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Tomas Franzese

@tomasfranzese.bsky.social
490 followers 248 following 1.1K posts

Video Game Industry Reporter & Critic | Author of the Remastered Newsletter | Weekend News Editor at Polygon | Bylines: GameSpot, Digital Trends, XDA, Game Informer, Android Police, ComicBook, Noisy Pixel, and more | ODU Graduate Student

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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 6h
A lot of well-earned criticism of that NYT Xbox article, but on the news front this comment really stood out to me. It really seems like Xbox wants to embrace playbor and UGC rather than developer made games next-gen. Don't think "do the work for us after we laid off thousands" is a good strategy.
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Andy Robinson @andyrobinson.bsky.social · 9h
Games media cuts have felt unending for a while, but the mood feels especially grim among indie outlets with the latest wave of layoffs. More than ever, if the game industry values its media, it needs to support them. Buy some advertising, sponsor content, purchase subs. It makes a big difference.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
I'm very excited to share that I reviewed Minecraft Dungeons II for @gameinformer.com ! This is a very big deal for me. Game Informer was the gaming magazine I read growing up, and I've always wanted to be published there. gameinformer.com/review/minec...
gameinformer.com
Minecraft Dungeons II Review: Built Better Than Before
Minecraft Dungeons II (Xbox Series X/S) Review – 7.25/10: Minecraft Dungeons II is a straightforward, entry-level action-RPG that proves this spin-off franchise can stand on its own and improve with s...
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
One final BlizzCon story from me on @polygon.com. I asked CD Projekt Red if it'd ever add Diablo-themed content to a Witcher game, and got a surprisingly thoughtful response as to why the studio doesn't like crossover/collab content in its own games: www.polygon.com/the-witcher-...
polygon.com
Witcher Dev Reveals Why CD Projekt Red Doesn't Do Crossovers In Its Own Games
A Geralt-inspired skin is coming to Diablo 4, but don't expect Diablo characters in The Witcher 3 Remastered
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
A good Remastered this week! First, a Q&A with Commodore and Antstream about Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection, which launches today. I learned more about why neo-Commodore is getting into game publishing and confirmed no AI was used in the collection. www.remastered.blog/commodore-sa...
remastered.blog
Commodore Says Publishing Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collection Wasn't About The Money
Jim Squires revealed why the newly revived Commodore got back into game publishing with Alien Breed 35th Anniversary Collecton.
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Patrick Klepek @patrickklepek.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Sad Nub Cat in the Rain
ALT: Sad Nub Cat in the Rain
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CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
holy shit Caleb, that stop on the sideline was hilarious
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I haven't been able to stop thinking about @amphibiangame.bsky.social since it was unveiled at Gamescom, so I interviewed its developer for Remastered! It was a great conversation that touched on both how "frog-accurate" the game is and its retro inspirations! www.remastered.blog/amphibian-in...
remastered.blog
This "Frog-Accurate" RPG Pays Tribute To Final Fantasy, Fire Emblem, And More
Amphibian developer Greg Alexandropoulos reveals what makes his "frog-accurate" game special in a sea of retro-inspired RPGs.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
My last big story from BlizzCon: A feature about Heroes of the Storm's return, and how a small team at Blizzard has quietly been working towards this moment since 2022: www.polygon.com/heroes-of-th...
polygon.com
How Blizzard Quietly Revived Heroes of the Storm
Blizzard breaks down the 4-year road of development that led to Heroes of the Storm’s grand BlizzCon return
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
My latest BlizzCon story is about Diablo 5's procedural generation! The devs were pretty open about the fact that Diablo 4's static open world missed the mark and don't seem concerned that going back to procedural generation will make the game too repetitive: www.polygon.com/diablo-5-no-...
