Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the site-related news and best community creations from the previous week.
Well, let’s not bury the lede here. The biggest news this week and even this month comes with the announcement that in the transition towards full staff ownership the team at Giant Bomb is making a new website. As indicated in that announcement article, parts of the current site that they plan to preserve are:
The full backlog of video contentAll podcasts and feedsArticles and reviewsForumsLivestream pages (ad free for premium subscribers)The Wiki!
With the Wiki specifically, the new version of it will be “open source” and there will be a Git Hub repository that community members can use, edit, and improve upon. Presently, @chucktowski is the one exploring possible engines to build the wiki and next version of the site. If you are interested in helping with the process of making or testing something like this, then fill out this form and Chuck will add you will be added to a new section on the Discord called “Wiki Street Team.”
What about features that aren’t listed above as priorities? As they say, never say never, but while Chuck is a workhorse he can only do so much and the present objective is to make a core for the site that can be built upon later. That said, Giant Bomb’s site chat is gone and Twitch and YouTube will be the hosts for chat moving forward. Look, I loved the site chat; I even used it to put myself on the front-page for charity streams. Nonetheless, the thing was a technical nightmare behind the scenes and there’s no denying that the numbers on it have been dropping like a rock. Likewise, if you are concerned about blogs and lists being lost, Chuck promises that there will be a way for you to retrieve their no longer publicly available created content. Will it be perfectly formatted and just like it was when you first published it? No, but rest assured something is being done to help everyone keep most of the special things have made on Giant Bomb. You may still want to take some time to back up your own work as well.
The plan is to have a Beta for Premium Subscribers around August where you’ll be able to test out the new site and share input. The present site will still be available to use during that time. Around November to December, the team is hoping to do a full site launch. However, that is to be determined as the new site is only dropping when it is ready for prime time.
Jeff Grubb has published a thread asking the community to share what sorts of video features or concepts you’d like to see in the future. If you feel especially passionate about what you’d like to see make a comeback, consider filling out this form Grubb has set up.
The Illusive Man is judging your picks.
And now for something different. In what can only be describe as maybe the most successful community event in years, Giant Bomb has taken The New York Times’ “Top 10 Movies of the 21st Century” gimmick and made it about video games! That’s right, it is time for you to send in a ballot for The Top 10 Games of the 21st Century! If you have any questions about what qualifies for inclusion, click the link to read the article. Otherwise, get your vote in before the end of July 3rd! If you decide to make your ballot public by posting it in the form of a list, let me know and I’ll be happy to showcase it!
And finally, just as a follow up to things that I reported last week, Rorie’s Patreon is officially live and the same goes for Bakalar’s webcomic. Please support either of them in their endeavors however you can. Likewise, TurboShawn has updated their Linktree to help people who wish to continue to follow them wherever they go.
Art
Mike Rascal In Mega Man + Blight Club x Death Stranding (By: @jearum)
Jearum once again graces us with two magnificent works of art. The first puts Mike dressed as Rascal and trying to complete a level of Mega Man with their own Rascal-inspired version of the Mega Buster. Second, they illustrated the staff as characters in Death Stranding 2 in the art style of Yoji Shinkawa as a movie poster.
As a final aside, don’t forget that jearum is taking art commissions and comes highly recommended by the staff and this community.
Check Out My Rascal Hat (Lore Accurate) (By: @poconopaul)
After making a miniature version of Pipo in real life, poconopaul now showcases their effort to make the hat in Rascal a reality! They also added in a couple of buttons to make it something that Mike could get behind.
Danman (By: NickToilet)
So… maybe Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a good video game? No matter, NickToilet had a hand at trying to graft Dan as a doll in the game. And as always, they also have a fun timelapse of them making this work of art.
Did Someone Say Billboard? (By: @kone)
During The Bombcast, the staff mentioned that they’d love to get new blood in the Giant Bomb community and would even consider buying a billboard. Kone imagines a world where that actually happens.
New Giant Bomb Retro Logo(By: sophiemvgray)
Over on Bluesky, Sophie Gray tried their hand at making a new, albeit retro-inspired, version of the Giant Bomb logo and I think we can all agree that they did an AMAZING JOB!
It’s A Lockdown Baby(By: TompTomp)
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, lock me up and throw away the key.
Mike Just Wants To Protect You (By: michaelroleary)
As someone else pointed out, this could be a real scene in Kingdom Hearts and nobody would do a fuckin thing.
