Nathan Clauss

@tommartell @esportslaw Horrifying

I don't care what your politics are or what you think about US immigration policy - you should be absolutely disgusted and outraged by this story. 238 Venezuelans, many if not most of whom were following the legal procedures to apply for asylum and admission to the United States, were rounded up and sent to an El Salvadorian concentration camp as a PR stunt. Many were scheduled to appear for court hearings in the coming days and weeks to have their applications reviewed. These were not violent criminals; they had no criminal record here. They had tattoos. One kid had an Autism Awareness tattoo because his brother is autistic; he was teaching autistic kids here how to swim. A gay hairdresser had tattoos saying Mom and Dad on his arms. An aspiring pop musician had a hummingbird on his neck and a palm tree on his hand. We didn't just reject their asylum claims and send them home; we sent them to El Salvador to be imprisoned (at our expense!) in one of the most oppressive prison facilities in the world, so that Kristi Noem could fly there and pose in front of them to act tough. This should turn your stomach. This is evil. You cannot stay quiet. motherjones.com/politics/2025/…

Many “good people” said nothing when Nazi Germany did this to Jews and it was a meaningful reason why our country entered WW2. Don’t let Cheeto Hitler do the same thing in our country now.

Daryl's been working on a raytraced voxel renderer, and when changing it to be rendered from the back facing faces instead of the front (so you can be inside the volume), a couple of really cool glitches showed up. They're so good I asked permission to share them.

Investing in Azra Games: The Next Generation of Mobile RPGs I’m a child raised by RPG’s: Role-playing games like Baldur’s Gate and Elder Scrolls inspired my first heroic explorations, taught me to choose good over evil, and bestowed the power to construct new worlds with my friends. From multi-year tabletop Dungeons & Dragons campaigns to building text-based multiplayer RPG’s (MUDs), RPG’s are at the core of my “gaming DNA.” My first love: building text-based MMORPG’s or MUD’s. Also known as glorified speed typing. RPG’s dominate the $200B+ mobile gaming industry: #RPGs are the highest-earning mobile #gaming genre, accounting for 30% of mobile gaming revenues and 10% of downloads. Games like @GenshinImpact have broken records in recent years to become the fastest mobile game to reach $5 billion in revenue, outpacing top games like @PokemonGoApp and @ClashofClans by 1-2 years. A new era of gaming is here: The world is ready for role-playing games that are built on deep storytelling, mobile-native combat, immersive economies, and the latest advances in blockchain, generative AI, and mobile technology. That’s why I’m incredibly excited to partner with Azra Games founder, @markotero - a master craftsman and legendary RPG builder - and the legendary Azra team, as we embark on a quest to create the next generation of mobile RPG’s. ⚡️ THE NEXT GENERATION OF GAMING How the cycle turns: Gaming is a cyclical business, yet gamers never stop playing games. So what drives a new cycle of gaming? New waves of gaming innovation happen when certain trends converge: technology advancements (faster hardware / networks), distribution channels (arcades to home PC’s), and business models (digital subscriptions to free-to-play). As @Feargus, founder of @Obsidian, once observed: “Making games is like shooting movies, if you had to build an entirely new camera every time you started.” Mobile RPG’s have evolved rapidly over the last decade, growing from simple text-based adventures into story-rich, high-fidelity worlds. Players have adjusted their expectations towards more immersive, rewarding experiences and instantly-engaging gameplay. The challenge to retain players and sustain their long-term engagement is harder than ever. At empire’s peak, the challenger rises: It’s harder than ever to build a sustainable game from scratch. Attracting player attention is a hyper-competitive, expensive endeavor. @Scopely spent ~$500 million on marketing and user acquisition for its @MonopolyGO game - more than the entire budget for @CyberpunkGame AND its DLC expansion. Independent game creators have no choice but to give their economics away to publishers or submit to already-successful studios with low risk appetite or all of the above. It’s clear that something’s gotta give. Mobile RPGs are ready for their next major transformation. The time is ripe to bring high-end PC-quality gaming experiences directly to players’ mobile devices and deliver to players: novel gameplay and storylines, open-world experiences with economic immersion, and new models for sustainable engagement. 💡 WHY WE INVESTED The first time I met @markotero IRL, he handed me an ASUS ROG Ally in the middle of a happy hour. The Project Legends demo dropped me into a dark fantasy world, battling monsters with three epic heroes. Fifteen minutes and one boss battle later, my heart was pounding and a group had formed around us, eager to play. The revolution begins: @AzraGames aims to define a new generation of mobile RPG’s through open-world exploration, immersive economies, visceral combat, and rich storylines. The goal is to bring gamers true console & PC-quality RPG experiences on their mobile devices, starting with Azra’s flagship title, codenamed Project Legends. Here’s why we believe they can do it: A championship team: Azra is led by Mark Otero, a grandmaster of building RPG’s. Mark has built eight RPG titles including Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes, one of the top-grossing mobile games ever, generating $1.5 billion to date. He co-founded KlickNation in 2008, publishing multiple successful games for browser and Facebook, before being acquired by @EA. Travis Boudreaux, Co-founder & CTO, is a veteran engineering leader with experience scaling to millions of users and $1B+ in marketplace volume. The @AzraGames team is stacked with a rare talent density. Many have worked with Mark on 2+ games together. They know what it takes to achieve miracles, as all great games must. And it’s crystal clear that they’re playing for the Super Bowl. Breakthrough in game building: Azra has made deep investments in their platform, tools, and technology, including AI-powered tools that dramatically reduce production times. What once took 30 man-days can now take 15 minutes. This allows the team to focus on delivering breathtaking environments, complex gameplay systems, and immersive storylines, all optimized for mobile devices. “The biggest differentiator between a studio that creates a really high-quality game and a studio that doesn’t isn’t the quality of the team. It’s their dev tools. If you can take fifty shots on goal, and you’re a pretty shitty hockey player, and I can only take three shots on goal and I’m Wayne fucking Gretzky, you’re probably going to do better.” (Blood, Sweat, and Pixels) A sustainable vision: Azra’s style of RPG is filled with characters and collectibles. This makes it particularly well-suited to open marketplaces where players can craft, collect, and trade seamlessly with one another. Mark and team are hyper-focused on a sustainable#Web3roadmap for Azra. Step 1: Build one of the greatest RPG games in the world. From there, they’ll progressively integrate #blockchain& #crypto-native features to create a truly immersive open-world economy for the Azra universe. team in navigating the future of Web3 gaming. Some of my favorite RPG memories were made sitting in front of the WoW Auction House in Orgrimmar and hawking rare items in MapleStory. The “digital merchant” class is alive and well (and lucrative) in today’s RPGs. Soon they’ll be unleashed in completely new and interesting ways through blockchain-powered markets. I’m excited to work with the @AzraGames team in navigating the future of #Web3 gaming. PARTNERING WITH AZRA GAMES I’m thrilled to partner with @markotero,@tjboudreaux, and the Azra Games team to lead their Series A funding round. I’m also officially joining Azra’s board of directors. Our quest to build the next generation of mobile RPG’s is just beginning. If you’re interested in joining the party, the @AzraGames team is actively hiring!