polygon.com
Blizzard Explains How Diablo 5 Avoids Diablo 4's Open-World Problem
Overlay maps will also be in Diablo 5 from day one
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Shout out to the guy at the Denver airport that is mad he got served ramen at the ramen restaurant there.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I spoke to CDPR about their upcoming Diablo and Overwatch collaborations, getting into the weeds about why certain choices, like making the D4 Geralt skin just for Barbarian class, were made: www.polygon.com/cd-projekt-r...
polygon.com
Diablo 4’s Witcher Collab Could Literally Only Work for One Class, Says CDPR
Developers also reveal why Overwatch is collaborating with Cyberpunk: Edgerunners and not Cyberpunk 2077
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
More BlizzCon stuff from me on @polygon.com! Did you know that a writer that helped shape the original Dragon Age trilogy is working on Diablo 5 as its narrative director, and that her work on Dragon Age is influencing the new game? www.polygon.com/diablo-5-int...
polygon.com
Diablo 5 Has A Surprising Connection To Dragon Age
"My experience with traditional RPGs has definitely been a strength" during Diablo 5's development, Jennifer Hepler told Polygon
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
I'm covering BlizzCon for @polygon.com, and we confirmed that the switch support of Diablo 4 will have mouse controls! Revealed that and generally preview the port here: www.polygon.com/diablo-4-nin...
polygon.com
Diablo 4 On Switch 2: A Very Impressive Port That Supports Mouse Controls
Blizzard confirmed to Polygon that the Switch 2 port we played at BlizzCon will support mouse controls
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
For Remastered this week, I used all the discourse around The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Switch 2 to explore how there's now a spectrum of what video game remakes can be, and that there's no wrong way to do one (except for generative AI, I guess): www.remastered.blog/what-does-re...
remastered.blog
What Does "Remake" Mean In 2026?
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 highlights how every remake approaches revitalizing a classic differently.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I wrote about everything that shadow-dropped during the Direct today for @gamespot.com. Also just want to say I impressed @jasonfanelli.com with how much I correctly predicted. www.gamespot.com/articles/eve...
gamespot.com
Every Nintendo Direct Game That You Can Play Right Now
Crisis Core, Meccha Chameleon, and more games shadow-dropped during the September 2026 Nintendo Direct.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I got to check out Valheim's 1.0 update early for @polygon.com! It cemented Valheim as an all-time survival game for me, not just a pandemic gaming-era fad. www.polygon.com/valheim-laun...
polygon.com
Valheim 1.0 Is Finally The Game It Was Always Meant To Be
If you still haven’t played Valheim, now’s the time to do so
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Just beat Zero Company, and it truly is a wonderful game. I hope the impacted devs who made it so amazing have the opportunity to land on their feet and make more great games in the future.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
To help kick off @polygon.com's Fall Preview, I published an exclusive release date reveal and Q&A with the developers of Food Devils! www.polygon.com/food-devils-...
polygon.com
This Sexy Fire Emblem-Inspired RPG Mixes Roguelikes, Dating Sims, and Hot Devils
Polygon can exclusively reveal the release date of Studio Daimon's Food Devils
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Next weekend, I'm going to be covering BlizzCon in-person for @polygon.com! Don't hesitate to say hi if you see me there.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
No Remastered today! Reviewed Onimusha earlier in the week and was covering the State of Play this morning! It will return on September 10!
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
And I've confirmed it. Official statement from CD Projekt Red (full quote in article): "Fool's Theory team is focused mainly on the development of Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, while a relatively small part of their team is supporting the development of The Witcher 4."
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
After a recent comment made by CD Projekt's CEO, I did some digging for @gamespot.com. This has gone under the radar despite public statements, but The Witcher Remake's development has stalled as the team waits on "technology dependencies with The Witcher 4." www.gamespot.com/articles/the...
gamespot.com
The Witcher Remake Is Waiting On The Witcher 4 To Continue Development
Developer Fool's Theory has prioritized work on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's Songs of the Past expansion instead.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
What a shame. This is my GOTY, yet I see so much room for improvement in a sequel (better story presentation, fewer glitches, etc.). It feels like the Mass Effect 1 of what could be an all-time great strategy series. Unfortunately, the industry doesn't let studios survive to do that anymore.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
This week's Remastered is the newsletter's first AAA game review! I really enjoyed Onimusha: Way of the Sword. The back half of the game can get repetitive, but overall I found it does a fantastic job of modernizing Onimusha while maintaining the series' soul: www.remastered.blog/onimusha-way...
