change the game

Probably from the ability of a player of a team sport who has been brought on to the field as a substitute to alter the outcome of the game.

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃeɪn(d͡)ʒ ðə ˈɡeɪm/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈt͡ʃeɪnd͡ʒ ðə ˈɡeɪm/

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change the game (third-person singular simple present changes the game, present participle changing the game, simple past and past participle changed the game)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To revolutionize a field of endeavor.
   • 1988, Larry Wilson; Hersch Wilson, “The Rules of the New Game”, in Changing the Game: The New Way to Sell (Fireside Book), New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, part I (The Changing Game of Selling), pages 73–74:

     Today, Moore is in transition from a communications-product company to an information-management company, selling information-management systems— […] How has this changed the game for Moore salespeople?

   • 2012, Jeffrey J. Fox; Robert Reiss, quoting Arkadi Kuhlmann, “On Transformative CEOs”, in The Transformative CEO: Impact Lessons from Industry Game Changers, New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Companies, →ISBN, page 5:

     Brave and resourceful, creative and effective, will be the hallmarks of the transformative CEO. For the transformative CEO has no choice but to change the game, and to change the game forever.

   • 2017 December 1, Tom Breihan, “Mad Max: Fury Road Might Already be the Best Action Movie Ever Made”, in The A.V. Club‎, archived from the original on 22 February 2018:

     Four years before Fury Road, the Welsh director Gareth Evans made the berserker Indonesian fight movie The Raid: Redemption, changing the game by reducing the action movie to its simplest elements, telling it with visceral style.

   • 2018 August 20, Rebecca Rubin, “Can ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Save the Rom-Com by Embracing Diversity?”, in Variety‎, archived from the original on 24 August 2018:

     “Crazy Rich Asians” simply changes the game. It shows that minorities don’t need Spandexed suits or powers to be bankable (though one could argue that the comedic team of Ken Jeong and Awkwafina are superheroes in their own right). They can be glamorous and sassy and intimidating and genuine – and still relate to virtually all audiences.

• game changer
• game-changing