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Sacred Symbols+, Episode 117: The Education of Filip Miucin (Video) (Patreon)

Published:
2021-08-30 22:55:17
Imported:
2026-06
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The Education of Filip Miucin | Sacred Symbols+ Episode 117

Three summers ago, an IGN Editor named Filip Miucin was caught in games media's biggest plagiarism scandal, likely ever. It was a mess from virtually every angle, but for industry observers, there was never a truly satisfying conclusion. That's because we never heard from Filip himself outside of some half-baked apology videos... at least until right now. Here, you'll hear very little of me (Colin) and a whole lot of my guest as he walks you through his short-lived gaming career, the catastrophic errors in judgment he made along the way, and how it all unraveled for him just when he was on the cusp of 'making it.' As always, what you take away from what Filip has to say for himself is entirely up to you. Support us on Patreon at Patreon.com/LastStandMedia

Comments

Gabe

Why am i nervous??? Lol

David Portnov
>>66835739

Me too. This is kind of a big deal. I just know this episode is going to make headlines.

Winter

Holyyyy!!!

Frank G.

Here we go dawg..😁🎮🕹🙈

David Graham

This, this is why Last Stand just hits different.

Frank G.

A man shouldn't live his life condemned.

Saint_Allison

Ever since this scandal popped off I've followed Boomstick Gaming. Never heard much from Muicin since outside boilerplate apologies. It's really easy to be judgmental but everyone makes mistakes... I'll go in with an open mind.

Kyle Toker

Damnnnn can't wait to listen to this!

Jordan Falduto

Colin saying "You're more than welcome to come on my podcast to have a discussion" actually worked this time!!!

Cole Huescar

As a gamer I forgave filip a long time ago, i hope the gaming community gives him a chance.

Marcos Aquino Pimentel

Im not ready to forgive Filip, the effects of the deadcells review are still devastating. I cannot read o watch a review without reconfirming with 4 different sources.

Jack Reynolds

Colin, just some feedback, I recommend you go back and listen to this one. See if it can hold your attention.

Jakejames Lugo

So I'm going to be honest... Watching & listening to this with everything now has allowed me to understand how/why everything happened the way it did... But this also makes me even more angry about what Filip did and how things played out... The sad truth is everything that Filip did allowed him to get ahead of many of us, even with ignorance being part of why he did so... Why I was so mad at him and still mad now is because both Me and Filip applied for the same Nintendo editor job at IGN, and I got passed up while he was chosen because he had a larger YouTube channel following that was more appealing to them. And hearing about the behind the scenes over there and what was said/the process for Filip's hiring, it shows me a lot of stuff was done without any sort of benefit to anyone who may have applied there for that position. It's like the decision was made way in advanced before the posting went out for me and others to apply for it. Its disappointing, hurtful, and real talk frustrating as hell as someone who has worked their butt off to get seen and hired over there for a position like that. A lot of us will feel sympathy for how everything turned out for Filip with this, but those of us who were passed up/ignored because of Filip's actions, its honestly a lot harder to feel that... Disappointing all around... But it is what it is...

Anonymous

This is a legitimately fascinating interview

LastStandMedia
>>66840034

I would never do that. But it is a rare episode that Dustin was there for in which he didn't participate, and I defer to his judgment!

Dale Son

Just got finished watching, well done Colin!

Anonymous

I’ll be honest, some of the explanation is pretty hard to believe. But I suppose each person will make up their own mind. Without trying to cast any shade on IGN. I wonder if they internally learned anything about the vetting of candidates as he seemed out of his depth from the start.

Rory Powers Right Areola

I find it incredibly hard to believe that this guy isn’t playing dumb with “I didn’t understand what plagiarism is”. He deserves the hate he gets

Dan Morgan

Great content as always Colin

SlayedByJay

Fair & balanced. I know what he did is wrong. He genuinely seems to know that now, too. These kinds of interviews help one remember that this is a real dude, not just a internet punchline. Empathy is one of the things that separates us from the animals. Well done Colin.

Anonymous

I could easily see and understand a lot of the anger some people still have over Filip's blunder, but I also believe he deserves a second chance at having a life which includes providing for his family. He understood his mistakes (it may not have been immediately) but in the end it' the acceptance and the understanding of yes, he injured not just his own reputation but an entire company's. I appreciated Colin asking the tough questions and one point it gets pretty dark even but still held a high class of tact/respect. 10/10 interview from Colin and truly shows his masterclass to have a conversation with anyone

Tristen Wilbers

His understanding of "transformative content" is legitimately how I thought about my work in middle school before learning about plagiarism in high school. But I was in middle school. It seems to me immaturity is a big factor at play, which he acknowledges. I have to say I'm empathetic to how things went down. I know what it's like to have that horrible deep feeling of having fucked up big time, and its just imminent before your life implodes before your eyes. Of course, I've never done anything like this, but it's still a horrible feeling. In the end, it is a great cautionary tale. I think you were smart to give him a platform to speak for himself.

Anonymous

This conversation has been great. You’ve grown into such an excellent interviewer Colin!

Josh Sharp

Did anyone else think he was kinda just giving answers he thought Colin wanted to hear? Every time Colin brought up his experience with someone or a situation Colin had there Filip just replys in the affirmative or a " I felt like that too!" Maybe I'm just looking into his replys to much.

Dan Nolin

Fantastic interview Colin! All I have to say is: 🤦🏻‍♂️ Whenever someone starts their life story by trying to create a sympathetic story it’s usually to try to manipulate people to forgive them. We’ve all had hardships in our past and it doesn’t justify immoral choices we make as an adult. This is a very well done interview but I don’t see why Mr. Miucin did it. It doesn’t make him look any better. He needs to accept that’s he’s justifiably blacklisted from this industry and move on to a different career. The more he hovers around this situation in his life the more unhealthy it is for him. Again, fantastic interview Colin. Very well done

Dan Nolin

A ‘Peter Keating’ that got caught pretty much sums it up…

Jill Sandwich

This was really powerful. Whether people believe he is genuine or not this is quite the story. I honestly had a lot of feelings towards the end and only wish him the best. Colin, I never expected this on your channel and I am very grateful to have experienced this. You're questioning was more investigative than any other gaming media or there. I honestly have tears in my eyes right now. Thank you Last Stand Media.

Mason M

This interview is so fascinating, I couldn’t stop listening. I think a lot of the fault falls on him but I can’t help but think IGN made some mistakes. They shouldn’t have hired someone so inexperienced and have never written anything but video scripts. It seems like they just want to give the editor title for everyone but maybe should’ve hired him as a host only if they were trying to poach YouTube creators. It’s an outdated framework for hiring that makes it harder for them to compete with video and offer jobs tailored to talents. It is ultimately his fuck up but IGN created the environment.

