Best Pro Gamers Team Podcasts (2026)

1
How Gaming Can Effectively Address Diversity & Inclusion 1:02:35

Play Pause

2y ago1:02:35

1:02:35

Gaming has long grappled with challenges related to diversity and inclusion. From the high-profile lawsuit targeting Activision Blizzard, the publisher behind World of Warcraft and Call of Duty, for gender discrimination, to a recent incident involving a colorist joke by OfflineTV co-founder William "Scarra" Li, the industry has shown a lack of inc…

1
The Indie Game Developer That Raised $1 Million in One Month 1:00:25

2y ago1:00:25

1:00:25

Dan Fornace is the creator and developer of Rivals of Aether and its forthcoming sequel Rivals 2. In mid-November, Fornace and the Rivals team launched a Kickstarter to help fund further development on Rivals 2. The Kickstarter received public support from some of the largest influencers in the Super Smash Bros. community, including streamer Ludwig…

1
How Music Enriches the Emotional Experience of Gaming 1:04:18

2y ago1:04:18

1:04:18

Ever reached a game level that stirred intense emotions? Odds are, music played a pivotal role. Join content creator Marco "MarcoMeatball" Cammarota, a former opera singer, as he talks with Jacob to explore the profound impact of music and scoring on the gaming experience. Dive into a conversation about iconic musical moments in gaming history, spa…

1
From Fortnite To Baldur's Gate in Less Than an Hour With Lightforge 1:17:41

2y ago1:17:41

1:17:41

It's been a busy year for gaming, as the billion dollar industry's undergone transformative mergers and acquisitions and unnerving scandals. You've seen the stories and the reports, but how does someone on the inside see these changes? In the latest episode of Visionaries, Lightforge Games co-founder and CEO Matt Schembari breaks down the intricate…

1
The CEO that Saved Europe’s Biggest Esports Team 1:06:02

2y ago1:06:02

1:06:02

Alban Dechelotte became Chief Executive Officer of G2 Esports in a critical moment of the organization's history after the controversial resignation of G2 Founder, Carlos 'ocelote' Rodriguez. Less than a year later, he joins Jacob on Visionaries to dive into G2's past problems and future obstacles. Explore G2 Esports' evolution from an up and comin…

1
How Marvel Went from Zero to Hero with the MCU 1:10:19

2y ago1:10:19

1:10:19

Get ready for a Marvel-ous treat with the latest episode of Visionaries! Joanna Robinson, the co-author of the upcoming book "MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios" joins Jacob Wolf to discuss the creation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its profound impact on the entertainment industry. Diving into the unique challenge of crafting an ending for a …

1
Shopify’s Esports Playbook: Innovating in Heavy Turbulence 1:09:06

2+ y ago1:09:06

1:09:06

On September 20, the LCS waved goodbye to TSM, once the most popular name in the North American league, and rolled out the welcome mat for Shopify Rebellion. This unexpected move had everyone buzzing: What's Shopify Rebellion's game plan? Dario "TLO" Wünsch, ex-StarCraft pro turned esports leader at Shopify, joined Jacob this week to discuss how th…

1
Patreon Exclusive 9/20: The ‘Esports Reckoning’ 19:57

2+ y ago19:57

19:57

Listen to the full episode by subscribing to the Jacob Wolf & Mikhail Klimentov Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/JacobWolfMikhailKlimentov In our first Patreon exclusive episode, Jacob is joined by former Riot Games and Loaded executive Avi Bhuiyan and attorney Bryce Blum to discuss their new set of essays entitled, "The Esports Reckoning." Long-ti…

1
Fatherhood's Mark on GrandPooBear's Approach to Creating Content 53:13

2+ y ago53:13

53:13

David "GrandPooBear" Hunt is one of Twitch's fastest-growing stars, but he is, by no means, new to the art of content creation. After a snowboarding accident left him severely injured in early 2013, GrandPooBear found a new way to compete: Speedrunning — the art of competing for the fastest completion time in a certain game. In his time as a speedr…

1
Why Two Riot Games Alums are Straying Away from Competitive Games 1:03:22

2+ y ago1:03:22

1:03:22

After a combined span of 13 years at Riot Games, the developer of League of Legends, Andrea Sepenzis and Michael Chu have embarked on a new venture: Codename Islands. Taking inspiration from games like Minecraft, Roblox, and other cooperative multiplayer titles, the duo is deliberately veering from their origins of crafting competitive, player-vers…

