Best Defector Media Podcasts (2025)

1
Inside Baseball Week II (With Defector, 404 Media, And Hell Gate) 1:53:11

21d ago1:53:11

1:53:11

To celebrate the return of Inside Baseball Week – during which we publish a barrage of stories about the lesser-known parts of game dev, the ins and outs of games journalism, and other topics so specific no other website would ever touch them – we put together a roundtable about worker-owned media featuring Aftermath’s Nathan Grayson and Riley MacL…

1
RIP Polygon and Giant Bomb 2:15:36

4h ago2:15:36

2:15:36

On a very special (for bad reasons) episode of Aftermath Hours, Nathan, Riley, Chris, and Luke convene to mourn the apparent – and horrifyingly sudden – passing of two games media institutions: Polygon and Giant Bomb. None of this was, strictly speaking, necessary, with the former an unqualified success in terms of traffic and regard while the latt…

1
Bernie Sanders Liz Phair Lyrics with Patrick Redford 1:05:28

1d ago1:05:28

1:05:28

Defector’s own and basketball podcaster Patrick Redford joins Drew and Roth to talk about the NBA playoffs! What teams are zagging with Hyperball? How capital-G Good are the Cavs and the Thunder? Should Steve Ballmer just come out as a ball-knower? And in the back half of the show, Patrick has to respond to breaking Sacramento Kings news and they d…

1
S5E5 - Is Voting Worth It? with Josh Burstein (Bernie Sanders) 55:47

4d ago55:47

55:47

Comedian, director and political guy Josh Burstein (Bernie Sanders, Asian Comedy Festival) drops by to answer some questions about the Democrats. Then, the [Redacted] Friends do a comedy-politics mind meld. C O ME S E E H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y Tickets F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannotasianpod https://www.instagram.com/nicepants…

1
BDS Vs TES (With Autumn Wright) 1:30:03

7d ago1:30:03

1:30:03

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1
What Goes On in the Mind of a Football Man with Mike Tanier 1:04:27

8d ago1:04:27

1:04:27

National football reporter and writer of the Too Deep Zone substack Mike Tanier joins Drew and Roth to get excited about the NFL Draft. How do teams come up with a coherent draft board… or do they? Is everyone watching the same Shedeur Sanders tape? And how many Twitch streams do they need to grind tape on? And as always, they dive into the Funbag,…

1
Weeb Been Watching Some Anime (With Isaiah Colbert) 1:39:39

14d ago1:39:39

1:39:39

This week Nathan and Chris are joined by Aftermath’s first-ever regular contributor, Isaiah Colbert, to talk about the latter’s speciality: anime. It does not take long for this to spiral into a fittingly multi-part conversation about JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, but we also manage to at least briefly tackle issues pertaining to labor in the anime and…

1
The Incredibly Late Spring Break Podcast 50:52

15d ago50:52

50:52

Here’s what Drew wrote for the agenda for this episode: - I bitch about spring break - Roth and I shoot the shit That’s what will happen. And as always, they dive into the Funbag, answering real questions from real listeners. Do you want to hear your question answered on the pod? Well, give us a call at 909-726-3720. That is 909-PANERA-0! Sponsors …

1
S5E4 - Can Internment Camps Happen Again? with Kevin Nguyen (The Verge) 1:10:04

18d ago1:10:04

1:10:04

Author Kevin Nguyen chats about his new book. Then, the gang go on a very dark, pretty funny camping trip. C O ME S E E H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y Tickets F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannotasianpod https://www.instagram.com/nicepantsbro https://www.instagram.com/jennyarimoto/ P A T R E O N https://www.patreon.com/asiannotasianpod P…

1
Why Am I Talking to the New Jags GM Right Now? with Tim Marchman 1:05:58

22d ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Director of politics, security, and science at Wired Tim Marchman joins Drew and Roth to explain what the hell is going on with DOGE. What exactly are they doing? How has Wired been able to investigate what’s been going? And what can Americans do to fight back? In the back half of the show, Marchman gets a chance to talk about the White Sox and the…