Fernando
>>66843022

As someone that had no clue about this story AT ALL, I had similar impression. I still believe the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but he definitely framed his story from the beginning to try to get sympathy points. That said, it was a very interesting story and I don't think the deserves anymore hate, honestly. I know it's a big deal in journalism but ultimately there are much worse crimes out there. Maybe not in gaming journalism, obviously, but hope he can do something in gaming still, doesn't hurt anyone. Phenomenal content from SS, as usual.

Joseph La Russa

This was a great interview, Colin! The one thing I don't think we got to the bottom of, partially because he got sidetracked/sidestepped and partially because I don't think the exact question was posed, is finding his sources to plagiarize and that whole process. Did he scour the internet? Did he have "old reliables" to copy from? How does one discover an obscure, small channel like Boomstick? How did he go about transcribing the works of others into his own work? I almost wish he could give us the "Dummy's Guide to Plagiarizing Video Game Reviews" in this interview, because it's so fascinating and mind-boggling.

Fernando

As someone that had no clue about this story AT ALL, I had similar impression. I still believe the truth is probably somewhere in the middle, but he definitely framed his story from the beginning to try to get sympathy points. That said, it was a very interesting story and I don't think the deserves anymore hate, honestly. I know it's a big deal in journalism but ultimately there are much worse crimes out there. Maybe not in gaming journalism, obviously, but hope he can do something in gaming still, doesn't hurt anyone. Phenomenal content from SS, as usual.

Anonymous

I got lots of Empathy for the guy, hope others can feel the same. All the best to Filip in the future.

Timothy Martin

Great interview, great content... not sure if he was being totally transparent at first. Feeling like his timeline was tweaked a bit for emotional appeal

brody_low

Great interview Colin, very weird feeling I have watching it though. I don't this this guy is even being totally honest with himself yet. Nobody systematically pralgirizes on this level without knowing it's wrong. I don't really buy his "I didn't know it was plagiarism" explanation.

BM

Great interview hard to listen first 30% because I don't believe he didn't know what plagiarism was, he was almost 30. Curious to see what people think his punishment should be or if what he has received so far is sufficient. I feel if he stole the dollar value of the damage he caused the punishment might be less for a first time offender.

Anthony_Vazquez

Great interview. I wish nothing but the best to him. Hope he can reinvent himself and not let this define him for the rest of he’s life.

Nik R

Great episode Colin. This is the kind of content SS is so good at. I wish him well. The thing that got me is he said he didn’t really know what plagiarism was, but he also provided reasons why he did it. Which is it? Either it’s an acceptable way to work and therefore no explanation is needed, or you knew it was plagiarism the whole time and did it anyway.

Anonymous

This interview was great! Very eye opening. Especially as a current college student it was a good reminder of how serious something like this is. Thanks for the great content!

NukeDukem

Great interview Colin, I appreciate your willingness to ask questions no one else would ask, while also being respectful.

Plastic Hearts Podcast

This one was definitely a trip. Loved hearing the inside story. Don't know if I'll ever understand Filips decisions but it was very revealing to hear why he did what he did. Owning up to it is a big step. People fuck up it's part of life. Dang really fuckin dug the episode Colin! Your the EXACT person to tackle difficult discussions within the gaming industry.🙏🏽

Ty Sundvor

This is why I am a Patreon supporter of LSM. Colin asks tough questions but is fair and respectful. Basically any good interviewer will tell you their best interviews are when they basically get the ball rolling with a question and let the subject open a vein and basically just talk. Very insightful and like he said at the end, “a cautionary tale”. Great work Colin and LSM!

Julian Zhu

The digital age is still a young one despite how ingrained it is to us, and it evolves seemingly every year. It has allowed people to go from nobody to somebody, quite literally overnight. We talk about in society how the weight of an audience and expectatons can effect artists in many traditional industries - musicians, actors, comedians, authors, athletes, as well. I think we sometimes forget this when it comes to the digital world as well. Some individuals cannot deal with the weight of expectation, or let celebrity go to their head, both of which inevitably lead to terrible mistakes. What Filip did is, in my opinion, unforgettable, and in terms of the games industry and more specifically, games journalism, unforgivable. But in a broader picture, I can forgive a man who owns his mistakes and makes strives to be better, and learn. Along that learning is understanding that he has burned certain bridges and pathways forever and he should pursue other things. I wish him the best in his new life pursuits, and am glad he has recovered. I believe the price he paid - losing his credibility and career in games journalism - is sufficient and final. Only other thing is, I'm not sure I buy when he says he didn't understand what plagiarism really was. I think he knows and knew exactly what he did. Hopefully one day he'll be 100% honest rather than partially on that point.

Julian Zhu

I also want to add, I understand that in the creation economy, you want to get ahead. You want to hire young studs who can connect with the audiences you desire and who may not be interested in the content and people from 5-10 years ago. But in my opinion IGNs hiring of Filip is indicative of a management issue at the company. A total lack of proper due diligence in their hiring process, probably because of their desire to onboard a creator as an editor rather than a journalist, for the reasons I mentioned above. Him having that level of impostor syndrome from the get-go is a major red flag - he should have been challenged much more in his interview process. Not to mention they didn't notice the plagiarism on his YouTube channel, even before the Dead Cells video. Filip is most at fault here, but it does speak some volume about IGN, imo.

Halph Pint

While fascinating and informative video, one thing that sticks out to me the most is the idea that IGN took a lot of shit for giving a game a bad score and to score this port better.....

Zach Wilson

This was a great interview. Colin, I really appreciate that you just allowed Filip to say his truth. I’m not sure I understand his explanations, and in some ways I’m more confused than I was three years ago, but I wish all the best for him. Thank you for doing content like this that no one else will!

Brian Comstock

Fantastic interview Colin. You handled it perfectly. I just still don’t buy that he didn’t know what plagiarism was. If he didn’t know what plagiarism was he wouldn’t feel the need to bend and switch the words around. He says he didn’t think plagiarism could cross over into different mediums like copying an article and put it into a video blah blah blah. Yet, he still felt the need to bend the words and manipulate them. Why would he do that if he felt he wasn’t doing anything wrong? I forgive the guy, I wish the best for him. I truly do, but I can’t shake the fact he’s still trying to play the victim.

Anonymous

Just finished listening and it was a great interview Colin. It’s refreshing to see you give an individual a chance to explain himself when other outlets wouldn’t give him the time of day.

Ian Andrews

I'm a detective. I could write a book on this interview. I have investigated a lot of fraudsters and wow this bloke is one. I would love to look at his bank accounts. He loves to talk about himself and explain how much of a victim he is. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie or half truth. He wouldn't be able to lay straight in bed. And then he wants us to believe he didn't know right from wrong!

XR911

I'm about 30 mins in....very intriguing but at this point....as Colin is questioning him about having a college degree and not knowing what "plagiarism" is.....I'm sorry Filip...you've lost your credibility with me. The "I'm under a lot of pressure to deliver for Nintendo" excuse simply isn't genuine or sincere enough especially as you're reflecting on your past mistakes. I'll finish this episode but just thought to drop in thread and give my 2 cents

Mike W

One question I still wonder about is why he decided to go work for IGN at all. If he was steadily growing his YouTube channel surely he could’ve became more successful on his own rather than working for a news site like IGN.

