Gaming Rewind: September 12th – Celebration, Controversy, Crossovers
Last Updated: October 22, 2025
September 12th is a date etched into the calendar for enthusiasts as National Video Games Day, a time to celebrate the art, culture, and community that define this dynamic industry.
While any day in gaming is a whirlwind of activity, this particular date in 2023 perfectly encapsulated the industry's multifaceted nature, delivering everything from high-profile esports launches to a developer-uniting controversy that sent shockwaves through the community. This is the story of that pivotal day.
The Main Event: NFL and Gaming Collide Again
The biggest headline of the day was the highly anticipated return of NFL Tuesday Night Gaming. Kicking off its second season on September 12th, the weekly esports spectacle solidified the deepening partnership between the National Football League and gaming culture giant Enthusiast Gaming. Streamed live across Twitch and YouTube, the premiere saw NFL stars like Jamaal Williams of the New Orleans Saints and Qwan'tez Stiggers of the Toronto Argonauts team up with top-tier gaming creators, including Nick "NICKMERCS" Kolcheff.
This crossover event, which features a rotating roster of games and celebrities, is more than just a broadcast; it's a statement. It demonstrates the immense mainstream appeal of gaming and its power to bridge the gap between traditional sports and digital entertainment, captivating a broad audience and creating a new kind of prime-time viewing experience.
The Industry-Shaking Announcement: Unity's Runtime Fee Ignites a Firestorm
While the NFL crossover provided celebratory fanfare, a seismic shift was happening behind the scenes. On September 12th, 2023, game engine developer Unity officially announced its new "Runtime Fee" policy. The plan proposed charging developers a fee each time a game using the Unity engine was installed by a player after crossing certain revenue and install thresholds.
The backlash from the global developer community was immediate and ferocious. Developers of smash-hit indie titles like Among Us, Cult of the Lamb, and Slay the Spire—all built on Unity—publicly condemned the move. The policy was criticized for being retroactive, punishing successful indie studios, and creating unpredictable costs that could bankrupt smaller teams. Online forums, X (formerly Twitter), and developer Discords erupted with outrage, with many prominent developers threatening to abandon the engine for alternatives like Unreal Engine or Godot. This single announcement became one of the biggest industry controversies of the year, overshadowing all other news and uniting developers in a rare display of solidarity against a corporate policy change.
The Daily Grind: Updates and Community Buzz
Beyond the major headlines, the daily rhythm of the gaming world continued. For the dedicated player base of Riot Games' digital card game, Legends of Runeterra, September 12th brought excitement with the reveal of the stunning "Eclipse Knight Aurelion Sol" skin, a testament to the ongoing content support that keeps live-service games thriving.
Meanwhile, the hype cycle was in full swing for major upcoming releases. Early access for Ubisoft's The Crew Motorfest had just begun, flooding social media with high-octane racing clips. Simultaneously, anticipation for Mortal Kombat 1 was reaching a fever pitch ahead of its imminent launch, with fans dissecting every last piece of pre-release information.
In retrospect, September 12th, 2023, was a microcosm of the entire video game industry. It was a day of celebration, marked by National Video Games Day and a blockbuster esports partnership. It was a day of passion and creativity, with ongoing support for beloved games and fervent anticipation for new ones. And critically, it was a day of conflict and community, where developers stood together to challenge an industry practice they believed was harmful to the art of game creation. It was a day that proved, once again, that gaming is never just about what's on the screen.