1
A ‘Fallout’ and ‘Skyrim’ Dev’s Journey of Entrepreneurship and Mental Health 1:25:30

2+ y ago1:25:30

1:25:30

'Visionaries' is back and Prem and Jacob are joined by Jeff Gardiner, an award-winning game developer who worked on some of gaming's highest-grossing titles, including Fallout 3, Fallout 4, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 76. Jeff is now on a new journey: Building a game studio and learning how to transition from full-time game development …

1
We're Moving to Patreon! 45:56

2+ y ago45:56

45:56

We have some exciting news! We're moving to Patreon. Starting Monday, August 14, you can find new content from Jacob Wolf and Mikhail Klimentov, the former editor of The Washington Post's Launcher video game vertical, on our new Patreon. Subscribe today to get exclusive content from The Jacob Wolf Report, ReaderGrev and the 'Visionaires' podcast. S…

1
Taylor Lorenz on the Difficulty of Online Harassment 1:06:26

2+ y ago1:06:26

1:06:26

If you've spent any time on the Internet, chances are, you know who Taylor Lorenz is. The blogger turned New York Times and later Washington Post reporter is arguably the most relevant journalist on the Internet — sometimes for better or worst. A fascination of the American MAGA conservative movement, Lorenz's reporting and her bombastic personalit…

1
How Game Publishers are Addressing Extremism 59:00

2+ y ago59:00

59:00

As the social Internet begins to fracture, gaming faces a pressing new challenge: the emergence of extremist havens within some of its communities. From Discord to Roblox, even the most beloved games and apps must now forge innovative systems to confront this growing risk. Join Jacob in an insightful conversation with Stanley Pierre-Louis, the head…

1
Motion City Soundtrack, Mental Health, and Rock'n'Roll 1:54:47

2+ y ago1:54:47

1:54:47

The founding members of pop punk band Motion City Soundtrack, Justin Courtney Pierre and Joshua Cain, open up about their careers and how addiction, grief, and mental health shaped their journeys both in music and life. Reflecting on the power of music as a tool for healing and self-discovery, the band’s members share an insightful look at how thei…

1
War Games and the Harsh Realities of Warfare 1:01:05

2+ y ago1:01:05

1:01:05

War games have revolutionized the gaming industry, captivating millions with their immersive experiences. But have you ever wondered about the real-life consequences and their portrayal of warfare? John Phipps, a U.S. Marine Corps and Iraq War veteran and host of the Super Deluxe GamesCast, joins Jacob on the pod to discuss Six Days in Fallujah, a …

1
Unraveling the Threads: Reddit's Descent into Chaos 1:04:05

2+ y ago1:04:05

1:04:05

In a hunt for profitability, Reddit's begun limiting access to its API behind a paywall, functionally killing extremely popular third-party apps like Apollo and Infinity. The policy change's started an entire revolt, with volunteer moderators on the site taking some of their subreddits private, ensnaring the website in a battle between its administ…

1
Why Starfield’s Success is a Do-or-Die Scenario for Xbox 1:03:57

2+ y ago1:03:57

1:03:57

Fresh from Summer Games Fest, Jacob and Prem handpick their top three thrilling game announcements and delve into the whirlwind of Xbox's extravagant marketing campaign for Starfield, which is fueling astronomical expectations. Will Xbox finally deliver a groundbreaking title following its acquisition of Bethesda Softworks, the creators of blockbus…

1
How Twitch is Losing its Way 1:54:43

2+ y ago1:54:43

1:54:43

On Tuesday, Amazon-owned livestreaming platform Twitch announced controversial new advertising changes, severely prohibiting streamers from the ways they can promote sponsors. The change would affect nearly all of Twitch's top earners. The platform walked it back on Wednesday after much backlash, but there's still some concern the same rules will b…

1
The Impending Existential Crisis of North American Esports 1:04:27

2+ y ago1:04:27

1:04:27

The League of Legends North American esports scene braces for what could be a full-scale crisis. The financial problems in the scene kicked off a chain reaction that is leading the sector towards a downward spiral. Is there a way to avoid it? The New York Times' reporter Kellen Browning joins Jacob Wolf on ‘Visionaries’ to discuss the current chall…