Brian Comstock
>>66847618

To add on briefly. The dude messed up. It’s not like he went outside and killed someone. Plagiarism is serious and he deserved to lose his job and have possible legal reprocussions. But to act like it’s some unforgivable crime is a joke

Ian Andrews
>>66848842

It wasn't a one off thing, it was a reoccurring thing. How he can claim he doesn't know what plagiarism is when he went to uni. My 3 year old knows it's wrong to copy.

Robbie Agnew

Anyone know what that green picture is behind the guest speaker??

Ian Andrews
>>66849238

IGN is the biggest gaming website there is. 6 months working at IGN and you can go anywhere. Look at Alanah Pierce, massive on YouTube but goes to IGN and now she's a writer at Santa Monica.

Jared

Great episode, thank you Filip for making it happen. I know it wasn't easy but it was great to hear your side and I can definitively connect with some of the things you went through. Glad you made it to the other side and are doing well :-)

Moiz Khan

Great interview, Colin! I don't think I can accept the excuses given for plagiarism. Everyone (especially those who've gone to college/university) know that copying of any kind is wrong. The whole 'transformational media' thing was a weird leap in logic that is baffling. He seems like he lived a very sheltered life at home for the most part which caused these weird worldviews and being given such a major responsibility at a huge outlet was just too much for him to cope with. However, I'm glad Filip was able to find employment in other avenues besides gaming to provide for his family.

Will Hahn

Fantastic interview, Colin. Thanks for doing this. It was satisfying to hear from him. Even though what he did was wrong, I’m glad he could move on from it and focus on his own happiness and his family.

Joseph Losinno

Excellent interview. At the time right before the review debacle I still listened to IGN and his voice was one i heard often. Horrible what he did, but happy he got his life together

Toren R. (KESA)

Ultimately, he's accountable for his actions, but I have to say... I am really caught off guard by the fact that IGN put him in this position to begin with. Additionally, I've submitted written work before that was automatically subjected to anti-plagiarism software, so I know that tool exists - I'm also surprised that IGN didn't have that something similar in place, just to protect itself. Regardless, I feel for homeboy, it sounds like confidence has been a real issue for him in the past. hopefully, being able to say that he survived this with his sobriety in tact offers him a bit of self-assuredness. Like, it could not have been easy to get through this without falling back on old vices.

paul Grathwohl

Thanks for doing this episode, it gave me some insight into this whole thing that I didn’t before. I personally don’t believe him that he didn’t know what he was doing was wrong, I think he still has some work to do on himself before he can completely admit that he was at fault. I also believe that he should never have been in that position in the first place. IGN shouldn’t have hired someone for an editor position with no experience in the field. Thanks again

Anonymous

Wow! Just finished and this right here was incredible. It really is a cautionary tale.

Nick Amato

What I took most from this interview was that I don't believe him. Plagiarism in general seems rampant in the age of the internet. While that doesn't excuse, I can't say I'm surprised that people could do it more carelessly. I think it's important to note that people fuck up and make mistakes. Being fired was deserved but people in general need to lay off people who make mistakes. Everyone deserves an opportunity to move on.

Chris

I have been too busy with personal life to keep up with videos the past month but I just had to immediately watch this one. Really enjoyed the video a lot. I am glad he is at a better place now and has been able to learn from his past mistakes. I don't fully buy the not fully understanding originally what he was doing wrong but at the very least with his logic in that he didn't think he was plagiarizing articles to videos but then goes and does a video to video. However I do understand the immense imposter syndrome as I also feel it everyday and the stress from work. It sucks things turned out this way and they have. I similarly have fucked up really badly in my life and it has caused permanent effect in my life and I will live with it for the rest of my life. I can't imagine how hard it is to talk about it and how hard it is to get all the negativity he gets everyday. Wish the best for him and his family. He definitely deserves to live a happy life and it sounds like he.

Your Boi Nicky V

I think he was just clearly out of his depth at IGN. I wonder why they even hired him in the first place, surely there's a world of difference between content creation on YouTube and writing editorial reviews. He was obviously in the wrong but I'm glad he's been able to rebuild his life. Fantastic content anyway Colin. This was a real treat my man.

kiNeMs

This is why you are the leader in games media Mr Moriarty. Fantastic interview. In a round about way he admits to being out of his depths and wanting to compete with the gaming media elites and couldn't. So he cheated. Im glad he can continue on and live his life.

BryanK75

Well, Philip came across far more authentic and honest than any time I've seen him before, gaming can be toxic enough without putting a target on your own back and it's really good that he found a job and can take care of his family. That is the main thing. Fame is overrated, an honest life, focused on the people you care about is far more important than any of that superficial stuff. We all have to learn and grow and we all have setbacks..... some of us dont even deserve the shit we have to go through. I hope he has become a better person from everything and wish him and his family the best. He can still make meaningful improvements, like becoming a devoted PlayStation fan but these things come in time...

Jordan Wray

Damn, haven't listened yet but this should be interesting!

Shane Boyle

I'm all for second chances and I'm glad that Filip has managed to come to terms with what he has done and finally talk so candidly about it. Still not sure I'm 100% buying his logic on not understanding that it was wrong, and I'm absolutely glad that he is no longer part of the industry. All the same, I'm glad he has managed to move on to a degree and wish him the best for the future.

Anonymous

So he went to college to study media and didn’t know what plagiarism was? I studies computing and they taught us what plagiarism is… I don’t like calling people a liar but I smell bullshit there. He seems like an “any means necessary” / “fake it ‘til you make it” kind of guy to me. Like he’ll do anything to get ahead (which worked for him in all fairness) right up until he gets caught and then he’ll try to bullshit his way around that too. There were still some small fragments of that mentality here to me and I can’t help but think he wasn’t being entirely honest. I hope I’m wrong though.

David Robinson

A very humanised and insightful interview. This seems like Filip is trying to draw a line in the sand to move on properly from what must have been an horrendous time for him and his family to endure. Great work Colin, you have once again shown how to be a journalist and others who are in the business here should take note. This is the BEST in business at his prime!

jettxjordan

Incredible interview, Colin! Filip seems like he’s done a lot of reflecting and understands the gravity of the situation. Hearing what he went through during the aftermath really hurt to hear, but as you said, the other shoe was inevitably going to drop. Respect to the man for coming on to share his story in detail.

Timothy Martin
>>66870323

Plus he claims to not understand (at the time) what plagiarism is but is absolutely sure he never plagiarized in college. Something isn’t adding up

Dan P

Filip, I forgive you man. Glad you made it through the shitstorm. Thanks Sacred Symbols for facilitating conversations that others probably would not. Our increasingly toxic world could use more pathways to redemption.

