The Ringer-Verse is your go-to nexus podcast feed for all things nerd culture and fandom, featuring:
'The Midnight Boys': Van Lathan, Charles Holmes, Jomi Adeniran, and Steve Ahlman react to the latest in fandom and share their instant reactions to the newest nerd culture releases, all while bringing the banter every week.
'Button Mash': Ben Lindbergh and company discuss the latest in the world of video games, from headline-making new releases, to industry trends, to game swaps and nostalgic re-plays.
Follow the House of R feed for deep dives from Mal and Jo!
Latest episodes
Showing 20 · updated from the feed
AI Angst, ‘Final Fantasy Resonance,’ and ‘GTA III’ Turns 25 | Button Mash
Ben and Matt James break down the good, bad, and ugly of gaming’s recent reckoning with AI-driven development, decompilation, and cloning, and assess whether it will fund
Oct 22 2 h 04 min
‘VisionQuest’ Episodes 3-4 Instant Reactions | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back and they’re jumping into the next two episodes of ‘VisionQuest’. They discuss the Vision we knew from ‘Avengers’ versus the Vision we see in this show,
Oct 21 1 h 23 min
Metroidvania Draft, Spooky-Season Games, and 'Street Fighter' | Button Mash
To live is to pod; to pod is to live! First, Ben, Steve Ahlman, and Matt James react to the latest 'GTA VI' and 'Ocarina of Time' trailers and talk about Ben's hands-on s
Oct 15 2 h 21 min
‘VisionQuest’ Episodes 1-2 Instant Reactions | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back and they’re returning to the MCU! They give you all of their thoughts on the first two episodes of ‘VisionQuest,’ diving into the new ensemble cast of M
Oct 14 1 h 18 min
NYCC 2026 Recap and Reactions | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back and they are coming to you from New York City! They give you their thoughts on what they’ve seen so far at NYCC 2026, including news from 'Daredevil: Bo
Oct 9 47 min
Hollywood's Gaming Adaptation Feeding Frenzy, With Chris Ryan | Button Mash
Ben brings on Chris Ryan, host of The Watch, to discuss whether Hollywood has hit peak gaming adaptation. First, Chris reminisces about his gaming heyday and how his habi
Oct 9 1 h 28 min
‘Lanterns’ Season 1 Finale Instant Reactions, Plus a Talk With Chris Mundy | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back and they have new haircuts! With the end of the beloved first season of HBO’s ‘Lanterns,’ the boys are giving you a packed episode! First they discuss t
Oct 5 2 h 05 min
‘Star Wars: Galactic Racer,’ ‘Ace Combat 8,’ and ‘Gears of War: E-Day’ Reactions | Button Mash
Ben, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman marvel at how many good games are coming out in quick succession and wonder whether this is the best week ever for Button Mash material.
Oct 2 1 h 39 min
Is Sinestro the Key to Unraveling the Biggest Mystery in 'Lanterns'?
The Ringer's Daniel Chin is here to breakdown Thaal Sinestro in HBO's latest DC series, 'Lanterns.' Starting with the basics, Daniel will dive into who the iconic Green L
Oct 1 19 min
Ringer-Verse Recommends: September 2026
"We do not know when it will be safe to go outside. We only know that day is not this day." That's what Ben Lindbergh says to himself when he's working from home, but not
Sep 30 1 h 49 min
A Chat With ‘Lanterns’ Writers Vanessa Baden Kelly and Justin Britt-Gibson | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back, and they’re bringing you a special episode featuring ‘Lanterns’ writers/producers Vanessa Baden Kelly and Justin Britt-Gibson!
Hosts: Van Lathan, Char
Sep 29 1 h 03 min
‘Lanterns’ Episode 7 Instant Reactions | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back, and they’re ready to jump into the penultimate episode of ‘Lanterns’ Season 1! They discuss the town dynamics of present-day Rushville, John’s relation
Three Button Mashers (Ben Lindbergh, Matt James, and Steve Ahlman) break down three old games and three new games! First, they discuss the steps Blizzard, Bungie, and Mic
Sep 24 1 h 47 min
‘Lanterns’ Episode 6 Instant Reactions | The Midnight Boys
The Boys are back, and they’re ready to jump into ‘Lanterns’ Episode 6! They discuss how DC has changed the model with this show and if they’ll be able to keep it up, as
Sep 21 1 h 37 min
'Resident Evil' Reactions | Button Mash
Ben, Daniel Chin, and Joshua Rivera team up to break down the new 'Resident Evil' movie reboot, cowritten and directed by Zach Cregger. They discuss how the film compares
Sep 17 1 h 20 min
‘Lanterns’ Episode 5 Instant Reactions | Midnight Boys
The Boys return to break down the crazy twists and turns of 'Lanterns' Episode 5, and this time they’re joined by special guest Chris Ryan! The guys and CR give their rea
Sep 14 1 h 32 min
‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ Deep Dive | Midnight Mash
What is this, a crossover episode? Ben brings on (most of) the Midnight Boys for a second, deeper discussion about Insomniac and Sony's new Wolverine video game for PlayS
Sep 12 1 h 16 min
Nintendo Directs, 'Marvel's Wolverine,' and 'The Blood of Dawnwalker' Reactions | Button Mash
Ben, Matt James, and Polygon's Giovanni Colantonio unsheathe their adamantium takes as they tackle the week's biggest gaming stories. First, they break down Nintendo's ba
Sep 10 1 h 44 min
RingerQuest: The Encounter at San Veyre!
Wasting no time at all, the chaotic-but-lovable crew of five adventurers pick right back up where they left off in the last episode. Together they investigate who might b
Sep 9 2 h 03 min
‘Lanterns’ Episode 4 Instant Reactions | Midnight Boys
The Boys return to recap yet another banger 'Lanterns' episode. The guys discuss the growing rift between Hal and John, question if the guardians can be racist, examine J
Sep 7 1 h 36 min
Chart trend
Position in the TV & Film chart (US), last 90 days.
#1#36#71JulAugSepOct
#7
all-time peak
7
days in the top 10 since Nov 2024
Chart positions
Where The Ringer-Verse ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Oct 24, 2026).
A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.
This show is special. Everyone on this show is eloquent, funny, insightful and most importantly a nerd. I recently discovered this show and it has been a great experience. I have gone back to listen to older episodes and they are all excellent. The show reminds me of a time when i would get together with my friends at the schoolyard to talk about the latest episode we saw, game we played or comic we read.
As an adult with a family its not something that i have been able to find again but listening to them talk about all the things that i love has made me feel that i have found something that i had lost. A place I belong, a community I want to be part of.
Lequerica · Sep 2026
Great podcast I save it for the treadmill and I run for 3+ hours at a time! You guys really help keep me entertained and the time doesn’t just drag on! Keep up the great work! Van is my favorite
clayrs · May 2026
Midnight boys got me through my depression! Hands down one of the most funny insightful podcasts that I listen to. Love y’all and you put me onto to Mal and Jo who I hadn’t listened to before but have now followed to other podcast feeds. Keep doing yall thing! Kerm for life!
AJSQ77 · Oct 2025
Been binge listening for a few days now. Love the chemistry and conversation, Chuck is a hater but he always takes time and makes his arguments very sound. It’s a great listen.
Not a hater11 · Jul 2024
I’ve listened to the midnight boys since the beginning and loved it but it has been getting harder and harder to listen to as a woman. At some point they got too comfortable and started the locker room talk. Ten minutes on chest booty and Sydney Sweeney’s boobs? I’ve heard about porn and erections on multiple episodes now and I’m over them digging into Steve and jomi’s sex lives. Van is getting offensive. Y’all think it’s funny to rib them but as a woman it is really dehumanizing.
Reign it in a little or hire a woman who can tell you when you cross the line but I signed up for comic book lore, not being objectified every single episode
Lizard819 · Aug 2024
I feel like they have completely lost the plot on what these podcasts should be. I barely listen anymore because of this, but I listened to the Doomsday trailer podcast for some insane reason expecting actual talk about theories and what they think might happen and the actual breakdown of the trailer. Instead you get someone who knows nothing about CGI critiquing CGI, and Charles talking about how he doesn’t “feel” anything on a 2 minute trailer. That’s not what I listen to these for. Talk about theories and thoughts. It’s honestly mind-boggling.
LarrytheNetflixguy · Jul 2026
We strive to present a balanced view by showing a diverse range of reviews from Apple Podcasts.
Here you find the Apple Podcasts chart positions of The Ringer-Verse, its latest episodes to listen to directly, and reviews from listeners. Rankings are updated daily for the United States.
