Podcasts about valorant

WATCH SMUTROT NOW: https://youtu.be/xkYT-mQVxZg Get additional episodes and bonus content with early access (try now with 7 DAYS FREE): go to https://www.OFFICIAL.men Three close man-friends gather around to talk about a sinister market. This is the Official Podcast. Every Tuesday. Links Below. THE OFFICIAL NETWORK CHANNEL (SUBSCRIBE NOW): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcHYe-Qw7qUN5gFWMdj9nNw Episode 490: Recorded 27/05/26 --- Get additional episodes and bonus content with early access: Go to https://www.OFFICIAL.men or https://www.PATREON.com/THEOFFICIALPODCAST --- Timestamps: [00:00:00] Intro [00:03:13] Man-children [00:08:16] Good branding vs. fan service [00:21:19] Internet criticism and algorithm culture [00:27:07] AI “fixes” for The Boys [00:32:49] Call of Duty security disaster [00:37:27] Valorant anti-cheat and privacy fears [01:01:05] Kojima on Mandalorian and Grogu [01:03:18] The end of Destiny 2 :( [01:10:03] Games with chill communities [01:16:06] Wrap --- Audio Platforms (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, & Castbox): https://linktr.ee/theofficialpodcast Other Shows: https://linktr.ee/theofficialnetwork --- Hosts: Jackson: https://twitter.com/zealotonpc Andrew: https://twitter.com/huggbeestv Kaya: https://twitter.com/kayaorsan --- Additional Links: Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcHYe-Qw7qUN5gFWMdj9nNw Subreddit: https://reddit.com/r/theofficialpodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/theofficialpodcast Intro by: https://www.youtube.com/c/Derpmii Music by: https://soundcloud.com/inst1nctive & https://www.instagram.com/00zaya Art by: https://www.instagram.com/nook_eilyk/ & https://www.instagram.com/vaux.z Edited by: https://www.instagram.com/00zaya Designer: http://www.jr-design-co.com/ Produced by Jackson Clarke for The Official Network Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

follow me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/redbatman_10?igsh=MWkzMG04ZzZpMnk1cg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr⁠

NEW MERCH: https://platchat.com/

Welcome to this week's episode of the PEBCAK Podcast!  We've got four amazing stories this week so sit back, relax, and keep being awesome!  Be sure to stick around for our Dad Joke of the Week. (DJOW) Follow us on Instagram @pebcakpodcast   Please share this podcast with someone you know!  It helps us grow the podcast and we really appreciate it!   Simple 6 signup link https://simple6.co/r/CFUR98   Microsoft releases a temporary mitigation script for "YellowKey," a BitLocker-bypassing Windows zero-day with no permanent fix yet https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-shares-mitigation-for-yellowkey-windows-zero-day/   Researchers uncover FAST16, a state-sponsored cyber-sabotage framework from 2005 that silently corrupted precision engineering calculations — predating Stuxnet by at least five years and linked to NSA tooling https://www.tomshardware.com/software/security-software/decades-old-pre-stuxnet-cyber-sabotage-tool-breaks-cover-nsa-listed-it-as-nothing-to-see-here-fast16-targeted-nuclear-reactors-dam-design-and-other-high-precision-civil-engineering-software-years-before-stuxnet-broke-cover https://www.wired.com/story/fast16-malware-stuxnet-precursor-iran-nuclear-attack/ https://www.sentinelone.com/labs/fast16-mystery-shadowbrokers-reference-reveals-high-precision-software-sabotage-5-years-before-stuxnet/   Riot Games clarifies its Vanguard anti-cheat doesn't brick PCs — it just renders $6,000 worth of DMA cheat hardware completely useless https://www.ign.com/articles/riot-games-says-it-would-not-and-cannot-use-vanguard-anti-cheat-to-brick-pcs-after-rumors-spread https://www.tweaktown.com/news/111774/valorants-vanguard-anti-cheat-now-destroys-dma-cheat-firmware/index.html https://x.com/dexerto/status/2057785616255860991   Apple is developing an "anti-snatch" feature that automatically locks an iPhone the moment sensors detect it's been ripped from a user's hand — and London thieves already prefer iPhones over Samsungs https://appleinsider.com/articles/26/05/27/rumored-anti-snatch-feature-will-automatically-lock-iphones-yanked-out-of-a-users-hand https://appleinsider.com/articles/25/11/18/london-thieves-snatching-iphones-but-dont-want-no-samsung   Dad Joke of the Week (DJOW)   Find the hosts on LinkedIn: Chris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chlouie/ Brian - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandeitch-sase/ Ben - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamincorll/