Lou & Rei Loper

Great interview, I was nervous about what he might say about what he'd done, but in the end...a very good interview. It's no skin off my back either way haha. I'm glad that the young man seems to have learned something about what he did, and hopefully his life is on a better track. Great job Colin, very balanced, very fair, very honest. Top marks. I really love when you do interviews. #fireside

Justin O'Reilly

I can't decide if he's genuine here or not. It really seems like he's constantly on the verge of trying to justify or downplay what he did and why he did it. On the other hand, I can really sympathize with being overwhelmed by stress and can kind of see how it could lead someone to do what he did. Thanks for the great interview, Colin.

Sean McClary

Great interview, Colin. I’m still on the fence with Filip’s “transparency” during his interview. There is absolutely no way someone graduates college without knowing the basics of plagiarism. I’m a Cyber Security Major and they instill this into us EVERY SINGLE SEMESTER, day 1. I hope he has learned his lesson, however, I still think he was not completely honest here.

Michael (ObjoGaming)

This was great. I think about Filip every once in a while. What he did was wrong (and pretty stupid) but I also wondered if he was able to get back on his feet and was every able to get another job. Glad to hear he's found something else and I hope he does well. Colin's right that he doesn't belong in the industry, but he doesn't deserve to suffer over one stupid mistake. Please do more important interviews like this!

DMC

Great interview. Not sure if it was Filip just painting it this way but it really seems like IGN didn't really do their due diligence here. Seems like they hired a guy who was not really qualified for the role they gave him. He got thrown in at the deep end and couldn't swim.

Tom Griffin

Awesome conversation. Obviously what he did was wrong, and should have been punished - I can only imagine the pressure he put people like Ryan M and co at IGN. I also don't believe the logic behind what he did and part of me thinks it's his way of getting over it. I am, however, pleased he appears to have grown from this experience and has been given a second chance somewhere else. Life is pointless if we're all dragged through the gutter over one mistake and not given the chance to be better people. We're all different shades of grey, we've all made mistakes and have to live with them day after day. I genuinely hope he can build a successful career for himself and his family.

MostlyCharlie

To me it sounded like he’s trying to justify his actions by blaming the situation and feigning ignorance about the meaning of plagiarism. I think this is a case of him lying about it enough that he now believes the lie.

Jeremy Shook
>>66881327

My fiancé and I said the same thing. That’s was like the first thing she commented on.

Spencer F.
>>66880483

I don’t think the guy explained it well, but I get the impression that he thought plagiarism was just copying and pasting something word for word. He didn’t comprehend that taking the same concept and twisting it around a little with his own inflections and additions doesn’t make it his idea or his work. This is the tragic tale of a sheltered kid with no work experience, and hardly any life experience, who was thrown into the deep end and did whatever he could to hang with people he knew he wasn’t as good as.

Jeremy Tan

Damn Colin’s out here doing god’s work with this one :o

Anonymous

This is gold, nicely done team, this patreon worths every penny. Every person deserves second chances, I hope he finds peace and redemption.

Tdot’s Finest82

A lot of people on here and the LSM subreddit crucifying this guy. Couldn’t possibly care less about him personally but was fascinated to hear his side. Like others have said, he was clearly in way above his head at IGN. Probably could have eventually worked there, but wasn’t mature enough emotionally at that time to do so. But everyone who is out for blood with him, I wonder if those same people would survive the same level of scrutiny they judge him against on THEIR worst mistakes in life? The tale of a 20-something individual making a gross error in judgement is fascinating in the video game industry. And utterly cliché in so many other corners of the world.

Forrest Hunter

Plagiarism within journalism is a death sentence, and rightfully so. But in the grand scheme of things, it’s a fairly petty crime. It’s not like I would deny the guy a hot meal or not allow him to talk with my kids or something. The guy fucked up, he seems to have learned some things, and I’m glad he’s in a happier place in his life. People are not static creatures.

Forrest Hunter

Oh, and you did an INCREDIBLE job with this interview, Colin.

Nathan Guergis
>>66878312

I feel the same way. When Colin asked him if he'd plagiarised in college, he refuted it, but then went on to give a ton of information about the program he was in and how it differed from other seemingly similar college majors - none of which was relevant to the question or necessary to add. Maybe I've been watching too much JCS Criminal Psychology, but it really seemed like he was lying even in this interview at some points. That being said... I'm rooting for this guy. I disagree with Colin that Filip should be permanently exiled from the games media (then again, this is far more personal for Colin considering how much time and effort he's put into games media). I decided to sub to his channel and will make it a point to drop a like whenever he uploads. His videos are genuinely high quality and his non-plagiarised reviews are not bad -- frankly, they're better than some of the big outlets. I think the guy's lived experiences (like his girlfriend cheating on him) traumatized him and shattered his confidence. He just needs to realize that he is enough and doesn't need other peoples words to make up for it.

Sam

Posted this on Youtube but worth repeating here: Would be really interested to hear Colin's thoughts on this after he's digested it. I am conflicted. I despise the bullies who keep attacking Filip and I feel like he's suffered enough, but on the other hand I still honestly feel like he's not completely honest, possibly with himself. The narrative of not knowing what plagiarism was doesn't make sense - he was a grown man the whole time. Another thing that strikes me is that he talked about wanting to grow his channel, his subscribers, even using giveaways as an incentive. He also talked about wanting to please his heroes, like Colin and Peer. Very rarely did he talk passionately about games in this whole interview. It seems like he was destined to fail when he was chasing fame and clout. Colin is successful and beloved because he cares about games and cares about bringing insighful and entertaining content to people - it's not about wanting to impress anyone or have a massive audience. That's the difference. Having said that, Filip is clearly in a more enlightened place than before and I wish him all the best with his journey. His friends and family are right - he is stilll young and can make something of himself. But I feel like he is still stuck somewhat because there is a slight amount of self-deceit running through his thoughts. I am rooting for him to carry on his journey and come out stronger.

Zachary Douglas

This was a great interview Colin. Much like a 60 minutes interview, you let his words speak for themselves, which helps you feel sympathy (like when you asked about suicide) but also helps you see how he side stepped and fumbled some of the story (I doubt he “didn’t know” that was plagiarism). People aren’t black and white, even though we may want it that way. Leaving us to make our own decisions based on HIS answers is what we need more of. Thank you for the hard work and I hope this doesn’t stain your reputation because it shouldn’t. If you think Tom Brokaw wouldn’t pursue something like this, you’re out of your mind. Great job Colin

Enrique Limon

This was a great episode. First of all thank you Colin and team for making this happen. I’m glad Filip had a platform where an adult conversation can be done. We all make mistakes, though some worse than others. But I can’t help but to think we all need a second chance. It’s a difficult thing to ask of the audience for trust. However, one should be able to support themselves and/or their family. This is the type of content I’m proud to support. So thank you.

Ryan Hayman

Thank you both for this. Great job Colin.

Michal Dudic

Fascinating. What I don't understand is what went wrong in the hiring process when, by the sound of it, he clearly had no business getting that job.

Eebo85

Bravo Team, this is an incredible interview and perspective. I really wish we had more pieces like this of "villains" in various industries or across the world. When the dust settles on the situation, it's really interesting to hear the story and perspectives.

Scott Pittman

One of the best interviews you’ve done, worth every penny I pay for this company

RenegerGraeme

Great interview Colin. You remained polite and respectful whilst not shying away from the matter at hand. I'm not sure I necessarily buy that he didn't realise he was doing anything wrong or that he didn't understand that what he was doing was plagiarism. He might not have known that it was "dictionary definition" plagiarism but he must have at least known that what he was doing was not right. It sounds to me like a guy in over his head, in a role which he was clearly not equipped for. As a result, he resorted to cheating in order to avoid having his lack of capability found out. All of us regardless of the industry have colleagues who clearly underperform or are not competent and I'm sure most of us have seen those who cut corners or try to otherwise cover up their shortcomings. This seems like a particularly egregious and public case of that. I work as a Liability Adjuster (I travel the country investigating accidents for insurance companies and writing reports for them after getting to the bottom of how the incident happened and who was at fault). I work to strenuous deadlines and there is a high level of detail and quality expected in terms of my report writing. In many ways it is not dissimilar to videos game reviews etc. and I know from experience its sink or swim. Those of us who can keep deadlines while maintaining quality succeed those who can't eventually get found out and moved on. This sounds like a case of the latter. That said, I do have some degree of sympathy as it sounds like frankly this was never a job he should have gotten in the first place and it sounds like he was doomed to fail one way or another from the start.

LastStandMedia
>>66846966

I agree with your assessment. As I said on the show, he forfeit his right to have an industry role, and he will wear this like a Scarlet Letter. But, as you noted, the punishment is sufficient. It ruined his life. Maybe that's a fitting punishment. But there's no more blood to be extracted here.

LastStandMedia
>>66847208

I also agree with you here. I've had private conversations since this went live with some folks at IGN... and I said as much. This is on them, too. Not entirely, or mostly, or even significantly. But they failed.

LastStandMedia
>>66847235

I decided not to pull that string. It would have required (if I'm fair, which I am) me to talk to people at IGN.

LastStandMedia
>>66851122

Yes, I think his attending college makes it worse, somehow, because he should have been (and we can presume was) exposed to the right-and-wrong of those situations.

LastStandMedia
>>66851859

It was surprising to hear how new he was. Like, his entire career, stem to stern, basically happened during Last Stand's existence.

LastStandMedia
>>66864539

As many have said, though, it's too bad he wasn't more authentic and willing to own things earlier. He may have salvaged his career, not at IGN, but on his own.

LastStandMedia
>>66877195

That's the thing; I have no stake in this. So I think it was relatively easy to talk to him about it and be detached. We can all make our own decision on what to believe.

LastStandMedia
>>66882093

There's no reason to even apologize at all if there's no chance it'll have a positive effect, somehow, on someone. If we're all just gonna be permanently dug in, then I agree. It seems pointless.

LastStandMedia
>>66893758

I think I'll say more about it on the next episode of the regular show. I'm still digesting it, honestly.

Shane Boyle

Something that I forgot to say in my earlier post; thank you Colin and LSM for giving Filip a platform to voice his side of the situation. I don't necessarily agree with, or trust everything he divulged, but you could really see from the moment he started speaking and thanking you for having him that this was cathartic for him. Filip, deservedly so, should have no future in games journalism. But the man has paid his dues now, and deserves closure on this chapter of his life. I feel like this podcast probably gave him that closure, so major props to you guys for giving him a safe space to do so.

JimmyTwoFace

A great listen overall. Pretty interesting with his comment about IGN warning him to be careful with his review score for Doom because they caught flak for a previous negative review. Begs the question; are IGN encouraging inflated scores for reviews on popular games to help avoid a bit of controversy?

Tygorgon12

Great interview Colin, I like the idea of you revisiting this in the future. There is a lot to think about with this.

LastStandMedia
>>66910289

I got that sense, too. I think -- above all else -- we should strive to give platform to people who have something interesting and relevant to say. I don't think that necessarily indicates support or agreement.

LastStandMedia
>>66911227

I will say that I was talked into different scores based on my copy more than once, and there's nothing necessarily wrong with that. I will say that there was one game I reviewed where I was straight-up not allowed to give it the score I did. It wasn't a major thing (I think we gave it a 5 when I wanted to give it a 4).

DQuick

Incredible interview... I've listened to it twice. Fantastic job, you should be very proud of this one.

Sumojoe118

Great interview would love to see more controversial guests like this if you can find more.

BasicExp

Great format and interview. It felt like the "Making Sense" of gaming podcasts; more of this would be awesome.

Matthew Guilford

Wow! Only question is can we find enough controversial guests to make future episodes like this one? I hope so because that was such an interesting interview. No matter what our personal opinions are afterwards, I think everyone can agree this is great content.

Anonymous

Awesome interview Colin. Well done.

Jason K

Wow! This was an awesome interview. My face lit up when I opened up Patreon to see this right at the top. We've been hearing about it for a while, and I have to say, it was totally worth the wait. Some of the best content put out on this channel. I can't help but feel for this guy, even though I know how wrong he had been.

Devon

Phenomenal episode. This is why I have appreciated your content since Beyond! That staffing company Philip referred to sounds like Mosaic, a company that staffs retail reps for Microsoft products like windows and as he mentioned Xbox. Here is their website: (https://mosaic.com/work/microsoft). He likely worked on a retail sales floor under Microsoft's name during that period.

Devon

I have to admit what happened to the recruiter who brought him in 😮

TheWebslinger

I know I'm late but after reading these comments it seem like I'm in for a treat

Reuben Barrett

Great episode, begs the question tho. What was the hiring manager thinking? Very little corporate experience and you nab a top job at IGN. I think anyone, even if they're grossly underqualified would have taken that opportunity, even if they knew it was a tall order.

Heathen James
>>66932478

I personally think they were (and still are) desperate to break into YouTube and having someone with thousands of followers and a seemingly sterling production pipeline was probably enough for them.

Elonchan

Really great interview. It was interesting to see his side of the story, although I found parts of it hard to believe. I’m pretty sympathetic to his “late start “ in life, and I lost a job within the last year and a half in part because of feelings of imposter syndrome despite glowing performance reviews. For plagiarism, I don’t think he should be eternally excoriated and raked over the coals, and I am glad to see he is able to work and have a life now. However, I went through the CA community college and Cal State system, as I assume Filip may have, and I also have an undergrad in communications, and subsequently cannot believe he didn’t understand what plagiarism is or the significance of what he was doing. Your description of his story as a cautionary tale is very accurate, and again while I personally believe he knew what he was doing, I think his punishment fit the “crime” and I’m glad to see he’s moving on.

