All articles tagged with #fandom
Fandom laid off GameSpot's entire commerce team (4 staffers and 5 freelancers) and the site's VP of games and entertainment, Chris Grant, marking the fifth round of layoffs since Fandom acquired GameSpot in 2022. One employee was on paid medical leave following a gunshot injury, and the shakeup continues a broader pattern of staffing cuts across Fandom's properties, including past moves at Giant Bomb.
The piece surveys the surge in brand fandom, using Costco as a prime example where devoted shoppers—like Max Ellinger, who has a Kirkland Signature tattoo, and others who craft life milestones around Costco—treat the retailer as a lifestyle and community. Experts say such devotion signals identity and belonging in a polarized era, with fans forming online groups, hosting celebrations in stores, and even driving broader trends in how people express loyalty to retailers beyond traditional advertising.
Sega says Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance underperformed despite strong reviews, prompting a major marketing overhaul that shifts from targeted ads to fandom, celebrity endorsements, and influencer recommendations. The company plans to globalize its publishing structure and transform its mindset toward building a broad ‘Fandom that drives sales.’ It also aims to release two new titles from flagship IPs by March 31, 2027, in addition to already announced games Stranger than Heaven and Personal 4 Revival, as part of a broader lineup including other high-profile titles.
netflix’s animated feature KPop Demon Hunters spent 52 weeks on Netflix’s Top 10, becoming the platform’s most-watched movie and earning Oscar and Grammy for the song Golden. The year-long momentum fostered a worldwide fan community, extensive brand tie-ins (Hasbro, Mattel, McDonald’s, Fortnite), merchandise, music, and planned immersive experiences in Dallas and Philadelphia, with a sequel in early development. Netflix coordinated fan-centric marketing and creative collaborations, even producing in-house merch when partners wouldn’t commit, signaling a new era of franchise-driven fandom across media and commerce.
A personal, city-wide meditation on how the Knicks’ 53-year wait ended in a historic Finals comeback, turning a once-skeptical New York father into a devoted fan and showing how a championship united the city and reshaped its sports identity—complete with quirky superstition and a lasting cultural impact.
As the Knicks reach the NBA Finals, New Yorkers split between bold predictions and ritualistic caution: some fans boast about a sweep, while others shun predictions and cling to superstitions—wearing the same shirts, avoiding new gear, praying, or changing seats—seeking to control fate in a city known for nerve-wracking optimism. The piece weaves in voices from politicians to bar regulars, illustrating how the moment amplifies both joy and anxiety as fans navigate the psychology of victory.
An opinion piece about online abuse that followed a light observation on Hugh Laurie’s House. The actor’s witty, in-character reply highlighted the parasocial bonds and tribal defense that fuel fan backlash on social media, turning criticism into personal attacks. The author uses broader examples (Taylor Swift, Scorsese, Beyoncé’s BeyHive) to argue that fandom can amplify hostility, though most fan communities are harmless, and real-people scrutiny can be distressing.
Ahead of its release, Supergirl is being promoted amid a backlash-focused narrative, with Milly Alcock addressing online criticism; critics say marketing should sell the film rather than amplify fan wars, highlighting box-office uncertainty and comparisons to other franchise campaigns.
Kotaku highlights a new site, Every Pokémon is someone’s favorite, where fans can post why they love each Pokémon and add it to a global index. The site already lists over 55,000 declarations for all 1,025 Pokémon, with Gengar at the top and Goldeen among the least popular, accompanied by heartfelt and playful notes that show every Pokémon has at least one admirer.
Paramount+ has canceled Star Trek: Starfleet Academy after a two-season run; Season 2 was completed in post-production and is expected to air next year, but no further installments will be produced. The youth-skewed series polarized fans and drew mixed responses online, while other Trek projects like Strange New Worlds will continue (S4 and an already-filmed S5 planned for 2027). The studio has also teased a broader franchise reboot/overhaul under new leadership, and CBS Studios/Paramount+ praised the cast and crew in announcing the news.
The GTA Wiki, the largest fan-curated GTA encyclopedia, has left Fandom to launch an independent site due to intrusive ads and increasingly strict censorship rules, taking its 20,000+ articles with it and giving editors full control ahead of GTA 6’s release. The move, part of a broader trend of communities leaving Fandom, highlights frustrations with aggressive advertising (especially for logged-out mobile users) and policy restrictions, including content and customization limits. Fandom issued a statement emphasizing ongoing support for creators and the community’s continued activity.
Deadline reports that the Heated Rivalry cast—Hudson Williams, François Arnaud, Nadine Bhabha, Connor Storrie and Ksenia Kharlamova—condemned online hate and bigoted fan comments, posting a note urging fans to reject racist, homophobic, biphobic, misogynistic and other abusive remarks; Williams (half Korean) and Arnaud (bisexual) have been targeted, and Kharlamova added an Instagram Story plea to keep the show's positivity and love alive.
Katherine Dee argues that as fandom moves from a hidden subculture to mainstream culture, the line between public writing and private communities blurs. Journalists linking to AO3 tests fans’ implied privacy, sparking a debate about what readers outside the core community should be allowed to access. Fans want openness but fear exposure and intrusive coverage, revealing a tension between open publishing on the internet and the norms that once protected the space.
The Heated Rivalry TV show's breakout popularity has unleashed a hyper-online, sometimes toxic fandom that stalks and attacks cast members, rails against rumors about relationships, and festers with racism and homophobia. Fans scour pre-fame footage, police personal lives, and wage online battles, prompting creators to denounce the toxicity while the stars slow their social-media presence. With the next season not expected until 2027, the series’ cultural impact is overshadowed by parasocial obsession and fan-driven controversy.
HYBE CEO Jason Jaesang Lee outlined a 'HYBE 2.0' strategy centered on scarcity to maximize profits in 2026, aiming to blend online and offline fan experiences. BTS’s full-group return is viewed as the testing ground for exclusive events and gatekept releases, sparking debate over potential impacts on fan loyalty and accessibility.