The Checkpoint Story: 12 Years of Queer Gaming on Australian Radio with Elliot from Joy 94.9

Australia's most iconic LGBTQIA+ gaming radio show turns 12, and we got its co-host to tell us the whole story. Elliot from Checkpoint Gaming on Joy 94.9 joins Davey and Mitch at the Bulldog to share the origin story, the standout moments, and what 12 years of putting queer voices at the centre of gaming actually means.Checkpoint Gaming pioneered queer gaming media in Australia, and this is the story of how it happened. In this episode:How Checkpoint Gaming came to exist on Joy 94.9, and why a queer gaming show on the radio felt like such a radical idea in 2013Elliot's journey from fresh-out-of-university superfan to running content at the stationThe moment Checkpoint won a National Broadcasting Award and went national on the Community Radio Network, now heard on 20+ stations across AustraliaGetting flown to LA to preview LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark KnightThe PAX Australia moment that reminded them why it all matters, and the mother and child who changed Elliot's perspective on the show's impactWhy queer gaming media still matters in 2026, and how the industry has changed (and hasn't)Elliot's three most influential games.His pile of shame: every single BioWare game he's never finished (Mass Effect fans, brace yourselves)Plus: Davey shares how hearing Checkpoint on Joy 94.9 while driving into Melbourne in 2017 was his first introduction to queer Melbourne, and why that moment stuck with him.And the Release Radar covers everything landing in the next fortnight, including Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on Switch 2, Subnautica 2 Early Access, Forza Horizon 6, Darksiders Remastered, Paralives, and the Star Fox 64 remake announcement.🎙️ Find Checkpoint Gaming: checkpointgaming.net 🎙️ Listen on Joy 94.9: joy.org.au/checkpoint💬 Join our Discord: https://discord.gg/fqC2FeHSUr❤️ Support the BQN Network on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/bqn☕ Support BBG directly on Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/bargainbingaymers