Riley MacLeod
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rcmacleod.bsky.social
Riley MacLeod
@rcmacleod.bsky.social
7.5K followers 710 following 4.8K posts
Co-founder of Aftermath, a worker-owned site about video games, the internet, and everything that comes after. riley [at] aftermath [dot] site. Previously: Kotaku, Washington Post. Trans; he/him
https://aftermath.site/
Posts Replies Media Videos
rcmacleod.bsky.social
So excited for Joshua's first column to be live! Thanks to all our subscribers for making it possible!
February 12, 2026 at 6:09 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
iantothemax.bsky.social
hi, hope everyone is doing well

the rumors are true: i reviewed ROMEO IS A DEAD MAN for @kotaku.com

thank you @ethangach.bsky.social @ghmofficial.bsky.social @sssuda51.bsky.social

take care
Romeo Is A Dead Man Review: Maximalist Aesthetics, Peak Action
Another evocative action banger from Grasshopper Manufacture
kotaku.com
February 10, 2026 at 8:26 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
nydnunion.bsky.social
This morning, Executive Editor Andrew Julien, citing a "a highly competitive media landscape," told NYDN staff to expect layoffs.

The first cuts are primarily hitting our National Desk, but we're also losing some metro staffers and more cuts are expected — more than 25% of the unionized newsroom.
February 12, 2026 at 4:34 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
ripefly.bsky.social
I was really impressed with @inkle.co's TR-49 and I wanted to know more. I'm extremely grateful to @jon.inkle.co for his time and his really great answers.
rogue.site Rogue @rogue.site · 3h
Jeff sat down with @jon.inkle.co to talk about TR-49, writing stories, and the challenges of being an indie studio. (Plus one dig at generative AI.)

www.rogue.site/editorials/a...
An interview with TR-49 writer and director Jon Ingold
inkle's co-founder on storytelling and being an indie studio
www.rogue.site
February 12, 2026 at 4:36 PM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
This has been a(nother) tough week for layoffs in the games industry, but it's... grimly refreshing to see a studio layoff announcement that uses "I" instead of corporate hand-waving
“As the head of the company, you should cast your judgement on me, and not on” the laid-off developers, van Lierop wrote in the statement. “I’m sorry to have had to let these people go.” Contrast that to, say, the behavior of Washington Post (ex)CEO Will Lewis, who announced he was leaving The Post last Saturday night after hiding from mass layoffs at his company and then being spotted at a Super Bowl party. (The Washington Post is the former employer of Nathan and me.) CEOs rarely take responsibility for the consequences of their choices, reserving that for the employees they lay off and defaulting to ambiguous language or "we" instead of "I" when it comes to who makes the decisions. None of this offsets casting developers into the current games employment market, but in a grim sign of the times, I can at least respect a statement that makes sense and puts the responsibility where it belongs. In an email to Aftermath, van Lierop said, “I know it's easy to lose sight of the human factor when it comes to leadership, and I know there are some sociopathic studio heads out there who aren't phased by these kinds of things, but the people I know who run studios are strongly humanistic people who care a lot about their teams, and take their leadership responsibilities seriously… It should never be easy to make these kinds of decisions. If it ever becomes easy for me to make a decision about someone's livelihood or their family's safety and security, I should not be in this role anymore.”
February 12, 2026 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
benmullin.bsky.social
NEW: “CBS Evening News” producer Alicia Hastey sends a bombshell farewell note:

Stories are “evaluated not just on their journalistic merit but on whether they conform to a shifting set of ideological expectations.”
February 12, 2026 at 3:22 AM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
Bro
www.status.news/p/savannah-g...
Elsewhere at The Post: Chief technology officer Vineet Khosla deleted a LinkedIn post Wednesday in which he used the Post Guild’s campaign hashtag against layoffs while writing, “Do you know who you are not hearing from on LinkedIn? People actually doing the hard work to #SaveThePost.” The deletion came after the unusually hostile post sparked intense internal backlash, Status has learned. A Post spokesperson didn’t respond to a request for comment.
February 12, 2026 at 3:30 AM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
The announcer in the skating just said "she'll only be scored a level two on her twizzle" in a very serious voice
February 12, 2026 at 3:09 AM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
postguild.bsky.social
After decimating the organization, we are bargaining per our contract with management. We have featured testimonials from Post employees. Here’s some of them had to say. Here’s what these layoffs have done to us. #SaveThePost 🧵
February 11, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
lukeplunkett.com
A free-to-play PVP shooter, Highguard had a strong launch--around 100,000 people were playing on Steam on its first day--but couldn't sustain those numbers, in ways that...look, you know what, why am I even talking about those figures, writers always do that when talking about layoffs like this, is there even much point trying to dissect the numbers of a game that took years to make, but where ‘most’ of the team gets laid off just two weeks after it came out? Loads of people are now reportedly out of a job, and whatever reasons people can offer or accept for it, none of it seems sane or sustainable.
February 12, 2026 at 12:50 AM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
thecity.nyc
NewYork-Presbyterian nurses rejected a tentative agreement by overwhelming margins Wednesday, voting to extend their strike — now 30 days running — against the hospital.

