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Tomas Franzese

Tomas Franzese

Gaming Staff Writer

As a Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting developments within the video game industry. Tomas is passionate about sharing game developers' stories, analyzing video game history, and contextualizing those things within the modern video game industry. He attends industry events like Summer Game Fest for Digital Trends and represents the gaming section of Digital Trends on podcasts like ComicBook Nation’s Quick Save. Tomas authors Save State, a bi-weekly column about the evolving nature of retro gaming.

Before Digital Trends, he was a Video Game News Writer at Inverse for two years. Prior to that, Tomas honed his skills at DualShockers for nearly four years, working his way up from Staff Writer to News Editor. As News Editor at DualShockers, he supervised and edited the website’s news coverage, and that experience still comes in handy at Digital Trends today. His favorite games include Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) and Batman: Arkham City.

Based in Virginia, Tomas graduated from Old Dominion University in 2020 with a B.A. in Intercultural & International Communication. He returned to Old Dominion University in 2024 to pursue an M.A. in Lifespan & Digital Communication. Through his communication and media-related research, Tomas can better understand how video games and culture intertwine.

A whitewalker in Game of Thrones: Kingsroad

Ambitious mobile game Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is set during show’s 4th season

Game of Thrones: Kingsroad is new mobile game set during the events of the HBO show that's launching sometime next year.
Gaming News
Key art for Mecha Break's The Game Awards 2024 announcement.

Mecha Break finally takes to the skies next spring with a clear post-launch plan

Mecha Break finally received a confirmed spring 2025 release window at The Game Awards 2024, and Amazing Seasun teased some of its post-launch plans.
Gaming News
A screenshot of players celebrating in Rematch.

Sifu developer’s next game is absolutely not what you’re expecting

Rematch is the next game from Sifu developer Sloclap, and it's a multiplayer-focused soccer game.
Gaming Features
A robot hand holding a borderlands psycho mask in front of a dark blue screen.

Everything announced at The Game Awards 2024

We've rounded up every announcement from The Game Awards 2024, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Borderlands 4, and The Witcher IV.
Gaming Features
Key art for Forspoken.

Underrated PS5 exclusive Forspoken is coming to PlayStation Plus this month

Forspoken headlines the final batch of new PlayStation Plus Premium and Extra game catalog additions for December 2024.
Gaming News
Demon Tides key art

Day of the Devs reveals 3 surprise sequels ahead of The Game Awards

Day of the Devs 2024: The Game Awards Edition was full of eye-catching indie games, including sequels to Ultimate Chicken Horse, Demon Turf, and more.
Gaming News
Pac-Man in Secret Level.

Secret Level creators explain its horrifying Pac-Man episode

Pac-Man: Circle is the most shocking episode of animated gaming anthology Secret Level. Its creators explain how the subversive episode came to be.
Gaming Features
Key art for The Game Awards 2024.

The Game Awards 2024: How to watch and what to expect

This year's Game Awards show is happening on December 12 and it'll feature fresh looks at Borderlands 3, Mafia: The Old Country and more.
Gaming News
Key art for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind.

Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind shows there’s still space for retro originality

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind shows there's room left for innovation in the retro beat 'em up genre.
Gaming Features
Key art for Fortnite's new first person shooter mode Ballistic.

Fortnite is finally getting a first-person mode next week

Ballistic is the long-awaited first-person shooter mode for Fortnite, and it's out next week.
Gaming News
It Takes Two's main characters ride frog taxis.

3 new PS Plus games you should play this weekend (December 6-8)

This weekend, PS Plus subscribers should check out It Takes Two, Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, and Blood Omen 2.
Gaming Features
Crash Bandicoot in Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled.

3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (December 6-8)

If you're an Xbox Game Pass subscriber who loves racing games, this is your weekend to shine.
Gaming Features
High res key art for Helldivers 2- Escalation of Freedom.

Helldivers 2 showed us the best and worst of gaming in 2024

For both positive and negative reasons, Helldivers 2 will go down as one of 2024's year-defining games.
Gaming Features
The shop in Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault.

Indie hidden gem Moonlighter is getting a 3D sequel next year

Digital Sun and 11 bit Studios just announced Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault, a sequel to a 2018 indie hidden gem about dungeon crawling and shopkeeping.
Gaming News
A screenshot from the survival game Prologue: Go Wayback!

PUBG’s creator announces 3 games with more on the way

The creator of PUBG wants to create ambitious sandbox video games, starting with tech demo Preface: Undiscovered World and survival game Prologue: Go Wayback.
Gaming News
Key art for Hollow Knight: Silksong.

We didn’t need Hollow Knight: Silksong in 2024

While Hollow Knight: Silksong still does not have a release date, there's no denying that 2024 was a fantastic year for Metroidvania games.
Gaming Features
Photo of arcade machines in Japan.

I didn’t understand the magic of arcades until I visited one in Japan

Visiting a Taito Station arcade in Osaka, Japan, gave me a deeper appreciation of how arcades inspired retro game design.
Gaming Features
A beastren in Dragon's Dogma 2.

If you own a PS5 Pro, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is the game to get during Cyber Week

If you own a PS5 Pro but haven't played Dragon's Dogma 2, you should pick up Capcom's ambitious RPG this Cyber Week.
Gaming News
monster hunter wilds capcom studio tour mh obt screens 02

Inside Capcom: how Monster Hunter Wilds’ sights and sounds are made

We went behind the scenes at Capcom's studio to see what goes into making a game like Monster Hunter Wilds.
Gaming Features
Key art for Monster Hunter Wilds.

I played the first 5 hours of Monster Hunter Wilds and can’t wait to see more

We played the first five hours of Monster Hunter Wilds at Capcom's headquarters in Japan and came away impressed with its formula improvements.
Gaming Features
Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 enemies.

The best intro to Warhammer video games is $50 this Cyber Monday

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is just $50 this Cyber Monday and is worth checking out for anyone who wants to get into Warhammer 40,000 video games.
Gaming News
Vegeta in Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero.

Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero is this year’s can’t-miss Cyber Monday game deal

Lots of great games are discounted for Cyber Monday, but Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero might be this year's can't-miss deal.
Gaming Deals
Concept art for the main characters of Star Wars Outlaws.

Star Wars Outlaws is on sale for Cyber Monday, and the timing is perfect

Star Wars Outlaws has improved a lot since its release, so it's worth picking up for $40 this Cyber Monday.
Gaming Deals
A team of heroes in Marvel Rivals.

What’s next in December 2024? 7 upcoming games you won’t want to miss

From Indiana Jones and the Great Circle to Marvel Rivals to Infinity Nikki, there are plenty of games to look forward to this December.
Gaming Features
Key art for the Super Citizen Edition of Helldivers 2.

The best video game deals of Steam Autumn Sale 2024

The Steam Autumn Sale runs until December 4, and these deals on games like Helldivers 2 and Kingdom Come: Deliverance are worth capitalizing on.
Gaming Features
players fighting each other in Chivalry 2.

3 new PS Plus games to play this weekend

Did you pull the trigger on a PS5 this Black Friday? These are some great games you can play on PS Plus right now to test it out.
Gaming Features
Aliens: Dark Descent key art.

3 new Xbox Game Pass games you should play this weekend

Xbox Game Pass subscribers can have a good time playing Little Kitty, Big City, Aliens: Dark Descent, or Nine Sols this weekend.
Gaming Features
A Steam Deck sitting on top of a PC.

Steam Deck is on sale for its lowest price yet during the Steam Autumn Sale

During the Steam Autumn Sale, you can get a Steam Deck for as little as $297, the lowest we've seen its price go yet on Steam.
Gaming News
A character performs a leaping attack in Dynasty Warriors Origins.

Dynasty Warriors: Origins’ free demo is already winning me over

While I've mostly played Musou spinoff games before, Dynasty Warriors: Origins seems like it will make me a fan of the main series.
Gaming Features
The protagonists of GTA V pose for the camera.

3 new PS Plus games you should play this weekend (November 22-24)

Wondering where to start with the new batch of PS Plus Premium and Extra games? Consider Grand Theft Auto V, Resistance: Fall of Man, or Overcooked.
Gaming Features
A cockpit view in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.

3 new Xbox Game Pass games to play this weekend (November 22-24)

Xbox Game Pass just got some major new releases this week that might justify that Ultimate subscription for another month.
Gaming Features
Key art for The Rouge Prince of Persia Update 10.

Now is the perfect time to start playing The Rogue Prince of Persia

The Rogue Prince of Persia just got better thanks to its biggest update since its early access launch.
Gaming Features
Nintendo DS on a pink background.

20 years later, the Nintendo DS remains one of gaming’s best devices

The Nintendo DS turns 20 today, and it still stands tall as one of gaming's most creative, memorable systems.
Gaming Features
A character holds a baseball glove in Backyard Sports.

A new Backyard Sports game is coming, all thanks to a private eye

Playground Productions reveals to Digital Trends how it brought Backyard Sports back and teases a brand new game launching next year.
Gaming Features
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