paul said.
Spain, the 2010 champion, got through the group stage. Uruguay, a two-time World Cup winner, did not. Cape Verde did, and a showdown with Messi — the five-foot-seven Goliath, so to speak — awaits.
“The most important match in our history,” Cape Verde coach Bubista said. “So, we are being responsible and also trying to enjoy the match. We did not reach this stage by chance. It was on our own merits and we want to show the world our qualities, our values and that there’s a lot of quality in Cape Verdean football.”
Cape Verde hasn’t yet won a match at this year’s World Cup, making it the only team to reach the Round of 32 without a victory. It had three draws in the group stage; Argentina won all three of its matches, with Messi starring in each of them.
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They’re even now. It’s win or go home. And it’s no fluke that Cape Verde is here, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.
“We are not surprised, to be honest,” Scaloni said. “They are a good team. And they are not here by chance. We must respect them. And that’s what we will do.”
Cape Verde insists it has a plan for Friday night. It wants to be aggressive on set pieces. It wants to try to control possession as much as possible. It will rely on a defence that yielded only two goals in three group matches and kept Spain scoreless.
And it’ll try to be ready for Messi, though no team in the world ever really seems to be ready for Messi.
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“We have our own strategy, not only against Messi, but the whole team,” Bubista said. “We know they are the current world champions, one of the best teams in the tournament. And we will play against the whole team, not just Messi.”
The Thursday MLB schedule features nine games, with the evening National League games including Cardinals vs. Braves and Padres vs. Dodgers. In the American League, the Tampa Bay Rays will be looking to cushion their AL East lead over the Yankees as they seek an eighth consecutive victory and a three-game sweep of the Royals in Kansas City at 7:40 p.m. ET.
Fans who want to bet on MLB have a lot of options, and home run prop bets are always fun to follow. SportsLine expert Adam Thompson has been analyzing the matchups and MLB odds for Thursday, and he has revealed his best bets to hit a home run today.
Thompson was one of the earliest SportsLine experts from 2016-19 and rejoined the company in 2026 following a stint as the primary betting analyst for the Gambling.com Group. An analytics-driven exploiter of matchups, Thompson specializes in the NFL, MLB and the NBA. He also has delivered consistent winners in college basketball, horse racing and golf. Over the past two seasons, he’s up over 70 units in MLB and more than 60 units in the NBA at sports betting apps.
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Here’s who Thompson likes to go deep on Thursday, July 2.
Best home run picks for Thursday, July 2
Kerry Carpenter, Tigers (+427)
Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi has been sharp in his past two outings, not allowing a home run in either. Prior to that, though, he’d allowed at least one home run in five straight games, two dingers in two of those. He’s allowed up to four homers in a game this season. Eovaldi has allowed more homers to left-handed hitters, and nearly all of them allowed have been to hitters in the Nos. 1-4 spots in the order. Three Tigers — Kevin McGonigle, Carpenter and Riley Greene — check both boxes.
Carpenter gets the nod here. Of his 16 home runs, 15 came against right-handed pitching. Over the past week, he’s drilled three over the fence, tops among his teammates.
Riley is in an epic slump at the moment. Over his past seven games, the third baseman is just 2-for-25 (.080) with no homers and nine strikeouts. On the season, he’s batting just .207, way below his career .265 average. He also has just eight home runs in 84 games, well off the pace for the 33-plus dingers he hit each year from 2021-23.
It’s a risk to back Riley to do anything with the bat lately, but this is a good spot to buy low. Riley is a lifetime 2-for-5 against Cardinals starter Dustin May. Both hits are home runs. Six of the seven home runs May has allowed this season have been on the road. May gave up two homers in his last start, on the road at Kansas City, in only two innings of work.
Parameters are pretty simple: two sentences for all contracts signed on July 1st that were worth a million dollars in AAV or more. Let’s get to it!
When the Ducks lost Gudas, Trouba, and Carlson, they were gonna need a few reliable adults back there. Not sure it moves the needle much, but Jensen can at least plug some leaks.
Seems like goalies who’ve played NHL games cost at least a million. Here’s some cheap/credible insurance for the Dobes and Fowler.
At first glance, it seems like an absolutely mental number for a guy who’s been a fringe sixth- or seventh-man in the league. Like, how many teams were all over Desharnais? But at second glance … OK, it’s still high, but he’s got all the desirables, from size to handedness to age to underlying numbers.