1
Inside the Writer’s Strike Shaking Up Hollywood 55:15

2+ y ago55:15

55:15

For the past few weeks, one of Hollywood's biggest unions, the Writers Guild of America, has been on strike, disrupting the TV and film industries in mass. Late night programs on CBS, ABC, NBC and HBO all halted production and other shows, like "Abbott Elementary" and "Stranger Things," have also been affected. Comedian, actor, former YouTuber and …

1
The 'Tears of the Kingdom' Kotaku Controversy & Jacob's Contentious Substack Article 59:59

2+ y ago59:59

59:59

Kotaku is in hot water with gamers after first discussing why the publication didn't receive a review code for 'The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom' and then reporting on leaks of that game ahead of its Friday release. Host Jacob Wolf and producer Prem Thottumkara discuss why the narrative against the publication is wrong. They also dive into…

1
Best Of: Anthony Fantano 53:44

2+ y ago53:44

53:44

Known as the "Internet's busiest music nerd", Anthony Fantano, aka The Needle Drop, is the web's most popular music critic. His takes on Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, and Kanye West have garnered him hundreds of millions of views, and in 2020, The New York Times called him, "The Only Music Critic Who Matters (if You’re Under 25)." Recently, he got i…

1
Why the U.K. is Blocking Gaming's Biggest Deal Ever 1:03:51

2+ y ago1:03:51

1:03:51

On April 26, the United Kingdom's Competition and Markets Authority announced its intent to block the $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft, the largest merger and acquisition deal ever in gaming. The regulating body argues that with franchises like Call of Duty in tow, Microsoft will take over the small-but-growing cloud ga…

1
Let’s-a Go: An Inside Look at the Making of 'The Super Mario Bros. Movie' 58:51

2+ y ago58:51

58:51

The new 'Super Mario Bros. Movie' became the highest-grossing animated film of all time at the box office in less than a month from its release. Ed Skudder, the head of story at Illumination Entertainment, helped transform the script into the storyboards as the film prepared to be brought to the big screen. He joins Jacob to share the world behind …

1
Why Counter-Strike 2 May Bring the FPS Franchise to New Heights feat. fl0m 1:04:07

3y ago1:04:07

1:04:07

The announcement of Counter-Strike 2 surprised its most popular streamer Erik “fl0m” Flom as much as the rest of the 20-year-old franchise’s player base. After more than two decades of successful game titles, Seattle-based Valve Software is making major changes to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, despite its popularity being close to an all-time p…

1
Going from Public Health Expert to Twitch’s Rising Star of the Year feat. Frogan 54:05

3y ago54:05

54:05

26-year-old Twitch streamer Frogan recently won Rising Star at the 2023 Streamer Awards. But what sets her apart from other streamers is her unique background in public health.Frogan gained popularity in 2021 after a clip of her went viral on the subreddit LivestreamFail. Since then she quit her job as a public health expert and now uses her platfo…

1
‘The Last of Us’ Star Troy Baker on Why Video Games are Revolutionizing Storytelling 1:18:02

3y ago1:18:02

1:18:02

Troy Baker is the voice behind some of the most iconic characters is more than a dozen video games. From Joker to Batman to starring as ‘The Last of Us’ main character Joel Miller, Baker’s life’s work has featured one through line: immersive storytelling.Hot off appearing as James in HBO’s adaptation of ‘The Last of Us’, he joins ‘Visionaries’ to d…

1
The Danger of Saudi Arabia's Monopolization of Esports 1:54:55

3y ago1:54:55

1:54:55

As traditional investors turn their eyes away from esports, Saudi Arabia is continuing its aggressive acquisition of esports companies. In January 2022, Savvy Gaming Group, a subsidiary of the state-backed Public Investment Fund, acquired independent tournament organizers ESL and FACEIT for $1.5 billion, merging the two competitors into one and for…

1
How This Opera Singer is Becoming One of Twitch's Next Big Streamers 57:31

3y ago57:31

57:31

Jonas "AverageJonas" Navarsete is one of the fastest-growing streamers on Twitch, but before his newfound life as a content creator, he performed live on cruise ships as an opera singer. Now beloved by the 'VALORANT' community, he joins the show to discuss his rise, if 'VALORANT' will stand the test of time and how co-streaming is impacting esports…

