A New Hope for Gaming: Launching Mothership in 2026
The video game industry is rife with concerns, from the impending AI bubble bursting to mass layoffs and cancelled projects. Meanwhile, games journalists – like all other kinds of journalists – are struggling to keep up due to alarming job losses. The current White House is even utilizing video game memes as recruitment tools for ICE, while game studios have distanced themselves from diversity and inclusion initiatives.
In this dire climate, a queer woman who has been a gaming journalist and critic since 2007 sees an urgent need for change. She's determined to launch Mothership, an independent, worker-owned website that will focus on reporting on the good and bad of modern-day game-making through investigative journalism, reviews, criticism, and historical deep dives into games and developers.
While some might view this initiative as a futile endeavor given recent industry trends, she draws inspiration from past successes. In the mid-2010s, she worked for a small feminist website called the Mary Sue, which relied on advertising revenue to support its operations despite grueling working conditions. However, the experience left her disillusioned with the limitations of such models.
She's now ready to move forward with a more viable approach – an independent and worker-owned platform that will not only provide readers with quality content but also prioritize their well-being. With this goal in mind, Mothership aims to serve as a haven for those who feel underrepresented in the gaming industry.
The launch of Mothership marks a much-needed shift towards inclusivity and diversity in game journalism. As such, it's not too late to create positive change – especially considering that we've witnessed significant progress over the last two decades. More female characters, non-binary characters, queer characters, and fewer rigidly defined gender stereotypes are now present in modern games.
Despite this progress, backlash against these changes has been evident. Few websites can effectively address this pushback while ensuring their reporters' safety and motivation. However, the creator of Mothership believes her website is a necessity for addressing current issues – particularly those stemming from the previous generation's media and advertising.
The journey ahead won't be easy, but with its unique approach to storytelling and commitment to reader support, Mothership stands ready to forge a path towards change in 2026.
The video game industry is rife with concerns, from the impending AI bubble bursting to mass layoffs and cancelled projects. Meanwhile, games journalists – like all other kinds of journalists – are struggling to keep up due to alarming job losses. The current White House is even utilizing video game memes as recruitment tools for ICE, while game studios have distanced themselves from diversity and inclusion initiatives.
In this dire climate, a queer woman who has been a gaming journalist and critic since 2007 sees an urgent need for change. She's determined to launch Mothership, an independent, worker-owned website that will focus on reporting on the good and bad of modern-day game-making through investigative journalism, reviews, criticism, and historical deep dives into games and developers.
While some might view this initiative as a futile endeavor given recent industry trends, she draws inspiration from past successes. In the mid-2010s, she worked for a small feminist website called the Mary Sue, which relied on advertising revenue to support its operations despite grueling working conditions. However, the experience left her disillusioned with the limitations of such models.
She's now ready to move forward with a more viable approach – an independent and worker-owned platform that will not only provide readers with quality content but also prioritize their well-being. With this goal in mind, Mothership aims to serve as a haven for those who feel underrepresented in the gaming industry.
The launch of Mothership marks a much-needed shift towards inclusivity and diversity in game journalism. As such, it's not too late to create positive change – especially considering that we've witnessed significant progress over the last two decades. More female characters, non-binary characters, queer characters, and fewer rigidly defined gender stereotypes are now present in modern games.
Despite this progress, backlash against these changes has been evident. Few websites can effectively address this pushback while ensuring their reporters' safety and motivation. However, the creator of Mothership believes her website is a necessity for addressing current issues – particularly those stemming from the previous generation's media and advertising.
The journey ahead won't be easy, but with its unique approach to storytelling and commitment to reader support, Mothership stands ready to forge a path towards change in 2026.
I'm all for it! A platform that prioritizes worker well-being and inclusivity is just what the gaming industry needs right now. We've seen some amazing progress in games themselves, like more diverse characters and representation, but the way we're consuming and discussing them can be pretty toxic 
. An independent site that focuses on quality over clicks could be a total game-changer (pun intended) 
. Fingers crossed for this new project and hoping it becomes a safe space for gamers to discuss games in a respectful way 
... it's about time we get some real investigative journalism & reviews that don't just suck up to the devs & publishers 
... i'm so down for a queer woman-led platform like mothership, btw... it's about time we got more women & non-binary folks in gaming media who actually care about making change 
... and omg the mid-2010s feminist website experience is SO relatable 
... anywayz can't wait to check out mothership when it launches! 
, but at the same time, I think it's kinda naive to think that launching one website is gonna solve all the problems in gaming journalism... *sigh* I mean, what if it just ends up being another thing that industry folks swoop up and silence? And how are they even gonna make money without ads or corporate sponsorship? It sounds like a pipe dream 
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️ The gaming industry is literally on fire right now and someone needs to put out the flames of misinformation and exclusivity 
I love that this new site, Mothership, is gonna be worker-owned and prioritizes well-being - it's about time we see some real change in game journalism 
Can't wait to dive into their content and support this initiative! 
. The gaming industry has come a long way in terms of representation, but we're still not seeing enough progress when it comes to fair pay, safe working conditions, and diversity behind the scenes 
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. That's just wrong on so many levels 
. I love that this new platform is taking a stand against that kind of thing and instead focusing on creating content that's actually valuable and engaging 
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... gotta wonder how they're gonna make it work, especially with all the industry drama going on right now 
. Job losses and AI bubble bursting are crazy talk! And what's up with ICE using video game memes for recruitment tools? 
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. Can they really make it work without getting bogged down by the usual advertising revenue struggles? And what kind of content are they gonna focus on? Reviews, criticism, history... or a mix? 
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Can't wait to see what's in store for Mothership!
. Plus, it's awesome that a queer woman is leading the charge – like, representation matters! 
And I'm loving the idea of a worker-owned platform – that's all about prioritizing people over profits 