remastered.blog
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Modernizes A Classic Franchise While Retaining Its Soul
Onimusha: Way of the Sword is the best action game of 2026 and an amazing retro revival.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
We're probably going to learn more about the Manhunters on today's episode of Lanterns, so why don't you read more about the time Ryan Reynolds' Green Lantern fought them: www.polygon.com/green-lanter...
polygon.com
Nobody Remembers The DC Video Game That Introduced Lanterns' Villains
Remember that time Ryan Reynolds’ Green Lantern fought the Manhunters? Probably not.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Thanks to Ford James' on-the-ground reporting at Gamescom, I can confirm for @polygon.com that Fable will take 20 hours to beat. The developers did note that engaging with the sidequests and Fable's emergent game systems can double your play time, though: www.polygon.com/fable-game-l...
polygon.com
Fable Will Officially Be 20 Hours Long, Xbox Confirms In New Interview
But you can 'literally play it forever' if you want
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
A feature about something I've tracked for a year is live on @gamespot.com! When raising the price of Xbox Game Pass in 2025, Xbox promised to add 75+ day-one releases to the service over the next year. While a lot changed at Xbox since then, it did accomplish that: www.gamespot.com/articles/xbo...
gamespot.com
Xbox Kept At Least One Big Promise In Its Most Tumultuous Year Ever
Xbox promised that Game Pass would have over 75 day-one releases this past year. It delivered on that despite all of the other changes at Xbox.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
GTA 6 certainly looks like one of the video games of all time.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
This week's Remastered is more bloggy, as I muse over why the new games being shown during showcases like Gamescom Opening Night Live are getting less and less interesting to me: www.remastered.blog/gamescom-ope...
remastered.blog
Why Are Video Game Showcases So Boring Now?
I explore why so few of Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026's announcements excited me.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Found Gamescom Opening Night Live pretty boring and disappointing overall, but Lego Skylines was the highlight for me! www.gamespot.com/articles/leg...
gamespot.com
Lego Skylines Is A Genius Idea For A Cities: Skylines Spin-Off
A Cities: Skylines spin-off where everything is made of Lego is in the works.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
New byline! I shared some quick thoughts on 2XKO's recent end-of-development announcement on @gametyrant.bsky.social: gametyrant.com/news/2xkos-s...
gametyrant.com
2XKO's Demise Is Disappointing But Not Shocking — GameTyrant
While I was saddened when Riot Games announced the end of development for 2XKO , I was not surprised. Released less than a year ago after over a decade of development, even Riot Games admits that 2X...
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
There seems to have been an email issue, so the latest Remastered newsletter featuring my Theropods interview with @losttoken.bsky.social didn't go out to all subscribers. Please check it out if you think you missed it this morning, I'm really happy with how it turned out.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
This week's Remastered is a good one! I have an interview with the developers of Theropods, where Lost Token breaks down how it made an amazing point-and-click adventure game that lacked dialogue and sports beautiful pixel art: www.remastered.blog/theropods-in...
remastered.blog
Theropods Honors The Legacy Of Adventure Games Without Muttering A Single Word
Lost Token explains how it created one of the best point-and-click adventure games in years.
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Sam Hill @samahill.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
belated announcement but I'm writing news over at @polygon.com now 😎 lots of stories about unexpected steaming hits, video game deals and, most importantly, the upcoming ACOTAR board game all the stories here: www.polygon.com/author/sam-h... www.polygon.com/acotar-board...
polygon.com
One of Romantasy’s Biggest Series Is Coming for Your Board Game Shelf
One of romantasy’s biggest series is becoming a strategy board game built around alliances, rivalries, and the seven Courts of Prythian.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Kingdom Hearts fans will really see a random anime boy in a trailer and go "This is the greatest game trailer of all time! Nomura hasn't lost it!"
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
Not surprised to see Disney flaunting Kingdom Hearts as it tries to get back into gaming. It's basically free theme park-like advertising for whatever IP they want to promote. Everyone talks about the wild lore, but that's the real reason the franchise has stayed around so long.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Spiritual successors are the theme of this week's Remastered. It features a Q&A with Replicant D6, the solo dev behind the GoldenEye 007-inspired Agent 64. It also features my thoughts on Wild Blue Skies, an underwhelming Star Fox spiritual successor. www.remastered.blog/agent-64-int...
remastered.blog
Agent 64 Is GoldenEye For The Modern Eye
Agent 64: Spies Never Die developer Replicant D6 reveals how their great GoldenEye 007 spiritual successor came to be.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Remastered is going live at 1 p.m. tomorrow because of an embargo!
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
All the glowing Star Wars: Zero Company previews are getting me more excited for that game than any other game in recent memory. I've always wanted XCOM-like strategy games based on Star Wars and the Suicide Squad, and ZCOM seems like it is fully delivering the former.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
For this week's Remastered, I used Beast of Reincarnation to reflect on Game Freak's Gear Project titles and how they reveal more about the developers at Game Freak than Pokémon does. Plus, a giveaway for Montabi, a new Pokémon-inspired roguelike: www.remastered.blog/beast-of-rei...
remastered.blog
Beast Of Reincarnation Reveals More About Game Freak Than Pokémon
Like other Gear Project games, Beast of Reincarnation shows what the Pokémon developers at Game Freak are truly passionate about.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
This is kind of the late-stage capitalism end point for both video game showcases and content-driven subscription services. Paying a company a subscription fee to watch an ad is considered a viable business model now.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I would like to say that the level of dopamine I've been getting from interacting with @marioprime.bsky.social is not healthy for me.
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Maddy Myers 🏳️‍🌈 @midimyers.com · 31/07/2026
it's actually sad as hell to use AI for research when research is the fun part. you can just email people and call them on the phone and ask them questions about the thing that they have expertise in. you can read documents & learn cool shit. ok now i'm just talking about how being a reporter is fun
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Thank you to @maxfrequency.net for inviting me back on his podcast. I was a really great discussion about the *waves hands at everything* what's going on with the game industry right now!
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Remastered is back! Based on interviews conducted during and after Summer Game Fest, I wrote about how @everquestlegends.bsky.social is taking a much different approach to the "classic" reimagining that a lot of long-running multiplayer games have received: www.remastered.blog/everquest-le...
remastered.blog
EverQuest Legends Is More Than A Novelty Throwback
Executive Producer David Youssefi breaks down how EverQuest Legends is more than a throwback to the MMO's launch days.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Had heard the new He-Man movie was low key pretty good, but that was by far the worst thing I watched this year. Terrible, repetitive script that makes fun of the source material in really annoying ways. If the movie itself doesn't seem to like the source material, why should I like the movie?
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
For @gamespot.com, I wrote about how Xbox's ad-supporting game streaming announcement crosses a line the video game industry has been inching toward for years: www.gamespot.com/articles/xbo...
gamespot.com
Xbox Is Putting Ads Before Games, And It Feels Gross
Although advertising is commonplace in video games nowadays, something about Xbox’s ad-supported cloud gaming announcement is particularly infuriating.
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
No Remastered tomorrow morning. I just did a great interview that'll be at the center of the newsletter, but it would come in a little too hot if I rushed to meet tomorrow's 11 a.m. deadline. Expect it before next Tuesday, though, as it's about a game launching next week!
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Tomas Franzese @tomasfranzese.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Just watched High Fidelity, and it's pretty wild how Mixtape just rips off its whole conceited character talking to the camera about music schtick. Both are also a little too forgiving to their terrible main characters.
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