Send us Fan MailIn this episode...-->  Destiny 2's active development is officially coming to a close, and the news just gets worse as it's reported that Destiny 3 isn't in development, and layoffs are planned at Bungie after the game's final update next month. --> Riot says "congrats on your $6k paperweights" as a new Valorant anti-cheat update reportedly bricks the PCs of many cheaters.--> Less than 2 years after his own game fully shut down, Jason Voorhees is coming to Dead by Daylight to celebrate the game's 10th anniversary.--> Also: Top 3 New Releases, Gaming History 101Help support ShrfSnax (a.k.a. Brandon) in his fight against cancer:  https://gofund.me/5d7c63a15Visit out merch store at gamers-week-podcast.creator-spring.comWe love our sponsors! Please help us support those who support us!- Check out the Retro Game Club Podcast at linktr.ee/retrogameclub- Connect with CafeBTW at youtube.com/@LoveRetroBTW- Get creative with Pixel Pond production company at pixelpondllc.com- Visit Absolutely the Best Podcast: A Work in Progress at linktr.ee/absolutelythebest**Use this link to get a $20 credit when you upgrade to a paid podcast hosting plan on Buzzsprout! buzzsprout.com/?referrer_id=1884378**Get 15% off gaming chairs at blacklyte.com/Gamersweekpodcast using code GWP26!Hosts: donniegretro, wrytersview, retrogamebrewsOpening theme: "Gamers Week Theme" by Akseli TakanenPatron theme: "Chiptune Boss" by donniegretroClosing theme: "Gamers Week Full-Length Theme" by Akseli TakanenSupport the show

Top 10 Players Masters London is next week, submit yours here: https://forms.gle/fC7bqnRvYLdaNj6d6

Headshinsky hat direkt nach den Splitfinals und unmittelbar vor dem Kampf auf der europäischen Bühne mit Vince, dem fünffachen DACH Champion und In-Game-Leader von CGN über den Umgang mit Druck, mentale Stärke und die Bedeutung von Fan-Interaktionen im kompetitiven VALORANT gesprochen. Interview Datum: 14.05.2026

Send us Fan Mailwww.BetterHelp.com/TheBarnhttp://www.betterhelp.com/TheBarn http://www.betterhelp.com/TheBarnThis episode is sponsored by www.betterhelp.com/TheBarn and brought to you as always by The Barn Media Group.   YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/@TheBarnPodcastNetworkSPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/09neXeCS8I0U8OZJroUGd4?si=2f9b8dfa5d2c4504APPLE https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1625411141I HEART RADIO https://www.iheart.com/podcast/97160034/AMAZON https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7aff7d00-c41b-4154-94cf-221a808e3595/the-barn

Discounted Masters London Tickets (this makes Sliggy rich) https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/artist/5688993?venueId=436769&did=ukrgiot20

En el episodio especial de hoy, jugamos a dos cositas. Primero, el amigo invisible, donde cada uno de nosotros tenemos que hacer un Heaven or Hell de un juego que otra persona ha propuesto, pero sin saber quién. Y al final de la sección debemos adivinar el autor de la bromita. Segundo, name design, Adrià comienza a enumerar skins de Valorant y el resto de panelistas debe inventarse juegos en base solo a sus nombres. Si, la descripción un poco sosa esta semana, pero yo que sé nano, está lloviendo y a mi me deprime la lluvia, ala, espabila. Nuestros links: https://linktr.ee/refugio101uji Música original por hapi: https://linktr.ee/hapidev Código de creador de Hytale para apoyar el equipo Hynergy: SEYAGER

follow me at https://www.instagram.com/redbatman_10?igsh=MWkzMG04ZzZpMnk1cg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr

