Culture
Whisper Campaign
Black Myth: Wukong Devs Told Streamers to Avoid Politics in Their Playthroughs. It Backfired
The Chinese studio granted early access on the condition that topics like “feminist propaganda” and “Covid-19” go unmentioned. What followed is the Streisand effect in full force.
Megan Farokhmanesh
Assassin’s Creed Shadows and How ‘DEI’ Became Gamergate 2.0’s Rallying Cry
The forthcoming game’s inclusion of a Black samurai named Yasuke has caused a controversy in the gaming world, one that has a familiar ring to it.
Laurence Russell
Gamergate’s Aggrieved Men Still Haunt the Internet
Ten years ago, much of the frustrations gamers were expressing came from anger over no longer being the target audience. Now those feelings are everywhere, from fandom to politics.
Vittoria Elliott
Thousands of People Are Playing Valve’s Secret New Shooter Right Now
No official details exist yet for Deadlock, the rumored 6v6 team shooter from Valve. That hasn’t stopped people from playing it on Steam.
Megan Farokhmanesh
He Made a Movie About Humans Rising Up Against AI. Now He’s Doing the Real Thing
Mike Rianda’s The Mitchells vs. the Machines is a sci-fi comedy about a family fighting back against Silicon Valley tech. As animators gear up to battle Hollywood studios, it’s becoming a fable.
Brian Merchant
Gamergate’s Legacy Lives on in Attacks Against Kamala Harris
A decade after Gamergate launched a new, toxic era of online communication, the tactics developed and honed in 2014 are now in full view in attacks against the vice president.
David Gilbert
The Hacker Who Hunts Video Game Speedrunning Cheaters
Allan “dwangoAC” has made it his mission to expose speedrunning phonies. At the Defcon hacker conference, he’ll challenge one record that's stood for 15 years.
Andy Greenberg
Crush House Is a Game For People Who Love Drama
The “thirst person shooter” puts a dark spin on reality TV.
Megan Farokhmanesh
How World of Warcraft Devs Launched One of the Biggest Unions in Video Games
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard created an environment that helped workers. Amid layoffs and worries about AI, their efforts could be an indicator of the future of the industry.
Megan Farokhmanesh
The 30 Best Shows on Apple TV+ Right Now
Sunny, Constellation, and Bad Monkey are among the best shows on Apple TV+ this month.
Angela Watercutter and WIRED Staff
The 51 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now
Wicked Little Letters, Lumberjack the Monster, and Godzilla Minus One are just a few of the movies you should watch on Netflix this month.
Matt Kamen and WIRED Staff
The 55 Best Shows on Netflix Right Now
The Boyfriend, The Decameron, and Kleo are just a few of the shows you need to watch on Netflix this month.
Matt Kamen and WIRED Staff
The 30 Best Movies on Hulu This Week
Immaculate, Casino, and Get Out are just a few of the movies you need to watch on Hulu right now.
Jennifer M. Wood and WIRED Staff
Twitch’s New DJ Program Has Flaws, But It’s the Best There Is
Twitch is finally giving DJs a place to get paid for streaming their sets—and compensate the artists they spin. Its limited catalog of songs and opaque earnings plan may leave some streamers cold.
James Trew
How the ‘Slamming Door’ Sound Became Embedded in Hip-Hop History
If you’ve listened to any rap or pop music made in the 21st century, you’ve heard John Lehmkuhl’s most famous creation, a thwacking metallic percussion sample named “Tribe.”
Ashwin Rodrigues
Drew Afualo Will Never Stop Making Fun of Misogynist Men
The TikTok influencer and podcast host amassed millions of followers for her roasts—and swears she’ll keep doing it even if TikTok goes away.
Jason Parham
The Week of Brat Summer Will Go Down in Internet History
After Charli XCX declared that Vice President Kamala Harris “IS brat,” nothing was the same.
Angela Watercutter
He Started Out as the ‘Dear Abby’ of Grindr. Now Everyone Wants His Advice
With the advice column ¡Hola Papi!, JP Brammer tackles life’s most eccentric and heart-wrenching issues—like what to do after realizing your fiance is catfishing you.
Jason Parham
The Inevitability of Big Tech Backing Trump
Silicon Valley, fueled by greed and acting in its own calculated interest, seeks to influence the 2024 presidential election. Political scientist Jared Clemons is certain capitalism won’t save us.
Jason Parham
Elon Musk Couldn’t Beat Him. AI Just Might
Imran Ahmed, founder of the Center for Countering Digital Hate, is unsentimental about what’s at stake if we don’t curb the spread of disinformation: the death of democracy, yes, but also the complete ruin of reality.
Jason Parham
Saturday Night Live’s Alex English Wants You to Shut Up and Laugh
Saturday Night Live writer and veteran stand-up comedian Alex English believes platforms like TikTok have changed the relationship a comic has to their audience—in the worst ways possible.
Jason Parham
The Australian Breaker Who Broke the Internet
It’s been a week since Rachael Gunn, aka Raygun, competed in the breaking competition at the Paris Olympics. The memes—and the controversy—haven’t stopped since.
Angela Watercutter
How Camo Hats Became an Instant Meme
This week, Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz cemented their bid for the White House with some camouflage caps. The headgear is on its way to red MAGA hat status.
Angela Watercutter
Welcome to the Weird Era
You can call politicians castigating the childless and companies marketing AI assistants a lot of things, but it's au courant to call them weird. The Era of Weird has been a long time coming—but may have a cringey future ahead.
Angela Watercutter
The Trump Shooting Fueled an Online Sticker Battle
After the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump last weekend, Sticker Mule sent messages to customers suggesting they back Trump and asking to “stop the hate.” That’s not what happened.
Angela Watercutter
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A Russian Chess Player Allegedly Poisoned Her Opponent With Mercury
Nate Anderson, Ars Technica
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Google’s Iconic Chromecast and Nest Learning Thermostat Are Getting Long-Awaited Upgrades
Nena Farrell and Julian Chokkattu
Cryptic Critter
How Telegram Game Hamster Kombat Got 300 Million Users—and the Ire of Iran’s Military
Jeff Wilser
Book Excerpt
The Untold Story of How Ridley Scott Saw Star Wars—and Ended Up Making Alien
Chris Nashawaty