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.
Now, there is one big piece of site-related news we do need to talk about. During episode #917 of the Giant Bombcast, the staff shared the planned date for the site to transition to the new site. That date is December 6th, 2025. More details on what that transition will involve are forthcoming, but rest assured that Chuck is working tirelessly on the new site around the clock. Likewise, the new site is open to all and isn't just gated to premium subscribers.
So, what does that mean for us here? Well, if you ask me, I think we should get weird and crazy with our lists, blogs, and reviews! I'll still have a Community Spotlight to showcase everything you make during the week of Thanksgiving (US) this time next week.
Also, rest assured that Marino will have Guest Lists in late December and there will be voting for a Community GOTY 2025; it'll just have to take a different approach than how we have done things in the past.
Moving on, huge thanks to the folks over at Nextlander (plus Bakalar) for doing an incredible 12-hour Clone Hero Extra Life charity stream! They ended up raising slightly over $38K and brought the team total to over $150,000! If you missed their stream, it unfortunately got DMCAed/region locked on YouTube but the VOD is still available on their Twitch. Though, even on Twitch, the VOD has segments that got muted for copyright reasons.
For those looking to treat yourself to an early holiday gift, there's new merchandise on the store! Were you or someone you know interested in getting a BBQ/grill apron that was decked out with a Giant Bomb-based food pun? Well, you're in luck because that's just what Giant Bomb dropped this week for $20.00 + shipping and handling!
Also, now that we do have a date for the new site, it's incredibly important to remind everyone you know about it. They now have about a week and change to log in and preserve their accounts. As stated before, for everyone logged in and reading this feature, you are in the clear about maintaining your usernames. What is important is communicating with everyone you know that might have moved on or have not used their site accounts in a while that they need to log into their Giant Bomb site accounts between now and the end of the year. If you really want to check to see if you're all squared away click this link.
If after clicking this link, you get immediately re-directed to the homepage, that means there's nothing you need to do. You'll only see a disclaimer with a button to click if you haven't already opted into the account transfer process. A mass email was sent to notify users about the transition, but it seems like it didn't reach everyone. If you logged in and didn't get an email, don't worry, you are in the clear.
And finally, as a fan of Vtubers, Dan developing a genuine friendship with chibidoki, one of the more viral independent Vtubers out there, was not on my bingo card, and it sounds like she's absolutely "on" for appearing on the Dump Truck in the future.
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/tolkoto.com/post/3m66pzd3exc25
https://bsky.app/profile/firehair12000.bsky.social/post/3m5ungwmdjk2n
https://bsky.app/profile/nolanwaters.bsky.social/post/3m65srdtonc24
https://bsky.app/profile/lallysup.bsky.social/post/3m5yeaqbukk25
https://bsky.app/profile/marinov1.bsky.social/post/3m67zm6uaqk2f
Art
Coated In The Goat Sauce (By: Pickle Giraffe)
If you missed the Bombcast, you might be asking "What's 'Goat Sauce?'" Well, I'm not at the liberty to explain that to you, but here is a bevy of Giant Bomb staff posters from Pickle Giraffe covering each Giant Bomb personality in the proverbial Goat Sauce.
Dan's In Danger Extra Life 2025 Poster+ Gotta Accelerate
Mike's Disneyland Dream Summer Vacation (By: NickToilet)
NickToilet has made a GLORIOUS return to making Giant Bomb-themed fan art this week and this is just the tip of the iceberg! Remember to follow them on BlueSky if you want to catch works of art like these when they first drop!
Video
Giant Bomb Extra Life 2024 Highlights (By: AlexWP)
Over on YouTube, AlexWP rewatched Giant Bomb's 2024 Extra Life charity drive and decided to condense it into a compilation video around one hour long to highlight what they think were the best and funniest moments! If you want to re-live the magic, give it a watch!
Activities
Keeper Is The 11th Game Of UGPGC Year 4. Mark All Spoilers. Finish By December 1st, 2025! (By: @bigsocrates)
It won by a landslide, but the next game pick for the Game of the Month Club is Keeper by Double Fine Productions, Inc.! Was the game worth the years of radio silence from Double Fine all of these years? Join the fun and join the conversation about the game over here!
The GB Album Club 104 - Tunnel Vision by Beach Bunny (Finale!) (By: @unclejam23)
It's time for the FINAL album for this season of the Giant Bomb Album of the Week Club! The group is rounding things off with a BANGER by listening to Tunnel Vision by Beach Bunny! However, if any of you are in the mood to be a part of a music listening club, now's the time to drop a comment to be part of the fun!
