The Ringer-Verse

Sep 10 · 1h 44m

Ben, Matt James, and Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio unsheathe their adamantium takes as they tackle the week's biggest gaming stories. First, they break down Nintendo's back-to-back Directs and analyze both what was shown and what wasn't: the new look, hybrid gameplay, and November release date of the 'Ocarina of Time' remake; the exciting announcements and continued absences of some of the company's flagship franchises; the Switch 2's upcoming slate; Nintendo's leak problems, and more. Then they give their spoiler-free reviews of Insomniac's much-anticipated Wolverine adventure and explain the game's prerelease controversies and lukewarm reception. Finally, they share their spoiler-free reviews of the 'Witcher'-esque vampire action RPG 'The Blood of Dawnwalker' and assess where it ranks among the best vampire video games. (0:00) Intro(2:03) Nintendo Directs(35:08) 'Marvel's Wolverine' first thoughts(1:04:03) 'The Blood of Dawnwalker' reviews(1:40:47) Outro Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Matt James and Giovanni ColantonioProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 9 · 2h 3m

Wasting no time at all, the chaotic-but-lovable crew of five adventurers pick right back up where they left off in the last episode. Together they investigate who might be behind the assassin master plan, fail to flirt with women, and might even find themselves at a high society ball! (00:32) Campaign recap (1:10) Act 1: Into the Black Rose Tavern (55:16) Act 2: The Concordance Ball (2:00:43) Outro Directed by: Aleya Zenieris and Steve Ahlman Hosted By: Steve Ahlman Featuring: Charles Holmes, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan, and Jomi Adeniran Audio Producer: Devon Baroldi Production Support: Jacob Cornett, Ryan Todd, Chris Thomas, Scott Lee, and Kevin Cureghian Set Design: Jonathan Ratliff Supervising Producer: Arjuna Ramgopowell Video Production and Editing: Aleya Zenieris and Matthew Ciampa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 7 · 1h 36m

The Boys return to recap yet another banger 'Lanterns' episode. The guys discuss the growing rift between Hal and John, question if the guardians can be racist, examine John’s Oedipus complex, and much more. Finally, they end the show with an update to their possible manhunter rankings. (0:00) Intro (3:23) Spoilers ahead (6:00) ‘Lanterns’ Episode 4 instant reactions (1:32:20) OutroHosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve AhlmanProducers: Devon Baroldi and Jamie YukichAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 4 · 1h 35m

Ben, Steve Ahlman, Matt James, and Lewis Gordon get together to ask: How does Capcom keep killing it? First, they run down some recent gaming news, including a lackluster Sony State of Play, a 'GTA'-driven bump in console sales, 'Star Wars Zero Company' maker Bit Reactor's furloughed workforce, the backlash to Nvidia's DLSS 5 AI upscaling tech, and two dubious arguments in legal filings by the major console manufacturers. After that, they share their reviews of 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword' and discuss Capcom's incredible run leading up to and throughout 2026, with insights from Lewis's reporting for The Ringer on the company's comeback. Finally, they provide their impressions of two other recent releases, 'Orbitals' and 'Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy.' Read Lewis's piece here: https://www.theringer.com/2026/09/03/video-games/how-capcom-cracked-the-code-of-game-development-onimusha-resident-evil-pragmata (0:00) Intro(4:15) Patch Notes(44:35) 'Onimusha: Way of the Sword' reviews(1:03:40) Capcom's comeback(1:13:00) 'Orbitals' and 'Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy' impressions(1:29:00) Outro Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Steve Ahlman, Matt James, and Lewis GordonProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 3 · 1h 35m

The Boys return to Midnight Court, and this time they’re debating which era of animated shows had the biggest cultural impact: the '80s or the '90s? It’s Van vs. everyone in this trial of wills, and here to decide which team gave the best argument is special guest judge and cartoon expert Seth Green. (1:14) Intro (2:25) Opening statements (9:09) Cross-examination (53:58) Closing statements (1:07:57) Verdict (1:16:00) Interview with Seth Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve AhlmanGuest: Seth GreenProducers: Devon Baroldi and Jamie YukichAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 2 · 1h 36m