1
Donkey Kong Rap 2 (With Mike Drucker) 1:22:40

28d ago1:22:40

1:22:40

This week Nathan and Chris are joined by special guest Mike Drucker, comedian and writer on shows like Adam Ruins Everything, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, and Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, to talk about his new book, Good Game, No Rematch: A Life Made of Video Games. We discuss how games and people’s relationship to them have changed o…

1
I’m Not Going to Mention Where He Went to College with Maitreyi Anantharaman 1:04:29

29d ago1:04:29

1:04:29

Defector’s own Maitreyi Anantharaman joins Drew and Roth to talk hoops and baseball! Who should we be rooting for in the women’s final four tournament? What’s going on with Paige Bueckers and does it have anything to do with Nico Harrison? Do we like the MBB Duke team now? And is the torpedo bat cheating or do we want the Yankees not to succeed? An…

1
S5E3 - Are We Too Old For This Shit? 52:54

1M ago52:54

52:54

Mic drives over to Jenny's house. The Asian Friends reminisce and talk about the TV Show "Younger." C O ME S E E H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y Tickets F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannotasianpod https://www.instagram.com/nicepantsbro https://www.instagram.com/jennyarimoto/ P A T R E O N https://www.patreon.com/asiannotasianpod P A R T …

1
Big Boy Size Nathan (This Title Was Gita’s Idea) 1:34:22

1M ago1:34:22

1:34:22

This week Nathan, Gita, and Riley briefly talk about their true passion, shirts, before elegantly segueing into a conversation about Ubisoft’s extremely eventful week: The embattled publisher announced that it’s spinning off its most successful series, including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six, into a separate subsidiary thanks to a $1.2…

1
Luxury Ice Fishing Apparatus with Bob Mould 54:31

1M ago54:31

54:31

Musician Bob Mould joins Drew and Roth to talk about his newest album, Here We Go Crazy, as well as life in general! They discuss how his recent marriage has changed his songwriting, what sort of magic goes into that whole arcane process, and what keeps bringing a world-touring musician back to America, even in 2025. Do you want to hear your questi…

1
The Hills Are Alive With The Sound Of Stabbing (With Yussef Cole) 1:13:01

1M ago1:13:01

1:13:01

This week Chris is holding down the fort with Luke and is joined by writer Yussef Cole (@youmeyou.bsky.social) who reviewed Assassin’s Creed Shadows for The New York Times. We get into Assassin’s Creed generally and Shadows specifically, what we like and dislike about the game and if it makes good its narrative promise. Is it simply enough for a ga…

1
The 2025 Idiot’s Guide to March Madness with Ken Pomeroy 59:31

1M ago59:31

59:31

College basketball metrics analyst Ken Pomeroy joins Drew and Roth for his annual preview of this year’s March Madness tournament! They answer your burning college basketball questions: How does Ken feel about being quoted by the governor of West Virginia? Does the fact that some players are wandering ronin affect the quality of play? What’s going …

1
S5E2 - Why can't we be friends? with Jasper Wang (Defector Media) 58:59

2M ago58:59

58:59

Comedian and business Asian Jasper Wang stops by the pod to share a break-up story. The [REDACTED] Friends trade tips on finding and keeping friends. C O ME S E E H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y Tickets F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannotasianpod https://www.instagram.com/nicepantsbro https://www.instagram.com/jennyarimoto/ P A T R E O N…

1
108 Out Of 10 (With Aidan Moher) 1:22:42

2M ago1:22:42

1:22:42

This week Nathan and Chris are joined by freelance writer Aidan Moher to discuss his upcoming book about Suikoden I and II, a pair of sneakily influential JRPGs from the PS1 era that, yes, are very much worth writing an entire book about. Then we discuss news from the eye of the pre-GDC storm: Next week thousands of game developers will convene in …

1
I Can’t Trust Hot White Dips with Jasper Wang 1:00:04

2M ago1:00:04

1:00:04

Defector’s own Jasper Wang joins Drew and Roth to share the true crime story that happened to him. Can you solve the mystery of the burst pipes in Montana? Speaking of, these NFL teams are busted, as revealed by their free agency performance! In the second half of the episode, they explore the possibilities of the MLB forcing Tamba Bay Rays owner S…

