It’s Thanksgiving! What are you thankful for this year in gaming?

Season’s greetings from Destructoid’s least-American writer

It’s that time of year again! And as the Destructoid office closes for a much-earned weekend of merriment, it is once again up to yer boy Moyse to celebrate a holiday that has absolutely nothing to do with him. That’s fine, because I like spending the holidays with you. Besides, you’re never alone if you have a talking Dusa plush from Fangamer. Anywhoo, ’tis Thanksgiving, or Friendsgiving, or Turkey Day, or even Turkee Day (for my vegan pals). Whatever you call it, it amounts to good food, a weirdly aggressive bout of Black Friday capitalism, and a much-needed break from the ol’ nine-to-five.

It can be tough to find thanks lately, after all, we are still somewhat mired in a relatively unhappy global situation. It has been this way for some years now, and Fighting the Good Fight is proving to be a long and arduous task. Regardless, we have much around us to be grateful for — from our friends, loved ones, and communities, to the arts, pastimes, and small joys that bring us light on a daily basis. These are the adrenaline shots that can help stoke happiness and camaraderie in ourselves and those around us. The little things that prop our chins and fill our hearts as we push forward to a better world.

In 2022, I’m thankful for the sky-high positivity surrounding Capcom’s upcoming scrapper Street Fighter 6, with a hugely successful beta test, a litany of features, a great visual design, wonderful accessibility options, and an absolute commitment by the developer to delivering a sequel that does the franchise proud. Street Fighter means a lot to me — it’s followed me all my life — and I don’t quite remember being this excited for a new entry since perhaps Street Fighter IV, or even Street Fighter Alpha 3. I’m also thankful for Juri’s feet in RE Engine.

I’m very thankful for some new friends I made this year. As a British writer liaising with American PR folk, I often find myself left out of UK-managed events, and thus I’m not seen “on the circuit” as much as I’d like to be. But this year, at both EGX and the GameDevsNorth Halloween Party, I made an effort to overcome a variety of fears, (COVID, social, and identity), and connect with some new faces. I was warmly welcomed, making some already-treasured pals who I hope can be my running buddies at future gatherings. If you’re reading this, you know who you are. Thank you for your kindness.

Oh, for the Halloween event, I went as Rose the Hat from Doctor Sleep. I felt great and looked wicked af.

Thankyou to the maestro @StephenKing for creating such a fascinating and frightening character (and to Rebecca Ferguson for her fantastic on screen portrayal)#Halloween #doctorsleep #shining pic.twitter.com/PB8cDhjxGx

— Chris Moyse (@ChrisxMoyse) October 29, 2022

Now, more than I have been, in some years, I am thankful for my role here at Destructoid. To be able to wake up every morning and share, with you, the news and updates on all matters gaming is a privilege I never take for granted. As you know, I have given all I have to this website for six years, often fighting past personal and technical frustrations that I have little control over. But I endure because I love our community, who remain one of the biggest, most passionate, most vocal, and most welcoming readerships in games media.

I am also thankful to the new regime, GAMURS, for plucking our beloved website from the brink of oblivion and offering us a new lease of life at la ultima hora. There is a long road ahead. This is not an overnight switch flip and “Hey Presto” situation. Decisions will be made and unmade, ideas will be considered, theories put into practice, and statistics will be studied. What it all comes down to is a new management team that has a genuine investment in the writers, respect for editorial vision, and is working, every day, to push for growth, expansion, and security.

The future is shaky in all industries, but I’m hugely optimistic about Destructoid in 2023. We have already started welcoming new talent into our fold, and I’m feeling an energy about the team that I haven’t felt in some years. I hope that you will be patient and supportive as we work our way through weeks and months of meticulous adjustment. We just want to, eventually, deliver you the very best experience we can provide. Because, when it comes to the good ship Dtoid, I’m thankful for you most of all.

Here’s hoping for a fun, restful, and joyous long weekend for all y’all, regardless of whether you are celebrating Thanksgiving or otherwise. Before you settle into the merriment of the day (and/or the chaos of the Black Friday sales), take a moment to hit up the comments and share with us and your fellow community members all that you are thankful for as it pertains to the world of gaming in 2022.

Have a wicked one, friends!