The Ringer-Verse is rolling the dice and jumping right back into its previous campaign! After a long journey, our heroes return to the mansion where it all began and discover that a new threat awaits them. They begin on their adventure by finding out who is after O’Daddy Thibodeaux, but they never forget that (1) it’s about the family they make along the way, (2) we all need a hefty queen, and (3) Mal has dark vision.(2:39) Campaign recap(4:38) Act 1: Return to Belvedere Manor(1:07:48) Act 2: Into Veyrholm(1:38:44) OutroDirected by: Aleya Zenieris and Steve AhlmanHosted By: Steve AhlmanFeaturing: Charles Holmes, Mallory Rubin, Joanna Robinson, Van Lathan, and Jomi AdeniranAudio Producer: Devon BaroldiProduction Support: Jacob Cornett, Ryan Todd, Chris Thomas, Scott Lee, and Kevin CureghianSet Design: Jonathan RatliffSupervising Producer: Arjuna RamgopowellVideo Production and Editing: Aleya Zenieris and Matthew Ciampa Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 1 · 1h 55m

Who says the late-summer schedule is slow? First, Ben Lindbergh talks to Ringer contributor Adam Nayman about a trio of recent big-screen releases: 'The End of Oak Street,' 'The Dog Stars,' and 'Coyote vs. Acme.' In addition to those three films, they discuss the summer box office, the year in movies as a whole, and the best live-action and animation hybrid movies. Then, Jomi Adeniran and Daniel Chin join for an animation roundup as they explore some superhero and 'Star Wars' stories that slipped through the cracks in a month headlined by 'Lanterns,' 'X-Men '97,' and 'Star Wars Zero Company.' They look at 'My Adventures With Superman' Season 3, 'Batman: Caped Crusader' Season 2, 'Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall' and 'Star Wars: Visions Presents—The Ninth Jedi.' Ben concludes with a listener recommendation and a bonus nomination.(0:00) Intro(8:48) ‘The End of Oak Street’(26:57) ‘The Dog Stars’(42:03) ‘Coyote vs. Acme’(58:08) ‘My Adventures With Superman’ Season 3(1:10:01) ‘Batman: Caped Crusader’(1:16:50) ‘Batman: Knightfall Part 1: Knightfall’(1:29:47) ‘The Ninth Jedi’(1:47:46) OutroHost: Ben LindberghGuests: Adam Nayman, Jomi Adeniran, and Daniel ChinProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna RamgopowellStudio Production: Remy Hernandez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 31 · 1h 45m

The Boys are back, and ‘Lanterns’ is officially picking up speed. The guys discuss the third episode’s handling of John Stewart’s arc, question how the Guardians pick the right kids, examine Bernadette’s agency in her son’s transformation, and debate whether Hal is just a dickhead. (0:00) Intro (13:30) Spoilers ahead (15:27) ‘Lanterns’ Episode 3 instant reactions (1:38:49) Outro (1:40:15) Post-credits Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve AhlmanProducers: Devon Baroldi and Jamie YukichAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Aug 27 · 1h 11m

Ben, Jason Concepcion, and Jomi Adeniran rendezvous to break down the first official look at 'GTA VI' gameplay via Rockstar's Netflix release of footage from the long-awaited blockbuster. They discuss whether the trailer lived up to the hype, what they learned, and what they're still wondering about with less than three months to go until the game's November 19 release. They also get into gaming's moment in the monocultural spotlight, what a synthesis of 'GTA' and 'Red Dead Redemption' might play like, the recent Cyberleek saga, Rockstar's statement about the leaks, and more. Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Jason Concepcion and Jomi AdeniranProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices