──ACADEMY · LEVEL 02 · OPERATOR

Operator

Connect.

Running a live game day-to-day.

OPEN L02 IN ACADEMY ↗

HOURS: 60
TIME: ~12 weeks
CREDIT THRESHOLD: —
ASSESSMENT: None

──── SKILLS UNLOCKED

What you'll be able to do.

✓Live ops cadence
✓Moderation & trust
✓Reading a dashboard

──── FEEDS FROM

Content that counts toward L02.

↗ LIVE ↗ PODCAST

↳ LATEST EPISODES

Why Most Games Fail in the Gap Between the Idea and the Build

55:53

EP_156

Why Most Games Fail in the Gap Between the Idea and the Build

Lewis Ward spent sixteen years covering games as an analyst at IDC. Now he runs Design Desk at Player Driven, and his obsession has moved upstream, into the design layer where games are still just ideas.

PLAYER DRIVENJUN 9, 2026

Let Bungie Die: The State of Sony, Activision, and Everyone Caught in Between

59:21

EP_155· VIDEO MISSING

Let Bungie Die: The State of Sony, Activision, and Everyone Caught in Between

Bungie's total mindshare has collapsed 86% since 2019, Destiny is winding down to a final mission, and Marathon is on life support.

PLAYER DRIVENJUN 2, 2026

Ad-Supported Xbox, the Death of the Open Web, and House Cats for AI

59:28

EP_154· VIDEO MISSING

Ad-Supported Xbox, the Death of the Open Web, and House Cats for AI

Matt Ball just joined Xbox, and Colan is calling his shot: a free, ad-supported Xbox tier is coming, and people are massively underestimating what free does to an ecosystem.

PLAYER DRIVENMAY 26, 2026

↳ LATEST ESSAYS

· PROFILE

ARCANIX’s Oscar Clark on the EU’s DFA, Lightning Lessons, and the Primacy of Player Value, Part 2

The industry vet talks Lightning Lessons, ARCANIX, and how studios can “find the fun” in a sustainable way

Lewis Ward

· PROFILE

ARCANIX’s Oscar Clark on the EU’s DFA, Lightning Lessons, and the Primacy of Player Value, Part 1

The veteran gaming industry exec, speaker, and author is acutely attuned to the interplay of ethics and regulation

Lewis Ward

· THEORY

Mediating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 2

The consulting vet offers hot takes on what’s derailed Web3 gaming, SDT’s upsides, and the importance of bridging the gap between game design and production processes

Lewis WardMAY 26, 2026

──── NEXT STEP

Open L02 in Academy.

OPEN L02 IN ACADEMY ↗