Great moments define esports just as much as they do in cricket or football when a player pulls off an impossible 1v5 clutch or a team stages a last-second comeback, the crowd erupts, and within seconds those plays are clipped and shared across social media. One of the most iconic highlights this season came during the VCT semifinals, where TenZ single handedly turned the tide with a breathtaking triple kill that instantly became the mostshared clip of the year. Legends like Faker (LoL), Scout (BGMI), Bugha (Fortnite), and Leaf (Valorant) have transcended the games themselves, becoming household names, brand ambassadors, and role models thanks to their dedication and consistency. Beyond the matches, esports thrives on its vibrant culture fans create memes, chants, jerseys, and inside jokes that keep communities alive 24/7 across forums and social media. The tournaments themselves are spectacles, with mind-blowing production that includes real-time overlays, crowd cams, player heart rate monitors, and shoutcasters who inject color and energy into every play. Cosplay contests add another layer of immersion, as fans bring their favorite characters to life on stage. This perfect blend of skill, storytelling. Elements of UX in Game Design 51
Grounded II The Last of Us Part II RemasteredNaughty Dog’s Grounded II: Making The Last of Us Part II is a free-to-watch documentary that dives deep into the production, release, and reception of the 2020 critical masterpiece, The Last of Us Part II. While it includes plenty of fan-favorite momentslike alternate story directions and behindthe-scenes footage of actors performing in motion capture suitsit goes far beyond simple fan service.The documentary transforms into an insightful exploration of how a game studio manages to keep everything moving forward under immense creative and emotional pressure, especially when following a project as iconic and nearly flawless as its predecessor. It highlights the delicate balance between storytelling and player agency how giving control to the audience can alter emotional investment and narrative pacing.In games, unlike in film, players dictate the rhythm of the story. Grounded II reveals how Naughty Dog’s artists and designers embrace this challenge carefully crafting an experience where, despite surrendering control to the player, every detail still leads them purposefully toward the emotional and narrative finish line.
One scene examines this best during a level review in which Neil Druckmann (the game’s director, creator, and co-writer) begins to drill down on the miscellaneous minutiae of the game design. It’s a first draft review basically, in which he is probing and pushing the logic of the gameplay and its relationship to the narrative he and co-write Halley Gross aimed to tell. He points out how Dina, Ellie’s partner, should follow her so that the user doesn’t feel as if she is unuseful or neglecting them, before highlighting that the horse should be something that lives and breathes with decision-making and self-preservation as much as loyalty, while allowing for a sense of constant tension by hiding enemies in the levels in various positions. If this were a town overtaken by a militia group, they would have areas zoned off with patrols, which if stumbled upon, would react violently.Art of the Game (Behind the Design) 53
Events That Shaped 2025The Emotional Impact and Legacy of The Last of UsThis and many other reasons are why The Last of Us remains so dear to my heart, and Grounded II solidifies my love even further by putting a human face on the creators and developers of these stories. And, of course, the hint at potentially another chapter coming down the road only has me all the more excited because these two stories matter. They matter to people like me, they matter to gaming as a medium, and they matter because it’s important to continue to see fresh voices inside such a male-dominated space, female and queer alike.
The live-streaming landscape is defined by the fierce competition between Twitch, the long-standing market leader, and the challenger, Kick, with both platforms adjusting their monetization strategies to attract and retain content creators. According to Q1 2025 data, global hours watched grew, but Twitch’s overall share saw a modest decline, signaling rising pressure from rivals. In response, Twitch eliminated all starting thresholds (like 50 followers) as of February 27, 2025, enabling “most streamers” to access Bits and subscriptions from their very first stream. While its standard revenue split remains roughly 50/50 (with top Partners getting up to 70/30), this move prioritizes immediate accessibility to the revenue ecosystem. Conversely, Kick has disrupted the market by prioritizing the creator’s bottom line, offering a headline-grabbing 95/5 subscription revenue split—meaning streamers keep 95% of the earnings. This aggressive approach is fueling exponential growth, with Kick shattering records to deliver 317 million hours watched in March 2025. Kick’s monetization path is also easier, requiring just 75 followers and five hours of content for full monetization, and even offers a guaranteed hourly base payout (around $16/hr) to qualified streamers who maintain consistency, making it the platform of choice for creators prioritizing maximum revenue.Events That Shaped 2025STREAMING PLATFORMS 55
Game SpecificationsGame OverviewAssassin’s Creed Shadows, the fourteenth major installment developed by Ubisoft Quebec, launched on March 20, 2025, marking a significant shift with its dualprotagonist narrative set in late-16th-century Japan during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. The game leverages an upgraded Anvil engine to render a sprawling open world across the Kansai region (Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe) that features dynamic seasonal changes directly impacting gameplay. Players switch between the agile, stealth-focused kunoichi Naoe and the combat-heavy African samurai Yasuke, whose paths cross with historical figures like Oda Nobunaga. New gameplay mechanics include an “Observe” system for scouting and a grappling hook for parkour, enhancing the stealth-action formula. Technically, the game is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S, with consoles offering a performance mode upscaled to 2160p at a smooth 60 FPS. PC system requirements for Extended Ray Tracing at 1440p/60 FPS recommend an enthusiasttier setup (e.g., Intel Core i7-13700K and an RTX 4080). The game is available in three primary editions, ranging from the Standard Edition (US$69.99) to the premium Collector’s Edition (US$229.99).56
The Swing Glitch (also nicknamed the Swingset Glitch, Swingset of Death or Car Cannon) is one of the most famous glitches in Grand Theft Auto IV, as well as the Grand Theft Auto series as a whole. It involves driving a vehicle into numerous swings around Liberty City, after which the player’s vehicle will be launched by a great force. There are several “glitched” swing sets around Liberty City and Alderney, most notably in Firefly Projects Park and Tudor near the Globe Oil gas station, both are accessible to cars and vans. Most of these are easy to access, specifically the two listed above, so it leaves sufficient space to allow the player to maneuver a If the player presses up against the swings in a vehicle it will often, with little to no warning, be flung an incredible distance through the air. It is not uncommon for flying vehicles to reach or even clear Outlook Park to the west, and Algonquin if done in Alderney. The end result of vehicular flight is almost always catastrophic body damage (often in a manner that is not easily achieved through normal crashes), although the engine will frequently still run. This enables the player to cruise away in their ruined vehicle. The player risks being thrown out through the windshield upon launch, facing the vehicle towards the swing increases the likelihood of this happening. After being thrown out, the player may fall to their death. The likelihood of this is lessened if one is thrown to the east (where the player may land safely in water). However, it is nearly impossible for players to get launched through the windshield in multiplayer. It is recommended that the area of the vehicle containing the engine not touch the swing set, lest the engine catch fire. The best swingset to use is the northern one, as using the southern one will almost always guarantee to crash into large apartment buildings. It is often also preferable to use the middle pole rather than the side ones. The Alderney swingset will usually result in landing on the docks, but can also land in the water or even in Algonquin. The swingset can be useful for escaping the police, provided the player survives the landing. In The Ballad of Gay Tony, the glitch is much less dangerous, as the player can just bail out of their flying car and safely parachute back to the ground. Famous Bugs & Glitches57
“Game over for this issue but don’t worry, the respawn timer is short. See you in the next level!” As we bring this issue to a close, we’d like to thank you for joining us on this journey through the ever-evolving worlds of gaming and digital innovation. Every story, review, and insight in these pages was created with the same passion that fuels players across the globe. But remember this is never truly “Game Over.” A new level is always waiting, and the next issue promises even more adventures, ideas, and power-ups to explore. Until then, keep playing, keep creating, and keep leveling up.