Ben Borthwick
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the-b.bsky.social
Ben Borthwick
@the-b.bsky.social
120 followers 130 following 290 posts
Freelance gaming writer for hire.

Work email: benborthwick(at)hotmail.com

Formerly News Editor of VideoGamer, have also been seen in plenty of other gaming places including PC Gamer, OPM, OXM & more.

He/Him.
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the-b.bsky.social
Pretty much the results I expected even factoring in I do most of my listening to bought tracks via YT Music. (But I don't sub to either, so they don't get tracked) #spotifywrapped #spotifywrapped2025
December 3, 2025 at 9:17 PM
the-b.bsky.social
I know this is not helpful to you personally but still... agreed 👍 (Sorry you didn't get yours though)
November 14, 2025 at 7:42 PM
the-b.bsky.social
As today would've been my Mum and Dad's 58th wedding anniversary, we decided today was the right day to scatter her ashes at the far end of Bridlington beach, where they used to walk down in the summer.

Thanks for everything Mum, we love you - rest in peace.
Roses on the beach laid to mark the location of the scattering of my Mum's ashes. Bridlington beach looking towards the cliffs The sun peeking through the clouds on Bridlington beach Bridlington beach looking towards the cliffs
November 11, 2025 at 4:17 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Latest addition to the vinyl collection - Hayley Williams' Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party in webstore exclusive Team Zissou Green. Great album. #vinyl #hayleywilliams
The contents of the Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party vinyl, including a poster of Hayley Williams/liner notes, the two vinyls themselves and another image of Hayley on the inside cover. My record collection and record player, with the front cover of Hayley Williams Ego Death at a Bachelorette Party on the top.
November 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Well this was a very fun set to build. Video Soon™ #gameboy #lego #legogameboy #nintendo
The completed Game Boy LEGO set on a table in front of the box.
October 3, 2025 at 4:59 PM
the-b.bsky.social
It did get a Singstar though. (Around the same time as GH was big, so I wonder if there was some sort of exclusivity thing there.)
the UK cover for Singstar Queen
October 2, 2025 at 8:09 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Send up the @outsidexbox.bsky.social Hitman signal
Bruce Lee comes to Hitman World of Assassination today in the latest Elusive Target. Only he's not the target.
September 25, 2025 at 10:25 AM
the-b.bsky.social
Hear me out...
September 16, 2025 at 10:57 AM
the-b.bsky.social
And 30 minutes later, Hollow Knight Silksong takes the number 1 spot for most popular category on Twitch:
Twitch list of most popular games 30 minutes after the previous post, only now Hollow Knight Silksong is at number 1 with 355K viewers.
September 4, 2025 at 2:44 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Hollow Knight Silksong has been out for *checks watch* ten minutes, it's already the second most popular game on Twitch.
Twitch viewer counts showing DOTA 2 in first, followed by Hollow Knight Silksong in second with 321K viewers
September 4, 2025 at 2:13 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Never had a credit card, so can't verify my age on Steam despite the account itself being 20 years old. Sigh - anyway here's the response from Valve, guess I have to wait until they implement more options.
Message from Steam Support that reads: "Hello, We have no other option or information at this time. Note that debit cards are not accepted. For now, verification based on credit card ownership is the only path we can provide for age verification under the OSA. As this is a new process, we are still gathering data on potential pain points for users and will take your feedback back to the team. We are sorry for the inconvenience this new requirement is causing for you and the rest of our UK users. More information on this process can be found in our FAQ: Age Assurance under the UK Online Safety Act Steam Support Vince"
August 30, 2025 at 1:39 PM
the-b.bsky.social
@mckelvie.bsky.social If you hadn't already seen - Hayley's dropped one more song (Parachute) and announced the album release.
August 28, 2025 at 6:55 PM
the-b.bsky.social
The version on the website/hair dye was still technically 17 "singles" I think - she sorta explained the rationale (or at least endorsed a fan's interpretation of it by reposting & zooming into the reply) on her Insta stories. Sadly it's expired now so this is the best screenshot I could find.
Hayley Williams posting a tweet from a fan on her Instagram stories. It reads "okay wait what if the order of the album just like doesn't matter bc on the desktop version of the site they were scattered and you could move them wherever and by releasing them as singles she is making it impossible to put in order which is presumably the goal" and a reply reading "your brain is so big" which Hayley zoomed in on.
August 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Ah fuck, RIP Ozzy. As well as all your other achievements you sure made for a great fancy dress costume.
July 22, 2025 at 6:58 PM
the-b.bsky.social
I didn't expect to see a Pokémon humping a rupee today and yet here we are.
July 22, 2025 at 1:46 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Just when they thought it couldn't be done, I have found the new worst LinkedIn post of this particular minute.
A LinkedIn post entitled "3 lessons from getting shot"
July 16, 2025 at 4:25 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Here is your mandatory Tony Hawk jump scare courtesy of THPS 3+4's Photo Mode. #THPS3+4 #THPS #tonyhawksproskater
An extreme close up of Tony Hawk's face from the game Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4.
July 13, 2025 at 1:49 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Don't know what you mean Cody is a very accomplished and serious thespian...
July 7, 2025 at 4:55 PM
the-b.bsky.social
TFW you become maximum Sam Porter #DeathStranding2
Sam Porter screaming into a light phenomenon in the sky in Death Stranding 2
July 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
the-b.bsky.social
On CD Keys, make sure this box isn't ticked. I literally just got some credit for Death Stranding 2 yesterday so they do have some.
June 26, 2025 at 11:31 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Bit of a life "update" such as it is, given it's been a year since the last one.

tl:dr - Sadly my Mum's illness has now become terminal, she's unlikely to make the end of the year, so taking care of her is understandably remaining my main focus right now.

Fuck Cancer.
A picture of my Mum and my sister in the care home. As some of you may remember, following my being made redundant last year I took some time away from work things to look after my Mum due to a medical issue. To elaborate, she was rushed into hospital for what would turn out to be a cancerous growth on her colon, resulting in having part of her colon removed in order to try and stop the spread. The surgery was deemed successful, and the next few months were spent recovering. Now, before all this, my Mum was also in the process of being diagnosed for memory issues, potentially Alzheimer's or Dementia. However, this incident basically 'interrupted' this process, so we never got a definitive answer. So that brings us back to Mum's recovery - though they had removed the big part of the cancer, they were worried there may be trace amounts left in the bloodstream. So to try and get ahead of that the doctors originally wanted to give her chemotherapy to cut it off at the pass. However, due in part to her memory issues (and her own reluctance to undergo the treatment) her specialist decided against chemo so as not to put her under undue stress. Instead, they chose to keep an eye on her, calling her in about once every three months to check in on her while keeping her on medication to manage any symptoms. Sadly, about two months ago, my Mum's condition deteriorated rapidly. She grew tired super easily and was struggling to finish her meals before feeling 'full' as well as developing jaundice. During her April check up, the oncologist decided to keep her in and run some tests. Unfortunately a week later we got the news we were dreading, and it was confirmed the minute traces of the cancer left in her blood had spread through her body much more aggressively, and her condition such that the doctors don't think she will make the end of the year. The good news is that a couple of weeks ago she was moved from the cancer ward into a nursing home that is geographically right near our house, which is good for both us her family caring for her practically but also given her memory issues, gives her some familiarity and comfort. But the long story short is that understandably that means I will be remaining somewhat on what I guess I'm calling now my ongoing professional sabbatical/hiatus/etc and concentrating on supporting her and my family for the time being as we help her through. Frankly though it's low on the list of worries right now I'm not sure what my future looks like - I mean I don't have to tell any of you who've been keeping track the industry has had some rough waves and that don't look to be changing any time soon, so I've no idea what I'll be doing when I return or even frankly what avenues will be available or viable. But for now, thanks to those who have and continue to send well wishes and the like. If anyone wants to send monetary support I'd request you donate to McMillan Cancer Support at https://donation.macmillan.org.uk/ as they've been very helpful so far. If you made it all the way to the end of this, thanks for reading. And Fuck Cancer.
May 16, 2025 at 12:01 PM
the-b.bsky.social
May 11, 2025 at 3:02 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Thoughts to everyone affected first and foremost of course, but also: does not bode well for Titanfall 3 at least as a single player game.
A statement from Respawn Entertainment that reads: "At Respawn, bold ideas, creative risks and passionate storytelling have always defined who we are. That spirit has carried us through incredible highs - and sometimes through difficult changes too. As we sharpen our focus for the future, we've made the decision to step away from two early-stage incubation projects and make some targeted team adjustments across Apex Legends and Star Wars Jedi. These decisions aren't easy, and we are deeply grateful to every teammate affected - their creativity and contributions have helped build Respawn into what it is today. We're offering meaningful support to those impacted, including exploring new opportunities within EA. Looking ahead, our commitment to player-first experiences remains unchanged. Innovation has always been at the core of Respawn's identity, and it continues to drive how we build the future - from evolving live experiences to crafting new worlds and stories. For Apex Legends, that means not just delivering competitive, innovative seasons - but expanding what Apex can be. While the team will continue to refine gameplay and bring new ideas to upcoming seasons, we're also investing in what's next for the franchise - exploring bold experiences that push the boundaries of competitive play while staying true to the spirit of competition, creativity and integrity that our community expects. Within the Star Wars universe, we're excited to keep building new stories - with the next chapter of the Star Wars Jedi series aiming to raise the bar again for storytelling and gameplay. To everyone who has been part of our journey - past, present and future - thank you for making Respawn what it is. We carry your legacy with us into everything we create next."
April 29, 2025 at 6:36 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Right just dug out my copy OK Bethesda where do I get this Remastered patch then? ...ah.
April 22, 2025 at 3:38 PM
the-b.bsky.social
Only fellow Blue Prince players will understand the pain of the screenshot below illustrating a nearly full-room run foiled by a single security door and the RNG not granting me a keycard.
A run of Blue Prince in which I fill almost every room except for one.
April 20, 2025 at 7:48 PM