Juegos -70% DTO: https://ene.ba/Esportmaniacos-ENEBA ¡Xbox Game Pass al Mejor Precio!: https://ene.ba/Esportmaniacos-GamePass Descuentos Exclusivos en Juegos de PC: https://ene.ba/Esportmaniacos-Steam 00:00:00 INTRO 00:16:00 CAMBIOS EN COMPETITIVO DE LOL DESDE VALORANT 01:15:00 PRIMER DÍA LES CON CARDENETE Y CHAMPI 01:33:00 LCK CON MARHODER 01:36:30 LPL CON TOAD 01:38:50 FAKER HABLA DE RETIRARSE Y SUS INICIOS 01:55:00 ¿OSCARININ DE VUELTA A LA LEC? APÓYANOS AQUÍ https://www.patreon.com/Esportmaniacos https://www.twitch.tv/esportmaniacos Nuestras redes https://twitter.com/Esportmaniacos https://www.tiktok.com/@esportmaniacos Referido de AMAZON: https://amzn.to/36cVx3g

Welcome back to the Old School Noobs Podcast! Have you ever listened to the Old School Noobs Podcast and thought, “Wow, I wish these guys were more consistent!” Well, you're in luck because the Noobs are on the consistency grind! And for the first time in 2 years, you are blessed with 2 episodes in a week! This time, they're even both recent episodes instead of a month-old one that never got edited! In this gem of an episode, they start off with ChatGPT critiques of the pod. Then they dive into the year of 1993, sports and music. Then, hit segment AJ's Movie Corner returns with a Zilly Special of Jean-Claude van Damme Movies! The Noobs then discuss the Wild's recent struggles and how it does not matter because they are still going to win the Cup. They also do a dive into the playoffs and who they think the top contenders are, besides the Wild, of course. College Hockey wraps up the hockey segment of the show. Then the Noobs talk about baseball since the season has begun. A brief NFL segment and video game talk end the episode   Segments 00:00 Intro and Chat GPT 17:36 1993 Music 27:51 Show Comments 29:47 AJ's Movie Corner (Jean-Claude van Damme Edition) 57:12 Wild and NHL Talk 01:16:54 College Hockey 01:23:25 That's Baseball 01:33:40 NFL Draft 01:35:23 Video Games (Atlas Fallen, Valorant) 01:41:53 Outro     Good Luck, Have Fun! Follow us on Instagram and Twitter Email us at oldschoolnoobspod@gmail.com   Thanks for listening! We appreciate each and every one of you!

