Gaming's First-Half Highlights and Second-Half Hype | Button Mash

2026-07-10 · 93 min · 7 entities

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→ appeared on The Ringer-Verse podcast

0.82

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Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Giovanni Colantonio and Oli WelshProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell
→ discusses TV & Film concept

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Feed category: TV & Film
→ hosted by The Ringer company

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Feed author/publisher: The Ringer

Entities found in this episode

concepts 3

mentioned TV & Film concept

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Feed category: TV & Film
mentioned Button Mash concept

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Gaming's First-Half Highlights and Second-Half Hype | Button Mash
discusses TV & Film concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: TV & Film

companys 2

mentioned The Ringer company

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Feed author/publisher: The Ringer
hosted by The Ringer company

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evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: The Ringer

persons 1

mentioned Ben LindberghGuests person

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evidence rules-v5
Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Giovanni Colantonio and Oli WelshProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

podcasts 1

appeared on The Ringer-Verse podcast

0.82

evidence rules-v5
Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Giovanni Colantonio and Oli WelshProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell

Episode description as stored

Ben brings on Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio and Oli Welsh to sum up the first half of 2026 in gaming and preview the remainder of the year. First, they discuss the odd dynamic of dire industry news coinciding with a glut of great games. Then, they each share their top 10 games of the first half of the year, and break down the differences and similarities among their respective lists. Finally, they assess the up-in-the-air race for Game of the Year, how the timing and rollout of 'Grand Theft Auto VI' could affect its fortunes, the late-summer pileup of pre-'GTA' releases, and their biggest questions about the upcoming calendar. Intro (0:00)Industry news (3:00)Game of the Year picks (16:53)Outro (1:28:20) Host: Ben LindberghGuests: Giovanni Colantonio and Oli WelshProducer: Devon RenaldoAdditional Production Support: Arjuna Ramgopowell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices