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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.

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Defector

Enter Our Raffle To Win A Visit And Home-Cooked Meal From Drew Magary

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tip jar sweepstakes

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Kathryn Xu

VALORANT Champions Tour 2023: LOCK//IN - Groups

Esports

‘Valorant’ Has Given Us An Unbelievable Underdog Story

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Luis Paez-Pumar

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Video Games

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

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Patrick Redford

Gollum looks around; where are the buttholes?

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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)

2018 Mid-Season Invitational Groups Day 4

Capital

The ‘League Of Legends’ Walkout Is A Warning

Visual Editor. Runs <a href="http://defectorstore.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">defectorstore.com</a>. Philadelphia-based, if you couldn’t tell.

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Dan McQuade

A car rides on a Roomba as bears scurry away

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My Car Has Legs And Bears Are Cheering For Me

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Barry Petchesky

korok

Everyone Should Be Nicer To Koroks

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Samer Kalaf

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

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This Little Soccer Game On My Phone Is Fun As Hell

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I Love My Silly Little Mini-Games

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

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Lauren Theisen

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What Sports Video Game Intro Will Never Leave Your Head?

Nicholas Russell is a writer from Las Vegas.

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Nicholas Russell

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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)

New York City Economy

Mario Power-Ups, Ranked

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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

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Creating New Video Game Sports Memories, Decades Later

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Tom Ley

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

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‘Diablo Immortal’ Takes Microtransactions To New, Terrifying Heights

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

Arnold Palmer celebrates two video game characters getting it on

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Golf

This 1989 Arnold Palmer Video Game Was Shockingly Horny

The Jailer in Sepulcher of the First Ones

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Interviews

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

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

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A Discussion Between Two Burgeoning ‘Elden Ring’ Freaks

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Chris Thompson

‘Elden Ring’ Is Super Fun To Not Play

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‘Halo Infinite’ Brought Me Back To The Beginning

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 Story Mode 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.

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.

Video Game Company Bethesda Holds Press Event Ahead Of Start Of E3 Gaming Conference

Book Excerpts That Don't Suck

How To Get Away With Making An Ultraviolent Video Game