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Mikhail Klimentov

@leadergrev.bsky.social

631 Following5.5k Followers

video game newsletter at readergrev.com
news editor at POLITICO
former editor at Launcher and WaPo
mikhailklimentov.01 on Signal

PostsRepliesMedia
@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 13, 2026, 1:53 AM

If im in the auditorium during Carrie I’m going “what the heck, that ain’t right” and affirming her experience

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 12, 2026, 7:50 PM

Too late, I've already depicted myself as the huntsman rising, and you as the gamester going to bed

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@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 12, 2026, 6:26 PM

I bike here all the time. This is actually such a shame.

@kerrblimey.bsky.socialOct 12, 2026, 9:55 AMReposted by @leadergrev.bsky.social

🎉 HUGE CAREER ANNOUNCEMENT 🎉

Today, I'm launching Vertical Slice, a new independent trade outlet committed to producing quality video game journalism that inspires, informs, and interrogates. That means daily news, incisive interviews, vital investigative work, and more.

www.verticalslice.news

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@carlquintanilla.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 8:23 PMReposted by @leadergrev.bsky.social

“.. Administration officials are discussing whether she should be removed, and a decision is expected by President Trump soon, aides said.”

@wsj.com 🇬🇷
www.wsj.com/politics/pol...

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@chrisrichards.bsky.socialOct 11, 2026, 2:48 PMReposted by @leadergrev.bsky.social

Sunday posts on THE FUTURE IS OURS TO MAKE are usually for paid subscribers but this week’s is free

If you subscribe — or if you’re considering it — thank you for your excellence

Your readership makes a massive difference in my life. We continue!

thefutureisourstomake.substack.com/p/rain-or-sh...

@robertscotthorton.bsky.socialOct 11, 2026, 4:58 AMReposted by @leadergrev.bsky.social

Buoyed by the embrace of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin has supercharged his assassinations bureau and tasked it with murdering Europe's defense chiefs. www.ft.com/content/5da2...

@golikehellmachine.comOct 10, 2026, 11:33 PMReposted by @leadergrev.bsky.social

no one reads the articles. all of the quotes assume this is because the party is broke because of (spins wheel) whatever that person is mad about today, but the reason they’re scrambling is because they’re trying to run moonshot campaigns in deep red districts they ordinarily would never attempt

PPolitico@politico.comOct 9, 2026, 6:02 PM

House Democratic campaign arm says it needs $17 million, and fast politi.co/3Wh1xra

politico.comHouse Democratic campaign arm says it needs $17 million, and fast politi.co/3Wh1xraHouse Democratic campaign arm says it needs $17 million, and fast politi.co/3Wh1xra
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@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 11:45 PM

Yeah I’ve seen a lot of totally normal critiques of the game and then there’s a massive coalition for whom the problem is “DEI marketing firms forced this on us” (??)

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 2:08 PMReposted by @leadergrev.bsky.social

Exclusively for subscribers: A short follow-up on Bobby Kotick vs. the games media
www.readergrev.com/p/bobby-koti...

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 4:37 PM

This AI generated corkboard graphic could be yanked by a LinkedIn guy and posted as evidence of “teams working synergistically to raise market awareness” or whatever.

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 4:24 PM

“Spend one month in a white collar job” theory notches another W

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@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 10, 2026, 2:24 AM

Very fun ARAM game; the idea of playing a normal deadlock match makes me sick

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 9:24 PM

Reading Ed Zitron slander 😃🙏👨🏻‍🍳👌🍝😋

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 8:08 PM

Thought this was a Brace Belden post lol

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 7:13 PM

ran into a guy with a gold shield on perimeter on day 3 (???) of the new marathon season like... hello!!??

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 6:47 PM

Why did they do that

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 6:45 PM

Last year one of my neighbors did a Halloween decoration that was just Elmo’s body out on the lawn, a knife at his neck, and Elmo’s head a few feet away.

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 6:18 PM

Anyway, glad to put this behind the reg-wall. You're going to have to at least give me a real or fake email to read this and complain at me about it.

@leadergrev.bsky.socialOct 9, 2026, 6:18 PM

This is all very gift horse/mouth but it is not flattering to be set up as the good guy on the investigative-reporter-to-industry-shill spectrum.

I think “the media is generally good” is a more useful way to think about the world of publishing than the alternative
www.readergrev.com/p/bobby-koti...

At this stage in my career in journalism, I’ve developed a sort of naive professional solidarity that makes me really frustrated with imprecise media criticism. This may be an unpopular thing to say, but I think the media is good. I think the mainstream media is good. The enterprise of sharing information — some of which is exclusive and/or newsworthy (complicated investigations, breaking news, big and small scoops, reports from a place that is difficult for the ordinary reader to reach) and some of which is silly and maybe not all that important but still generally relevant enough that people tune in (a lot of contemporary video game coverage) — is good, and the vast majority of news content written and published by humans is unobjectionable.

I have problems with specific journalists and editors and pundits, as well as specific editorial positions staked out by specific outlets. I cannot enumerate all of the broad societal and ideological issues with the contemporary press. There are too many. But I’m not really flattered when people say stuff like: Well, your investigation is “good” journalism, but everything else is inaccurate and/or clickbait. That’s not true!

There’s this idea in political science called Fenno’s Paradox that describes the trend of broad dissatisfaction with Congress as an institution — even as people generally like their own congressperson. Comments like the one I describe above fall into a similar category: The media I like and pay for is good, but the media in general is bad. Dwell on that! “Congress” is an institution that produces discrete outcomes that one can dislike relative to their congressperson. “The media,” however, is a hazy and fragmented concept, made up of prospective “good” journalists and outlets you haven’t yet encountered — some of whom may just lack the resources or support to pursue “good” journalism, and instead live out small-but-unrecognized positive change on the margins.
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