1
Dry January For Waifus 1:28:08

2M ago1:28:08

1:28:08

This week Nathan, Chris, and Riley overcome a slew of technical issues to bring you the latest news about guys who suck. First we discuss two Twitch dramas that broke containment and produced consequences that reverberated into the wider world: Several female streamers, Valkyrae, Cinna, Emiru, and Amouranth, found themselves in severe mortal peril …

1
The First Half Is About the State of the World with Denny Carter 1:00:05

2M ago1:00:05

1:00:05

Editor of the Bad Faith Times Denny Carter joins Drew and Roth to talk about everything that’s happening. They know what happened the last time Denny was on. That’s what they’re talking about. But don’t worry, they’re pivoting about something much more sunny in the second half of the podcasts: the Dallas Mavericks! Is this team cursed, rigged, or j…

1
S5E1 - [REDACTED] NOT [REDACTED] 34:17

2M ago34:17

34:17

THIS PODCAST HAS BEEN CANCELED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FCC ORDER 45.2.9 ("WAY TOO MANY ASIANS"). Please delete this file and proceed to listen to other podcasts. C O ME S E E H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hack-city-comedy-with-mic-nguyen-and-jenny-arimoto-tickets-1149524692299 F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannot…

1
RIP Monolith 2:04:20

2M ago2:04:20

2:04:20

This week Nathan and Gita accidentally burst the dam on another wellspring of Riley Lore – perhaps the wildest yet – before we all move on to a discussion of more sobering matters: WB recently closed three video game studios, including Monolith, the makers of quietly revolutionary games like No One Lives Forever, F.E.A.R., and Shadow of Mordor, as …

1
Your Kids Are Mid with Nathan Grayson 1:02:34

2M ago1:02:34

1:02:34

Nathan Grayson, co-founder of Aftermath and author of the new book Stream Big: The Triumphs and Turmoils of Twitch and the Stars Behind the Screen, talks to Drew and Roth about game streaming. Is Twitch a healthy company? Do the streamers like being on it? And how does this all feel in contrast to creating their worker-owned-journalism outfit? And …

1
Exchanging (Opinions About) Avowed 1:21:18

2M ago1:21:18

1:21:18

This week Nathan, Chris, and Luke find themselves champing at the bit to talk about Avowed, which they can’t stop playing, but first, The News: NetEase shocked the game-playing public by laying off members of the team behind Marvel Rivals, the biggest breakout success story to come out of the live service sector in years. What happened? Well, decay…

1
The Paddington 2 of the NBA with Rohan Nadkarni 1:01:25

2M ago1:01:25

1:01:25

NBC News’ Rohan Nadkarni joins Drew and Roth to tell us what’s going on in the NBA after the All Star break. Who are three most interesting teams to watch in the East and the West? And in the second half of the show, they give you the sandwich talk that you’re craving, kicked off by a homemade vegan Double Down in Drew’s own home. And as always, th…

1
The Downfall Of Civilization 1:30:51

3M ago1:30:51

1:30:51

This week Nathan, Chris, and Luke convene on the eve – if we’re measuring in podcast time – of Nathan’s book release (Stream Big, available wherever books are sold) to talk mostly about other stuff. First up, Activision and former Activision CEO Bobby Kotick both got into dustups with CWA, the union that represents over 1,000 workers across Microso…

1
Disrespecting John Madden’s Name 1:00:17

3M ago1:00:17

1:00:17

Drew and Roth break down The Big Game, including why Tom Brady’s commentary is so very bad and the Eagles defense is so very good. The back half of the pod is NBA corner as the guys discuss Miriam Adelson, the Mavericks’ beefy private sheriffs, and Dončić trade conspiracies. Plus, two voicemails for the Funbag, answering real questions from real li…

1
Lovable Rascals (With Rowan Zeoli) 1:41:35

3M ago1:41:35

1:41:35

This week Nathan and Riley are joined by special guest Rowan Zeoli of Rascal, an independent, reader-supported, worker-owned outlet for journalism about tabletop roleplaying games not unlike Aftermath. The site is celebrating one year of life on the increasingly tumultuous planet Earth with a subscription drive, so we ask Rowan how things are going…

1
Both the Eagles and the Chiefs Are Gonna Win with Dan McQuade 1:10:46

3M ago1:10:46

1:10:46

Defector’s very own Dan McQuade joins Drew and Roth to talk about The Big Game! As chief Philly correspondent, Dan weighs in on how the Eagles can do it. Also as chief Philly correspondent, Dan explains how the Eagles can never, ever win it all. In the back half of the pod, everyone is still trying to have a thought other than “what the hell” about…

1
BONUS S4E24 - Live From San Francisco 1:05:42

3M ago1:05:42

1:05:42

It's a bonus episode! In this crazy live show, Dylan Adler and Jes Tom hop on to debate the most pressing issues facing Asian America. Taped live at The Korner Store in San Francisco. H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y S H O W https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hack-city-comedy-with-mic-nguyen-and-jenny-arimoto-tickets-1119949361689 See Privacy Policy at https:…

1
BioWare-fore Art Thou (With Kat Bailey) 1:21:35

3M ago1:21:35

1:21:35

This week Nathan and Riley are joined by special guest Kat Bailey, former news director at IGN and current host of the Axe of the Blood God podcast, to discuss a news week that’s certainly been… interesting. First we talk about the entire staff of long-running video game site God Is A Geek quitting after its now-ex-priest owner threw up a Nazi salu…

1
Apollo 13 Was a Well Made Movie with Will Tavlin 1:10:06

3M ago1:10:06

1:10:06

Will Tavlin, writer of the piece Casual Viewing in n+1, talks to Drew and Roth about why every movie on Netflix looks like that. Why does Netflix not only survives, but thrives, when no one is watching? How does the crappy look of Netflix movies fit with their initial DVD business model? And how has Will been responding to the readers who think thi…

1
Da Movies Baby! 1:39:40

3M ago1:39:40

1:39:40

This week Gita and Chris talk about the most exciting entertainment news of the day: the announcement of a new Ninja Gaiden game! Oh yeah, and the Oscars. For some reason, Emilia Perez has been nominated for a ton of awards and Chris and Gita fear that this dogshit movie may indeed sweep the Academy Awards. As they go through the nominations, they …

1
This Episode Cancels Out the Manhattan Project with Justin Halpern 1:04:10

3M ago1:04:10

1:04:10

Executive producer of Harley Quinn and Abbott Elementary Justin Halpern returns to Drew and Roth to talk about the Dodgers making baseball into capitalism-shaped-like-a-baseball! In the wake of even more free agent signings, they explain how the Dodgers are running their team like a company with McKinsey consultants and they’re blowing everyone els…

1
S4E23 - The Last Episode (So Far) 53:41

3M ago53:41

53:41

Mic and Jenny look back at some good times and look to the future. H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hack-city-comedy-with-mic-nguyen-and-jenny-arimoto-tickets-1119949361689 F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannotasianpod https://www.instagram.com/nicepantsbro https://www.instagram.com/jennyarimoto/ P A T R E O N h…

1
Woke 2: Good, Switch 2: ??? 1:29:06

3M ago1:29:06

1:29:06

This week Nathan, Chris, and Luke break down Nintendo’s long-awaited reveal of the Switch 2 – although we use the term “reveal” loosely. After months of speculation, we now know… what it will look like. And it looks like a Nintendo Switch! Some people, Chris included, are disappointed by this. Nintendo used to swing for the fences with its hardware…

1
Dresses Like Kevin Federline with Ed Zitron 1:09:44

4M ago1:09:44

1:09:44

Better Offline’s Ed Zitron joins Drew and Roth for a doubleheader of British accents and Trump impressions. The first half is all about what pits of despair NFL coaches would walk into if they joined the Raiders, the Cowboys, or the Jags. In the second half, Ed and Roth recap the 2025 CES Conference in Las Vegas and how everyone there is smooshing …

1
The Gaming Angle (With Chris Bratt) 1:42:26

4M ago1:42:26

1:42:26

This week Nathan and Gita are joined by Chris Bratt of People Make Games – one of the best investigative outlets in all of video games – to discuss his new video about workplace abuse at outsourcing studios in southeast Asia. We try to get to the bottom of why big video game companies turn a blind eye to these sorts of incidents, which in this case…

