Operators worth reading twice.

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +2

Lewis Ward

· POSTMORTEM· COMMUNITY

Susanna Pollack, President of Games for Change, Pushes the Video Game Industry Toward a More ‘Hopeful and Optimistic Future’

In an exclusive sit-down with her at Games for Change (G4C) in July, we covered mission, impact, and inspiring participation in the hands-on, playful community

· THEORY· PLAYER PSYCHOLOGY

Lewis WardSEP 22, 2026

Games for Change’s Dr. Rachel Kowert and Arana Shapiro on Raising Good Gamers

At G4C 2026 in July, Dr. Kowert and Shapiro laid out a new program designed to knit gaming families more closely together

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +2

· POSTMORTEM· UGC & CREATORS

Lewis WardSEP 16, 2026

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Zach Letter, Co-Founder and CEO of Wonder Works, Part 2

The driving force behind the smash hit Roblox game SpongeBob Tower Defense shares the inside scoop, plus Live Ops and AI tips

L02 OperatorLIVE OPS +3

Lewis WardSEP 10, 2026

· POSTMORTEM· LIVE OPS

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Zach Letter, Co-Founder and CEO of Wonder Works

The former popular YouTube influencer leaped into risky Roblox development waters in 2019, and candidly reflects on his studio’s feast or famine saga

L03 LeadLIVE OPS +3

Lewis WardSEP 3, 2026

· TEARDOWN· LIVE OPS

Under the Hood of Call of Duty’s Matchmaking System and MMR With Charlie Olson, Part 2

Our extended conversation with Olson covers Marvel Rivals, Elo, and how Call of Duty (COD) Ranked Play works from a player skill standpoint

Lewis WardAUG 19, 2026

· THEORY· GAME DESIGN

Under the Hood of Call of Duty’s Matchmaking System and MMR With Charlie Olson

Olson spills the beans on the original COD matchmaking rating (MMR) system that he authored, before hanging out his own shingle with colleagues in 2022

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +2

Lewis WardAUG 13, 2026

· POSTMORTEM· COMMUNITY

Games for Change 2026: “Reimaging Play” Through Social Impact and Tools for Raising “Good” Gamers, Part 2

The 23rd annual Games for Change festival was held in New York City on July 21-22 and we highlight a handful of day two sessions and key takeaways

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +1

Lewis WardAUG 5, 2026

· POSTMORTEM· COMMUNITY

Games for Change 2026: “Reimaging Play” Through Social Impact and Tools for Raising “Good” Gamers

The 23rd annual Games for Change festival was held last week in New York City and we highlight a handful of key sessions and takeaways

Lewis WardJUL 29, 2026

· FIELD NOTES· COMMUNITY

Fiene Ziegler’s Accidental Path from Cultural Studies to Player Community Management at InnoGames, Part 2

The community management specialist shares tips on getting video game content noticed and assessing KPIs on popular social media platforms

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY

Lewis WardJUL 14, 2026

· FIELD NOTES· COMMUNITY

Fiene Ziegler’s Accidental Path from Cultural Studies to Player Community Management at InnoGames

The community management specialist offers insights into how she orchestrates communications between the developers and global player base of Forge of Empires…and explains why she’s so into road trips

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY

Lewis WardJUL 7, 2026

· PROFILE· LIVE OPS

Thad Sasser Loves Learning, Smart Risk-taking, Fun, and MERICA, Part 2

The vet FPS studio exec and current creative director of COD Warzone talks vision, the ‘friendship hostage’ problem, shooter innovations, and American grit

Lewis WardJUL 1, 2026

Thad Sasser Loves Learning, Smart Risk-taking, Fun, and MERICA, Part 1

The vet FPS studio exec and current creative director of COD Warzone opens up about his break into gaming, why QA is a “great path for developers,” and skiing in Tribes

Editorial DeskJUN 24, 2026

· PROFILE· LIVE OPS

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

L01 FoundationsLIVE OPS +2

L01 FoundationsLIVE OPS +2

Lewis WardJUN 16, 2026

· PROFILE· MONETIZATION

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 WardJUN 9, 2026

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

· THEORY· GAME DESIGN

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

L02 OperatorDESIGN +2

Lewis WardMAY 26, 2026

Navigating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 1

Navigating Irreconcilable Differences with Behavioral Game Economist Catalin Alexandru, Part 1

He’s always surfing the next big, sexy, dangerous, and psychologically meaningful logarithmic or asymptotic curve

L02 OperatorDESIGN +2

Lewis WardMAY 15, 2026

Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 2

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +1

Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 2

Forces in the EU are working to tap into video games’ latent potential to make the real-world a better place for everyone and the environment

Lewis WardMAY 8, 2026

Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 1

L01 FoundationsCOMMUNITY +1

Utrecht University’s Dr. Joost Vervoort on Gaming’s Potential to Help Build a Better Future, Part 1

He's helping to shape Speculative Agency's strategic deck-builder, All Will Rise, to be a means toward that end

Lewis WardMAY 1, 2026

Quantic Foundry’s Nick Yee on Gamer Motivations, Part 2

· PROFILE· PLAYER PSYCHOLOGY

Quantic Foundry’s Nick Yee on Gamer Motivations, Part 2

The consultancy’s Gamer Motivation Model is like a Swiss Army knife for understanding what motivates video game players

L02 OperatorCOMMUNITY +3

Lewis WardAPR 24, 2026

Quantic Foundry’s Nick Yee on Gamer Motivations, Part 1

· PROFILE· PLAYER PSYCHOLOGY

Quantic Foundry’s Nick Yee on Gamer Motivations, Part 1

The company’s model of twelve motivations is a window into the hearts and minds of “the gamer” and helps explain and predict their behaviors

L02 OperatorCOMMUNITY +3

Lewis WardAPR 17, 2026

GDC 2026: Riot Games’ Stone Librande on Game Design

· FIELD NOTES· GAME DESIGN

GDC 2026: Riot Games’ Stone Librande on Game Design

The veteran designer helped lead workshop participants through two exercises that connected video game design elements to positive emotional and psychological outcomes for players.

L02 OperatorDESIGN

Lewis WardAPR 2, 2026

NYU Professor Eric Zimmerman On Game Design's Deep and Broad Potential

NYU Professor Eric Zimmerman On Game Design's Deep and Broad Potential

From Diner Dash and Balatro to redesigning capitalism, Zimmerman is interested in creating, iterating, and playing with systems that deliver "mouthfuls of delicious meaning"

L01 FoundationsDESIGN +1