Worse than the squeaker: the player who won't let go of the past and ruins multiplayer

For years, the squeaker has been the official villain of every lobby: yelling into the mic, constant taunting and, to top it all off, enough skill to make you look foolish now and then. But an opinion column published by IGN Spain puts the spotlight on another type of player who, according to its author, is even more exhausting. The piece starts from a scene everyone will recognise: you finish your day, look for some downtime in a shooter or a battle royale like Fortnite, Call of Duty, Overwatch or Valorant, and end up with your morale on the floor because an 11-year-old just ran you over.

What makes it interesting is the twist the column proposes. Its subtitle makes the point clear: clinging to the past is a mistake. In other words, the problem isn't so much the player who's better than you, but the one who refuses to accept that multiplayer has changed. And that hits close to home, because every competitive community has players who adapt alongside others who are stuck in how things used to be.

What you need to know

• The source material is an opinion column from IGN Spain, not a study or official data.
• The author admits they used to see the squeaker as the worst type of player, until they identified another that wears them out even more.
• The central argument is that clinging to gaming's past is a mistake.
• The examples mentioned are hugely popular multiplayer titles: Fortnite, Call of Duty, Overwatch and Valorant.
• The starting point is universal: the adult player with little free time facing much younger and faster opponents.

The context: multiplayer isn't what it was ten years ago

The frustration the column describes isn't new, but it has changed shape. Losing to someone younger used to be an anecdote; today it's almost the norm. Live-service games, skill-based matchmaking, seasons that shake up the meta every few weeks and a generation that grew up with a controller in hand have raised the average skill level of any public match.

That's where the profile the piece criticises comes in: the player who, instead of adapting, takes refuge in nostalgia. The one who keeps saying the old maps were better, that the game was more balanced back in their day, or that kids these days only know how to abuse mechanics. The nuance matters: the column doesn't present nostalgia itself as the problem, but rather getting stuck in it and using it as an excuse.

Who it affects

It mainly affects people who play in teams. A teammate who spends the whole match complaining about the current state of the game spreads a bad atmosphere just as much as a toxic opponent. It also affects content creators, because constant complaining about how things used to be has become a format in its own right, with its own audience and its own bubble.

Our take

Here in the Underworld Lordz newsroom, we largely agree with the core of the column. If you compete, even at an amateur level, adapting isn't optional: every patch, every new season and every meta shift is an opportunity for those who study and a death sentence for those who keep looking back. The best players we know aren't the ones who remember the most, but the ones who are quickest to understand what has changed.

That said, we also want to be fair. Not all criticism of the present is empty nostalgia. There are questionable design decisions, aggressive monetisation and changes that break the balance, and calling them out is healthy. The difference lies in tone and intent: criticism backed by arguments helps improve a game; endless whining only ruins the match for everyone else. And as for the squeaker, it's worth remembering an uncomfortable truth: very often, what bothers us most about them is simply that they play better.

For content creators, the message is clear. Nostalgic complaint content works in the short term, but it ages terribly and locks you into an audience that doesn't want to evolve. Teaching people to adapt, breaking down the current meta and celebrating what actually works builds healthier, longer-lasting communities.

What do you think?

We've all suffered through the teammate who won't stop complaining and the kid who humiliates us in two seconds. The IGN Spain column is clear about which of the two wears its author out more, but we want to hear your side. What drives you crazier in a match: the squeaker or the veteran who won't let go of the past? Drop by the team chat or our Discord and let us know.