It’s 2026, and I’m still wincing when I think about January 2023. You know that feeling when you open a time capsule and it’s just a giant, steaming pile of drama? That was the week we’re revisiting today. The tech industry was shedding jobs like a cat sheds fur, Google Stadia took its final breath, and somehow every game headline felt like a punchline with no setup. Back then, I was just a humble writer trying to make sense of the chaos, and now, three years later, it’s all still shockingly vivid. Let’s take a slightly traumatized stroll down memory lane, shall we? Don’t worry—I brought sarcasm and a few vintage screenshots.

Please Don’t Make Me Talk About Rick & Morty… Oh Wait, I Have To

I still remember where I was when the Justin Roiland news broke. Domestic battery charges? Allegations piling up faster than unfinished interdimensional cable episodes? The internet’s reaction, predictably, was to turn it into meme fodder within hours. TheGamer’s Editor-in-Chief at the time, Stacey Henley, absolutely nailed it: now is the worst time to be talking about Rick and Morty. Real people were hurt, and we were all sitting there wondering if Evil Morty’s arc would be affected. Priorities, folks. Looking back, the entertainment industry’s speed-run from serious allegation to tasteless joke hasn’t improved much in three years, but at least that moment taught me that fandoms sometimes need a time-out. And maybe a mirror.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Battle Pass — I Mean, Justice League

When that leaked beta menu hit the web in January 2023, showing a battle pass for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, my first thought wasn’t disappointment. It was a tired, knowing sigh. Jade King, our Lead Features Editor back then, argued that we shouldn’t be surprised in 2023. She was right. The game had “live-service skeleton rattling under the floorboards” written all over it from day one. I remember people clinging to hope because Rocksteady made the Arkham games, as if studios don’t pivot harder than a Dark Souls player. By the time the game actually came out later that year, the battle pass was just one of many “oh, of course” moments. We should have seen it coming, but hey, denial is a lovely place to visit.

Stadia: The Little Cloud That Couldn’t

Ah, Google Stadia. Shut down for good in January 2023, it became the punchline that certain corners of Twitter never let die. I’ll be honest—I was never a Stadia user, but I always felt a pang of sadness watching it get mocked. Eric Switzer, our Features Editor, wrote a eulogy that captured what I couldn’t articulate: we lost what Stadia could have been. The tech was genuinely impressive; streaming latency that felt like magic. But Google’s commitment to anything that isn’t search or ads remains a galaxy-brain mystery. Instead of snarkily waving goodbye, let’s pour one out for the platform that dared to dream. My 2023 self is definitely tearing up a little. My 2026 self just upgraded to fiber internet that Stadia would have slayed on.

Persona 3 Portable’s Female Protagonist: Pink and Problematic

When Persona 3 Portable finally landed on modern consoles that same week, I was ecstatic. Then I actually replayed the FeMC route. Jade King (again, our resident voice of reason) pointed out it’s a misogynistic relic of its time, and oh boy, does it wear that badge proudly. The color pink explodes everywhere like a gender-reveal party gone wrong, and the script won’t let you forget you’re a girl for five seconds. “You throw like a girl!” Thanks, NPC, I also save the world like a girl. In 2023, it felt jarring; in 2026, with so many strides in representation, it plays like a cringe-filled history lesson. Still, I love the FeMC. She deserved better, and maybe Persona 6 will give her spiritual successor the respect she’s owed.

Battle for Olympus: Overwatch 2’s Masterclass in “Meh”

I don’t know why I keep expecting Overwatch 2 events to be good. January 2023 gave us Battle for Olympus, and Deputy News Lead Rhiannon Bevan summed it up perfectly: it’s everything wrong with Overwatch 2. A reskinned deathmatch with grinding challenges designed to sell you a Medusa Widowmaker skin? Groundbreaking. I remember playing it for exactly 45 minutes before my soul left my body. Three years later, Overwatch 2 has had some highs, but that event remains a monument to how not to run a live-service game. If I wanted a grind with mythological flavor, I’d replay Hades for the hundredth time. At least there I get good dialogue.

I could go on—remember the Nintendogs Mobile rumors that proved how far ahead the DS was?—but my nostalgia is starting to ache. January 2023 was a fever dream, and we were all just sweating through it together. Some things have changed drastically since then; other things (hello, battle passes) are more stubborn than my cat when I try to give him a pill. The industry learned some lessons? Maybe. But I’ll always be grateful for the writers who cut through the noise that week, telling it like it was, even when it hurt. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go make sure my 2026 game library doesn’t have any surprise live-service elements lurking in the shadows. Wish me luck.

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