Bjorkstrand is one of those guys who, with favourable deployment, can get some numbers. He can shoot it. Don’t think he moves the needle much without help, though.
Marchment has made more money than I’d bet even he ever thought he’d make in the league as a former ECHL guy. But it’s a cool story (his Dad’s former team, same number), and he’s got both skill and toughness, which show in flashes before periods of dormancy.
Has played good minutes with Dakota Joshua in the past, kills penalties and knows his role. Nothing special or flashy for the Leafs, but a good bet on a short deal to improve a formerly putrid bottom-six.
His goaltending brain is elite, so it’ll be up to what his body — something he takes good care of — can do over the next few years. A bounce-back after a write-off year in Florida isn’t out of the question, but there’s risk here for the Leafs (as there is with about 50 of the 64 goalies in the league).
At some point, the Canucks need NHL bodies in their lineup, and Cotter can skate and has put up a little offence in New Jersey in the past. He’s young enough that if he finds his game there, the Canucks can use him past this contract.
Goalies with NHL experience, signed to provide insurance, cost a million as the floor. As noted with Kaapo Kahkonen, that’s all this is here.
Schwartz, surrounded by some talented Avalanche forwards, has the skills and brains to make the most out of his roster spot. He’s a Cup champ to go with many in that room, so I like this as a depth add for the Avs.
Hey, they traded for the guy; it only makes sense to pay him to stay. He’s young and has upside, and should fit in perfectly with the Kraken (take that however you like).
This is one of those contracts that everyone knows isn’t serious — that the player has no intention of playing through — so it keeps the AAV down. But Gudas has struggled to defend as he’s gotten older, and I can’t believe there’s going to be much value pulled from the deal anyway.
Good pro, respected, valuable contributor. You can see the way numbers are going for top-end guys, so this falls in line comfortably.
The value of anybody with an ounce of snarl to their game has gone through the roof. Douglas has more than an ounce.
Truly cannot believe Bogosian is just 35, it’s felt like he’s been 35 for five straight years. A good competitor who defends his butt off, but a seventh D who’s starting to struggle with the pace.
Boone Jenner feels like a born Washington Capital, out of the Lars Eller mould. A solid depth guy and good pro, you worry about how his game will look as he keeps getting older, but you can see what the Caps like.
Feels like Dubas’ thing is to bet on high upside guys while their stock is low, and you’re bound to hit on a few winners that way. But they won’t all pan out, and when they don’t, you want the term to look like this: one single year.
Truly one of the NHL’s most fascinating, respectable, purely mid players. This will make it nine straight NHL seasons where Kerfoot has earned either three or three-point-five million, as he can do a little bit of everything and do it decently well.
Ah, the ol’ “teacher in the room while we’re bad” job. No better pro to choose for that role, but it could be a long year.
I have about as many Joe Veleno takes as you’d expect. Not yet had a 30-point season, but has enough NHL experience that he should be fine.
Arvidsson is one of those guys who, when he’s healthy, is easy to love. Small but lays it all on the line, goes to the net, but his availability will be a question mark.
As I said about toughness, it’s at a premium these days, as evidenced by the 32-year-old Johnston getting three years. He’s tough as nails, though, so if you’re going tough, you could do worse.
Mikheyev is fast, PKs and creates pucks to the net. I can see the Lightning thinking they’re getting “faster Nick Paul,” which is true in theory, but not sure he’s got the sense for the game that Paul does.
Toughness has value, and the fans in Columbus will love the Lomberg show. He works for everything he gets.
If you’re Connor Bedard, I’m sure you’re just dying for the team to turn the corner. Cole has done his share of winning and should help the Blackhawks get moving in the right direction.
Ersson is funny, because the numbers don’t like him any more than the next goalie, but the people who’ve watched him see potential. I’m not sure why he got the dollars he got, exactly, but it sounds like he’s got upside.
One of the several older UFAs the Kings signed, Haula was a player who made a difference for years. The bet that that’s going to continue to happen is getting harder to see.
Luostarinen is essentially the league’s most perfect third-line winger, alongside Anton Lundell. Assuming he’s good for another few years, the contract should age fine.
Anaheim lost Jeffrey Viel and wanted some toughness. Congratulations are in order, as they found some.
It’s a little funny how every team that signed a sorta-back-up, sorta-third-string guy just gave them about a million and called it a day. I like Comrie as a back-up.
See the above. Journeyman back-up banks another well-earned million.
