iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Panel hopping at #ERNC26, now sitting in on "Regulation, Integrity & Ethics." Next presentation is on e-doping in esports. Esports is growing. Has its own problems, like no unified government structure. Different kinds of integrity issues - one threat is e-doping.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Day three of #ERNC26: "Bridging Esports Futures: Worldwide University Esports Competition Structure" moderated by Seth Jenny with Joey Gawresiak, Nikita Bair, and @cdsmithgames.bsky.social

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Afternoon keynote of #ERNC26 is Brian McCauley, "Gaming Heritage Is Infrastructure: Esports and the Digital Society." Gaming Heritage is all the memories, culture, experiences. I'm discussing infrastructure as people and the meaning behind it. Media Management and Transformation Center, Jönköping.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Afternoon session of the day at #ERCN26: I presented on competitive MTG as a "peripheral esport," a term central to the book I'm currently writing. Second in the panel was Ole Martin Pedersen Gjestad on his experiences in Norway with KRED.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Now at #ERNC26! Business session 2, "A Swiss Army Knife: Government Use for Domestic & Foreign Policy Objectives." With Jordan Whitaker, Emily Gonzalez-Holland, Kristen Anderson, and Naoya Kitamura.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Good morning from #ERNC26 at the University of Tsukuba in Japan! After a very productive day one (sorry I neglected to post about that - blame the jet lag), we have some excellent speakers lined up for today. To start, I'll be attending the "Physiology, Cognition & the Body / Health Promotion..."

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Faculty Success has one of the most obnoxiously bad drop-down menus I've ever seen. [Number of Credit Hours v] 0 1 10 108 11 111 114 117 12 120 129 13 130 14 147 15 16 17 18 2 ... 💀 💀 💀

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Oh man I've got a real bone to pick with this organization's grievance policy don't even get me started

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Last panel of the day: "Play and Pathways: How Gaming and Esports Enhance Student Engagement," moderated again by Tobias @borie.bsky.social , with James Fraser-Murison, Milo Van Heugten, and Désiré Koussavo. We're using esports a lot with our students. Why does esports work with the students?

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Next at #GEIW2026: "The Future of Youth in Esports: Safety, Belonging, and Education" with Tobias Scholz @borie.bsky.social (University of Agder) and Kristelle Lavallee (Discord).

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Next in #GEIW2026: "Building Academic Esports: Policy, Structure, and Legitimacy" with Graham Ashton, Dr. Brett Abarbanel, and Nepomuk Nothelfer. Let's skip bios! Semi-seriously encourage you to look up Defining academic esports. Conceived by @borie.bsky.social "esports designed with ed purpose"

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

First afternoon session today at #GEIW2026: "Why Education is the Next Growth Engine for Esports" with Pia Büsecker, Jesse "Jerax" Vainikka, and Hannamags Byrne. Jerax: Started with having fun, social activity. Later competition, play at my skill level. Now I have much better understanding.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Last session of #GEIW2026 before lunch: "Global Standards, Integrity, and the Future of Games and Esports" with Daniele Schmidt-Fischer, Michael Lewis, Sergi Mesonero, and Stephen Hanna. Should games and esports even be standardized at all?

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Noon panel at #GEIW2026 is "Esports for Publishers: Past, Present, Future" with Bernd Gottsmann, Anne Banschbach, Atila Yesildag, and Anna Baumann. Anna: Professionalism has developed over the years. Past 15 years, tried to hit NFL before hit economics of local football club. Rewind 10-12 years.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

Next up at #GEIW2026, Esports Integrity Challenges and Solutions with Leandro Toscano, Mark Azzi, Pierre-Xavier Chomiac de Sas, and Rodolphe Ruffié Farrugia. Joining this panel already in progress... Mark: Inception of our idea was necessary function to maintain status as integrity body.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

IMPACT Live at IEM Cologne is starting soon. First some opening remarks from Sam Cooke, Alfie Wright, and Stephen Hanna. Followed by several hours of talks about the esports industry, integrity in esports, and esports education. #GEIW2026

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Nearing the end of #SCMS26, and guess what's still left to talk about? P18, Reexamining Esports with @a-c-cote.bsky.social, @maxwellfoxman.bsky.social, Keung Yoon Bae, and Taylore Woodhouse. Starting in 30 min in Alpine 1.