1
Why Aphromoo is Retiring from 'League of Legends' After More than a Decade 48:24

3y ago48:24

48:24

Zaqueri 'Aphromoo' Black is one of the longest tenured players in League of Legends professional play, with his career spanning almost 13 years and two championship runs. He is also the League Championship Series' only Black player in its decade-long history. But in mid-January, he announced his retirement, hanging up the mouse and keyboard and ass…

1
How Creator Ovilee May is Changing 'League of Legends' Through Content 58:09

3y ago58:09

58:09

Ovilee May started her career young, creating content about professional 'League of Legends' in her late teens. She's had a meteoric rise, becoming a host at Comcast's G4 network and at Riot Games' official League of Legends Championship Series. Her content, known for its humor and intentional cringe, is a standard bearer in an esports industry tha…

1
Is 'The Last of Us' Finally Breaking the Video Game Adaptation Curse? 49:38

3y ago49:38

49:38

'The Last of Us' recorded HBO's second-most watched premiere of the past 13 years, behind only 'Game of Thrones' spin-off 'House of the Dragon.' An adaptation of the 2013 video game of the same title, the $100 million post-apocalyptic zombie drama may just be breaking the video game curse of bad translation from small screen to big screen. What's s…

1
Why Microsoft, Google and Others are Laying off Tens of Thousands of People 57:57

3y ago57:57

57:57

So far in 2023, the likes of Google, Microsoft and others have laid off tens of thousands of employees, with some in the gaming industry. Each day there's new news of layoffs and on this episode of 'Visionaries', Washington Post reporter Shannon Liao joins Jacob to discuss the layoffs and what they mean for the tech, entertainment and gaming indust…

1
How Riot Games Built a Genre-Defining Game In Less Than Six Months 1:05:58

3y ago1:05:58

1:05:58

If you're into games, chances are you've played—or at least heard of—League of Legends and its developer Riot Games. Despite League's success, though, Riot famously didn't publish any other titles for the first 10 years of its company's existence. That is, until it got inspired by a group who created a mod for one of its competitors, Dota. In less …

1
Embattled Panda CEO Alan Bunney Faults Nintendo for 'Super Smash Bros.' Cancellations 1:27:31

3y ago1:27:31

1:27:31

In November, the community-organized 'Super Smash Bros.' esports circuit Smash World Tour canceled its finale event just two weeks before its kickoff date, citing legal concerns stemming from conversations with the game's publisher Nintendo. But the organizers behind the event also made another accusation: the CEO of their biggest competitor, Panda…

1
FTX's Sam Bankman-Fried Won't Go to Prison & Other 2023 Predictions 57:09

3y ago57:09

57:09

Visionaries is back! 2022 capped off as one of the biggest year's ever for gaming entertainment, but for esports, the year was less than kind. What will happen in 2023? Award-winning investigative journalist Jacob Wolf and producer Prem Thottumkara sit down to dole out their big predictions for 2023. After allegedly stealing millions of dollars in …

1
Why the General Manager of Esports' Most Valuable Team Left to Start a Consulting Firm 54:48

3y ago54:48

54:48

Parth Naidu is the former general manager of esports organization TSM, which Forbes estimated in May is worth $540 million. After nearly a decade with the team, Parth decided to move on last fall and now, he's launched a consulting firm, Sido, focusing on tackling some of esports' most challenging issues.You can follow Parth here and Sido here.Lear…

1
Best Of: How 'Among Us' Nearly Died Before It Made Millions 51:40

3y ago51:40

51:40

Marcus Bromander is the co-founder of Innersloth and the co-creator of 'Among Us', the online multiplayer titles that became one of the most popular video games in 2020. But before its smash success, 'Among Us' nearly died, as it struggled to maintain a player base and Marcus and his team looked to move on. Yet thanks to the pandemic, 'Among Us' be…

1
Why 1.5 Million People Watched Chessboxing This Weekend feat. Matt Thomas 1:06:38

3y ago1:06:38

1:06:38

This past weekend, YouTube star Ludwig Ahgren hosted the Mogul Chessboxing Championship, an exhibition event featuring chessboxing. What is chessboxing, you might ask? It's exactly as it sounds: chess and boxing. Competitors compete in both, alternating between the board game and the combat sport every round until there's a winner in one or the eit…

