Ty

When it's grim, be the grim reaper. -Andrew Walter Reid

[Ty @abell2012]

@ArrowheadLive Yes BUT, it depends who else is still available. If Bailey someone slid to 9 I would rather take him.

[Peter Girnus 🦅 @gothburz]

I am a senior vice president at a $68.7 billion gaming company.

Activision-Blizzard.

We have a 30-year-old franchise.

Warcraft.

Millions of players. A subscription model that prints $15 a month per user. A cash shop on top of the subscription. Paid expansions on top of the cash shop.

Our former creative director just told the press he wishes we hadn't called it "Warcraft."

He said the name sounds intimidating.

He helped create the name.

We ran focus groups. The focus groups said the brand needed to be "more approachable." We asked the focus groups if they played the game. They did not. We took their advice anyway.

Our VP told an interviewer we want players to experience "weddings, raids, and new adventures." She listed weddings first. Before raids. In a game called Warcraft. Nobody in the room flinched.

She also said "No one thinks the same about Warhammer."

She compared our franchise unfavorably to a competitor. On the record. As a defense of the franchise.

The forums are on fire. Twenty-year veterans are writing goodbye posts. One thread is titled "Think I'm done with WoW." Another calls our pre-patch a "player purge."

We called our GDKP raiders "delusional."

We timed a cash shop bundle to launch during the Trading Post anniversary -- the one event where players earn free cosmetics. We offered 200 discounted items but kept the monthly currency cap at 1,000. The math doesn't work unless you open your wallet.

The community noticed. We described their concerns as "feedback we're monitoring."

We are always monitoring. We have never once changed course because of monitoring.

The players say we're "Disneyfying" the game. Turning gritty into cute. War into weddings. Orcs into mascots.

They're not wrong.

The data says approachable properties have wider TAM. Total addressable market. That's the metric now. Not "subscribers who love the game." Not "community that built this franchise." TAM.

TAM doesn't post on forums. TAM doesn't write goodbye letters. TAM doesn't have 20 years of muscle memory and lore knowledge and raid nights that turned into real friendships.

TAM is a number in a slide deck that makes a board feel comfortable.

We added player housing. Players have asked for it since 2004. We launched it in 2026. Twenty-two years. We described this as "listening to our community."

We are very good at listening. Eventually. When the feature aligns with a monetization roadmap.

Here is what I know and cannot say in a meeting:

The name was never the problem. The name built this. The name survived server crashes and subscription drops and an activision merger and a harassment scandal and a $68.7 billion acquisition.

The name is "Warcraft" and for 30 years nobody was confused about what it meant.

The problem is not that new players find the name intimidating.

The problem is that old players are starting to find us unrecognizable.

And we don't have a focus group for that.

[Ty @abell2012]

@MitchSchwartz71 Love would be a great pick in the draft, but I'd rather sign a Vet RB like Walker and draft a top OL (preferably tackle). I would imagine signing Walker would be much cheaper than signing a top OT. What are you thoughts on that sir?

[JayhawkSlant @JayhawkSlant]

Big night for former KU receivers. Luke Grimm returns a punt for a TD. #kufball

[Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter]

Great story from draft day in Kansas City, 2017.

The Kingdom premiers tonight at 9 p.m. ET on @disneyplus and @espn.

[Pete Thamel @PeteThamel]

NEWS: Kansas has received an unprecedented $300 million gift from donor David Booth, believed to be among the largest single gifts in the history of college athletics, KU officials tell @max_olson and me.

[NFL @NFL]

NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:

@Chiefs TE Travis Kelce joins the list at No. 37! @NFLFilms

[Ty @abell2012]

@PatMcAfeeShow

[Jason Kinander @WIBWJason]

Check out this BOMB from Matt Araiza followed by the BOOM from rookie 3rd-rounder Nohl Williams #ChiefsKingdom

It goes as a 67-yard punt for Araiza. Talk about flipping the field! @WIBWsports

[Jason Kinander @WIBWJason]

Check out this BOMB from Matt Araiza followed by the BOOM from rookie 3rd-rounder Nohl Williams #ChiefsKingdom

It goes as a 67-yard punt for Araiza. Talk about flipping the field! @WIBWsports

[B/R Gridiron @brgridiron]

There's football on today

[Kansas Football @KU_Football]

It’s beautiful 🌾

[Barstool KU @BarstoolKU]

Wouldn’t you have a look at that

[Arrowhead Live @ArrowheadLive]

I think every single Chiefs fan is thrilled that they moved back 1 spot to add a 5th round pick and still got the guy they were going to draft the pick prior, at pick 32 instead.

[The Kingdom @MahomeSZN]

I mean sure, now do the guys he has beat in AFC Championship games.

[Ty @abell2012]

@MahomeSZN 😂😂

[Ty @abell2012]

@KUAthletics #TennisSchool

[Big 12 Conference @Big12Conference]

The field is set for the 2025 @NCAATennis Championships 🎾

These Big 12 teams begin the road to Waco on May 2 with the Regional round.

[Ty @abell2012]

@goldmctNFL @ConcernsChief @Dev_Neal23 PLEASE 🙏🏼

[Barstool KU @BarstoolKU]

Time to avenge this game finally

[Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter]

Authorities have declined to press charges against Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy, per the Austin American-Statesman.

https://t.co/EwIs89WYd0