🎮 In a pickle

Pro wrestling meets D&D, the truth about pickleball, and 1980s ad goodness.

Andrew Nusca

Eric Alt

, and

Marques Edge

Jun 28, 2023

Mornin’. Today is the last hump day before a holiday weekend, so it’s gut check time.

Are you the type to strap in and tackle your to-do list with renewed vigor, knowing you have a long, restful weekend ahead of you like a tantalizing carrot?

Or are you more of the mindset that it’s basically pre-pre-Friday anyway, so why bother starting now?

No judgments. (Just kidding, we’re totally judging.)

—Marques Edge, Eric Alt, Andrew Nusca

Buffed/Nerfed

What’s up and down in the world rn.

Buffed: Paranoia. The pandemic-era smash hit game Among Us (John Carpenter’s The Thing…for kids!) will soon be an animated series. Will the show be able to ruin friendships, though?

Nerfed: Jersey nameplates. The 2023 NHL Draft starts tonight, and even non-fans can enjoy a game of “Best New Hockey Name.” This year’s contenders are Axel Sandin-Pellikka, Hugo Hell, Vojtech Port, and Quentin Musty. (Someone call Key & Peele.)

Buffed: The color pink. Building on the hype for the upcoming Barbie movie, a real life Malibu Dream House is available to rent through Airbnb. Personal House Kens sold separately.

Nerfed: Hall H. Due to the ongoing writer’s strike, most of the big names are skipping San Diego Comic Con this year. We hear booth space is being gobbled up by Spirit Halloween and pickleball.

Buffed: Pizza delivery. A pizza has been delivered 2,000 years after it was ordered. An ancient precursor to the modern pie has been discovered among the ruins of Pompeii. Who’s gonna put the “cold leftover slices are the best” idea to the ultimate test? —EA

Burning Questions: What’s the deal with pickleball, anyway?

Asked and answered.

It’s been called “the hot new thing.” It’s been called “a public menace.” And it’s been called “the crypto of paddle sports.” (OK, that last one might just be us.)

No matter what you call it, it’s time to face facts: Pickleball is everywhere and everyone has thoughts about it.

We sent contributing writer John DeVore inside the world of pickleball to find out firsthand what is driving this cultural phenomenon.

The ball’s in your court.

Speed Run: Wrestling star Athena rolls the dice

Two-minute talks with today’s movers and shakers.

Illustration by Tom Goyon for Activision Blizzard King

When she got into professional wrestling—first with WWE [World Wrestling Entertainment] and now with AEW [All Elite Wrestling]—Adrienne “Athena” Reese already had the athleticism and the love of comic book-style “heroes vs. villains” action. She just needed to get over her own stage fright.

So naturally she turned to…Dungeons & Dragons? We should let her explain.

Executive editor Eric Alt chatted with Athena about her long and unexpected road to AEW Ring of Honor champion.

Read all about it.

Wayback Wednesday

Speaking of D&D: Before it was a Saturday morning cartoon, a hit 2023 movie, and the alleged cause of all the murder and mayhem in Hawkins, Ind., Dungeons & Dragons was just a bare bones game of imagination.

So how could you possibly advertise a game played mostly in your head?

Apparently you got an equally barebones set (Were these kids playing in a sensory deprivation tank? What’s with the ominously featureless gray walls?), some quick animation, and at least two budding ‘80s movie stars.

Yes, the girl with the braids is Lost Boys and Less Than Zero star Jami Gertz and the bespectacled lad in the green sweater is none other than Ferris Bueller cohort (and future Connor Roy) Alan Ruck.

What do you think? Would this ad have swayed you to try D&D? —EA

We goofed

In Monday’s edition of the Edit, we featured a wonderful story by contributing writer Joey Held about how game controller design is helping to improve inclusivity and accessibility…and then forgot to include the link. Yikes!

Read it here: “How controllers evolved to serve more gamers”