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Society for Cinema and Media Studies @scmstudies.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

So far, reports from O'Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport indicate security lines are under 15 minutes. #SCMS26

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 29/03/2026

Rise and shine, #scms26! We've got a scintillating panel to start the final day of the conference. Feeling the Virtual: Embodiment and Sensation in Games, Porn, and Haptic Media. @daveparisi.bsky.social, @teddymax.bsky.social, @mkaisar.bsky.social, and Cecilia Chen.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Next up at #scms26 is L10, a fantastic looking roundtable on Institutions of Game Histories with @lainenooney.bsky.social, @noahspringer.com, Jeremy Saucier, and special guest @aarontram.bsky.social, moderated by @liebenwalde.bsky.social. Should be a great conversation!

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Michael Iantorno☔️🕹️ @michaeliantorno.com · 27/03/2026

Thanks to everyone who came out! You can read the full paper here: gameartsinternationalnet.itch.io/

gameartsinternationalnet.itch.io

Game Arts International Network

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Panel E1 at #scms2026: Sorry I didn't live-post this! Really amazing conversation about game history. I'm going to post some notes to self about some big take-aways.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 26/03/2026

Hello #SCMS2026! Excited for this panel, C20 with @kategalloway.bsky.social, @oscarmoralde.com, and @hyeonjin.bsky.social: Embodying and Performing Gameworld Sonic Environments. (Sponsor: Sound and Music Studies SIG.) First up: Galloway.

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Oscar Moralde @oscarmoralde.com · 26/03/2026

I'll be at #scms26 at 2:15pm today (Session C) with @hyeonjin.bsky.social and @kategalloway.bsky.social! Drop by

SCMS Schedule Listing
Panel C20 Embodying and Performing Gameworld Sonic Environments
Swissôtel Gstaad/Zermatt
LUCERNE LEVEL

Chair Kate Galloway, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Kate Galloway, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
“A Walkie-Talkie, A Telephone, A Field Recorder: Embodied Environmental Knowledge and Sound Technologies of Placemaking”

Oscar Moralde, Washington University in St. Louis
“‘Wait, someone’s singing now?!’: The Performative Spectacle of Boss Fight Music in Final Fantasy XIV”

Hyeonjin Park, University of California, Los Angeles
“Feels Bad to Suck: Dealing with Failure in Celeste and Its Music”

sponsored by Sound and Music Studies Scholarly Interest Group

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PT Klein @ptklein.com · 25/03/2026

If you’re headed to the @scmstudies.bsky.social conference in Chicago this week, I’ve put together this feed that pulls in every post tagged with #SCMS26 to make it easy to connect and follow along! Say hey if I’ll see you there! ✌️

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Brendan Keogh @brkeogh.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Our (@mahliann.bsky.social, @marcuscarter.com, and I) book GAME STUDIES: A CRITICAL INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD is officially OUT everywhere in the world except the US for some reason. So here is an actual thread about why we wrote it and what we were trying to achieve with it.

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ROMchip: A Journal of Game Histories @romchip.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

📢 THIS Friday Jan 23 @ 2pm ET 📢 🗡️📜🕹️ Cameron Kunzelman talks Assassin’s Creed, history, and how the franchise explores freedom, control, and conspiracy across time. 🗡️📜🕹️ 🎟️ TIX + Info: buff.ly/P2lVM1D 💸 Our talks are always FREE and PUBLIC. DONATE: buff.ly/QUhQANh

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 16/12/2025

Putting a final exam I'm Blackboard. The "✨ Auto-generate question" option from the assessment drop-down menu is, I assume, a direct line to the Provost to inform them that the instructor is incompetent. Does anybody out there know for sure?

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The Onion @theonion.com · 18/11/2025

Family Enters Crisis Talks After Learning Restaurant Has 45-Minute Wait theonion.com/family-enters-crisis-t…

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 22/11/2025

Concise story from NPR about tuition cost changes over time. It's one thing to hear that tuition at 4-year universities has risen by 100% over the last 30 years, and it's another to see it visualized and put in context with tuition at Purdue, Harvard, etc.

npr.org

College 'sticker prices' have risen dramatically. Here's why

It's no secret that going to college can be very expensive, with tuition costs rising faster than financial aid. But what's causing that price tag to rise so quickly?

