The Ringer-Verse

Latest Episodes:

The ‘Game of Thrones’ Draft | The Midnight Boys Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

The Boys are back, and to prepare for the premiere of Season 3 of ‘House of the Dragon,’ they’re bringing you their ‘Game of Thrones’ Draft, featuring five categories: hero, villain, dragon, episode, and wild card.

(0:00) Intro

(14:13) ‘Game of Thrones’ Draft

(1:21:56) Outro

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

Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Devon Baroldi

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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‘Disclosure Day’ Reactions | The Midnight Boys Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

The Boys are back, and they’re here to discuss Steven Spielberg’s highly anticipated new film. They dive into how Spielberg chose to personify extraterrestrials, Emily Blunt’s performance, and the state of working in Hollywood today.

(0:00) Intro

(6:57) Spoilers ahead

(13:20) ‘Disclosure Day’ reactions

(1:12:30) Disclosure Day’ Midnight Meter

(1:13:49) Outro

(1:14:57) Post Credits

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

Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Devon Baroldi

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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Summer Gaming Showcase Reactions! | Button Mash Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

After being bombarded by gaming news at Sony's PlayStation State of Play, Summer Game Fest, the Xbox Games Showcase, and beyond, Ben, Steve Ahlman, and Matt James get together to analyze the biggest game announcements and trailers. First, they discuss some major themes and takeaways from the week, including the onslaught of releases in store before 'GTA VI' and the industry's about-face on live-service games and console exclusivity. Then, they focus on how hype-worthy each event was and assess what they saw (and in some cases, played) of heavy hitters such as 'God of War Laufey,' 'Marvel's Wolverine,' 'Resident Evil Veronica,' 'Star Wars: Galactic Racer,' 'Final Fantasy VII Revelation,' 'Halo: Campaign Evolved,' 'Gears of War: E-Day,' and many more.
Host: Ben Lindbergh
Guests: Matt James and Steve Ahlman
Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman
Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopowel

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'Masters of the Universe’ Reactions | Midnight Boys Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

The Boys are back, and this time they’re giving their reactions to the newest movie iteration of Van’s most beloved IP: ‘Masters of the Universe.' Then, they jump into the latest nerd news, breaking down Tom Holland’s recent comments about making 'Spider-Man' after working with Christopher Nolan.

(00:00) Intro

(10:03) Spoilers ahead

(11:30) ‘Masters of the Universe’ reactions

(1:12:32) Nerd News

(1:20:19) Outro

Hosts: Van Lathan, Rob Mahoney, Steve Ahlman, and Charles Holmes
Producers: Jamie Yukich and Devon Baroldi
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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Ringer-Verse Recommends: May 2026 (Featuring ‘Outlander,' 'For All Mankind,' and 'Star City') May 30, 2026

Show notes

In a departure from the typical "Recommends" format, Ben Lindbergh brings on 'Vulture' TV critic and 'TV Is Good' cohost Kathryn VanArendonk for a wide-ranging discussion centered on a sci-fi/fantasy pairing of 'Outlander' (which just concluded an eight-season Starz run), 'For All Mankind' (which just wrapped its fifth season of six on Apple TV), and their respective spinoffs (especially 'Star City,' which just premiered). They start by assessing how much the shows have in common, what sets them apart, and how they reflect TV trends, before diving deeper into each franchise, first in a high-level way and then (with warnings) by reacting to the latest seasons.

(00:00) Intro

(04:14) Kathryn VanArendonk Joins

(15:39) 'Outlander'

(38:29) 'Outlander' Spoilers

(48:18) 'For All Mankind'

(65:03) 'For All Mankind' Spoilers

(78:25) 'Star City'

Host: Ben Lindbergh

Guest: Kathryn VanArendonk

Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman

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'007: First Light' and 'Mina the Hollower' Reactions | Button Mash May 29, 2026

