Level ∞: Our Next Chapter
Looking ahead to the future of The Pause Button
✍️ Letter From the Editors
Dear Readers,
When we first started writing The Pause Button almost two years ago, we had one goal in mind — learn more about video games.
Since then we’ve learned about Google’s attempts to try and invade the gaming market. We’ve learned about what happens when a major streaming platform shuts down after millions of dollars of investment. We’ve learned about how resilient and connective gaming communities can be during a global pandemic.
While this newsletter may have started as a passion project, it has grown to be so much more: a community that exchanges stories and learnings, and shares a mutual appreciation for games.
We titled this edition level infinity because it implies continuity rather than finality. We’re excited to announce that we are joining the team at Naavik, the company behind Master The Meta, gaming’s #1 industry-focused newsletter.
Why Master The Meta?
When we first connected with the team behind Master the Meta in early 2020, it was clear they were thinking about scaling a gaming publication in a way that mirrored our own aspirations. Naavik’s co-founders, Aaron & Manyu, live and breathe games, and are producing quality industry-specific content that can’t be found anywhere else.
What makes Master the Meta so special is how serious they are about games — the team has helped countless gaming organizations rebuild their business from the ground up, all while producing case studies, analyses, and content that makes the business of games easy to digest and follow.
Partnering with Master the Meta will also give us time to experiment with new aspects of community-building. As part of the newsletter’s content team, we’ll help them scale their weekly content while exploring other editorial goals we haven’t necessarily had the time for. Things like helping manage Discord servers and producing more long-form content.
What Happens Now?
In the coming week(s), existing Pause Button readers will be moved over to Master the Meta’s newsletter. It’s a lot like what we’re doing today, but with a more industry-focused spin.
If you happen to be reading this announcement but aren’t subscribed to The Pause Button yet, feel free to go take a look at Master the Meta instead. We know you’ll be excited about what’s in store.
As is always the case, feel free to reach out to either of us on Twitter (Fawzi or Max) or our email if you have any questions or concerns.
To New Beginnings
When we nostalgically look back at some of our earliest issues, we can’t help but laugh. Fortnite was just hitting peak popularity, Detective Pikachu was making waves in theaters, and games were increasingly becoming a cornerstone of mainstream media. It’s crazy how far it has all come.
While our name will change and the newsletter will look different, one thing that will remain consistent is a passion for video games. We’ll continue to curate and write about the best gaming content as always.
Thank you to all of you who joined us for the first chapter. We’re so excited for this next journey with you.