Destructoid
Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author, launched Destructoid as a personal blog in March 2006. He needed the site to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo that same year after being rejected from official press credentials. Without access to the event floor, Gonzalez wrote original editorials and drew cartoons instead. These early pieces gained traction when established gaming blogs like Joystiq and Kotaku picked them up for syndication. The site relaunched in 2007 with user blogs, forums, and a team of contributors. Gonzalez moved his personal blog off the homepage to prioritize a staff-edited, multi-author format. This shift transformed the project from a one-person diary into a community hub similar to IGN. Readers could register freely and submit their own off-homepage blogs. After E3, Gonzalez appeared at press conferences dressed as Mr. Destructoid, the robot mascot shown on logos and promotional material. He handed out flyers while wearing the costume to promote the brand.
Enthusiast Gaming acquired the website in 2017 based in Toronto. The company held ownership until September 2022 when they sold it to Gamurs Group. This transaction marked the second major change in corporate control since the site's inception. The transition involved shifting management structures and editorial direction under new parent companies. Enthusiast Gaming had previously expanded its portfolio by purchasing other media properties before taking over Destructoid. The sale to Gamurs Group concluded a five-year period under the first owner. No specific financial terms were disclosed regarding either acquisition or sale. The change in leadership occurred without public announcement of immediate staff layoffs or content cancellations. The core mission remained focused on video game news despite the transfer of assets between corporations.
Destructoid split its interface into six main sections for user navigation. Editors posted daily news and reviews on the Homepage while community members wrote blogs elsewhere. A Videos section featured original skits and trailers produced by the team. Chat Forums allowed discussions among registered users. The Buy/Sell area enabled community members to trade games directly with one another. Members could play games against each other in the Fight area. From 2010 to 2013, the site produced a twice-weekly studio show called the Destructoid Show on Revision 3. They also streamed live video shows like Kingdom of Foom and MASH TacticS on Twitch. Semi-regular video skits appeared on YouTube including Hey Ash Whatcha Playin and Storm's Adventures. James Stephanie Sterling ran a weekly podcast with associate editor Jonathan Holmes and Conrad Zimmerman. When Sterling left Destructoid, a new host took over the program with much less frequent updates.
James Stephanie Sterling participated in a sponsored gaming marathon in 2008 raising money for young cancer patients. He and friend John Kershaw played SingStar franchise games for twelve hours while singing almost non-stop. The event raised $3,000 and broadcast live online for its entire duration. Niero and other editors continued this tradition on the 17th of October 18, 2009 for cancer awareness. That specific weekend raised $4,835.60 for Extra Life children's hospital in Texas. In 2010, the office hosted a 24-hour gaming marathon where community members raised over $6,000 for Children's Miracle hospitals in Texas. The group partnered with Revision 3 to build a clean water well in Africa through Charity Water. Another marathon in 2011 raised $6,909.16 for Children's Miracle Hospitals. A Mario Kart 7 community called Destructoid formed that year with a Bob-omb icon displayed on it. In 2012, a 56-hour livestream on Dtoid.tv raised over $7,000 for Habitat for Humanity. Gonzalez flew to Costa Rica to assist building a 32-house government project for families living in extreme poverty.
The site received nominations for several awards in video game coverage during its early years. Industry voters nominated Destructoid for the inaugural Games Media Awards in 2007 under the Non-Commercial Website or Blog category. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences selected them as an Official Webby Honoree in the Games-Related category of the 11th Annual Webby Awards in 2007. They were nominated again by the same academy in 2009 in the same category. These accolades recognized the site's editorial quality despite operating without commercial advertising revenue initially. The recognition came while the team was still expanding their contributor base beyond the original founder. No major financial prizes accompanied these nominations but they provided industry credibility. The awards highlighted the unique blend of journalism and community engagement offered by the platform.
Mr. Destructoid appeared as a playable character in Hudson Entertainment's Xbox Live Arcade game Bomberman Live starting in 2007. The mascot later showed up in Bomberman Ultra, the PlayStation 3 port of that title. Players could unlock Mr. Destructoid's head as a helmet in PixelJAM's Dino Run using the password totinos. This code served as an inside joke because one editor favored that brand of pizza. The developer was also a friend of the editor who requested the inclusion. In 2008, the mascot appeared in Eternity's Child before being removed after a scathing review on the website. He joined Agent MOO: Maximum Overdeath on Xbox Live Indie Games alongside Ron Workman, the former community manager. Chapter 2, 18 in Super Meat Boy bore the name Destructoid in 2010. The editors acclaimed the game enough to win Game Of The Show at Penny Arcade Expo earlier that July. Mr. Destructoid became a non-playable VIP Character in BiteJacker during 2011. James Stephanie Sterling became a playable character in The Blocks Cometh that same month.
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Common questions
Who founded Destructoid and when did they launch it?
Yanier Gonzalez launched Destructoid as a personal blog in March 2006. He created the site to attend the Electronic Entertainment Expo after being rejected from official press credentials.
When was Destructoid acquired by Enthusiast Gaming and who bought it next?
Enthusiast Gaming acquired Destructoid in 2017 based in Toronto. The company sold the website to Gamurs Group in September 2022, marking the second major change in corporate control since its inception.
What sections does Destructoid use for user navigation today?
Destructoid splits its interface into six main sections including Homepage, Videos section, Chat Forums, Buy/Sell area, Fight area, and community blogs. Editors post daily news on the Homepage while registered users submit their own off-homepage blogs.
How much money did Destructoid raise during their 24-hour gaming marathon in 2010?
The office hosted a 24-hour gaming marathon in 2010 where community members raised over $6,000 for Children's Miracle hospitals in Texas. They also partnered with Revision 3 to build a clean water well in Africa through Charity Water.
Which awards did Destructoid receive nominations for in 2007?
Industry voters nominated Destructoid for the inaugural Games Media Awards in 2007 under the Non-Commercial Website or Blog category. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences selected them as an Official Webby Honoree in the Games-Related category of the 11th Annual Webby Awards in 2007.