Heathen James

People like Filip should have a path of redemption open to them. His crime wasn't so severe that the man shouldn't be allowed to have a space in this industry. Perhaps not in a corporate media position, but surely in other avenues. He clearly knows what he did was wrong and unless he's a master pathological liar he seems to genuinely understand what he did was wrong. He's owning this. Who among us doesn't have some scar, whether physical or psychological, that was earned as a result of poor decision-making that has, in turned, helped us to become better people? I just don't feel like this guy, with what he did, should be made to walk the proverbial desert with a cross on his back for the rest of his life. Again, I'm not trying to be flippant about what he did. He did something that should rightly be considered a sin in journalism, but that shouldn't mean he is unworthy of a second chance.

Cameron

Fantastic interview Colin. Allowing him to speak his thoughts and being as direct as you were with your questioning was awesome. I hope he truly has learned from that mistake. If he has, it’s another example of a redemption story just like Tim Labesis (singer of As I Lay Dying) who paid a undercover cop to kill his wife and now, 8 years later, after spending time in jail and figuring himself out is back with the band as has a changed heart. Again, I really hope Filip has had a changed heart as well

Dank Yharnam Nugz

Sorry, but I think this guy is still full of crap. There's no way he is going to convince me that he didn't realise what he was doing is plagiarism. Give me a break.

Elonchan
>>66937897

I agree. Some of his word choices and hesitation when discussing that, plus his educational background prevent me from believing he didn’t know what he was doing. Maybe he truly felt compelled to do it by fear, but I still believe he knew the severity of his actions.

TheWebslinger

Just listened to this episode great journalism. Bravo 👏

Connor Hayes

Great interview, really hope Filip finds happiness, he doesn't deserve the vitriol he's received these years since his dumb blunder.

Jake H.

I listened to NVC during the Filip era so I was very glad to see this follow-up. This interview encapsulates the reason I support each month: to fund content no one else will dare to make.

Immortal Gordo

This is easily the best interview I’ve listened to in a very long time. Content like this is why Sacred Symbols is top dog! Amazing stuff seriously. Keep up the great work!

Alex Gates

This was so interesting. I’m not exactly sure what to believe, but he seems very childlike. I truly don’t mean that as an insult, I quite literally mean that he strikes me as having the mind of a child. Especially when he talks about his mentality back then. I think I might believe most of what he says. The only thing is his perception of plagiarism that is a little hard to believe. But like I said, his mindset seems to be very naive. I think it’s fine to talk about his parents’ support and how great that is, but from what he said, I think they’re to blame in part for how they raised him. If he didn’t have any real responsibility until he left home to work for IGN, then that means he was just living at home with his parents with no responsibility until he was 28ish, right? They definitely didn’t prepare him for the world which is kinda evident in his seemingly prolonged adolescence. His initial reaction of trying to hide the truth and hoping he could get away with it seems like the exact thing that a child would do. There could possibly be some mental handicaps that held his mindset in adolescence as well, I suppose. If any of this is the case, how much can you blame a child for in this situation? Not sure... But, he clearly knew that what he was doing was wrong, so he's not completely ignorant either. I don’t know, there’s a lot to consider with this interview, but I’m glad as well that he seems to be doing well and has (hopefully) matured from this. He was so clearly out of his depth at IGN and I’m surprised that they didn’t catch onto his inexperience sooner. However, that could just be a testament to his resourcefulness in “faking it”. Regardless, this was a great interview and a perfect example of why you’re the best in the biz and why LSM keeps growing. You’re so awesome, Man. Keep it up.

Anonymous

I've been oddly obsessed with this story ever since it happened back in 2018. This was a perfect end to one of most weird and interesting stories in games media. I can't believe you landed this interview Colin. It gives this saga real closure. Great work dude.

LastStandMedia
>>66935271

I tend to agree that a person like him, should they be contrite, should have a path of redemption outside of the area in which they messed up. I truly do wish him well.

LastStandMedia
>>66941706

I don't understand the idea of going out of your way to hurt someone else. Like... he's going to wear the scarlet letter one way or another.

LastStandMedia
>>66962746

I am also not sure what to believe! In reading everyone's input, it's given me much to think about, one way or the other.

Billy Wright

I'm really glad you pushed back on his comment about not understanding what plagiarism is. He went to college for a mass media degree. I had a similar major and plagiarism was taught to me as a freshman. You were really measured throughout this interview and I appreciate you for that. Great episode!

Kevin Weidert

This is the A5 Wagyu of games journalism content.

Anonymous

This guy just makes excuses to me he should never of been a creator He didn't have the talent

Anonymous

Amazing interview. Part of me wished he'd just come completely clean and admit he knew exactly what he was doing. I would have had so much more respect for him had he just said "look, I cheated my way through YT subs and into IGN. I got more addicted to the chase and left integrity in the bin. Got caught, learned my lesson." Anyway, thank you for such amazing content and I do agree that people like this should still be able to live a happy life beyond whatever led them to social media infamy.

Anonymous

Wow, that was an unbelievable watch. Thank you for doing this Colin, subscribed just to watch this. Thanks again

Arnaldo Martin

Great interview! It's pretty clear he was at least somewhat aware of his actions being construed as unethical. He even contradicted himself with regards to that fact.

Pete Smeeton

What he did was dumb but I do believe him when he said he had imposter syndrome... And he got himself caught in the lie. One thing was certain though, despite games media being seen to be all inclusive and caring.. They showed their true colours again and cast him out. He clearly needed some mental health support because a sane mind would not fathom getting away with something so bloody obvious. Good work col

LastStandMedia
>>66989388

It's always a bad idea to cover a lie with another lie. If you're caught in a lie, you've gotta fess up. Everyone learns that lesson in some way.

Anonymous

As an advocate for therapy and who has a spouse who is a therapist, I can tell he's done a lot of work on himself, hard work with a therapist. You have to do a lot to get to this place of acceptance for your faults and missteps, especially on this public level. So often we don't feel compelled to work on ourselves because it's pretty easy to keep our issues hidden. Fantastic interview, with no holds barred approach to honesty. Subbed for it.

James York

I have never left a comment before but this is interview and this content is one of the most raw and real discussions I have ever heard. I want to applaud Colin for being open minded and a decent human to facilitate this and I appreciate Filip being brave enough to talk about it It is so easy to dogpile on someone who makes a bad decision, at what point has Filip paid his dues? Should his family suffer forever because he copied content about a freaking video game... I mean at the end of the day it is so unimportant in the grand scheme of life. What he did was wrong and he knows it now and I bet he has grown, is more humble, forgiving and thoughtful than the mob a video game elitists that tore him apart. Hearing about the impact on his wife and kid was hard. I have kids and a wife and the thought of not being able to support them is unbearable. I wish Filip well, it sounds like he become a better person and I hope he has many wonderful memories with his family in the future. Colin and the rest of Last Stand Media please keep up this amazing work. This is the first patreon I have subscribed to and it has been totally worth it. No other video games podcast is brave enough to do this and make truly real content.

