Kazuma Hashimoto
@kazuma.bsky.social
critic / consultant / ??? @ ??? x2 ・ award nominated ・ ハーフ ・ queer, he/him, FTM 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ ・ bylines: IGN, Polygon, GamesRadar+, MMORPG, Them, Inverse, Rolling Stone ・ CONTACT: kazuma.h.de@gmail.com ・ posts don't reflect employer, etc. etc.
Pinned
Kazuma Hashimoto
@kazuma.bsky.social
· Oct 21
hello! my name is kazuma hashimoto and i'm a critic and features writer. my work can be found on polygon, ign, and siliconera, usually entailing some kind of deep dive into japanese media. i also work as a narrative design consultant and a narrative designer on cool stuff i can't talk about yet.
oh yeah, my intro post. so a lot has changed in the past year. i still work as a critic and features writer. i'm now a part-time editor too. still do narrative design and consultation, but do market analysis to help identify trends and create marketing strategies. 👍 i'm also always open for work
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
I'm excited to release Just the Browser! It helps you remove AI features, ads, shopping integrations, and other annoyances from desktop web browsers.
This project includes configuration files, a simple setup script, and guides for manual installation. It supports Chrome, Firefox, and MS Edge.
This project includes configuration files, a simple setup script, and guides for manual installation. It supports Chrome, Firefox, and MS Edge.
Just the Browser - Just the Browser
Remove AI features, telemetry data reporting, sponsored content, product integrations, and other annoyances from web browsers.
justthebrowser.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:01 PM
I'm excited to release Just the Browser! It helps you remove AI features, ads, shopping integrations, and other annoyances from desktop web browsers.
This project includes configuration files, a simple setup script, and guides for manual installation. It supports Chrome, Firefox, and MS Edge.
This project includes configuration files, a simple setup script, and guides for manual installation. It supports Chrome, Firefox, and MS Edge.
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
the thunder won't be loud enough to dull all thorny thistle wounds
February 12, 2026 at 10:47 PM
the thunder won't be loud enough to dull all thorny thistle wounds
if marathon was single-player i would have played it based on that trailer lol alas
February 12, 2026 at 10:57 PM
if marathon was single-player i would have played it based on that trailer lol alas
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
you could tell it was john wick from the first few seconds of the music in that trailer alone
February 12, 2026 at 10:53 PM
you could tell it was john wick from the first few seconds of the music in that trailer alone
pretty sure this is based on the cancelled prototype of a female-led CV title from over two decades ago. if so, that's really fucking cool.
February 12, 2026 at 10:46 PM
pretty sure this is based on the cancelled prototype of a female-led CV title from over two decades ago. if so, that's really fucking cool.
FINALLY MGS4 ON MODERN CONSOLES
February 12, 2026 at 10:38 PM
FINALLY MGS4 ON MODERN CONSOLES
games like project windless are an example of stellar blade and wukong succeeding in an international market. things that are based off of east asian fantasy or myth being given to teams in regions that were otherwise locked to making genres in their respective markets with the same aesthetic.
February 12, 2026 at 10:36 PM
games like project windless are an example of stellar blade and wukong succeeding in an international market. things that are based off of east asian fantasy or myth being given to teams in regions that were otherwise locked to making genres in their respective markets with the same aesthetic.
survival horror isometric tenchu.. interesting
February 12, 2026 at 10:31 PM
survival horror isometric tenchu.. interesting
every time i think i'm done w/ resident evil... i always get pulled back in....
February 12, 2026 at 10:15 PM
every time i think i'm done w/ resident evil... i always get pulled back in....
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
Discord lied.
they’re now sending scanned IDs to persona, a third party company.
“facial scans will never leave your device” -discord lmao.
they’re now sending scanned IDs to persona, a third party company.
“facial scans will never leave your device” -discord lmao.
February 12, 2026 at 6:54 PM
Discord lied.
they’re now sending scanned IDs to persona, a third party company.
“facial scans will never leave your device” -discord lmao.
they’re now sending scanned IDs to persona, a third party company.
“facial scans will never leave your device” -discord lmao.
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
Over 1,000 Ubisoft workers around the world have walked off the job.
In response to a return-to-office mandate, layoffs, and the cancellation of several games, workers launched a three-day strike.
The workers walked out in response to five French unions issuing the strike call.
In response to a return-to-office mandate, layoffs, and the cancellation of several games, workers launched a three-day strike.
The workers walked out in response to five French unions issuing the strike call.
Ubisoft workers are on strike: 'We are treated like children'
The strike comes after the publisher revealed plans to cut up to 200 jobs and ordered remote workers back into the office
www.polygon.com
February 12, 2026 at 4:43 PM
Over 1,000 Ubisoft workers around the world have walked off the job.
In response to a return-to-office mandate, layoffs, and the cancellation of several games, workers launched a three-day strike.
The workers walked out in response to five French unions issuing the strike call.
In response to a return-to-office mandate, layoffs, and the cancellation of several games, workers launched a three-day strike.
The workers walked out in response to five French unions issuing the strike call.
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
don't laugh at my son. his shoulderpads represent the weight of his burden
February 12, 2026 at 7:29 PM
don't laugh at my son. his shoulderpads represent the weight of his burden
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
yep, they're still at it in LA and Portland too
the media is gonna be like "time for a new narrative" and it's so important to keep talking about how none of the cities they invaded have become more safe since the spotlight shifted away from them
the media is gonna be like "time for a new narrative" and it's so important to keep talking about how none of the cities they invaded have become more safe since the spotlight shifted away from them
ICE “left” Chicago in November, but they’ve disappeared three people from my community in two days this week.
Don’t believe the hype about them, leaving Minnesota, either.
Don’t believe the hype about them, leaving Minnesota, either.
February 12, 2026 at 7:17 PM
yep, they're still at it in LA and Portland too
the media is gonna be like "time for a new narrative" and it's so important to keep talking about how none of the cities they invaded have become more safe since the spotlight shifted away from them
the media is gonna be like "time for a new narrative" and it's so important to keep talking about how none of the cities they invaded have become more safe since the spotlight shifted away from them
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
when I look at things like the Highguard layoffs it always strikes me that the people who are inevitably laid off are the skilled workers and never the managers and middle managers that made the decisions to cause a project to fail. unions now.
February 12, 2026 at 7:42 PM
when I look at things like the Highguard layoffs it always strikes me that the people who are inevitably laid off are the skilled workers and never the managers and middle managers that made the decisions to cause a project to fail. unions now.
going through re5 design documents and interviews at 1:10AM like a totally normal and well adjusted person
February 12, 2026 at 9:10 AM
going through re5 design documents and interviews at 1:10AM like a totally normal and well adjusted person
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
I don't know if it's really clear, outside of coverage of Mpls and pockets of organizing elsewhere, that hundreds of thousands of people are actively and at every level of society fighting our government as it abducts and imprisons and torments our neighbors.
February 12, 2026 at 1:09 AM
I don't know if it's really clear, outside of coverage of Mpls and pockets of organizing elsewhere, that hundreds of thousands of people are actively and at every level of society fighting our government as it abducts and imprisons and torments our neighbors.
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
"we shouldn't have to work for free on a game until it's nearly-done enough to get funding" and "it's the only thing you can really do so you should do it if you want to make games" are both true imo and it's shit but what else is there really to do that isn't just give up
February 12, 2026 at 12:48 AM
"we shouldn't have to work for free on a game until it's nearly-done enough to get funding" and "it's the only thing you can really do so you should do it if you want to make games" are both true imo and it's shit but what else is there really to do that isn't just give up
doing some research on streamers and what streamers like theburntpeanut have taught me is that the children yearn for peter griffin and seth macfarlane adjacent comedy at its lowest rung. they yearn for the early-00's without realizing it.
February 12, 2026 at 3:51 AM
doing some research on streamers and what streamers like theburntpeanut have taught me is that the children yearn for peter griffin and seth macfarlane adjacent comedy at its lowest rung. they yearn for the early-00's without realizing it.
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
are there any tech and/or culture journalists that are interested in the vtubing and virtual idol space that are located in LA? if so please dm or email me. would love to get in touch concerning an upcoming event.
February 12, 2026 at 1:35 AM
are there any tech and/or culture journalists that are interested in the vtubing and virtual idol space that are located in LA? if so please dm or email me. would love to get in touch concerning an upcoming event.
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
it's hard not to think about how 5 or 10 years from now, the shooters (and games writ large) we'll be reverently talking about will still be the same ones we talk about now (DOOM 2016, Titanfall 2, etc) because there is no money going around to make new ones of those happen. we are in purgatory.
February 11, 2026 at 11:59 PM
it's hard not to think about how 5 or 10 years from now, the shooters (and games writ large) we'll be reverently talking about will still be the same ones we talk about now (DOOM 2016, Titanfall 2, etc) because there is no money going around to make new ones of those happen. we are in purgatory.
are there any tech and/or culture journalists that are interested in the vtubing and virtual idol space that are located in LA? if so please dm or email me. would love to get in touch concerning an upcoming event.
February 12, 2026 at 1:35 AM
are there any tech and/or culture journalists that are interested in the vtubing and virtual idol space that are located in LA? if so please dm or email me. would love to get in touch concerning an upcoming event.
Reposted by Kazuma Hashimoto
Games and stories are imitations of life, ways of playing at life, sometimes ways of learning how to live. Some of the rules may appear both cruel and arbitrary. But if you want to play the game, or live the life, you have to follow them.
February 12, 2026 at 1:30 AM
Games and stories are imitations of life, ways of playing at life, sometimes ways of learning how to live. Some of the rules may appear both cruel and arbitrary. But if you want to play the game, or live the life, you have to follow them.
i think it's also worth mentioning that consumer trust has been slowly eroded away over the years re: live service. you saw it happening w/ JP mobile games over the past decade. a game comes out. closes three months later. consumers won't spend on battle passes, micro-transactions, etc.
February 12, 2026 at 12:58 AM
i think it's also worth mentioning that consumer trust has been slowly eroded away over the years re: live service. you saw it happening w/ JP mobile games over the past decade. a game comes out. closes three months later. consumers won't spend on battle passes, micro-transactions, etc.