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/kone.bsky.social/post/3lsi6lcy64c22
https://bsky.app/profile/3amgirl.gay/post/3lsmjlti7zk2i
https://bsky.app/profile/picklegiraffe.bsky.social/post/3lsobbivxy225
https://bsky.app/profile/lexluddy.xyz/post/3lsc22vznuk2k
https://bsky.app/profile/creakylegs.lol/post/3lskcyuwif22o
Videos
Myst with Mitch #1 – FMV Scenes With Added Subtitles (By: Firehair)
A common complaint with the version of Myst that Mitch is playing is that subtitles do not play or show up when you play Myst with the FMV cutscenes instead of the newer ones. To help out people with vision issues, Firehair decided to do people a solid and include them.
Activities
Voting Thread For The Next Game Pick For The Giant Bomb Game Of The Month Club +
Monster Train 2 Is The 6th Game Of UUGPGC Year 4! Finish By July 1! Mark All Spoilers! (By:@bigsocrates)
Voting for the next game pick for the Giant Bomb Game of the Month Club is up! To the right you will find the current list of nominees to choose from! If you would like to suggest a game be added to the list of nominees, feel free to do that in the thread as well.
And as always, the current pick for the club is Monster Train 2 and everyone is encouraged to share what they think are the best decks and combinations to beat the game for anyone that is still struggling with it.
The GB Album Club 087 – Take Me To The Disco by Meg Myers (By: @unclejam23)
The latest pick for the Giant Bomb Album of the Week Club is Take Me To The Disco by Meg Myers! Any thoughts about Myers’ second studio album? Share away and also remember that if you would like to join the club to let UncleJam23 know in the comments of this thread.
Blogs
June 2025 Next Fest Demo Impressions [Part 1]: Danchi Days, Cast N Chill, Downhill, Dispatch, Thysiastery, & Bloodthief (By: @zombiepie)
You ready for some blobber action?
Danchi Days, Cast n Chill, Downhill, Dispatch, Thysiastery and Bloodthief are the game demos from the June 2025 Next Fest that ZombiePie wants to talk about with their latest blog wherein they discuss the most notable game demos they played during the event.
The Early Evolution of Sound and Music in Video Games: 1988 (By: @alianger)
alianger has another entry in their blog series looking at the evolution of video game music and sound design with an essay examining the technological improvement in 1988, especially the X68000 computer in Japan! Do you like it when your chiptunes shriek?
Game OVA Season 4: Episode 2 — What’s Michael? +
Indie Game of the Week 425: LumbearJack (By: @mento)
Where else on the internet can you learn about the OVA and video game versions of Michael English Daibouken other than Giant Bomb? As they once again delve into the old school OVA-to-video game pipeline, this week they take you on a wild journey about Japanese edutainment!
And yet again Mento has a new edition of their “Indie Game of the Week” feature but this time they are looking at LumbearJack! Is there more to this physics-based puzzle game beyond the cozy and comedic visuals? Read to find out!
All Saturn Games In Order: July 1996 (By: @borgmaster)
borgmaster has another tour through every North American Sega Saturn game with a look at NHL Powerplay ’96, Galaxy Fight, DecAthlete, and Legend of Oasis! If any of those games get your nostalgia Spidey Senses tingling, drop them a comment.
Walking Alone: Death Stranding as Hideo Kojima’s Post-Konami Auteur Manifesto (By: @pauljeremiah)
Time for a re-assessment of OG Death Stranding?
With reviews of Death Stranding 2 saying the game is an experience even for Kojima skeptics, is it time for a re-assessment of the first game? That’s at the heart of pauljeremiah’s latest blog and you can comment if you agree or disagree.
Clair Obscur’s Endings, And A Question Of Perspectie [Spoilers!] (By: @mooseymcman)
Interested in talking shop about the story for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, especially its ending and unanswered questions, and don’t mind spoilers? If that’s the case, then this blog by MooseyMcMan might be what you are looking for! Share away if you liked or disliked the game’s ending and all of the conclusions for its memorable cast of characters.
Not E3 2025: The PC Gaming Show, The Latin American Games Showcase, and More (By: @gamer_152)
Was The PC Gaming Show another clunker or a highlight this year?