1
He Lost the Slack and the Clubhouse with Diana Moskovitz 1:04:12

4M ago1:04:12

1:04:12

Defector’s very own Diana Moskovitz joins Drew and Roth to preview the NFL playoffs! They interrogate why the Steelers are the way that they are, the ethics of rooting for the Packers, and who they think will win it all in their heart of hearts. And the show wraps up with the Funbag, answering real questions from real listeners. Do you want to hear…

1
S4E22 - How to be Dateable with Yue Xu (Dateable Podcast) 1:16:25

4M ago1:16:25

1:16:25

Mic has a confession to make to our guest, podcaster and writer Yue Xu. C O ME S E E H A C K C I T Y C O M E D Y https://www.eventbrite.com/e/hack-city-comedy-with-mic-nguyen-and-jenny-arimoto-tickets-1119937526289 F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannotasianpod https://www.instagram.com/nicepantsbro https://www.instagram.com/jennyarimot…

1
The 2024 Williams-Sonoma Catalog Price Is Right 58:06

4M ago58:06

58:06

Christmastimeeee is hereeeeee and so is the 2024 Hater’s Guide To The Williams-Sonoma Catalog. For your last Distraction of the year, enjoy Drew lead Roth through the wonders of the ridiculous catalogue and follow along at home by guessing the prices with your loved ones. Programming Note: we’re taking next Thursday off, see you on January 9th, 202…

1
Deck The Halls With Balatros Of Holly 1:28:26

4M ago1:28:26

1:28:26

This week Nathan, Chris, and Riley convene just before the holidays for the final show of the year. We discuss a little of everything: Our favorite Game Awards reveals (Onimusha, an orb game exemplar, is back, and so is Okami!) as well as some that have us less thrilled (more Neil Druckmann nihilism in Intergalactic: The Heretic, Borderlands 4’s co…

1
Oprah Doesn’t Own Discovery with Susie Banikarim 1:03:52

4M ago1:03:52

1:03:52

Co-host of The Kicker: The Unraveling of Ozy Media Susie Banikarim joins Drew and Roth to unravel the story of Carlos Watson and the fraud of OZY Media. Why did so many rich people invest in this media company? Was the stuff that Watson did uniquely terrible or was he the one who got punished? Why would you name your company after the poem Ozymandi…

1
S4E21 - BE A MAN feat. Peter Liu (Boston Comedy Festival) 1:14:57

5M ago1:14:57

1:14:57

Peter Liu brings in a bunch of things for Asian show-and-tell. Later, they listen to an epic Jackie Chan song. SEE US IN SF: SAN FRANCISCO DEC 27 LIVE SHOW https://www.eventbrite.com/e/asian-not-asian-live-in-san-francisco-6pm-tickets-1100682353549?aff=oddtdtcreator F O L L O W U S https://www.instagram.com/asiannotasianpod https://www.instagram.co…

1
Is Indiana Jones Good Or Not? 1:24:40

5M ago1:24:40

1:24:40

This week it’s just Chris and Riley as Nathan has flown off to LA for The Game Awards. We discuss the continued state of the Ziff Davis empire, the United Healthcare shooting suspect's gaming history and what that says about him (mainly nothing) and the mostly positive but sometimes polarizing reaction to Indiana Jones and The Great Circle. We also…

1
A Century of Podcast Episodes! with Eric Silver 1:01:21

5M ago1:01:21

1:01:21

Producer of The Distraction and co-host of Attach Your Résumé Eric Silver joins Drew and Roth to celebrate 100 episodes in the new era of the show. What is different about the media industry since we started? Have Drew and Roth gotten better on the mic? Is there a petition to bring back the mashups? In the second half, they make their picks for the…

1
Video Game History Hour(s) (With Frank Cifaldi) 2:08:50

5M ago2:08:50

2:08:50

This week, Nathan, Chris, and Luke are joined by Frank Cifaldi of the Video Game History Foundation, but not until near the end of the episode, because Frank had multiple other podcasts to be on that day (he’s very important). We discuss the unique needs of a video game archive – for example, remote access to games, something the US Copyright Offic…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Defector Media Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen