The Ringer-Verse

Afleveringen

1. AI Angst, ‘Final Fantasy Resonance,’ and ‘GTA III’ Turns 25 | Button Mash

   22 oktober 2026 · 2 uur 4 min

   Afspelen
   Ben and Matt James break down the good, bad, and ugly of gaming’s recent reckoning with AI-driven development, decompilation, and cloning, and assess whether it will fundamentally reshape the medium’s economic and creative model. Then they provide their impressions of the newly released ‘Final Fantasy Resonance’ and ‘Nintendo Switch Sports Resort’ and react in real time to the dissolution of storied studio Bioware. Finally, Ben sets the scene for 'GTA VI' by bringing on The Atlantic’s Jeremy Gordon to reminisce about the October 2001 release of ‘Grand Theft Auto III’ and discuss how it altered the trajectory of open-world gaming and created the ‘GTA’ juggernaut. Lees meer

   (0:00) Intro(1:40) AI talk(34:45) 'Final Fantasy Resonance'(46:32) 'Nintendo Switch Sports Resort'(54:08) Follow-ups to last week's pod(57:41) Bioware news(1:01:49) Jeremy Gordon joins the show

   Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Matt James and Jeremy GordonProducer: Isaiah Blakely
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2. ‘VisionQuest’ Episodes 3-4 Instant Reactions | The Midnight Boys

   21 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 23 min

   Afspelen
   The Boys are back and they’re jumping into the next two episodes of ‘VisionQuest’. They discuss the Vision we knew from ‘Avengers’ versus the Vision we see in this show, rate the kid-pluck level so far, and have a lively debate about the MCU character ethics. Lees meer

   (0:00) Intro

   (7:19) Spoilers ahead

   (9:56) ‘VisionQuest’ Episodes 3-4 instant reactions

   (1:19:25) Outro

   Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman

   Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Devon Baroldi, and Jamie Yukich

   Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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3. Metroidvania Draft, Spooky-Season Games, and 'Street Fighter' | Button Mash

   16 oktober 2026 · 2 uur 21 min

   Afspelen
   To live is to pod; to pod is to live! First, Ben, Steve Ahlman, and Matt James react to the latest 'GTA VI' and 'Ocarina of Time' trailers and talk about Ben's hands-on session with the 'Ocarina' remake. Then, they share recommendations for a few recently released games that fit a Halloween theme. After that, they honor the 40th anniversaries of 'Castlevania' and 'Metroid' and the release of 'Castlevania: Belmont's Curse' by bringing on GameSpot's Steve Watts to discuss what "Metroidvania" means, debate whether it's a good name for the genre, review 'Belmont's Curse,' advise a listener on when to look up game solutions, and do a draft of the greatest Metroidvanias across several categories. Finally, Ben and Daniel Chin share their spoiler-free reviews of the big-screen 'Street Fighter' reboot.(00:00) Intro(00:13) 'GTA'/'Ocarina of Time'/spooky-season games(27:42) The Metroidvania Draft(1:54:49) Daniel Chin joins for 'Street Fighter'Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Matt James, Steve Ahlman, Steve Watts, and Daniel ChinSenior Producer: Steve AhlmanSenior Production Supervision: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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4. ‘VisionQuest’ Episodes 1-2 Instant Reactions | The Midnight Boys

   14 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 18 min

   Afspelen
   The Boys are back and they’re returning to the MCU! They give you all of their thoughts on the first two episodes of ‘VisionQuest,’ diving into the new ensemble cast of Marvel AIs, the return of Ultron, and some of the Marvel Easter eggs we’ve seen so far. Lees meer

   (0:00) Intro

   (7:01) Spoilers ahead

   (9:57) ‘VisionQuest’ Episodes 1-2 instant reactions

   (1:11:13) Outro

   Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman

   Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Devon Baroldi, Jamie Yukich, and Kevin Cureghian

   Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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5. NYCC 2026 Recap and Reactions | The Midnight Boys

   10 oktober 2026 · 47 min

   Afspelen
   The Boys are back and they are coming to you from New York City! They give you their thoughts on what they’ve seen so far at NYCC 2026, including news from 'Daredevil: Born Again,' 'X-Men '97,' and the DC-Skydance merger. Lees meer

   (0:00) Intro

   (1:53) 'Daredevil: Born Again'

   (7:40) Marvel panel

   (19:08) 'X-Men '97'

   (24:17) 'VisionQuest'

   (27:34) ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’

   (29:55) DC and Skydance

   (44:16) Outro

   Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman

   Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Devon Baroldi, and Jamie Yukich

   Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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6. Hollywood's Gaming Adaptation Feeding Frenzy, With Chris Ryan | Button Mash