Moderator Gamer_152 has the final blog in which they review the 2025 Not-E3 conferences they watched all the way through! The grand finale discusses the PC Gaming Show and MORE but also pontificates about the state of Not-E3 and what future it still can have.
Discussion Threads
A Real Shame That The Developer Don’t Nod Is Laying Off Employees (By: @monkeyking1969)
the news coming from Don’t Nod is a real bummer.
Reports are saying an undisclosed number of employees at Don’t Nod have been laid off. Learn about the details and share your thoughts in the Giant Bomb thread linked above. With previous disfunction at the studio having been reported when its workers decided to unionize, are you surprised?
Capcom Direct Discussion Thread (By: @fishlion)
So, Capcom decided to have its own streaming event in which they showcased the big games they have in the works that they hope people enjoy in the future. Whether it be swimsuits in Street Fighter 6 or Resident Evil Requiem, share what caught your attention during Capcom’s special showcase.
Best Movies Of The 21st Century (By: @atheistpreacher)
Do you think RE: Requiem is looking like a solid game?
It has been the source of debate and mockery since it debuted, but which movies did you include in your ballot for The New York Times’ “Best Movies of the 21st Century” community event? Is there are a reason why you picked the ten films you did? Share away!
MindsEye, A Hottest Mess Frontrunner, Got Depressingly Hotter And Messier With Layoffs Reported Pending At Its Studio (By: @zombiepie)
The situation with MindsEye and developer Build a Rocket Boy is bad. Really bad. Anyone have a reaction to the game and Benzies’ handling of the game’s release? Do you foresee any future for Build a Rocket Boy Games after this release?
The Summer ’25 Season Looks Stacked (By: @dochaus)
The Summer ’25 anime season is looking STACKED! Are there any shows you are already enjoying right now? Maybe one you can’t wait to watch? Maybe… you can think of a show that Dan might enjoy watching or a show the other Giant Bomb staff would love.
Project Motor Racing’s Single Player Career Mode Trailer (By: @gtxforza)
Also, is this dialogue a net positive for us and society?
Project Motor Racing is trying to bill itself as an alternative in the racing sim arena to the likes of iRacing or Assetto Corsa. This week, in order to drum up some hype towards their effort, they released a single-player campaign trailer that you are encouraged to discuss and relay thoughts about.
Any Tips For A New Elden Ring Player That Jumped Into It After The Release Of Nightreign? (By: @treethan)
Elden Ring Nightreign was bound to do this to a non-zero number of people, but there players that are jumping into Elden Ring for the first time because of Nightreign. Do you have any advice for these people? Any tips and/or tricks to help them avoid common mistakes?
Lists
Also, are you following the one game per franchise rule with your list/ballot?
The Top 10 Games of the 21st Century (By: @razorblade79)
Top Ten Games of the 21st Century (By: @thepickle)
The 10 Best Games of the 21st Century (By: @anonymousbroccoli)
Top 10 Games of the Century (So Far…) (By: @devoureroftime)
As to be expected, a bunch of Giant Bomb members have decided to use the site’s list feature to publicly share their ballots towards Giant Bomb’s “The Top 10 Games of the 21st Century” community competition! If you decide to make your ballot public, just let out a yelp and I would be happy to include it on the next edition of the Community Spotlight.
A Pair of Eights between 2009 and 2024 (By: @infantpipoc)
Though we are well-removed from GOTY season, but infantpipoc decided to have some GOTY fun this week by re-ranking everyone GOTY they have awarded and subtracting for “recency bias.” Get an idea of what their concept is and consider making your own version if and when you can.
My RPG Pile of Shame (By: @majormitch)
Do you have an RPG pile of shame?
While they have definitely gotten better about tackling the big games in the genre over time, MajorMitch lays out all of their confessions about not being an expert at RPGs, and the most prominent games in their “pile of shame” in the arena of RPGs.
Reviews
Everyone’s favorite SF character.
@danryback‘s retro fighting game reviews are back!. To kick off this reboot, they played and reviewed Street Fighter EX3! Is there any reason to return to the game today? Click the link to see what they think.
Wiki Of The Week
A game that requires no introduction, especially to your wrist.
Diablo II, probably the most important action-RPG ever made, is celebrating its 25th anniversary! Is there a reason why so many hold the game in as high-regard as they do? You can get a sense of why by checking out the game’s wiki page! Also, did any of you get RSI because of Diablo II?