1
The Twitch Creator Who Livestreams Almost Exclusively as a 3D Avatar feat. CodeMiko 57:25

3y ago57:25

57:25

After she got laid off in 2020, 32-year-old professional animator Youna had an idea: start a Twitch channel and stream almost exclusively using a 3D avatar. She invested nearly all her savings and went $20,000 into depth to purchase a motion capture suit. The result? CodeMiko, a 3D character full of dry wit and dirty humor. Within a year, she becam…

1
How This Marvel Game Became Mobile's Hottest New App feat. Ben Brode 1:03:06

3y ago1:03:06

1:03:06

There's something incredibly satisfying about games that let you command the superheroes, and Second Dinner co-founder Ben Brode and his team have perfected the process in 'Marvel SNAP'. He joins the podcast to talk about his time at Blizzard, his departure, and how Second Dinner became the developers of the 2022 Game Awards Mobile Game of the Year…

1
Why Nintendo is Finally Cracking Down on 'Super Smash Bros.' feat. The Yard's Aiden & Slime 1:47:02

3y ago1:47:02

1:47:02

It's been a long week in 'Super Smash Bros.' and we can only explain with a long episode. The Yard's Anthony "Slime" Bruno and Aiden McCaig, long-time tournament organizers and now staff at Ludwig Ahgren's Mogul Moves, join the podcast to discuss the nuance behind why Nintendo is enforcing its copyright rights on the 21-year-old title.You can follo…

1
The Internet's Most Popular Music Critic Anthony Fantano on His Drake Feud & Viral Success 56:33

3y ago56:33

56:33

Known as the "Internet's busiest music nerd", Anthony Fantano, aka The Needle Drop, is the web's most popular music critic. His takes on Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean and Kanye West have garnered him hundreds of millions of views and in 2020, The New York Times called him, "The Only Music Critic Who Matters (if You’re Under 25)." Recently, he got in …

1
No One Gives a Fuck About Esports 1:10:48

3y ago1:10:48

1:10:48

It's been four months since we launched 'Visionaries' and there's been one reoccurring theme: No one gives a fuck about esports. With a recent report from Deloitte that esports engagement decreased by nearly half in 2022 versus 2021 in Europe, Jacob and Prem take some time to review past interviews, answer audience questions and discuss critically …

1
The Former Investment Banker Building the PG-13 OnlyFans Alternative 1:02:46

3y ago1:02:46

1:02:46

Rosie "jasminericegirl" Nguyen is a content creator and the co-founder of Fanhouse, a PG-13 creator platform helping influencers better monetize their content. Rosie's Twitter first became famous for openly speaking about her thoughts on sex and her sex life. She founded the company after losing a work-study job while in college at the University o…

1
Why Esports Startups are Failing 1:10:50

3y ago1:10:50

1:10:50

After just three years, beloved esports social media startup Juked is shutting its doors after failing to find funding and gain product momentum. Why is that esports startups continue to fail? Why aren't there deeply engaged esports fans? And are all the data reports out there about esports being "the next big thing" just absolute bull$!%&? Juked's…

1
How Creator of the Year Nominee QTCinderella is Building An Empire 1:04:51

3y ago1:04:51

1:04:51

QTCinderella has become one of the most recognizable women on Twitch in the past few years. Her regular streams have built her a loving community, but her events have built her a fanbase of millions. After being nominated for Content Creator of the Year 2022 by The Game Awards on Dec. 8, she's not sure if she truly deserved the nod. After a year wi…

1
Award-Winning Journalist Ahmed Ali Akbar on "Radiolingo" and The Culture of Everything 58:03

3y ago58:03

58:03

Ahmed Ali Akbar is a James Beard Award-winning food journalist, the former host of Vox Media's "Delivery Wars" and now, the host of Crooked Media and Duolingo's "Radiolingo" podcast, which releases Nov. 15. Prior to becoming a journalist, Ahmed competed in and commentated "Super Smash Bros. Brawl" mod Project M and its successor Project+."Everybody…

1
Should We Be Concerned About How Gaming is Affecting Players' Well-Being? 55:11

3y ago55:11

55:11

Gaming may seem just like a passive activity. But as more research around its effects on mental and physical health is studied, how concerned should we be about its bigger picture impacts on players' well-being? Doctors Rachel Kowert, a psychologist who is the research director at Take This, and Cait McGee, a physical therapist who is the co-founde…