Jeff Pollard

Hmm...this was a good episode, but I think he knew EXACTLY what plagiarism is and he did it because he lacks the ability to do otherwise. I think the following excerpt is very telling of what he thought about his OWN writing capabilities: Colin: "...wouldn't it have been just easier for you to just write something about Fire Emblem, than like, go and try to figure out how you're going to take someone else's stuff..." Filip: "...it would have been, in fact, easier for me to just not put anything out at all...or just put a bunch of words together and make it sound like a 3rd grader." Although I think he is still being deceptive about this whole situation, I do hope he is able to work things out. As for revisiting this later, I think you've done all you need to do here. Cheers.

Anonymous

So a few things stood out to me in the interview. 1. He wanted people to know the real Filip. So he wasn't himself while on camera the whole time? That lends itself to problems since you then have to remember what "that version" of Filip would say. It's like Pinocchio. Every lie is one more thing you have to remember. 2. If he really didn't know what he was doing was wrong, then why did he fear being arrested? If you had no idea you did anything wrong then you would have no reason to be concerned 3.Dead Cells is one of his favorite games of all time but couldn't say why. I think it goes to Colin's point that he doesn't belong in game journalism. There are tons of people that have hobbies that wouldn't translate to a career. I think this is one. What I think happened was he got in over his head with the work load. Then took shortcuts to finish the work. IGN even has a little blame since they took a rookie and through him in as a host of NVC. I just feel like he still isn't completely honest. Own your mistakes. You don't have to be taught in college that taking a written piece and reading it over video is not your own work. He got caught and knew he was screwed.

Anonymous

Props to Colin as always for doing an amazing interview and always having the balls to talk to anyone.

Oliver Johnson

Oof. This guy is still either delusional or he’s just a dingus. A lot of the time he still has a very strange perspective on what he did. Things like being ‘unable to put out the fire’ by deleting YouTube comments, phrasing as if he could’ve solved the problem that way but it was too big…. That’s not a solution, that doesn’t come off as truly remorseful to me. It sounds like he would still be continuing the lie if he could. There’s just something off with his rational and hearing him talk, he definitely sounds like the type of guy to plagiarize lol. I hope he continues learning and growing. Maybe focus on editing and production if that was the work he did that he was proud of but I don’t think he should ever be considered a writer again.

Christopher Roman

Great interview!!! I don't really believe that he didn't understand what he was doing would be considered plagiarism. It sounds more like he just didn't want to put hard work into anything and took what he considered the easy way out. The fact that he admits to deleting comments shows he had some idea. Still clearly that position wasn't for him and glad he has started to get things together again.

Alek Dimitric
>>67048557

Yeah the active attempt to silence the audience calling him out was rough to listen to. Wishing him a healthy life though, seems he's learned his lesson and hopefully will find more peace one day in whichever industry he pursues that isn't gaming

brendan p

This was a pretty fascinating conversation. I'm having a difficult time deciding how to feel about Filip, myself. Part of me gets the impression that maybe he was never equipped with the proper social tools to navigate particular situations, and the social tools that he did learn, were to compliment, or, "butter up" and deify the individual he is talking to. It comes off as though he is taking advantage of the situation. Even at times during this conversation, it felt like he was trying to save face with you, or he would say that certain individuals were like father figures to him. I am not trying to do anything other than interpret, but it just seemed like he was painting pictures of relationships that were inaccurate? This seems especially the case after reading some twitter replies and seeing he maybe didn't even think to reach out to certain individuals to apologize at the time his scandal was at it's peak. I don't get super bad vibes from Filip, I hope he figures some shit out (hell, I hope I figure some of my shit out), but he definitely rubbed me the wrong way every now and again throughout this interview, and what he did with his previous work in the gaming industry was extremely wrong (not that I need to point that out, obviously). Though I think everyone deserves a second chance and Filip deserves to give himself a second chance, I also think that odd feeling I got throughout the interview, when he spoke about certain things, tells me what I need to know (despite me not knowing how to fully articulate it). Thanks for offering the opportunity to hear this conversation, Colin.

Anonymous

Great interview Colin! It was balanced and fair and it was nice to hear his side of the story (without any editorializing) even though what he did was terrible. The situation was unfortunate but I’m glad you gave him an outlet where we can all hear his side of the story and we can then all arrive at our own conclusions. This is the kind of content and conversations that makes LSM better and worth paying for, no questions asked.

Tony Rivera

I agree with everyone that this is one of the only places, if not THE only place, where this adult conversation could take place. Filip, you already know this.. you fucked up, but you know what? I fucked up plenty of times too. Once this past year where I did something at my corporation that I thought I would get fired for sure. I thought litigation would be involved too. Your talk brought me back to that time in my life. It didn't get mass media attention, and yours was exponentially worse, but I felt those things too. But you overcame it, like I did. Now you're pushing forward trying to be a better man and every day that goes by is just paving a new road ahead for you. And once we get several miles out, the blemishes of your career will be overshadowed by the great things you've done since then. So, thank you for being candid. Thank you for showing us your true self. Thank you for not being fake, for answering the tough questions. And thank you, Colin, for letting us be a part of it. Cheers to you both. Stay safe.

Liam Mcnulty

I'll be honest, I felt really bad for him, he clearly fucked up, he knows he fucked up. He doesn't seem to shy away from any of it now. I hope things stay good for him, now that he's landed on his feet. I don't wish him any ill will. This was great content, thank you. OnlyFans when, Colin?

Benjamin Sharpe

This was a fantastic interview. I upped my sub just to watch it. Even today, I don't feel Filip was allowing himself to be completely honest, but there was enough to read between the lines and draw our own conclusions. I found an empathy but more importantly an understanding of this man. Though my question for you Colin is, I couldn't help but notice the couple times Filip let slip the pressure from editors to alter or change his review scores. You seemed taken aback by this, and I will say it's one of the times I felt he was being honest at least with himself on how he perceived it. How did you feel about this?I am curious your thoughts on the matter. Thanks for being the best squad in the biz. Keep fornicating that fowl

Donny C

Great interview. Feel bad for the guy. I know what it’s like doing something you’ll regret for the rest of your life while being in an industry that you love. We all make mistakes and he fucked up and learned from it.

Michael J Sutherland

Great interview! I am all about giving someone a second chance. Everyone fucks up at some point.

Gustavo Ochoa

There is no doubt in my mind that he knew what he was doing and he still just cannot come to terms with it. However, I do feel he is be genuine in understanding the consequences and repercussions of his behavior. I really do hope the best for him.

The Eclectic Gamer

All the people who commented on this thread, please hit up the community tab and start talking about 2021games…thanks. All in all, great interview Colin…becoming the Joe Rogan of the videogame realm haha

Anonymous

Really pleased with this conversation. I actually really liked him during his stint at IGN, he livened up NVC a lot and I liked his coverage. I'd not mind seeing him find some success again at all.

Wayne Moss

What an amazing episode it was a interesting & compelling conversation that needed to be had.

