Cecilia D'Anastasio
Cecilia D'Anastasio | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 22, 1991 United States |
| Occupation | Journalist |
| Years active | 2016–present |
| Known for | Investigative journalism on video game industry, including reports on Riot Games and Roblox |
Cecilia D'Anastasio (born July 22, 1991) is a U.S.-based journalist who concentrates on the video game industry. Between 2016 and 2020, she was a writer for Kotaku, where she gained prominence for a 2018 investigative report revealing sexual harassment and gender discrimination at Riot Games. Subsequently, she contributed to Wired before joining Bloomberg News in 2022 as a gaming correspondent. While at Bloomberg, D'Anastasio received the 2024 George Polk Award for her investigative work uncovering child exploitation within Roblox.
Education and early career
Born on July 22, 1991, D'Anastasio earned a degree in classics from Reed College. She initially worked as a freelance journalist for outlets such as The Nation prior to securing roles with leading publications covering the gaming field.
Tenure at Kotaku
D'Anastasio became a staff writer at Kotaku in June 2016, specializing in in-depth investigations.
Her August 2018 piece titled "Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games" brought to light claims of sexual harassment and gender discrimination at Riot Games, drawing upon testimonies from twenty-eight current and former staff members. The article prompted numerous employees to share their own harassment experiences via social media platforms. In response, Riot Games issued statements addressing its corporate culture, recruitment policies, and diversity efforts, subsequently announcing initial measures to address the highlighted concerns.
For this report, D'Anastasio was awarded the Digital News prize at the 71st Writers Guild of America Awards. Variety described it as "the most significant games journalism of the year," also naming her among 2018's "Most Influential in Video Games." The following year, she received the "Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism" from the New York Videogame Critics Circle. Additionally, she appeared on Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj, discussing labor challenges within the video game industry alongside her investigative efforts.
D'Anastasio departed from Kotaku in December 2019.
Role at Wired
In 2020, D'Anastasio joined Wired as a staff writer. That March, she was honored with SXSW's first-ever Journalist of the Year award at the 2020 Gaming Awards, recognizing her influential reporting on the video game sector. Later in October, Wired introduced its Wired Games segment dedicated to gaming coverage, featuring contributions from D'Anastasio and other writers. Within the same year, she was included in Forbes' 30 Under 30 media list.
Bloomberg News tenure
At the start of 2022, D'Anastasio began covering the gaming industry for Bloomberg News. Her investigative reporting on child exploitation within Roblox earned her the 2024 George Polk Award for Technology Reporting. This work also secured her a finalist position for the 2025 ASME Awards.
Bloomberg
Kotaku
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Inside The Culture Of Sexism At Riot Games." Kotaku, 2018-08-07.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Fantasy's Widow: The Fight Over The Legacy Of Dungeons & Dragons." Kotaku, 2019-03-07.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Dungeons & Deceptions: The First D&D Players Push Back On The Legend Of Gary Gygax." Kotaku, 2019-08-26.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Sex, Pong, And Pioneers: What Atari Was Really Like, According To Women Who Were There." Kotaku, 2018-02-12.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Shady Numbers And Bad Business: Inside The Esports Bubble." Kotaku, 2019-05-23.
Wired
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Amazon Aims to Dominate Gaming—But Why Has It Struggled?" Wired, October 7, 2020.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "The Rise of Virtual Fascism on 'Roblox'." Wired.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Xbox's Pursuit of Power No Longer Suffices." Wired.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "The Underground Movement Bringing Japanese Arcades Stateside." Wired.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Pokimane's Achievements and the Challenges Ahead." Wired.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Minecraft's Dream SMP: Where Every Player Performs." Wired.
- D'Anastasio, Cecilia. "Inside Planet Egirl." Wired.