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

Kathryn Xu

Funny how we get attached to the struggle.

Video Games

It Is, In Fact, Possible To Get Too Good At A Video Game

(L-R) Corbin "COM" Lee, Christine "potter" Chi, Alexander "jawgemo" Mor and Kelden "Boostio" Pupello of Evil Geniuses pose onstage with the VALORANT Champions Los Angeles Trophy.

Christine “Potter” Chi And Her Evil Geniuses Made History

Luis Paez-Pumar

The Slow-Building Joys Of ‘Baldur’s Gate 3’ And Turn-Based Combat

Zheng "ZmjjKK" Yongkang of EDward Gaming poses after clutching against Giants Gaming at VALORANT Champions Los Angeles Group Stage.

‘Valorant’ Teams Learn Valuable Lesson About Shit-Talking

VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: LOCK//IN - Groups

‘Valorant’ Has Given Us An Unbelievable Underdog Story

‘Diablo IV’ Isn’t Quite Sure What It Wants To Be

Patrick Redford

Gollum looks around; where are the buttholes?

The Video Game Where You Play As A Tortured Wretch Isn’t Very Fun

BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 14 : Fans cheering to game stage during the 2018 League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational Groups Stage at the EU LCS Studio on May 14, 2018 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Wojciech Wandzel/Riot Games via Getty Images)

Capital

The ‘League Of Legends’ Walkout Is A Warning


<p class="wp-block-paragraph">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

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

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

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