Esports

The Backlog

CULTURE

Footer Column 2

Footer Legal

Footer Main

Nav Bar

OTHER

SPORTS

Subscribe, at any level, to play

Thanks for your interest in Defector Crosswords!

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

Plans start at $8/month.

Subscribers enjoy unlimited, ad-free browsing.

Register to continue

Or click here to subscribe for unlimited, ad-free access!

Our gift to you: This year's post is unlocked. Register your email to get even more free articles.

Welcome to the 2025 Hater's Guide!

Just register your email:

This blog is free to read.

This is Defector, a new sports blog and media company. We made this place together, we own it together, we run it together. Without access, without favor, without discretion, and without interference.

Defector


<p>Dan McQuade was a founding member of Defector. He died in January 2026.</p>


Dan McQuade

A car rides on a Roomba as bears scurry away

Video Games

My Car Has Legs And Bears Are Cheering For Me

Barry Petchesky

Everyone Should Be Nicer To Koroks

Samer Kalaf

A screenshot of Retro Goal in which I have just scored, with my player exclaiming "Bosh!"

This Little Soccer Game On My Phone Is Fun As Hell

Luis Paez-Pumar

I Love My Silly Little Mini-Games

Let Me Tell You About This Idiot Video Game I’m Obsessed With

Lauren Theisen

What Sports Video Game Intro Will Never Leave Your Head?

<p>Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.</p>


Nicholas Russell

Sometimes It’s Fun To Be A Weird Guy With A Hand For A Head

Mario Bros figure is seen in a Nintendo store in New York City, United States on October 22, 2022. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto)

Mario Power-Ups, Ranked

This Is So Stupid

I’m Sorry, The Cat In ‘Stray’ Is An Uggo

Patrick Redford

The Draw Of ‘Stray’ Is That It’s Fun To Be A Cat

Split image: Valeri Kamensky on one side, in a white Nordiques jersey, on the left side that same person but in the 1993 video game NHL '94

Creating New Video Game Sports Memories, Decades Later

Tom Ley

Two ‘Elden Ring’ Freaks Reflect On Their Time With The Game Of The Year

‘Diablo Immortal’ Takes Microtransactions To New, Terrifying Heights

Of Course Elon Musk’s ‘Elden Ring’ Build Is Dog Shit

Arnold Palmer celebrates two video game characters getting it on

Golf

This 1989 Arnold Palmer Video Game Was Shockingly Horny

The Jailer in Sepulcher of the First Ones

Interviews

How A Top ‘World Of Warcraft’ Guild Reached Its Breaking Point

“Play-To-Earn” Games Are The Latest In Scammy Crypto Bullshit

A Discussion Between Two Burgeoning ‘Elden Ring’ Freaks

<p>Staff Writer</p>
<p>Find me on Signal @DefectorChris.19</p>


Chris Thompson

‘Elden Ring’ Is Super Fun To Not Play

‘Halo Infinite’ Brought Me Back To The Beginning


<p>Trevor Strunk is a longtime Philadelphia sports fan and sports belligerent. He is also the host of <a href="https://www.no-cartridge.net/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">No Cartridge Audio</a>, a podcast about video games and culture. His book <em>Story Mode </em>considers games series over time and the way they respond to audience and authorial demands. You can see more from him at <a href="https://twitter.com/Hegelbon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">@Hegelbon</a> on Twitter and all across the finest freelance publications online.</p>


Trevor Strunk

A fan cheers for id Software executive producer as he speaks about DOOM. The cover of Trevor Strunk's book, Story Mode, is in the lower right corner.

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

How To Get Away With Making An Ultraviolent Video Game

Giri Nathan

Gamer Wins Tournament, Dislocates Shoulder In Celebration

Sylvanas Windrunner in the World of Warcraft raid Sanctum of Domination

‘World Of Warcraft’ Won’t Stop Torturing Some Of Its Most Hardcore Players

<p><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">Marc Normandin currently writes on baseball’s labor issues and more at </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="http://marcnormandin.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://marcnormandin.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1758998321491000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZpjG5RUFwdpapWqR1u4bd">marcnormandin.com</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">, which you can read for free but support </span><a style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif" href="https://www.patreon.com/marcnormandin">through his Patreon</a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif">. His baseball writing has appeared at FOX Sports, SB Nation, Defector, Global Sport Matters, Deadspin, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, Sports on Earth, The Guardian, The Nation, FAIR, and TalkPoverty, and you can read his takes on video games at Retro XP and Endless Mode.</span></p>
<div class="gs">
<div class="">
<div class="WhmR8e" data-hash="0"></div>
</div>
</div>


Marc Normandin

An employee rolls out the new Sony PS5 in Japan.