¡Nuevo episodio de Team Barça Podcast! Este parón de selecciones nos deja una oportunidad poco habitual: parar, mirar el calendario… y preguntarnos algo que empieza a ser inevitable. Quedan 57 días. Hasta 14 partidos en el mejor de los casos. Y un Barça que se juega absolutamente todo sin red. En este episodio de Team Barça Podcast hacemos un ejercicio muy de estas fechas: alejarnos del ruido inmediato y analizar, con calma, hasta dónde puede llegar realmente este equipo en el tramo decisivo de la temporada. ️ Lo hacemos en tertulia con Juanma, Tony y Gerard, y con la ayuda de voces clave como Fermín Suárez, Albert Morén, Ricard Torquemada y Àlex Delmàs, que nos ayudan a poner contexto, matices y debate sobre la mesa. Además, abrimos un pequeño paréntesis para charlar con María “Toki” Pérez, capitana del Barça femenino de Valorant, para conocer cómo se compite también al máximo nivel en los eSports del club. Y como siempre, con la participación de la comunidad TBP a través de Patreon. Un episodio para pensar, para debatir… y para empezar a intuir si este Barça está preparado para lo que viene. ⏰ BLOQUES DEL EPISODIO 00:00 | Sintonía 01:27 | Editorial: 57 días, 14 partidos y la gran pregunta sobre el Barça 5:30 | Primeras sensaciones de la tertulia 14:41 | Comentario de Fermín Suárez 18:44 | Debate tras el audio de Fermín + mensajes de oyentes 30:39 | Comentario de Albert Morén 33:31 | Debate tras el audio de Morén 44:07 | Barça en Valorant: Charla con María “Toki” Pérez 1:01:30 | ¿Preocupa la falta de pegada del 9? 1:13:43 | Comentario de Ricard Torquemada 1:18:13 | Debate tras el audio de Ricard 1:28:59 | Comentario de Àlex Delmàs 1:33:42 | Cierre y conclusiones Contenido exclusivo y apoyo: •⁠ Hazte socio en Patreon: teambarca.com/patreon •⁠ Fan en iVoox: Sin publicidad por 1,49 €/mes •⁠ Invítanos un café: ☕️ ko-fi.com/teambarcapod Colabora con TBP: •⁠ Betbrothers → https://betbrothers.es/?utm_source=page&utm_medium=cta&utm_campaign=n0001&utm_id=0001 Participa: •⁠ Fantasy Biwenger: https://biwenger.as.com/go/team-barca-podcast-26 •⁠ Encuesta TBP: https://bit.ly/EncuestaTBP Tienda oficial: •⁠ https://www.teambarca.com/tienda Conecta: •⁠ X: @TeamBarcaPod •⁠ Telegram: bit.ly/ChatTBP •⁠ Discord: bit.ly/DiscordTBP •⁠ Contacto: oyentes@teambarca.com Música: Jamendo.com.

VALORANT

Cette semaine : Marathon (le test, le vrai), Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, Yakuza Kiwami 3 et Dark Ties (remaster), Miks arrive dans Valorant, Street Fighter 6 récupère Alex, Pokémon Pokopia, Bitwig 6 sort de bêta, Joybuy ouvre en France (et en Belgique), Kim Gordon - Play Me, Sound Blaster Audigy FX Pro, les batteries du SCAM ?, souris C64-vibe par 8BitDo, Nvidia DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi-Frame Generation, et le fameux… DLSS 5... Lisez plutôt Torréfaction #365 : Marathon, Monster Hunter Stories 3, Yakuza Kiwami 3 (+ Dark Ties), Pokémon Pokopia, SB Audigy FX Pro et le drama Nvidia DLSS5 avec sa vraie mise en page sur Geekzone. Pensez à vos rétines.

Valorant

"Those are not my top 3 anime" - Alex BernasSummaryIn this episode of the Suuuper Anime Podcast, host Ed interviews Alex Bernas, an animation director with experience in both TV and commercial animation. They discuss the differences between working in TV and commercials, the importance of collaboration and soft skills in the animation industry, and the impact of representation in animation projects. Alex shares insights on his favourite projects such as Valorant and Nike, success metrics in animation, and the challenges faced by the industry. The conversation also touches on current anime trends and concludes with a quickfire round of questions.ChaptersIntroduction to Alex BernasTransitioning from TV to Commercial AnimationThe Art of Animation: Quality vs. QuantitySignature Style and Collaboration in AnimationImpactful Projects: Valorant and RepresentationSuccess Metrics in Animation ProjectsThe Importance of Guardrails in Creative WorkSkills for Success in AnimationThe Less Glamorous Side of AnimationFinding Your Voice in AnimationAnime Influences and Personal FavoritesCurrent Anime and TrendsThe Future of Anime and Industry ChallengesQuickfire Round and Final Thoughts Alex Bernas Socials https://www.alexbernas.com/Social media links Instagram SuuuperanimepodcastTikTok SuuuperanimepodcastTwitter @SuuuperanimeFacebook SuuuperAnimePodcast You Tube SuuuperAnimeDiscord https//discord.gg/suuuperlightsassemble Support the show

