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Well, this is awkward. After swearing I wouldn’t be back, here I am and ready to say a sentence I think you all have heard me utter for over fifteen years. For once, it feels genuinely empowering to say, but… Hello and 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 last week.
As you all likely know by now, Giant Bomb is a wholly independent gaming site with Jeff Bakalar and Jeff Grubb buying Giant Bomb from its previous owner, Fandom. The web site itself has a long way to go from being completely independent from Fandom, and there are still many hurdles for the staff to face, but here’s what I can say. Whatever happens, we can all rest assured things happened on Giant Bomb’s terms and the vibes as they presently stand just feel good.
First, let’s talk about the importance of supporting the site from this point forward. Giant Bomb needs you more than ever. As per Dan, Giant Bomb is no longer going to use Premium as a gate blocking content or features on the site. Instead, it will be a way for you to be a supporter of the site and provide you with an easy way to keep this team together. If your premium is already maxed out, consider donating to the site’s newly christened Ko-Fi page, subscribing or gifting subs on Twitch, or (soon) taking advantage of YouTube super chats when they are available. Here are some links if you need them:
The process of Giant Bomb becoming truly independent will not be easy. The site itself is undoing a complicated and likely long process of “detanglement.” Also, with the team as limited as they are right now, with only Jeff Bakalar, Dan Ryckert, Jeff Grubb, Jan Ochoa, and Mike Minotti fully confirmed as staff right now, many of your requests for new features or site improvements will require greater patience. None of that should be taken to mean you shouldn’t relay concerns or ideas; go right ahead!
So, let’s rapid fire the big stuff worth reviewing.
- Please send any issues you encounter here, on the Discord, or with your premium account to support@giantbomb.com.
- The wiki is back to being operational, so get in there!
- The director of engineering from the CBSi days, Will Carle, is working with Giant Bomb to assist in website migration planning. Likewise, Fandom has been incredibly generous about continuing to host the site on their AWS accounts as it readies for full independence.
- Know that all proceeds from subs and the store will go to keep these lovable goofballs together and making all of the videos you have joined this week and in the future.
- Dan guested on Jeff Gerstmann’s podcast to announce the return of All Systems Goku, but be aware the start date on that is still “TBD.”
And as we turn to the content of this edition of the Spotlight itself, I just want to say it has been an absolute joy seeing so many of you return. Some of you have revived long dormant accounts that have not been used in years. If you find yourself unable to support Giant Bomb monetarily, please, consider creating on Giant Bomb again. Make a thread, edit a wiki, publish a review, or write a blog. Many of you were very public about how important Giant Bomb was to you and now it is time to put that into practice, but in a good way.
Hopefully the positivity continues and know that I’m glad to be back as well.
Giant Bomb Information
Bluesky
We bought Giant Bomb. 📸 @dabe.bsky.social
On this week’s Voicemail Dump Truck…@giantbomb.bsky.social
I see you, @grubb.wtf, and I respect it.@giantbomb.bsky.social
A rousing speech for the change we all needed.Proud of Giant Bomb. This news; rocks.@grubb.wtf @jerf.xyz @danryckert.com @janochoa.bsky.social @tolkoto.com @giantbomb.bsky.social
— Pickle Giraffe (@picklegiraffe.bsky.social) 2025-05-12T14:27:45.863Z
https://bsky.app/profile/creakylegs.lol/post/3lp6ckhqq3k2x
https://bsky.app/profile/kzxcellent.live/post/3lp3ftzl6ps2b
Art
Dan x Hajime no Ippo + The Bad Boy of Games Media + Giant Bomb Forever Poster Redux +
How to Rebuild a Bomb… + “Hey, Small Businessman…” + Mike Minotti x Peanuts +
Jan x Peanuts (By: @jearum)
jearum was on an absolute roll this week with eight artistic creations to celebrate the announcement of Giant Bomb’s independence! Whether it be imagining Dan as an anime character, some of your favorite Giant Bomb staffers as peanuts characters, or another go at a Giant Bomb logo, check out all of the cool stuff they made below!
Gallery
Giant Bomb Fan Art Is Back On The Menu +
Grubb & Bakalar “Save” Giant Bomb ala Spider-Man 2 (By: @kone)
Kone is happy to announce, like many of us to be honest, that they are officially rescinding their “resignation” from creating content on Giant Bomb. He called upon his fellow Giant Bomb fan art creators to do the same and also imagined Grubb and Bakalar “saving” Giant Bomb ala Spider-Man 2.
Giant Bomb – It’s A Website (About Video Games) (By: @mleelunsford)
MLeeLunsford, the creator behind the Persona 4: The Golden Duder Project, has made a valiant return to making Giant Bomb-based artwork and the banner below is an awesome work worth checking out. You can also find a work in progress version of this poster.
We’re So Back(By: vzlb/VisualBee)
vzlb or VisualBee is another Giant Bomb art creator from the past who has decided to dust off their uniform to praise the site and its staff for the recent news. It genuinely is encouraging to see so many people come out of the woodwork like this.
Rascal But Mike + Sonic Goes For An Orca Ride (By: Pickle_Giraffe)
It’s so good to see Pickle_Giraffe back at it! I can’t wait to see what they have in store for the glorious return of their Blight Club animated feature! The following two works of art definitely paint a bright picture.
New Giant Bomb Logo (By: wendyleftmealone)
A lot of people had a go at making an updated or new version of the Giant Bomb logo on social media or on the site. Below is wendyleftmealone attempt at a new logo!
Giant Bomb Logo As A Punk Album Cover + Brand Safety Posters(By: ep-idiotbox)
Here’s another go at a reimagined Giant Bomb logo, but with a punk band twist as well as two “Brand Safety” posters featuring Dan!
Gallery
Giant Bomb – Still Tickin’ (By: silasgoe)
Here’s an important question I will ask alongside calling this poster great. When I credit someone who posted their work on Bluesky, should I credit their name as their Bluesky account name or their display name?
From the Ashes! New Fan Art. (By: @shoddyrobot)
shoddyrobot recently published a new “phoenix” artwork inspired by recent events/news about Giant Bomb. Unfortunately, it didn’t sneak a phoenix down reference, but it is still impressive, nonetheless. Check it out and thank them for their work in the thread I linked to above!
Videos
Best of Giant Bomb 226? – WIND00 +
Best of Giant Bomb 227? – The rest of Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero (By: @turboman)
TurboMan/Derek Stone’s old “Best of Giant Bomb feature is back baybee! For the first two episodes of their return at highlighting the best Giant Bomb video moments, they started with Mike’s efforts to conquer Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero!
Blight Club Theme Song (By: weeddemon)
Over on Bluessky and soundcloud, weeddemon shared that they felt like Blight Club is in dire need of a proper theme song. While they ended up skipping on the lyrics, this musical riff definitely fits the retro and frenetic nature at the heart of Blight Club.
Activities
Mullet Mad Jack Is The 5th Game Of UUGPGC Year 4! Finish By June 1! Mark All Spoilers! Maintain Brand Safety! (By: @bigsocrates)
Nothing stops the Giant Bomb Game Pass Game Club! The group is still up and running and the current pick is Mullet Mad Jack! Share your thoughts of the game as well as your tips for people that have yet to beat it over here!
The GB Album Club 084 – Low by David Bowie (Cycle Finale) (By: @unclejam23)
I know this activity thread is ancient, but as someone who is part of Giant Bomb’s Album of the Week Club, I can tell you that the group has recently revived its efforts and is readying itself for a new cycle or season! If you want to join the fun just drop a comment in the thread linked above!
Blogs
Passing the Torch: Big Jeffrey to Dirty Dan (By: @thepickle)
Dan was on Jeff Gerstmann’s podcast this week and ThePickle penned a quick essay on why the moment made them a bit emotional, but in a good way. Was it a “passing of the torch” moment or something different? Read what they think.
All PS1 Games In Order: Part 037 (By: @borgmaster)
It’s time to talk about some HEAVY-HITTERS like Street Fighter Alpha 2, Tobal No. 1, and MORE on borgmaster’s latest blog which continues their attempt to play and review every game that released on the PlayStation in the US!
Stuff Which I Have Been Playing And Looking Forward. (By: @valorianendymion)
The positivity about the site convinced ValorianEndymion to take up blogging again! As they re-start their essay writing aspirations, they kick things off with games they can’t wait to play and games they already think will grace their 2025 GOTY list.
A Review Of “Camp Buddy,” A Crowd-funded Gay Erogame (By: @atheistpreacher)
LGBTQIA representation in games has definitely improved, but what about tackling adult experiences and intimacy? AthiestPreacher looks at one of the more well-known but also notorious efforts to do so outside of Japan, Camp Buddy.
A Moral Wasteland: Fallout 3 and the Ethics of Survival (By: @pauljeremiah)
With remaster rumors still swirling, pauljeremiah decided to re-examine Fallout 3 and in particular look at the ways it forces you to adopt a code of ethics as you explore its wasteland. Do any of you remember the roleplaying potential in Fallout 3?
May no Monogatari: Part One (SFC) +
Indie Game of the Week 419: Tales of the Neon Sea (By: @mento)
Y’all want some Goemon in your life right now? Of course you do and guess what? Moderator Mento has you covered with a blog about Ganbare Goemon 2: Kiteretsu Shogun Magginesu! Likewise, this week marked the glorious return of their “Indie Game of the Week” feature which this time reviewed Tales of the Neon Sea.
I’m Playing Everything From Idol FX (Part V): The Actual Worst Game Idol FX Made, FBI Hostage Rescue (By: @zombiepie)
ZombiePie’s long-running series where they play every game developed by Idol FX has officially come to a close with a look and review of FBI Hostage Rescue. Read why they think this game, and not Drake of the 99 Dragons, is the worst game the studio ever made.
Discussion Threads
Giant Bomb Has Gone Independent Discussion Thread (By: @ben_h)
We have already mentioned that Giant Bomb is an independent operation from this point forward. If you need a handy explanation of what is and is not known, there’s this thread on the forums to check out. Also, are you excited about what the future will hold? I hope you are, but it is also okay to feel uneasy.
Now That Giant Bomb Is Independent, What Do We Want To See? (By: @doubledaddydan)
Now that the staff have announced their full independence from Fandom, what do you still want to see them make on the site? Can you think of any games that would be fit for a long-form series? How about a dormat feature you’d like to see make a return. The site has already debuted Quick Looks again, so, share your suggestions and don’t worry how practical they are.
Revitalizing The Site (The Actual Web Site) (By: @csl316)
The topic of the site itself has definitely come up with the announcement of Giant Bomb’s new independence. I just need everyone to know the site faces a real problem with tech debt but luckily we have talented people like chucktowski and Will Carle working on the transition.
Thank You Dtoast! This Community Will Always Welcome You As One Of Our Own (By: @zombiepie)
While the news of independence is exciting, the site will be seeing great people stay with Fandom. One such person was DToast, our community manager during Giant Bomb’s time under Fandom’s ownership. Regardless of what you may think of Fandom, Dylan still deserves major thanks for everything they have done for this community.
Blight Prince Community Guide And Hint Thread (Possible Spoilers) (By: @wulfbane)
Prior to everything going down the way it did, several of you expressed interest in making and maintaining a community guide for Blue Prince. This week, WulfBane took the plunge and if you have played the game and have any advice to share, this is the place to send it!
Stellar Blade PC Release Information Revealed – System Requirements, Additions, And More (By: @pauljeremiah)
Have any of you seen the system requirements for Stellar Blade’s PC release or its latest PC release trailers? Also, do you think the game looks better on PC based on the trailers that have come out hyping this release? Share your thoughts in this thread!
Nintendo Can and Will Brick Your Switch 2 (By: @av_gamer)
Have any of you seen the headlines about Nintendo bricking Switch 2s if you break their user agreement? Is this news item a big deal or absolute clickbait? Also, should console manufacturers have the power to do this in the first place?
Sub vs. Dub Debate For Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (By: @michaelenger)
For those of you playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 how many of you are playing it with the English dubbing compared to the French voice acting with subtitles? For those playing the English version or any non-French version, is the lip synching good?
What Recent Games Would You Like To See Quick Looks Of? (By: @ben_h)
So, pre-recorded Quick Looks are back on the menu! With that in mind, what games would you like to see the Giant Bomb team cover in the future and which games from this year or last year would you like to see them play in the Quick Look format? Share away games that are a perfect fit for the return of the feature.
Lists
My Top 20 SNES Games (By: @largemario)
What better way to make your debut on Giant Bomb than taking on the Herculean task of listing what one considers they twenty best SNES games ever made? Well, that’s exactly what LargeMario has done! Also, the site’s list creation system remains one of its more underrated features. Give it a shot and share away in the comments anything you make!
Unfinished But Still Good Games (By: @m_kolibri)
Though it is a bit short, the concept for m_kolibri’s list is an interesting one. Have you ever played and enjoyed a game but when it ended you couldn’t help but feel like the story or the game itself wasn’t complete? See which four games fit the bill for them and then consider the games for your own list!
Reviews
@pauljeremiah is bringing back their retro game reviews on the site and they start things off with a review of Flimbo’s Quest for the Commodore 64! Is there anything worth checking out in this “cult classic?” Read to find out!
@pauljeremiah also reviewed ACA NeoGeo: King of the Monsters on Android and shares how that version of the game really bungles its charm but also the game itself wasn’t that great to begin with.
@michaelenger’s Wrath: Aeon of Ruin’s Early Access review shares why they think the game has incredible vibes, but just doesn’t manage to scratch the same itch as other Quake-inspired boomer shooters.
Wiki Of The Week
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark is nearing its 25th anniversary! To mark that occasion, its INCREDIBLE wiki page on Giant Bomb is this week’s Wiki of the Week! Learn all about every level, weapon, and tool in the game in exhaustive detail all in one place!