The best of them in Esports.

*Most* recruiters are trash

@srkiely Also unlock the 229 Breaker, best gun by far

Let’s kill some bugs. #HELLDIVER2

@srkiely Hell Diver difficulty + eradicate Automotons mission is the best power level for getting your stratagems/levels

@petebasgen @helldivers2 same problem :(

Enshrouded is dope, better Valheim, POE style class system. RIP my weekend

Your company doesn’t love you. If you work for me, my company doesn’t love you, even if I personally might care a lot. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket (even mine). Always keep a side eye out for opportunities. Always have a back up plan in mind. That’s not disloyalty.

@PWR_UP @Tranmobile_

PWR UP Las Vegas was a great success. 😍 Now, it's time for our guests to tell us what were the best bits of the event. #PWRUPLasVegas #EsportsAwards2023

@LEGIQN @srkiely @SixFlags You love to see it.

@srkiely @SixFlags lol I’ll be watching out for you guys in the lobbies! More funnel cake inbound 😂

During Winter Break, we turn into gaming influencers! @LEGIQN you want in on the Griddy Gang? Me and the boys will meet you at @SixFlags for round 2!

@PWR_UP @MASGamerTech @Tranmobile_ My clone was unable to attend ;)

@MASGamerTech Speakers: Christine Chua, @Nate362, @Tranmobile_, and Linda Waste

Join us for the Navigating Your Path to Success in Gaming and Esports - From College to Career panel at the PWR UP Collegiate Gaming Conference presented by @MASGamerTech! ⏰ 10:08-10:33am 📍 Resorts World - Rose Ballroom

@WarlockRakaul Hit me nate@newlvlrecruiting.com

The job hunt continues after a promising lead. Bummed.

@bmcstreet @AdvisorMikeL @MikePolicarNGP @DanTheBand @galenhdec Happy to have a call to try and help :) send me a DM!

@AdvisorMikeL @MikePolicarNGP @DanTheBand @galenhdec First place I'd turn in gaming matchmaking is @Nate362. Sorry I can't be of more help!

Anyone in the Video Game industry? My guy below has done some cool stuff for game studios over the years. He is looking for a new gig. If you need gaming producer talent, give him a shout! @DanTheBand?

@jacksondahl Tell them to holler!

have an incredibly talented friend building a new consumer product that is growing dramatically and is already profitable they're looking for their first few engineering hires -- iOS, Android, and/or web if that's you or someone you know, pls DM me with experience

@Jason @NewLvlRec let us know if we can help :)

I prefer we find someone who isn’t a media executive, since a) I have that expertise and b) we’re not a media brand, we’re a community, a way of thinking and ultimately a lifestyle. Would rather we hire a CEO who has run a membership club, luxury brand, or community. She might have been an executive at SoHo House, AMAN Hotel, LVMH, Veuve Clicquot, etc And I hope it’s a woman!

The #HardcoreWow BOE gods have blessed my leveling experience. May I plz make it to 60.

💀 One month later 💀