VALORANT

On this episode of the Off the Blue podcast presented by Select Health, Austin Julian, a junior on Boise State eSports' Valorant team, joins the show to discuss how he got involved in eSports, the team's 2026 season, and much more.Timestamps- 0:00 - 1:45 - Intro | 1:46 - 4:59 - Valorant, Path to Boise | 5:00 - 6:45 - Academics, Idaho | 6:46 - 7:59 - Revenge Year | 8:00 - 9:29 - Playing for Doc Haskell | 9:30 - 11:15 - Team Strengths | 11:16 - 12:59 - Upcoming Matchups | 13:00 - 16:59 - Practice, Family | 17:00 - 18:34 - Legacy, Future GoalsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Linguists are baffled. “There seems to be a new subcommunity in a niche online video game developing a totally new manner of speech by fusing what's known as the ‘Valorant accent' with idioms from medieval English,” writes a joint statement from The Linguistic Society of East and West.Discussed: BB realizes he's offline, Highguard, early impressions of Deadlock, Yoda in Soul Calibur, Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, the pros and cons of remakes, the history of DQVII, Nioh 3, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection Demo, new games on the horizon "A History of Dragon Quest (and Why To Try It Now)" by Chris PlanteHarvestella Review by Kaile Hultner PS1 Playlists:The ten listener poll winnersThe full playlistFind us everywhere: https://intothecast.onlineBuy some merch, if you'd like: https://shop.intothecast.onlineJoin the Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/intothecast---Follow Stephen Hilger: https://bsky.app/profile/stephenhilger.bsky.socialFollow Brendon Bigley: https://bsky.app/profile/bb.wavelengths.onlineProduced by AJ Fillari: https://bsky.app/profile/ajfillari.bsky.social---Season 8 cover art by Scout Wilkinson: https://scoutwilkinson.myportfolio.com/Theme song by Will LaPorte: https://ghostdown.online/---Timecodes:(00:00) - Intro (00:19) - Highguard | Brendon Offlineley (12:09) - Dragon Quest VII Reimagined | The first game of the episode (57:50) - Break (57:52) - Nioh 3 | Kiefer's favorite game (01:13:30) - Break (01:13:32) - There was a Nintendo Direct (01:15:14) - Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection | Another 3 (01:33:08) - On the horizon (01:36:22) - Wrapping up ---Thanks to all of our amazing patrons, including our Eternal Gratitude members:SuperThisWayNick GStarfallrondoSusan H0nlygh0stsVincent JPatrick KEd AJ-RockSamantha DNorth HeroSam HSnzznJ-RockGregory Mark SCmndr BiscuiticemanChristian HRydan BCaleb HArden FEye of the DuckKaleNathan EJ. H. AjoelchronoMellowMatthew BRobin LPSeekingSeakingJimmerszoey!Vinny MMattKerry KBrian MNoah DZach DChristopher TDHugo WToddChris BLukerfuffleStephen YDaniel GEric FTaran WBrendan OChris ZClayton MZach RDylan NFederico VTigerz RevengeLogan HAlan RJohn AMike LmattjanzzDavid MHeavyPixelsKaleb HTyler JCorey ZSusan HBarry TRobert RChris JBrett Allen HDan SJack SGarrett CjimiiboJohn HDirch FJim EJim WTristan LEvan BAwfulHanzomin2Aaron GJean HTodd Nred_wagonNeilPeter BJohn VvErik MRedmage77Joshua JTony LDanny KGibson GKate Duncan BRichard MDaniel NSeth MJamesAndy HDemoEmmaLyn ECorey TCaleb WJake LJesse WMike TCodesMatt BWesleymebezacAlex LSergio LninjadeathdogRory BA42PoundMooseRobert MMichael WAndrewthis_JUSTINRyan O14.3 billion yearsBrendan KMegan BSecretAgentKoalaNoah OArcturusAndrew WhepaheChase ALoveDiesNick QChris MRBKaren HAdam FScott HAlexander SMatt HMurrayDavid PJason KMicah OKamrin HAndrew DKyle SPhilip N  ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