   9 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 28 min

   Afspelen
   Ben brings on Chris Ryan, host of The Watch, to discuss whether Hollywood has hit peak gaming adaptation. First, Chris reminisces about his gaming heyday and how his habit lapsed. Then, as Skydance consolidates its Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount IP, Ben and Chris come up with pitches for video game versions of Taylor Sheridan shows. After that, they examine the latest trend in gaming adaptations: bundling a bunch of gaming properties together in package deals. Finally, they talk about 'GTA VI' hype and how the buzz about the game's soundtrack stands out in 2026, and then Ben provides a few updates and impressions about what he's been playing. Lees meer

   (0:00) Intro(10:25) Skydance news(17:26) Taylor Sheridan pitches(1:01:33) 'GTA VI' updates(1:25:00) Outro

   Host: Ben LindberghGuest: Chris RyanProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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7. ‘Lanterns’ Season 1 Finale Instant Reactions, Plus a Talk With Chris Mundy | The Midnight Boys

   5 oktober 2026 · 2 uur 5 min

   Afspelen
   The Boys are back and they have new haircuts! With the end of the beloved first season of HBO’s ‘Lanterns,’ the boys are giving you a packed episode! First they discuss their thoughts on the finale and the season as a whole, then they welcome ‘Lanterns’ writer-showrunner–executive producer, Chris Mundy, onto the show! Lees meer

   (0:00) Intro

   (8:16) Spoilers ahead

   (11:05) ‘Lanterns’ Season 1 finale instant reactions

   (1:13:49) Midnight Meter

   (1:21:49) A Chat with Chris Mundy

   (2:00:17) Outro

   Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman

   Guests: Chris Mundy and Rachel Lindsay

   Producers: Jamie Yukich, Devon Baroldi, and Aleya Zenieris

   Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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8. ‘Star Wars: Galactic Racer,’ ‘Ace Combat 8,’ and ‘Gears of War: E-Day’ Reactions | Button Mash

   2 oktober 2026 · 1 uur 40 min

   Afspelen
   Ben, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman marvel at how many good games are coming out in quick succession and wonder whether this is the best week ever for Button Mash material. Then they share their extensive, spoiler-free impressions (and rankings) of three big, brand-new releases: ‘Star Wars: Galactic Racer,’ ‘Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve,’ and ‘Gears of War: E-Day.’ Lees meer

   (0:00) Intro(7:42) ‘Star Wars: Galactic Racer’(45:04) ‘Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve’(1:10:37) ‘Gears of War: E-Day’(1:36:18) Outro

   Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Matt James and Steve AhlmanProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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9. Is Sinestro the Key to Unraveling the Biggest Mystery in 'Lanterns'?

   1 oktober 2026 · 20 min

   Afspelen
   The Ringer's Daniel Chin is here to breakdown Thaal Sinestro in HBO's latest DC series, 'Lanterns.' Starting with the basics, Daniel will dive into who the iconic Green Lantern villain is, what his relationships to key characters are, and what his role could be in the season finale. Lees meer

   (00:00) Intro(01:51) Who is Sinestro?(04:40) What is Sinestro’s relationship with Hal Jordan?(09:01) What is Sinestro’s relationship to the Green Lantern Corps?(12:49) Season finale speculation

   Host: Daniel ChinProducers: Steve Ahlman and Carlos ChiribogaEditor: Jon Jones
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10. Ringer-Verse Recommends: September 2026

    30 september 2026 · 1 uur 49 min

    Afspelen
    "We do not know when it will be safe to go outside. We only know that day is not this day." That's what Ben Lindbergh says to himself when he's working from home, but not when he's in studio to discuss 'Silo' and other recent nerd-culture releases! On this month's Recommends, Ben brings on Alex Kirshner to make the case for 'Silo' as a series worth sticking with, discuss the explosive end of Season 3, and look ahead to the final season. Then Scott Tobias and Keith Phipps join to talk 'Dark Matter' Season 2, share their all-time tier lists of Apple TV sci-fi series, break down 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Season 4, assess the state of 'Star Trek' as the franchise turns 60, and cover Korean sci-fi epic 'Hope' and, briefly, 'Practical Magic 2.' Finally, Ben recommends 'Lego Star Wars: The Mandalorian' and other Disney+ kids' content and muses about the rapid rise and fall of 'The Mandalorian' and live-action 'Star Wars' and MCU streaming series.(00:00) Intro(03:09) Alex joins the show(16:27) 'Silo' spoilers(39:20) Scott and Keith join the show(40:08) Talking 'Dark Matter'(53:00) The Apple TV tier list(72:03) ‘Strange New Worlds’(81:52) The state of ‘Star Trek’(89:02) 'Hope'Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Alex Kirshner, Scott Tobias, and Keith PhippsSenior Producer: Steve AhlmanAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
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