Show notes

Ben, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman earn a license to podcast about two early Game of the Year candidates: '007: First Light' and 'Mina the Hollower.' First, in Patch Notes, they discuss the future of 'Destiny' and Bungie after the end of development on the almost decade-old 'Destiny 2,' and what the huge hikes in the price of Valve's Steam Deck portend for the Steam Machine, the current console generation, and the future of gaming. Then, they share their spoiler-free reviews of 'First Light,' James Bond's long-awaited return to gaming at the hands of 'Hitman' maker IO Interactive, and the much-anticipated 8-bit homage 'Mina,' from the makers of 'Shovel Knight.'
Intro (0:00)
Reactions to ‘Destiny 2’ ending (1:28)
Steamdeck price increases! (14:32)
‘First Light’ review (32:22)
‘Mina the Hollower’ reactions (1:05:04)
Outro (1:33:37)
Host: Ben Lindbergh
Guests: Matt James and Steve Ahlman
Producer: Devon Renaldo
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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‘Spider-Noir’ Premiere Reactions | The Midnight Boys May 27, 2026

Show notes

The Boys are back, and they’re here to discuss Amazon Prime’s newest show: ‘Spider-Noir’! Then, they spend some time brainstorming what other Spider-verse characters they’d like to see have their own show.

(0:00) Intro

(15:04) Spoilers ahead

(19:40) ‘Spider-Noir’ premiere reactions

(1:01:57) Brainstorming Spider-Man shows

(1:15:22) Outro

Hosts: Van Lathan, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman

Producers: Aleya Zenieris, Steve Ahlman, and Jamie Yukich

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ Reactions | The Midnight Boys May 22, 2026

Show notes

The Boys are back, and they’re here to discuss the newest addition to the Disney+ ‘Star Wars’ universe: ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’! Then they give you their thoughts on where the movie ranks among other ‘Star Wars’ films.

(0:00) Intro

(5:39) Spoilers ahead

(7:21) ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’ reactions

(1:21:38) Midnight Meter: ‘The Mandalorian and Grogu’

(1:28:50) ‘Star Wars’ film rankings

(1:39:20) Outro

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

Guest: Joanna Robinson

Producers: Aleya Zenieris and Devon Baroldi

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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'Lego Batman,' 'Forza Horizon,' 'Mixtape,' 'Subnautica,' and 'Yoshi' Reactions | Button Mash May 21, 2026

Show notes

No 'GTA' trailer? No problem! Ben Lindbergh, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman dissect five big games you can play today. While steering clear of spoilers, they explore how ‘Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight’ expands on the Lego gaming formula and draws on decades of the Caped Crusader’s past; whether ‘Forza Horizon 6’ delivers on the hype surrounding the series’ visit to Japan; why ‘Mixtape’ touched a nerve in the gaming community; whether ‘Subnautica 2’ demands a deep dive in early access; and whether ‘Yoshi and the Mysterious Book’ can restore the Switch 2’s momentum after Nintendo announced a new price hike.

Intro (0:00)

‘Lego Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight’ review (4:54)

First thoughts on ‘Forza Horizon’ (33:34)

Reactions to ‘Mixtape’ (1:01:23)

‘Subnautica’ deep dive (1:25:05)

‘Yoshi and the Mysterious Book’ takes (1:33:09)

Outro (1:43:16)

Host: Ben Lindbergh

Guests: Matt James and Steve Ahlman

Producer: Devon Renaldo

Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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‘The Boys’ Series Finale Reactions | The Midnight Boys May 21, 2026

Show notes

The Boys are back, and this time they’re saying goodbye to one of the most iconic comic book adaptations of the past decade, Prime Video’s ‘The Boys.’ They debate whether the show’s finale stuck the landing and share their thoughts on the ending of each beloved character. Then, to wrap up the podcast, the guys share their reactions to the recent ‘Lanterns’ trailer and discuss whether this newest edit enhanced or dampened their expectations.
(0:00) Intro
(10:46) Spoilers ahead
(13:01) ‘The Boys’ series finale reactions
(1:36:40) Nerd News: ‘Lanterns’ trailer
(1:54:15) Outro
Hosts: Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman
Producers: Jamie Yukich and Devon Baroldi
Additional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

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