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Molleindustria FUTURE? NO THANKS! OUT NOW @molleindustria.org · 14/11/2025

I've been playing Q-UP, a brilliant and deeply weird incremental game with an esports theme. It starts with a simple coin flip and spirals into a fugue of emergent mechanics. I'll post some thoughts here as I idly play… store.steampowered.com/app/3730790/...

store.steampowered.com

Save 10% on Q-UP on Steam

Sick of long queues, unfair matchups, and arbitrary reflex tests? Try Q-UP, the coin flipping eSport. It's one part clicker, one part multiplayer strategy game, one part demented capitalism simulator,...

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 12/11/2025

Thrilled to be presenting today at the premier conference in the study of #esports, the Esports Research Network Conference! #EsportsEDU This is being livestreamed *right now* & continuously through Friday in successive handoffs between global regions. Catch it at twitch.tv/esportsresearchnetwork

twitch.tv

EsportsResearchNetwork - Twitch

ERN Conference 2025, sponsored by Corsair for Business

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

👀 Amazing insider's perspective on the Pro Tour from @jimdavismtg.bsky.social featuring Reid Duke. I know I'll be citing this one I'm the future! youtu.be/3crdirj9quM?...

youtu.be

🏆 Behind The Pro Tour: An Inside Look From Testing House To The Trophy 🏆

YouTube video by Jim Davis

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 04/09/2025

Shout-out to Netflix subtitles for making "squelching" part of our national lexicon.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

Today a piece from @teamliquid.com's Newsroom came out talking about collegiate esports degree programs, and I had the pleasure of being interviewed for it! teamliquid.com/news/world-c... The piece came out great - it weaves together many perspectives and addresses challenges in the space.

teamliquid.com

A guide to esports degrees: what to expect

Is an esports degree a valuable career path or just a gimmick? We spoke to professors and experts to find out what to expect from an academic esports program.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Local Professor Competes for $400 in Prizes on MTG Arena I competed in this weekend's Arena Direct on MTG Arena. As I try to get there in the video, I talk about something I've previously published on - the professional history of MTG. The game is what I would call a "peripheral esport."

youtu.be

Playing for a Collector Booster Box in the MTG Arena Direct

YouTube video by Matthew Knutson

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Edward Wong @ewong.bsky.social · 19/06/2025

The State Department under Rubio is resuming the processing of student and visiting scholar visas after a halt of nearly a month. But it's now checking social media accounts of applicants to look for what it calls "hostility" to the U.S. Story: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/18/u...

nytimes.com

U.S. to Review Social Media Posts of Student and Scholar Visa Applicants

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Eric Klug @klugalters.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

All will be bedazzled.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

The most exciting part about a summer to-do list is not yet knowing which items I'm going to end up leaving unfinished this time around!

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Grades in ✅️ Productive writing retreat this week ✅️ Last-minute end-of-semester grant submitted ✅️ Talk given at the Scholastic Esports Expo in Manitoba ✅️ Aww yeah, now I can enjoy the rest of this work trip and get summer started in style. Have a great break, academic friends!

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Here's a little spelling trick: whenever I try to spell the word "occasionally," I say to myself "don't fuck this up like you did last time," and I carefully think through how to spell it: O-C-A-S-S-I-O-N-A-L-L-Y then I press space and see the little squiggly red line reminding me that I'm hopeless.

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Hector Diaz @iamhectordiaz.com · 08/05/2025

A Chicago Pope implies the existence of an MLA Pope and APA Pope

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 07/05/2025

AI and the Tommy Boy-ification of Higher Ed.

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

What's it called when Billy Mays can't be there in person to get a tough stain out but sends a surrogate instead? Proxy Clean

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 03/05/2025

Happening on UND campus today and tomorrow: the finals for Dakota Collegiate Rocket League! m.twitch.tv/dakotacolleg... One of the most hype, high-energy esports events in the collegiate scene and super proud that UND gets to host it.

m.twitch.tv

dakotacollegiaterl - Twitch

DCRL | SEASON 6 | CROSSBAR KINGS VS SILVER LEVELING | DIV C | LAN

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Kris 🎃 Lorischild @direkris.itch.io · 30/04/2025

Introducing the latest and greatest in generative AI technology: you Play YOU ARE GENERATIVE AI now! direkris.itch.io/genai

direkris.itch.io

You Are Generative AI by Kris Lorischild

A Large Language Model Simulator

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Anna Anne Anthropy @cyborgurl.bsky.social · 08/04/2025

new pinned post: my cv! my current employment ends in june and i'm looking for work and gigs! hire me to do narrative design / writing for digital or tabletop games, commission me to make an art game for a gallery, invite me to speak remotely at your school. or simply write me into your will and die

Anna Anthropy, Game & Narrative Designer, Writer and Educator

"Anna Anthropy is a prolific creator across many formats who makes big things using simple tools. I envy her knack for taking an existing system and, with a few simple twists, turning it into a balloon animal uniquely hers."
—Tim Hutchings, author of Thousand Year Old Vampire

Whether digital or tabletop, I’m interested in exploring trans and disabled bodies in play and the boundaries of games as a narrative form.

Contact me:
collectfruit@gmail.com
w.itch.io on the internet
@cyborgurl on bluesky

Teaching
DePaul University
Game Designer in Residence 2016 - 2025
As a term faculty member, I helped build one of the most renowned game development programs in the midwest, creating and revamping courses and interviewing and hiring new faculty members. I served as one of several faculty advisors to the entire Game Development student body, planned events and booked speakers, and advised numerous independent studies and thesis projects.
Classes taught: Games Literacy, Advanced Game Design, History and Design of Role-Playing Games, Playgramming, Writing for Games, Game Dev 1, Game Dev Capstone.

Games
ndie Games (2009 – 2013)
Flash games for the web, with a particular interest in representing queer identity and relationship dynamics.
Mighty Jill Off (2019).
REDDER (2010). Newgrounds.
Lesbian Spider-Queens of Mars (2012). Adult Swim Games.
dys4ia (2012). Newgrounds.
Triad (2013).
Queers in Love at the End of the World (2013).

Tabletop Role-Playing Games (2018 – present)
Concise, experimental story games with an emphasis on non-traditional game mechanics.
Princess with a Cursed Sword (2020).
Tavern at the End of the World (2020).
I LOVE YOU, ALIVE GIRL (2021). Hibernation Games Anthology.
The Maw (2023).
The Fool’s Journey (2023).
Forgotten Palaces (2024).

Books
Rise of the Videogame Zinesters. Seven Stories Press, 2011.
A Game Design Vocabulary (with Naomi Clark). Pearson, 2014.
ZZT. Boss Fight Books, 2014.
Make Your Own Twine Games! No Starch Press, March 2019.
Make Your Own Scratch Games! No Starch Press, June 2019.
Make Your Own PuzzleScript Games! No Starch Press, October 2019.

Shows and Exhibitions
Harpy Diem (with Babycastles). Secret Project Robot (New York), 2012.
Filthy Pixels. Bit Bash (Chicago), 2017.
Hey! Play! Chicago Design Museum, 2017-2018.
It’s Complicated. Likelike (Pittsburgh), 2018.
Indiecade Presents: A Decade of Game Design. Museum of the Moving Image (New York), February 2018.
I Was Raised on the Internet. Museum of Contemporary Art (Chicago), June - Oct 2018.
Design / Play / Disrupt. Victoria & Albert Museum (London), Sep 2018 - Feb 2019.
Chicago New Media 1973-1992. Gallery 400 (Chicago), November-December 2018.
Polymorphism: Queer Encounters of Intimacy in Games. VGA Gallery (Chicago), Jan - April 2019.
Bit Bash. Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago), August 2019.
Rules to Play By. Flow Gallery (St. Louis), September 2019.
Pink Screens Queer Film Festival. Cinema Nova (Brussels), November 2019.
Indie Game Revolution. Museum of Pop Culture (Seattle), 2023-present.

Skills
Affinity Publisher / InDesign
p5.js / Javascript
Streamlabs
Paint Shop Pro / Photoshop
Excel / Google Sheets
Yarn Spinner / Ink / Twine
HTML / CSS

Awards
Lifetime Award, Arse Elektronika (2012)
Game Changer Award, Indiecade (2013)
Trans 100, We Happy Trans (2016)
Global Illumination Award, VGA Gallery (2017)

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Matt Knutson @mattknutson.bsky.social · 24/04/2025

Been a while since I stayed up for a midnight preorder/release! Luckily got through with one retailer while my other Switch 2 order sat in a cart I couldn't check out. Okay, off to bed. Looking forward to telling the kids the good news in the morning :)

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