We're back, ish! Time has lost all meaning over the past three months but with the light at the end of the traffic tunnel fast approaching, Free to Play will soon return. To whet your appetite, here's 30 minutes of Finn being TOTALLY FINE with the fact he hasn't played Elden Ring yet. Subscribe to the Free To Play podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and all major podcast apps Welcome to Free to Play - Newshub’s latest podcast about the people who make, play and love video games. Hosted by Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the internet's Xenojay, every fortnight the pair unpack the latest, most exciting announcements and news from the world of gaming with the help of specialist guests with expertise in game design, Esports and beyond.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are well into the era of remakes and remasters and love them or hate them, they're an increasingly essential part of the industry. This week Newshub Verticals Editor Daniel Rutledge joins Finn Hogan to discuss whether remakes are stifling creativity, whether the Last of Us really needs one and where to draw the line between updating a classic and tarnishing its legacy.  Then in the second half of the show, an in-depth interview with Rob Gallerani, Lead Designer on Diablo 2: Resurrected on how he is shouldering the responsibility of restoring Blizzard's 'Crown Jewel'.  Subscribe to the Free To Play podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and all major podcast apps Welcome to Free to Play - Newshub’s latest podcast about the people who make, play and love video games. Hosted by Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the internet's Xenojay, every fortnight the pair unpack the latest, most exciting announcements and news from the world of gaming with the help of specialist guests with expertise in game design, Esports and beyond.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the simply lackluster to the bafflingly bad, film adaptations of video games have a long and often fraught history in Hollywood. However with Disney's 'Free Guy' managing to please gamers and critics alike, this week on the podcast Finn and Xenojay are joined by Newshub Vertical's Editor Daniel Rutledge, along with cameo appearances from some of the world's biggest streamers, to dig into where Hollywood has gone wrong before and what Free Guy gets right.  Featuring interviews with DanTDM, jacksepticeye and the one and Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins.  Subscribe to the Free To Play podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and all major podcast apps Welcome to Free to Play - Newshub’s latest podcast about the people who make, play and love video games. Hosted by Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the internet's Xenojay, every fortnight the pair unpack the latest, most exciting announcements and news from the world of gaming with the help of specialist guests with expertise in game design, Esports and beyond.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Esports have appeared at the Olympics for the first time - sort of - but how long before we see elite players in the likes of Dota 2 wreathed in Olympic gold? This week Lets Play Live Director Duane Mutu joins Finn and Jordan to discuss the future of esports both in New Zealand and internationally.  Subscribe to the Free To Play podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and all major podcast apps Welcome to Free to Play - Newshub’s latest podcast about the people who make, play and love video games. Hosted by Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the internet's Xenojay, every episode the pair unpack the latest, most exciting announcements and news from the world of gaming with the help of specialist guests with expertise in game design, Esports and beyond.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Indie horror icon Doki Doki Literature Club has hit consoles but does it hold up? This week Finn, Xenojay and special guest Newshub Verticals Editor Daniel Rutledge dive into the current state of horror gaming and read the tea leaves on where they think the genre is heading.  Subscribe to the Free To Play podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and all major podcast apps It’s the largest entertainment industry on the planet, an increasingly vibrant part of our cultural fabric and the potential future of sports.  Welcome to Free to Play - Newshub’s latest podcast about the people who make, play and love video games. Hosted by Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the internet's Xenojay, every fortnight the pair unpack the latest, most exciting announcements and news from the world of gaming with the help of specialist guests with expertise in game design, Esports and beyond.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The week-long geek Christmas of E3 has wrapped up and there were announcements aplenty but is gaming's premiere showcase a shadow of its former glory? Or is Finn just sad he wasn’t invited? Newshub Vertical's Editor Daniel Rutledge along with NZ Twitch icon and game developer Loripops joined the podcast to unpack the highlights, lowlights and WTF moments of E3 2021.  Welcome to Free to Play - Newshub’s latest podcast about the people who make, play and love video games. Hosted by Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the internet's Xenojay, every fortnight the pair unpack the latest, most exciting announcements and news from the world of gaming with the help of specialist guests with expertise in game design, Esports and beyond.  Subscribe to the Free To Play podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and all major podcast apps See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this bonus, introductory episode of Newshub's Free to Play, hosts Finn and Jordan are joined by Newshub Vertical's Editor Daniel Rutledge to dive into the sci-fi hellscape of Returnal. ------------------------ Free to Play is a podcast about the people who make, play and love video games, coming to you from inside the Newshub newsroom. Every fortnight we’ll be chatting through the latest news and reviews while unpacking issues in the wider gaming industry.  Hosted By Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the Internet’s Xenojay See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coming soon: Free to Play, a podcast about the people who make, play and love video games. Hosted By Newshub’s Finn Hogan and the Internet’s Xenojay, every fortnight we’ll be chatting through the latest news and reviews as well as unpacking an issue in the wider gamer community.  Get in touch at freetoplay@newshub.co.nz For more, visit newshub.co.nz/podcasts See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices