As usual, a little long so apologies for the rambling lol
It's a pretty sad day in TFT, still this news made me pause to reflect on the positive impact Mortdog had on my life.
His approach helped me see TFT as more than a game I love dumping perhaps too many hours into. Through patch rundowns, Walk the Dog episodes, and countless direct interactions with players, he consistently showed that player experience mattered in a very public way. To me it felt like it was a space worth investing in year over year, not just competitively, but in the community itself. How I felt seemed like it mattered.
Even years into my adult life I was a shy person (and still am to a degree lol) who struggled to believe what I had to say could make a difference. When I started helping out with TFT events I drew strength from knowing those behind the game were there to hear me out. I think I’ve generally felt drawn toward hearing and understanding other people’s perspectives. However, watching Mort talk through questions and pain points helped me understand how important that mindset actually is. A conviction grew of wanting others to get enjoyment out of TFT, and that was nudged further by knowing the developer team behind it all felt the same way.
One of the most meaningful parts of taking this step back was realizing that Mort didn't even teach me anything new directly. I only even briefly got to meet him once at the TFT Summit nearly 4 years ago (banger picture below), before I ever helped with my own first event. He never sat me down and went "alright, here's how you should be doing X and Y." Instead, his actions indirectly helped me recognize something that was already in myself and gave me the confidence to apply it.
While Mortdog may be leaving the TFT team, his time at the helm of my favorite game is a reminder of one of the most profound ways we can change the lives of people around us: by inspiring them.
Thanks for everything you've done for the community over the years!
Slay the Spire 2's concurrent Steam players just hit 179,456, the highest ever for any roguelike.
When StS1 first launched back in 2017, it had 193 concurrent players.
That's a 92,982% increase, meaning StS3 is on track to hit 166,861,777 concurrent players by 2035. 💪
TFT LAN Flight + Lodging Giveaway!
We've got an exciting addition to Columbus Convergence: Set 16 thanks to a community donation! When it comes to LANs I think it's important to make these events accessible, and the team is excited to help another person make it out to the wonderland of Ohio😎
To put words to action we’re giving away a round-trip economy flight (up to $500 USD) + two nights of lodging (Fri/Sat up to $250 USD) to attend the LAN on Sat, Feb 28th.
To enter, interact with THIS post via the following:
1️⃣ Like
2️⃣ Follow @LorenceTFT and @CLE_TFT
3️⃣ Repost
The drawing will occur on Sat, Jan 31st @ 1pm EST and announced via reply. Clarifying details below⤵️