www.thecity.nyc/2026/02/11/n...
NewYork-Presbyterian Nurses Reject Contract By Overwhelming Margin
Following a rank-and-file revolt, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian voted to extend their strike. At Mount Sinai and Montefiore, nurses approved their contracts and will return to work this weekend.
www.thecity.nyc
February 12, 2026 at 12:45 AM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
halfrobot.com
The NYU Game Center's hiring! A senior, tenure-track professor post for an experienced game designer, artist or industry pro with a notable body of creative work. Experience finishing games and mentoring/teaching more important than any kind of academic credential!
gamecenter.nyu.edu/were-hiring-...
We're Hiring! Join the NYU Game Center Faculty as an Associate Professor! - NYU | Game Center
Description Associate or Full tenure professor position for the NYU Game Center New York University, Tisch School of the Arts Position Overview The NYU Game Center is seeking applicants to join its fa...
gamecenter.nyu.edu
February 11, 2026 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
nikostratis.com
"Right now the focus should be on supporting the community in mourning, not weaponizing this event as hate against a vulnerable group at large." expert reporting from the great @melwoods.me
melwoods.me Mel Woods @melwoods.me · 23h
NEW from me today:

Tumbler Ridge is mourning a horrific loss. But how the shooter's identity is being talked about online, and the dangerous links being made to trans people at large, will have resounding and dangerous impacts in the months and weeks to come.

xtramagazine.com/power/tumble...
The Tumbler Ridge shooting is already fuelling anti-trans hate in Canada | Xtra Magazine
Bad actors on the right are leaping to connect the shooter’s trans identity to the violence
xtramagazine.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
timgrierson.bsky.social
In 2019, Tig Notaro did a really funny series called "Under a Rock," in which she would interview famous people she had never heard of, all the while trying to guess who they were. One of my favorite episodes was with James Van Der Beek, who was lovely.
James Van Der Beek Doesn't Believe in Astrology | Under A Rock with Tig Notaro
YouTube video by Funny Or Die
youtu.be
February 11, 2026 at 7:45 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
adashtra.bsky.social
that's better
February 11, 2026 at 7:35 PM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
My laundry is going to be done at the exact same time that I have a phone call in which I need to sound like a competent professional, how do I make it sound like I'm in an office and not a laundromat
February 11, 2026 at 7:22 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
papapishu.bsky.social
It took me months, about 495 rides, recovering from a shattered right foot and hacking a folding scooter, but I finally own a Nintendo Switch 2 using points obtained from Citi Bike. Afterwards, it left me questioning the very nature of work. For @aftermath.site.

aftermath.site/switch-2-cit...
February 11, 2026 at 6:46 PM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
This is depressingly relatable content
(See also aftermath.site/nicole-carpe... )
February 11, 2026 at 6:48 PM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
Legitimately would love to know if she... likes being in this position, or how exactly this keeps happening
Meanwhile, I’m told that Patty Stonesifer is once again back in the mix at The Post. Stonesifer served as interim chief executive after Fred Ryan exited the newspaper in 2023 and is widely viewed as a confidante of Bezos. As Status previously reported, she had been critical of Lewis’ stewardship of the paper. It remains unclear exactly what role she is playing now, and she did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday evening, but it is likely she is assessing the situation and helping to steady the ship—much as she did in the aftermath of Ryan’s departure.
February 11, 2026 at 4:10 AM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
Obviously this was a good quote to get people talking about the article, but otherwise it only mentions rotisserie chicken one other time, from a place that appears to mainly sell pre-made food?
"A lot of people come in for the rotisserie chicken and veggie sides, and that's their dinner," Sohn says. "People are busy; they don't want to cook."
February 11, 2026 at 3:55 AM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
Thought doing my late hormone shot would turn my day around but no, it appears to be The Circumstances
February 10, 2026 at 9:14 PM
Reposted by Riley MacLeod
yozetty.bsky.social
A reference to a video posted on MinnMax in congress… weird stuff.
atrupar.com Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 2d
THANEDAR: What did your ICE agent mean when he said, 'you raise your voice, I erase your voice' in the video all of us have seen?

LYONS: I'm not aware of that video. I can't comment
February 10, 2026 at 5:07 PM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
🙌🙌
mothership.blog Mothership @mothership.blog · 2d
Mothership now has 2,000 paid subscribers!!! To say we're thrilled is an understatement. We're proud to say we've been able to significantly increase our freelance budget thanks to this support. Keep on pitching, writers! 💜✨
February 10, 2026 at 4:32 PM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
During my online Irish class tonight some drunks got in some kind of fight in the backyard of the bar under my house, and I don't want to truck in stereotypes but what the hell lol
rcmacleod.bsky.social Riley MacLeod @rcmacleod.bsky.social · 23d
I went to an Irish language meetup and I didn't chicken out and turn around, and I said all the little sentences I'd practiced and people mostly understood them, and also there was trad music, and also a bar fight, and I have had a very exciting but mostly successful night
February 10, 2026 at 2:10 AM
rcmacleod.bsky.social
At the height of his popularity Ricky Martin was incredibly kind to a teen a friend was working with who was dealing with both AIDS and cancer, so I eternally think he rules

(and also how does he still look so good, jfc)
sinnamonscouture.bsky.social SinnamonS @sinnamonscouture.bsky.social · 3d
They said If you screamed “Ricky!” during the halftime show, your AARP welcome packet is in the mail. 🤣🤣
Some people said they screamed “Menudo!”, which means your wheelchair 🦽 is on the way! 😩
February 9, 2026 at 11:52 PM