🎮 Give 'em hell

How to eat like a pro gamer, why hell inspires us, and more.

Mornin’. Welcome back to The Edit. (Miss the launch edition? It’s here.)

It’s Friday and time to celebrate, especially for those of us who just got paid, in the words of ‘80s star Johnny Kemp. Or for those born a decade later, ‘N Sync.

Just don’t spend it all in one place, OK?

—Marques Edge, Eric Alt, Andrew Nusca

Buffed/Nerfed

What’s up and down in the world rn.

Buffed: Skiplagging. This savvy-but-controversial technique among frequent fliers looking to save on airfare has finally hit the mainstream. Prepare for the banhammer, people.

Nerfed: The Office will be remade in Australia. New cast, new company, new world’s best boss—and this time in an age of COVID. (…Yay?)

Buffed: Texas hold ‘em on TV. Pro player Tom Dwan claims the largest pot, at $3.1 million, in televised poker history. (Watch it here.) Dwan of a new day, if we may.

Nerfed: AI industry warns against AI. It’s almost like Vito Corleone from The Godfather ratting out his own family, eh?

Buffed: The Swiftie Effect. Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is so good that some fans are suffering “post-concert amnesia” from the excitement. Could be all the sequins, tho. —ME

Field Upgrades: How to eat like a professional gamer

Picks to level up your life.

Photo by Caroline Attwood

Cheetos and a Coke? How about salmon and quinoa instead?

The rise of professional gaming has helped flip the script on what kind of fuel gamers should put into their bodies while they play. Sure, esports involves less muscle-flexing than most conventional sports, but it turns out that eating a nutritious meal is as crucial for athletes behind the keyboard as it is for those on the field.

Contributing writer Nick Geracie asked a registered dietician and nutritionist what should go into an optimal diet for peak gaming performance.

Here’s what he found.

Extractor: The creative urge to go to hell

Investigations of interest.

Illustration by Alex Fine for Activision Blizzard King

What else could bring together Owl House creator Dana Terrace, Diablo artist Brom, and a gaggle of death metal bands…besides the best dinner party ever? A conversation about hell, of course!

Executive editor Eric Alt asked nine artists with a penchant for the macabre—including authors, film directors, musicians, and fashion designers—why they find the concept of hell so endlessly inspiring. Is it a primal urge to explore the darkness? Is it a way to emotionally protect ourselves from fear? Or is it just because it’s cool?  

Raise a devil horn salute and read on.

Fun Fact Friday

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko

Today we celebrate the favorite treat of former President Barack Obama, a salivating Homer Simpson, and police officers both real and fictional.

National Donut Day was born in Chicago in 1938 to recognize the Salvation Army volunteers who helped troops during World War I. Today, it’s a convenient excuse for a (possibly free) morning sugar rush.

Did you know: Boston has the most doughnut shops per capita among U.S. cities with one shop for every 2,400 residents. In a close second is Long Beach, Calif. followed by Dallas, Sacramento, and Fort Worth.

O, but wait: Canada is the country with the highest donut consumption per capita. —ME

Wormhole

Click the following image and…well, we don’t want to ruin the surprise.

Illustration by Johnson Martin

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