The esports model for teams is broken! We break down why the current esports ecosystem is financially broken for teams and how publisher-controlled revenue models have created deep misalignment. Featuring Gen.G CEO Arnold Hur, the conversation explores why previous league revenue models failed, how Riot's approach in League of Legends and VALORANT differs, the rise of “moneyball” roster building, and what a future Superleague or structural reset might look like. We also cover alternative revenue opportunities, the state of sponsorship value, and what meaningful changes could actually save the ecosystem. Eat smart at https://FactorMeals.com/horsemen50off and use code horsemen50off to get 50% off your first box, plus Free Breakfast for 1 Year. Quit overspending on wireless with 50% off Unlimited premium wireless! Plans start at $15/month at https://MintMobile.com/FOURHORSEMEN Control Body Odor ANYWHERE with Mando and get 20% off + free shipping with promo code HORSEMEN at https://shopmando.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Before you ask, I just want to let you know part 5 VALORANT finals drops on Sunday Or earlier

In this episode, Greg and Colan break down the surprising success of Hytale after its departure from Riot Games, the strategic restructuring at Ubisoft, and the evolving multi-platform future of Xbox. Colan provides a deep-dive "dissertation" on the three eras of Riot Games publishing and explains why the studio may be "trapped by its own success".Key Discussion Points1. The Hytale Miracle: From Cancellation to Chart-Topper The Buyback: After Riot Games effectively shuttered the project, the original founders bought back the rights and launched into Early Access. Market Dominance: Within its first weeks, Hytale ranked #4 in search and #9 on Twitch, commanding roughly 2.5% of the total gaming market. The China Factor: Colan highlights the massive "opportunity cost" for Riot/Tencent, noting that Hytale could have been a native competitor to Minecraft in a Chinese market with over 700 million accounts.2. The Evolution (and Stagnation) of Riot Games Publishing The Golden Era (2019-2020): Riot enjoyed a historic run with "heaters" like Valorant, Teamfight Tactics, and Legends of Runeterra. The "Trapped" Success: Colan argues that Riot is now bloated by the weight of its own success; the immense resources required to maintain massive live-service hits prevents them from taking bold risks on new IP. Riot Forge Lessons: Why Riot's attempt to release smaller "love letters" to the community failed to act as a funnel for new players.3. Ubisoft's Strategic Reset Cancellations & Restructuring: Ubisoft has canceled six games, including the Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time remake, while mandating a 5-day return-to-office policy. The Global Shift: An analysis of why game development is shifting from expensive hubs like California to subsidized regions like Riyadh.4. The Shooter Landscape: Highguard vs. Marathon Highguard's Attention Deficit: Despite viral memes, the game lacks measurable player attention, making it a high-risk launch in a genre dominated by Apex and Overwatch. The Case for Marathon: Colan remains "bullish" on Bungie's Marathon, predicting it will successfully claim a "bronze medal" spot in the extraction shooter hierarchy.Featured Quotes"Riot is first-in-class at maintaining live ecosystems, but that success becomes a weight. Why risk anything when you have a thing you can monetize forever?" — Colan NeeseResources & Links Colan's Newsletter: Subscribe to "Patch Notes" on Substack or LinkedIn for the full dissertation on Riot's publishing history. Player Driven Workshop: Sign up for next week's player experience session at PlayerDriven.io. DICE Summit 2026: Catch Greg and Colan live in Las Vegas next month.