Dan Patterson

Great interview Colin! There’s a lot to process in what he said. Fantastic work being respectful yet direct with questions and leveraging your expertise to call out some of what felt like excuses that IGN was somehow unreasonable with their workloads. I’m still struggling with the I didn’t know it was plagiarism defense. That sounded like a major excuse of well I didn’t know the legal definition. Regardless of whether he thought it was or wasn’t plagiarism, based on a formal definition, he had to know it was wrong and cutting corners. I am happy the man has found stability and is moving forward. However, I agree with Colin’s statement that I don’t think he belongs in video games media. I wish him the best in any other endeavor though. Keep up the amazing content CLS crew!

Peter Pham

I feel bad for the guy, not all of us can be righteous in the most tough situations. It'll be worse if he never got caught and had major success. I think a big mistake like this could be a humbling experience and can create a lot of growth. It seems like he has grown and I hope he's genuine.

Joey

As someone who worked for a major news show right out of college i can totally relate to the incredible feeling of being an imposter, and I wasn’t even on the creative/editorial side. It doesn’t forgive what he did, but I do get the feeling of, ”Don’t get fired, just keep going. Maybe they won’t find out. “ This guy was just completely out of his depth.

LastStandMedia
>>67046908

I think a major issue with this situation is... who was he, ever? He seems a bit like a chameleon, in that he can adapt and successfully provide what people are looking for. I'm intrigued by this notion that he could have gotten away with it if not for that one review.

LastStandMedia
>>67060759

I'm not equipped to get into the psychology of the matter, but I think that if you lie for many years about something (which he did, when it comes to his content), then I think that starts at an earlier age.

LastStandMedia
>>67167991

I think, like in many situations, reality falls somewhere in the middle between him knowing what he did was wrong, and him maybe not grasping the gravity, somehow. I dunno.

SweetBoyDrew

This is why I am proud to be an LSM fan and supporter. Can’t wait to see the interviews that come as a result of your fairness in this one (Marty Sliva????)

Ste Simpson

Amazing interview great job Col

MostAbe
>>67214197

I was gonna say the same thing. LSM is unique! :) where else but LSM?

Anonymous

Awesome podcast. Thanks for making this happen!!

Raul Hernandez

Great interview overall. A story that needed to be told and nobody has the courage to tell it in games media. Thank you for doing this it gives us a good background on how things work from the inside. My opinion, he is saving face in the interview; there is much that he could have dug into that would be neat to know. I am glad that he has been past this plagiarism scandal, concerning his mental health and overall livelihood situation. From the comments, I would like to hear from a former IGN guy I used to follow, Marty Sliva. He was super cool on camera and podcast, we never got the full story why exactly he departed IGN.

Anonymous

Poor old Filip! /s

Michael Kurzer

So... It's definitely interesting and I'm glad you did it. A few of my takeaways: 1) PART of me definitely feels for the guy. Seems like he had a lot going on, KNEW he wasn't actually ready for the job he got, but tried to push forward. I can somewhat understand that. If you get offered a job you really want even if you know you're not ready....you'd probably take it too. I kinda blame IGN for that one. He had been making content for less than a year before IGN hired him. Seems like a situation where they really didn't do their due diligence. But maybe that's not fair. I don't know. But also.... 2) He's totally full of crap. His schtick is now saying he knows NOW what he did was wrong and plagiarism, but that he didn't realize at the time what he did was wrong. That's total bullshit. He tries to claim since he was taking articles and making videos he didn't realize it was technically plagiarism. We all know that's BS, and also...didn't he also get found to be plagiarizing videos? Either way, everyone knows copying someone else's work is wrong. The other part that makes it BS was his reasoning. He made excuses for WHY he did it (crunched for time, writers block, etc) right after he says he didn't know it was wrong. You can't have it both ways. He admitted he was stressed and behind so he took a shortcut...yet pretend he doesn't know taking a shortcut was wrong? Give me a break. --- Even years later, he still just doesn't come off as trustworthy. I'm not inclined to believe the things he says.

John Lynch

Loved this interview. I don’t believe that he is telling the truth, even still. That being said, I’m glad he is now working and moving on. I’m glad that Colin didn’t just let him off the hook and asked tough questions,

Anonymous

Colin this was something I wasn’t expecting but at the same time enjoyed watching very much. I think this is the quietest I’ve ever seen you. I feel like I learned a lot from this. I forgive him but I don’t excuse what he did. I agree with you saying he shouldn’t be in this medium at all. I dream about doing what y’all do. Hate the job I work at and am miserable. And shit like this helps keep me going. That being said I understand the gravity of his mistake and if I was in his shoes I wouldn’t ever fuck up my oppertunity. Thanks for this

Anonymous
>>67327317

True. But still I felt like there were moments you wanted to say something but held back and just let him get shit off his chest.

Dexter Wallingsford

I hope that seeing a reasonable but still responsible interview would get others mired in controversy or intrigue (like Marty Sliva as so many have suggested) to reconsider coming on and talking to Colin. You could really carve out a nice niche corner of the games internet with more content like this. Great job!

Messenger

It's like that Chef Ramsy meme "Finally some real fucking journalism"

Janhellyeah

What an amazing interview. The amount of growth Filip achieved ever since the controversy is such a beautiful thing to see. He seems to be at peace with it or more so than we can fully understand. This is what gaming journalism is supposed to be! In-depth, interesting and partial. Great job, Colin!

John Bergquist

I don’t feel too bad for Filip here. Everyone who goes to college in the United States gets extensive explanations of what plagiarism is. Also, saying “for me” every other sentence makes him seem extremely egocentric and cements the impression that he’s a dude who just wants to “make it big” at all costs and isn’t at all interested in doing real difficult work. Regardless, excellent interviewing Colin. Quiet, contemplative, and insightful when necessary. Your skills are reminiscent of half journalist half psychologist.

Jdummann92

This was an excellent interview and that is not always easy to press when needed. Great job! My wife and I listened while doing a a short road trip and it was very engaging to listen to!

Jdummann92
>>67309535

Even in the video he mentioned he watched an opinion and took the words and put them in his own video. I was like he totally contradicted himself!

Jdummann92
>>67387345

Also I'm curious why his sister told him to check his email that he was being contacted by IGN lol?

Anonymous

I feel like when he says he didn’t know he was plagiarizing, he means he literally didn’t think to himself “okay let me go plagiarize this review”. To me, it’s an example of cognitive dissonance where deep within himself, he knew what he was doing was wrong, but went against his belief of himself being a good person who would never intentionally commit plagiarism. As a result he had to justify this bad behavior to himself by explaining it away in the form of “it must not be plagiarism if it’s a different medium” in order to continue. Saying now that he didn’t realize it was plagiarism says to me he is still having trouble grappling with that reality. Regardless, this was a fantastic interview.

ClappingFetus

He admits to plagiarizing tons of his work in his professional career but he conveniently "never" did it in college despite not knowing what plagiarism actually is. I call bs on that shit.

Niall G

This is a great interview and shows that the game industry needs more "real" interviews, where the poignant questions are asked, there's no "beating around the bush", just straight to the point.

Jan Drabner

Gained a sub for this one!