Rich Stanton
Rich is a games journalist with 15 years' experience, beginning his career on Edge magazine before working for a wide range of outlets, including Ars Technica, Eurogamer, GamesRadar+, Gamespot, the Guardian, IGN, the New Statesman, Polygon, and Vice. He was the editor of Kotaku UK, the UK arm of Kotaku, for three years before joining PC Gamer. He is the author of a Brief History of Video Games, a full history of the medium, which the Midwest Book Review described as "[a] must-read for serious minded game historians and curious video game connoisseurs alike."
Latest articles by Rich Stanton
![Ragnaros the fire lord, a towering elemental of flame, does battle with players in World of Warcraft Classic.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hT2D6GsbECitEjpW3ajbUb-320-80.png)
The grandest WoW guilds raced for a world first raid clear hinged on a new secret boss, and the winner was 'None of the Above'
By Rich Stanton published
news It's getting hot in here!
![Mallet of a judge, with books and scales of justice in background, of a court-like scene. on the floor, place for typography. Courtroom theme](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Pn5oURaRSv3ov9rEGctJQM-320-80.jpg)
Japanese man gets jailed for repeated death and bomb threats that saw multiple Nintendo events cancelled, judge excoriates 'selfish motive' and 'persistent and vicious' behaviour
By Rich Stanton published
news The defendant's online losses apparently inspired the crimes.
![helldivers 2 operation swift disassembly](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zxNStQpBeJDDnV9wLHZvVV-320-80.jpg)
Helldivers 2 takes a crack at the CrowdStrike outage as its Destroyers suffer from a systems update: 'Please manually reboot each affected computer 15 times'
By Rich Stanton published
news Patriotism waits for no IT engineer.
![MrBeast and Ava Tyson at the 2023 Nickelodeon awards.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jNXskGLMBbWzetzYZgpuv3-320-80.jpg)
MrBeast 'disgusted' by grooming allegations aimed at channel co-host, removes her from 'any association with MrBeast' and hires investigators to look into the claims
By Rich Stanton published
news "I've seen enough online."
![The First Descendant image - Valby](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fCwbubw2rNqoVVP22VuGwX-320-80.jpg)
The First Descendant executes total U-turn on the promise of endless loot caves, blames 'mistranslation' and weirdly insists 'there have been no reversals'
By Rich Stanton published
news Look, it's Elvis!
![Olympic executives and senior Saudi figures shake hands on the creation of the Olympic Esports Games.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2PawKGRt3Ec483cTM9t5tD-320-80.png)
It's official: International Olympic Committee votes to confirm the first Olympic Esports Games will happen in 2025, even if they don't know the games yet
By Rich Stanton published
news Everything about the event is yet to be decided, including the games, but it's happening.
![Counter-Strike 2 header image](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xz2HxeuCGUzmZKoWCdp8JV-320-80.jpg)
Valve shuffles some crates around on beloved Counter-Strike map, some fans react like it shot Old Yeller: 'The more I think of this, the more upset I am'
By Rich Stanton published
news Another one bites de_dust.
![Palmer Luckey strokes his goatee.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fN9kVAkiET7t73k4erkrZB-320-80.jpg)
The trials of a billionaire Bond villain: Oculus founder Palmer Luckey sues after getting stuck in a car elevator in the mansion he bought just to store cars
By Rich Stanton published
news Luckey also owns an ex-Navy speedboat with a mounted machine gun. God bless America.
![A figure which appears in "Computational Life: How Well-formed, Self-replicating Programs Emerge from Simple Interaction."](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FoGwR6jQKr5o2VVv6gQBBH-320-80.png)
Google claims it's been able to simulate 'self-replicating' digital life, but its 'primordial soup' needs a pinch of salt
By Rich Stanton published
news Sure you did.
![The First Descendant](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aoJj3My6kqWC2pQGo9kHwR-320-80.jpg)
The First Descendant players have discovered a Destiny-style loot cave but, rather than 'simply nerfing certain content', the devs are leaning in
By Rich Stanton published
News The so-called Valby Run is "our own mistake" said the developers, but they "do not wish to suddenly remove it."
![Disney World](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UEwT78bUV2Hj9xgSmbNbA-320-80.jpg)
A furry hacktivist group has breached Disney, leaked 1.1TiB of data, and says it's because Club Penguin shut down
By Rich Stanton published
news We were promised flying cars, but welcome to the real future.
![Counter-Strike 2 header image](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xz2HxeuCGUzmZKoWCdp8JV-320-80.jpg)
Counter-Strike co-creator says he's happy they sold the game to Valve—'They have done a great job of maintaining the legacy'
By Rich Stanton published
news "I regret not balancing some of the weapons, such as the AWP."
![The Russian flag with the sun shining in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2Ep8z6EsWTNqMrMBfT9Vhg-320-80.jpg)
Russian antivirus giant Kaspersky says do svidaniya to US customers with 6 months of free software: 'stay safe'
By Rich Stanton published
news Maybe they're just Biden their time.
![Razer Blade 14](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7Prna7SfgQKFTFJdFzbWck-320-80.jpg)
I'm a basic-ass Razer boi so, as far as Prime Day laptop deals go, let me show you all the colors of the rainbow
By Rich Stanton published
Prime Day I don't think I've bought accessories from another brand in the last five years.
![A handsome compressed air duster at a huge discount.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vtaZyb6kfCLpkUv2DArR5n-320-80.jpg)
Save 94% on these PC air dusters that are pretending they used to be $600 and 'SAY GOODBYE TO AIR CAN'
By Rich Stanton published
Prime Day Hot air? Me?!?
![American Business. American Flag, Modern Financial Building, Conceptual View](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VA63vTpknRXgLQsaDSaY2d-320-80.jpg)
Russian antivirus giant Kaspersky leaves the US after two decades, slams the 'theoretical concerns' that led to it being banned
By Rich Stanton published
news The US claims the Kremlin could abuse Kaspersky software "to access and potentially exploit sensitive U.S. technology and data".
![Former Speaker of the House John Bercow poses next to a desk in Parliament.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VvmqcXZfVWW78Fo2PesDLV-320-80.jpg)
'The cherry on the top' for Fallout: London is having the robotic Speaker of the House played by a former Speaker of the House
By Rich Stanton published
news John Bercow held the role from 2009 to 2019, going viral several times for his wit and ever-so-plummy tones.
![Cyberpunk 2077](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/o7zSMjWcrsYviQcNyQBStJ-320-80.jpg)
Cyberpunk 2 director says CP 2077's catastrophic launch 'crushed' the developers and the subsequent redemption arc was basically 'group therapy'
By Rich Stanton published
news "I know how success feels because I've already shipped games that were really cherished."
![null](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KdwsF6sNDTeUjdggvkZYSF-320-80.jpg)
Ken Levine says Bioshock was 'almost cancelled' after going over time and over budget, while all publishers cared about was that these games 'don't make any money'
By Rich Stanton published
news Says it was still "extremely cheap" next to the competition.
![A horde of automaton bots from Helldivers 2 marchers mercilessly on.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/iaLFrP2tpP7y6N5uFvLEMh-320-80.png)
New Helldivers 2 major order offers the chance to divide Automaton forces—fighting a war on two fronts being a famously winning tactic
By Rich Stanton published
news Super Earth says we'll "throw their cut-off forces into disarray and weaken their defenses" but I'm not sure that's all that will happen.
![The TF2 spy looks shocked!](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LNZLzH4PLEZ5m7nvPGAJcR-320-80.jpg)
'Not a hoax!'—Valve writers confirm the official Team Fortress 2 comic will continue, after over 7 years on ice
By Rich Stanton published
news Oh Mann!
![Pharaoh](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/J59HBaXke6tkyBTusWNhmF-320-80.jpg)
After fans declared total war on Total War, Creative Assembly completes the apology tour with a major free expansion for Pharaoh this month
By Rich Stanton published
news Dynasties will be the last expansion, but is going all-out and nearly doubles the game's size.
![null](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ddCXUAUdXBnnmndV5oLmtd-320-80.jpg)
Bioshock 4 studio is now 'recruiting like mad' but the game's nature remains a mystery
By Rich Stanton published
news It does, however, look like there's still always a lighthouse.