It’s no secret that the world of podcasting has exploded in the past few years. Thanks to improved phone audio quality, easy-to-use software, and platforms such as Spotify and iTunes, almost anyone has the opportunity to create their own podcast. No matter what your hobby, there’s probably someone out there talking about it, and for those of us who live and breathe gaming, there’s plenty to choose from. Here are just a few of our favorites to get you started.
How Did This Get Played?
Heather Anne Campbell, Nick Wiger (and occasionally Matt Apodaca) get together with friends and play the weirdest, wildest, and worst games ever made. Wouldn’t the protagonist of 12 Minutes get frustrated having the same conversation over and over? Is training women like horses better than beating up dudes in the street in Yakuza 0? These are the kinds of deep discussions that you can expect from How Did This Get Played, and personally, I’m here for it.
Silliness aside, this podcast is very insightful and could even change the way you look at some of your favorite games. If you’re interested in becoming a game writer or designer, this is a great resource for thinking critically about storytelling.
Episode: 12 Minutes https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TuSHEwOKtlqex32XmPMaT?si=a1176858766a4b23
My Life in Pixels
Award-winning CS:GO, PUBG, and Hearthstone desk and stage host Frankie Ward is known for amazing interviews, and with this podcast, you get a whole bunch of them! In her own words, it is “An interview podcast with people who are awesome who like games.” Frankie’s depth of knowledge, passion, and energy makes her a joy to listen to, and she’s incredibly skilled at getting the best out of her guests. You’ll likely find yourself listening to “just one more” episode until you’ve consumed them all and, sadly, there are no more episodes being made right now.
Episode: Tabitha Lyons (Artyfakes) https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ZEePMFvCcl4uYyx1IKVqW?si=1689cd8b065446f0
Gamertag Radio
The latest news, latest reviews, and exclusive interviews: these are the ingredients that make up Gamertag Radio. The team has been podcasting about video games since 2005, so you know they know their stuff. Gamertag Radio comes out twice a week, so this is a great choice if you want to stay up-to-date with what’s going on in the industry.
Episode: 1122: Apex Legends Season 9 Hands-On Impressions https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zY9rD2fU1REBoH1MMrjpJ?si=z4YX3Q_1SPOi6zuWBIjpNA&dl_branch=1
Esports Business Network
In case you hadn’t noticed, esports is big business. With the Esports Business Network podcast, you get to sit down with the people making it happen. But we’re not talking about the players or the game designers. EBN founder Trent Knox sits down with CEOs, events organizers, financial officers, partnership directors, and many more to discuss the nitty-gritty business details that make this magical industry work. Whether you have an entrepreneurial mindset or simply want to know more about the industry, this is the podcast for you.
Episode: Interview with Danny Martin, CEO of Esposure.gg https://open.spotify.com/episode/4AHG8vtRnZ164sxupZyfXD?si=2aa53e588e23430f
Giant Bombcast
If you’ve ever dreamed of spending your evenings hanging out with a group of buddies, telling jokes, and chatting about video games, I have great news for you. Giant Bombcast discusses the latest gaming news and releases interspersed with many random detours, cursing, and beverages. Episodes can be over 3 hours long, so this is a great one for listening to on long drives, during work (not that I ever do that), or while you’re relaxing with an easy-going game.
Episode: Giant Bombcast 701: A Good VCR https://open.spotify.com/episode/1aODtQ5eJza57arpxfvoZ1?si=7dcd528b7be84981
EUphoria
This one’s for you, LoL fans. Yes, a podcast entirely about the League of Legends European Championship is pretty niche for a list like this, but it comes highly recommended by several G-Loot staff, so you know it’s good.
Go beyond the wins and losses with pro casters Drakos and Caedrel as they interview pro players and get a deeper understanding of the strategies, how the teams work together, and what’s going on behind the scenes. There’s also plenty of humor mixed in, which makes it a lot of fun to listen to.
Episode: Top 5 Jungle List ft. Elyoya https://open.spotify.com/episode/0q42TqOzDSkpNV32VI35iM?si=5126cc9ecce34347
The Esports Research Report Podcast
Is there a difference between MOBA’s and Lane Pushing Games? What’s unique about esports psychology? How does sleep affect esports performance? Can esports players get sporting visas? If you want the answers to these and many more questions, you need to ask the real experts. That’s exactly what Brian McCauley and Steph Orme do: they interview the people doing the cutting-edge research on esports science and politics.
The Esports Research Report Podcast is sponsored by the Media Management & Transformation Centre in Jönköping International Business School and aims to bring a wealth of research to a wide audience.
"What we do is make episodes that can be understood by someone new to the context but also add value for researchers or people in the industry who already know their stuff," Brian told us. "We aim to cover aspects of esports that can still be relevant in a couple of years by focusing on the bigger picture and not just yesterday's news story. Ultimately we want this to be a useful educational tool that benefits all of esports because we are gamers who work with grassroots and are really into the scene ourselves."
Episode: Esports as a sport and why the Dota 2 Internation will not be happening in Sweden https://open.spotify.com/episode/1ogBGxcnhrU6SSMST9cUGi?si=Pkma4AQNSXehs6qQuZpz8g&dl_branch=1
The Esports Minute
This is an absolute MUST for any serious esports fans. Get the latest news every single weekday in less than 2 minutes. It’s even short enough to make it part of your morning routine. I have my Alexa set up to play the latest episode on the trigger, “Alexa, good morning,” so I can start the day with news that’s actually interesting. All you need to do is add the Music & Podcasts action for “Esports Minute Podcast” from Spotify.
Episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6tdg3Dl2gCDuLPgtZiRh4g?si=5f92c59b2e8b48ea
Esports Careers Podcast
Have you ever wondered how the best and brightest got into the esports business or how to get your resume noticed by recruiters? Drew Proctor and Robin Silk can find you the answers you seek. They interview people with esports jobs you’ve never even considered (who knew esports players needed physical therapists?) By the end of the episode, you’re thinking about switching careers yourself. As well as being fascinating and inspiring, there’s a lot of great advice in this podcast that could really give you an edge if you’re looking to kickstart an esports career.
Episode: How to stand out to recruiters in the esports industry https://open.spotify.com/episode/5W4LoGd01txx7cDUAYo6Oi?si=3b9480f8d4c142fa
Script Lock
This is genuinely one of my favorite podcasts, period. Max and Nick Folkman, also known as the Folkman Brothers, are video game writers and narrative designers. They’ve worked with studios such as Insomniac Games, Supermassive Games, and Double Fine Productions, to name just a few. In each episode, they sit down with writers, designers, creative directors, and more to discuss storytelling in video games.
If you’re a writer and have a passion for narrative games (cough cough), obviously, you’ll love this podcast (and we should totally be friends). Even if you’re not, you’ll learn so much about the way video games are designed and made. Go behind the scenes and discover the challenges the narrative designers faced when creating Star Wars Battlefront: Rogue One X-Wing VR Mission, or find out how costume design can bring stories to life in ways you don’t even notice.
So what do you think of our choices? Whether you loved them or hated them or if you think there’s something we missed, join us on Discord and let us know!
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