Cette semaine : Valorant season 2026, PUBG: BLINDSPOT, GeForce Now, les annonces du CES, Office est toujours Office, Malibu - Vanities, The Pitt : la saison 2 commence aujourd'hui, les annonces AMD du CES, done deal : Nvidia possède 4% d'Intel, MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z, NVIDIA au CES : DLSS 4.5, souris Logitech MX Master 4 (le vrai test), clavier Logitech Slim Solar+ (wireless keyboard K980), moisson de lunettes de GAMEURZ (Xreal 1s, ASUS ROG XReal R1), et point RAMpocalypse. Lisez plutôt Torréfaction #357: Valorant S2026, PUBG: Blindspot, annonces Nvidia diverses, Logitech MX Master 4 et Slim Solar+ avec sa vraie mise en page sur Geekzone. Pensez à vos rétines.

Is Die Hard a Christmas Shooter Movie? Only this podcast would know!We discuss:- Call of Duty's rare public admission of failure and what the end of back-to-back sub-franchise releases actually signals.- Marathon's delay, $40 price point, and why fiscal calendars still distort launch strategy.- Why Valorant Mobile exploded in China, and why Western mobile shooters keep failing to break through.- EA hiring a VP of Shooters for mobile, and whether Battlefield or Apex can realistically return to phones.- Highguard's confused reveal, the danger of losing narrative control, and why innovation still matters.- Marvel Rivals as a ceiling, not a failure, and what the hero-shooter arms race gets wrong about retention.

Head to https://FACTORMEALS.COM/VALORANT50OFF to get 50% off your first box plus FREE BREAKFAST FOR ONE YEAR!

The community nominations are in, vote on the Plat Chat Awards!https://forms.gle/gbor6oBrpet8vyiVA

For decades, the U.S. Army has been on edge about recruitment, hitting its goals for a few years, only to miss them again. As part of their strategy to combat recruiting concerns, the Army has turned its focus online: to the world of gaming and competitive eSports. With nearly 80% of Americans between the ages of 13 and 28 playing video games weekly, the Army has identified this community as a vital demographic for potential recruits. The core goal of this outreach is to use gaming as an entry point, which is nothing new — the precedent was set decades ago. With the end of the draft in 1973, the U.S. Army found itself faced with new recruitment challenges. Campaigns like the “Be All You Can Be” ads of the 80s were popular and led to short-term bumps in recruitment, but they didn't last. The Army failed to meet its recruitment goals in 1998. It failed again in 1999. In response, a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel spearheaded the development of America's Army, a free-to-play first-person shooter launched in 2002. The game was designed to offer a "virtual test drive" of Army life. Before the players could enter the full combat portion of the game, they were required to complete certain training modules covering topics like physical fitness and weapons use. The game was designed to reflect the Army's values and structure. And despite the game's promise to represent the true Army experience, the relatively limited depiction of gore and gruesome violence raised concern from some critics. Other critics, including anti-war activists and the ACLU, condemned the project for "gamifying war" and serving as propaganda that targeted impressionable youth by design. America's Army became a significant cultural and recruiting success, accumulating over 1.5 million downloads in its first month and eventually earning the title of the "Most Downloaded War Video Game" from Guinness World Records with more than 42.5 million downloads. After a two-decade run, the U.S. Army officially shuttered America's Army. The way Americans played video games had changed since the game launched in the early 2000s, and the Army began to pivot its approach to gaming to leverage the success of existing games and opportunities posed by the increasingly popular competitive eSports scene. Today, the Army eSports team competes in commercial titles like Rocket League, Call of Duty, and Valorant, continuing its outreach. This modern presence remains contentious — critics continue to question the ethics of military outreach in spaces that include children. Credits: This episode was produced by Katelyn Harrop and edited by Christopher Johnson. Mix, sound design and music composition by Paul Vaitkus. Additional mixing by Martín Gonzalez. "Hidden Levels" is a production of 99% Invisible and WBUR's Endless Thread. The Managing Producer for Hidden Levels is Chris Berube. The series was created by Ben Brock Johnson. Series theme by Swan Real and Paul Vaitkus. Series art by Aaron Nestor.