You can’t just build a team out of the same player, and Sissons is your quintessential quality depth centre. Reliable guy who can PK, win draws and take some D-zone starts off Matthews’ plate.
Pretty unremarkable here, I like Clifton fine, pretty versatile D. Low-to-no-risk deal.
I’m seeing this deal get killed by just about everyone, and yeah — not pretty in terms of cost-to-value ratio. But he’s a better D-man than the Sharks’ past depth, so the team gets better in the short-term, which appears to be their goal.
I think the Isles lost Max Shabanov and just said, “let’s replace him with another smaller skill guy,” at least that’s the most sense I can make out of this. Maccelli is an NHLer, but if he’s playing meaningful minutes for your group, you’re probably not a great team.
This seems to be the going rate for reliable depth. Pens are trying to hodgepodge things together at the fringes again, and TVR is at least a good pro.
Actually quite like this bet. He’s a good age, he’s competitive, and they got him for a couple years at a nice price.
It’s crazy that Stu Skinner is only 27 — it feels like he’s been in NHL headlines for a decade already. Not many guys with his size/experience available out there. If he’s your backup, you’re doing pretty well.
I like Viel on a fourth line fine enough, and the Lightning have to deal with the Panthers, I get all that. But five years is crazy talk.
This rules for the Flyers. Good player locked up long-term for cheap.
I just cannot make sense of why a guy would sign up for eight years, given his talent and the direction of the cap. I think there’s a chance that in the last few years of this deal, he’s left five million on the table per season (which rules for Montreal).
Stenlund is an excellent depth forward, which is why I’m surprised he couldn’t get two years. Utah is loaded up front, as evidenced by Stenlund being a clear fourth-liner for the side.
Big, young, and actually had better numbers than Bobrovsky in Florida last year. The goalie market is a crapshoot, though, so who knows.
I really should’ve taken these backup goalie contracts out of this “analysis.” Daws, a million per year… Sure. Fits what the rest of the league is doing.
Not many players in the league are more solid than Acciari; players react to running into him like he’s pure granite. But he’s slowing down, and he already wasn’t fast, so I’m not sure what this will look like in year two.
The Leafs signed a bunch of grinders, so it’s tough to blame them for chasing some speed to go with the ability to transport the puck. But I’m not sure he fits in the top-six, or in the bottom-six exactly either, so I’m curious to see if he finds a steady home in the lineup.
If you’ve got talent for days, it’s good to have the odd thumper out there. Juulsen plays heavy and likely will occupy a sixth- or seventh-man role for Colorado.
If you played meaningful minutes for Vegas, aren’t a star, and are owed any additional money, you’re almost definitely gone. Smith was that, and should provide some steadiness to a Blackhawks team trying to go forward.
He had a great year, but it’s tough to love giving any goalie in the NHL five years who isn’t one of about five guys in the Hellebuyck/Shesterkin class. Still, they locked up a prime-aged good goalie for a low AAV, so here’s to hoping he’s the real deal.
This is top pair D UFA money. Checks out. Andersson probably leaves a few bucks on the table because he wants to be in Vegas, so it seems like everyone gets what they want.
A truly bonkers number, but he’s undeniably a help to their struggling roster, so they did what they had to do to keep him. It feels like he’s been one of those “never satisfied” guys so far. Now that he’s got the money and the top-pair role, I’d say the pressure is squarely on him.
Fascinating signing, in that Freddy just played 16 of 19 games for the Canes en route to a Cup win, and he only got a year and under three million. But it just shows that people aren’t sold on what he is at this point in his career, which might be a tandem goalie who struggles to stay healthy.
Love this for the Oilers, Shea was rock solid for the Penguins last year. With minimal responsibility, he should be a reliable guy.
The kinda signing that makes you take Utah more seriously. No asset cost but the money, and he’s a big, heavy guy who’s been a captain in the league. A great addition.
If you chase stars like Vegas, someone has to play cheap and hopefully contribute. “Vegas Vic” is back, and they’re hoping he shoots a few in the net yet again.
When I see all these signings, it blows my mind that Kapanen can’t get more than a year of term. As good as depth scoring gets in the NHL, and can be effective without getting points.
It’s quite a bit of money, but what should the Canucks care? You need some real players to keep from being a laughingstock, and Oleksiak is a big, mean defender.
Love this by the Devils, and what a concept, right? The idea that you’d take competitive action to get a player from another team, even though they won’t like it? Hayton would help down the lineup, is prime-aged, and will be the type of depth the Devils could use.
I like his skating for Edmonton in their bottom-six. Cheap, no-risk deal.
Laughton is a good dude and solid player, smart, versatile, and with more skill than you’d expect. The Kings are kinda old, but Laughton can still skate.
As noted, the Kings are old, but Zuccarello can still make plays. The Kings are creating the weirdest team, without much of a long-term forecast, but they should threaten the playoffs again next year.
Great deal for the Jets for a good, prime-aged competitor. Surprised he didn’t cost more, quite honestly.
England head coach Thomas Tuchel has allayed concerns that midfielder Declan Rice could miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash with co-hosts Mexico on Sunday (July 5) in Mexico City due to injury.
Rice, 27, played the Three Lions’ opening two group games, delivering an assist in the 4-2 campaign-opening victory over 2018 finalists Croatia. He played the full 90 minutes of the goalless draw with Ghana, where he sustained a calf issue that sidelined him for the 2-0 win over Panama.
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The Arsenal man returned for the 2-1 come-from-behind Round of 32 win over DR Congo earlier this week, coming off deep in stoppage time after complaining of pain.
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Providing an update on the midfielder’s potential availability against Mexico this weekend, Tuchel said that Rice should be good to play (as per Irish Times);
“I asked him very late, and he said ‘I can do it for the team, but I am in terrible pain’.
“When Declan tells you that he is in terrible pain, then you know he cannot take it anymore, so he was grateful that we took him off. He just said after the game it’s not an issue, he will recover, so there is no injury. He was just in pain, so I hope he is right. It’s more nerval pain.”
In eight games at the FIFA World Cup, Rice has an assist, having gone without a goal contribution at Qatar 2022, where the Three Lions lost 2-1 to eventual finalists France in the quarter-finals.
“They’re getting close” – England boss provides update on injured duo before 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16
England vs Congo DR: Round Of 32 – FIFA World Cup 2026 – Source: Getty
England boss Thomas Tuchel said that the injured right-back duo of Reece James and Jarrel Quansah are progressing well in terms of their recovery, but the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 game against DR Congo came a bit too soon.
James suffered a hamstirng injury during the goalless draw with Ghana and hasn’t featured for the Three Lions since then. Meanwhile, Quansah, injured his ankle against Panama after twisting his ankle.
“They are getting close,” Tuchel said (as per Irish Times). “They are getting closer and closer. I saw them on the pitch.
“In the nature of their injury, Jarell is a little bit ahead of Reecey. But the race was close even to make it into the match squad this time, so we need to make sure that we have more matches. “That is the main focus, and then they will be available very soon.”
England started Djed Spence at right-back against Congo before he came off in the 70th minute for Eberechi Eze, with Declan Rice playing the remainder of the game at Spence’s position.
Rockstar Games has been monitoring toxicity and abuse in GTA Online voice chat (VoIP) using a voice analytics AI model throughout 2025. This is a fascinating research project that the American gaming giants have been doing with the help of Modulate’s Velma model. The tool basically monitors how and when players get angry and start abusing each other.
Modulate even released a full case study, which was shared by the game studio. Here is a more in-depth look at the case study for GTA Online toxicity in voice chats in 2025.
In-depth look into GTA Online voice chat toxicity monitoring done by Rockstar Games and Modulate AI
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On July 2, 2026, Rockstar Games posted a newswire for GTA Online weekly updates before the Summer DLC. The developers basically crammed two weeks’ worth of content into it so that the new weekly update starts with the DLC.
At the end of this newswire, the company mentioned its partnership with Modulate, an AI voice analytics company, to moderate in-game voice chat in a better way. This partnership was first formed in 2023, when Modulate’s pilot model moderated GTA Online VoIPs. The AI company has now released a massive case study of the project.
How did Rockstar and Modulate monitor GTA Online voice chat?
Rockstar monitored over 20,000 players using Modulate to moderate VoIP abuse (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)
This case study is done on GTA Online’s voice chat from January to December, 2025. The game is basically monitored by a moderation technology called ToxMod, which is powered by Velma, Modulate’s AI voice analytics system. This entire system identifies violations of Rockstar Games’ Community Guidelines.
Basically, if ToxMod detects someone violating community guidelines in VoIP by abusing or speaking harshly, it will take the necessary actions against them.
The case study firstly reported a reduction in community guidelines violations in 2025 by 35% and claimed that ToxMod operated at almost 98% accuracy.
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Here are more details about how exactly Modulate and Rockstar Games monitored GTA Online voice chat and learnt about player behavior:
ToxMod data is grabbed from January 1 to December 31, 2025.
The data is recorded from a sample of 20,000 players across all platforms.
Anger scores are aggregated across three-minute time intervals and GTA Online gameplay session data.
In-game gameplay factors such as mission failure and repeated deaths are also studied to confirm sources of frustration before logoff.
All player data is aggregated and analyzed collectively, not individually.
ToxMod’s findings after monitoring GTA Online voice chat
Modulate Velma’s ToxMod system has a unique way of detecting anger in a player’s voice and gives it a probability score. It is basically a measurement of anger identified by a vocal sentiment model. Basically, if someone is speaking harshly on the voice chat, the artificial intelligencewill understand the tone.
Through this unique model, ToxMod found that abuse on VoIP angers a player a lot more than challenging gameplay mechanics. This is somewhat obvious since players will get a lot angrier at another person abusing them, rather than failing a mission or dying in the game on their own.
ToxMod found that players exposed to abuse in the previous five minutes show up to 50% higher anger scores compared to failing a mission or dying. This anger also increases the chances of them logging off the game by 50%.Players got a lot angrier with verbal abuse rather than failing missions or dying (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)
All the data during angry moments was combined with existing gameplay session data to determine what usually gets people riled up.
Modulate basically studied the link between VoIP abuse and rage quitting, which is a popular term used for when a player gets so angry that they log off the game.
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Hence, any form of voice chat abuse increased the likelihood of rage quitting by up to 50%. In simple terms: voice chat abuse drives anger, and anger in turn drives players to log off.
Rockstar plans to bring several QoL changes with Summer DLC (Image via Rockstar Games || GTA Wiki)
Note: This part is entirely subjective and reflects the writer’s opinion.
In Rockstar Games’ newswire, the company mentioned that it will introduce various quality-of-life improvements with the Kortz Center Heist. In the same section, they added the link to this case study.
Hence, an argument can be made that the developers might add new ways to moderate voice chat moving forward. The research with Modulate last year must have given them enough data to create new kinds of moderation to ensure a safe virtual environment for everyone.
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This is even more important for Rockstar Games since they will soon release GTA 6, and potentially a multiplayer title tied with it, even though they have not announced anything related to it.
Spain booked their place in the World Cup last 16 with an emphatic 3-0 win over Austria on Thursday, producing another polished performance that rarely gave their opponents a foothold.
Marvel Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 17 AFL game between Essendon Bombers and
St Kilda Saints. The game kicks off at 3:15 pm with St Kilda Saints heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Essendon Bombers vs.
St Kilda Saints
game and give you our free tips and bets.
St Kilda has an opportunity to reignite its finals hopes when it takes on an Essendon side low on confidence at Marvel Stadium on Sunday. The Saints entered the bye after losing four of their previous five matches but now face a Bombers outfit enduring one of the club’s toughest periods. Essendon’s defeat to North Melbourne extended an alarming losing streak in Victoria and raised further questions about its direction. St Kilda claimed a narrow victory the last time these sides met and will view this as a crucial chance to remain within striking distance of the top 10. For Essendon, another defeat would deepen an already difficult season.
Adelaide Oval will play host to Sunday’s
Round 17 AFL game between Port Adelaide Power and
North Melbourne Kangaroos. The game kicks off at 4:40 pm with Port Adelaide Power heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Port Adelaide Power vs.
North Melbourne Kangaroos
game and give you our free tips and bets.
Port Adelaide Power vs North Melbourne Kangaroos Odds
Port Adelaide Power vs North Melbourne Kangaroos Preview
North Melbourne faces another important test of its finals credentials when it travels to Adelaide Oval to take on an improving Port Adelaide. The Kangaroos sit inside the top 10 after defeating Essendon, but their victories have largely come against lower-ranked opposition, making Sunday’s clash another significant measuring stick. Port Adelaide has shown considerable improvement since its heavy Round 1 loss to North Melbourne and produced one of its best performances of the season by defeating Adelaide in last week’s Showdown. Harry Sheezel and Nick Larkey starred when the Kangaroos comfortably won the first meeting, but the Power enter this rematch with momentum and an opportunity to keep their own late finals hopes alive.
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