Blogs
Moosey May Cry Part 4 (By: @mooseymcman)
MooseyMcMan's retrospective on the Devil may Cry franchise continues with an exhaustive review of Devil May Cry 4! How do they feel about the debut of Nero in Devil May Cry's fourth entry? Read to find out and feel free to share your thoughts!
Go! Go! GOTY! '25: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 +
Indie Game of the Week 446: Ball X Pit (By: @mento)
As in previous years, moderator Mento is starting a series in which they run down all of the GOTY contenders and whare if they will crack their personal list. Up today is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33! Do they think this French RPG is worthy of the GOTY accolades it's already starting to court?
Likewise, they have a new entry in their "Indie Game of the Week" series and this one looks at Ball x Pit! Do they agree with some in calling the game a sleeper GOTY 2025 candidate? Check out their blog to find out what they think and share if you agree with them or not!
Hottest Mess 2025: Part 3 (The Final Candidates) (By: @allthedinos)
With voting in full swing for Giant Bomb's Community's Choice for "Hottest Mess 2025," it seems more than appropriate to remind everyone how ALLTheDinos reached their long list of nominees. If you missed this exhaustive blog post from them last week, then definitely give it a read this week!
Discussion Threads
Hottest Mess 2025 - Community's Choice! (Vote for 3) (By: @allthedinos)
IT IS TIME! It's time to vote for Giant Bomb's community "Hottest Mess" voting for 2025! So far, Microsoft's is winning but can you think of any other valid nominees to vote for? Are there any solid second or third places you can think of?
So... The CEO Of Krafton Just Admitted They Used ChatGPT On How To Avoid Paying Bonuses (By: @zombiepie)
Huh. After Krafton PR denied the allegations repeatedly, the CEO of the company has now admitted in a court that they did indeed use ChatGPT to try and figure out a way to avoid paying bonuses to employees at Unknown Worlds, in particular the studio's leaders. That's... not good.
Do You Plan To Buy GTA 6 In The Third Week Of November 2026? (By: @topcyclist)
When/if GTA VI comes out next year, do you plan to actually buy it at launch? Has the news about the fired staff at Rockstar convinced you to pass on the game? For those that still plan to pick up the game when it comes out, what has you so sold on it?
Need Expert Suggestions for Entry-Level Gaming PC Build (By: @yashalflower)
While the topic didn't start of with it, it is where this thread went with the first batch of responses: are people exploring entry-level PC builds or prebuilts just better off waiting for the Steam Machine? For people that are perfectly content with 1080p gaming at 60 FPS, is there any reason not to turn to Valve's upcoming hardware?
Microsoft Has Done Nothing To Celebrate The 360's 20th Anniversary. So, What Are Your Memories Of The Console? (By: @zombiepie)
As we will review in the Wiki section, the Xbox 360 has celebrated its 20th anniversary! However, you wouldn't know that given how little Microsoft has promoted that anniversary. Nonetheless, what are your fondest memories of the Xbox 360? Are there specific games on the console you remember the most?
Lists
MocBucket's Top 10 Games of the Decade So Far (By: @mocbucket62)
My Top 10 Games of the Decade (So Far) (By: @majormitch)
Favorite Games of the Decade (By: @sainezart)
Best of the Decade (2020-2029) (By: @digitalfirefly)
Thanks to Deku Deals, the Giant Bomb staff have done a series detailing what they think are the best games of the past ten years and that has inspired several of you to make your own lists in response. If you are one such user and I missed including your list, drop a comment and I'll get you covered for next week!
Game of The Year 2025 Users Choice (By: @demonbear)
Game of the Year 2025 (By: @elyk247)
GOTY 2025 (By: @peacebrother)
It's that time of the year where everyone shares their GOTY lists! Which games were true highlights from the year? Do you feel like handing out superlatives with some of the games that came out this year along with the standard top ten lists? No matter what you do, keep me posted!
User Reviews
@djcube's Zapper: One Wicked Cricket! review reminds us all of the last dying gasps of the 3D mascot action-platformer. If you have forgotten about this oddity, give their review a read and be enamored by its weirdness!
@djcube's quick review of Monopoly Party offers it as a candidate for the dubious title of "Worst Party Game Ever Made!" What makes this game so rancid? You'll just have to read to find out!
Wiki Of The Week
Say what you will about what the Xbox brand has become today, but the Xbox 360 will still stand as an all-time console thanks to the sheer breadth of titles that released on it and the cavalcade of games on XBLA that introduced millions to smaller indie titles as well. So, if you are in the mood for a complete review of the highs and lows of the Xbox 360, look no further than our platform page!
