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Ryan the Mercenary

The living, breathing, definition of disappointment. There are no words to describe the reign of tyranny imposed by the redundant and incessant amount of sheer luck this freak of nature possesses. He's horrible. I hate him.
- CT
by Ryan the Mercenary February 8, 2021
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Mercenary artist

An artist, typically online, who will accept any paid commission, regardless of the content of the request or the commissioner.
"Why would anyone draw something this tasteless?"
"They're a mercenary artist, they'll do anything for the right price."
by DefinitelyNotABurner November 5, 2022
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mercenaries

Those guys that came for John Cusack were not mercenaries, they must have forgot that before they came for him. It might have made the difference between him turning them into idiots on their own show and them actually getting something done, but they underestimated him.
by The Original Agahnim October 13, 2021
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AAC Mercenary

An AAC gun for hire, if by gun you mean AAC instructor.
Although she cordial and professional, when provoked, Stephanie is an AAC mercenary whose rage knows no bounds.
by Chunky Funkle February 21, 2022
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Establishment Mercenary

One who's for hire to do the bidding of the Nation State, (see also "State Actor").
After the Establishment Mercenary retired from congress, he became chair of a multi-national corporation.
by Hermathecles March 29, 2023
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Mercenary Games

A term for games—video games, tabletop games, any form of play—that are designed not for fun, art, or expression but purely for profit, exploiting players through microtransactions, loot boxes, pay-to-win mechanics, and addictive design. Mercenary Games treat players not as participants but as revenue streams, not as audiences but as targets. They're designed by psychologists to maximize engagement and spending, not enjoyment. Mercenary Games are the dark side of the gaming industry, the reason your kid's favorite game costs $100 to actually play, the reason "free-to-play" is the most expensive model. They're games as extraction, play as exploitation.
Example: "He downloaded a game that looked fun—cool graphics, interesting mechanics. Three hours later, he'd spent $50 on loot boxes just to stay competitive. Mercenary Games had done their work: turning play into payment, fun into extraction. He uninstalled, but the money was gone. The game wasn't designed for him to enjoy; it was designed for him to spend."
by Abzugal February 21, 2026
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Mercenary Gaming

The practice or industry of designing and producing mercenary games—games whose primary purpose is profit extraction, not player enjoyment. Mercenary Gaming is the dominant business model of the contemporary games industry, where games are designed by data scientists and psychologists to maximize engagement and spending. It's the reason your phone buzzes with notifications to return to your "free" game, the reason loot boxes feel so compelling, the reason "whales" (big spenders) are more important than players. Mercenary Gaming has transformed play from a leisure activity into a consumption activity, from fun into extraction.
Example: "He'd been a gamer his whole life, but something had changed. Mercenary Gaming had taken over: every game wanted his money, his time, his data. Play felt like work, fun felt like manipulation. He missed the days when games were made to be enjoyed, not to extract."
by Abzugal February 21, 2026
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