Zohran Mamdani: Not Quite the Gamer Mayor We Hoped For

Last June, a nostalgic feature from New York magazine resurfaced, showcasing a young Zohran Mamdani expressing his wish for FIFA 2003 and SimCity 3000 as holiday presents. This sparked an intriguing question: Could this preteen SimCity enthusiast become New York City’s first gamer mayor? Fast forward to now, nearly six months into his tenure as the 112th mayor after defeating former governor Andrew Cuomo in the 2025 elections, and it seems the answer is a resounding no.

During his recent Twitch stream, which was streamed live, Mamdani’s lack of familiarity with gaming was put on full display, particularly when a follower queried if he would ever play Minecraft on-screen. Mamdani candidly admitted, “I’ve gotta be honest, I have not played Minecraft. How do you play Minecraft?” He went on to say, “Is it a computer game?” Ouch. Talk about a reality check for gamers!

The stream itself was primarily focused on his political plans, notably addressing the city’s massive $12 billion budget deficit through his new executive budget proposal. However, the chat quickly turned chaotic, reflecting the mixed sentiments of viewers about their mayor’s cultural awareness.

Interestingly, Mamdani had previously mentioned in a casual chat on Hasan Piker’s stream that he doesn’t indulge in video games much, although he does have a soft spot for FIFA. He expressed his distaste for it being labeled as a “jock game.” He shared that his parents were strict about gaming consoles during his childhood, but he still cherished memories around Pokémon, especially recalling the Mew card from Pokémon: The First Movie.

While it was fun to imagine that his progressive views on matters like free public transit and universal childcare might stem from countless hours of strategic gameplay in SimCity, the reality is that Zohran Mamdani isn’t New York’s first gamer mayor. So, let’s temper our expectations and perhaps look forward to a future leader who can truly connect with the gaming community.