Staff Writer
Senior Author
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366articles
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347Lists
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19Guides
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About Vlad Mazanko
Vlad Mazanko is Ukraine-based gaming enthusiast, writing about the industry since 2013 and covering everything from games and studios to movies and TV shows. He joined the Valnet family back in 2021, with past works featured at TheGamer and DualShockers. Over the years, he has worked on news, guides, lists, and reviews, always aiming to ensure a combination of factual accuracy and an engaging overall read.
Industry Focus
With years of experience in gaming news and a wide range of factual knowledge about the industry, his newest passion is doing lists. These allow to deliver brief squeezes of his favorite games, genres, and their creators. Mostly covering open-world action and RPG titles, soulslikes, and racing games, he also strives to complete every game before covering it to share a full picture with the readers.
Favorite Games
Some of his favorites of past years include Elden Ring, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Alan Wake 2, Resident Evil 4, Marvel Snap, Balatro, Forza Horizon 4, Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Gwent, God of War, Black Myth: Wukong, Grim Dawn, and The Witcher 3. He's also able to find joy even in not-as-universally-beloved games like Anthem, Mafia 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Marvel's Avengers, The Callisto Protocol, Outriders, or Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League.
Favorite TV Shows
With a recent renaissance in video game adaptations, he greatly enjoyed Arcane, The Last of Us, and the Fallout series. Other notable TV shows and miniseries he'd recommend to anyone are Legion, Watchmen, Euphoria, Undone, True Detective, Sugar, and Fargo. He enjoys distinct visual storytelling coupled with a strong emotional core, as well as entangled stories with plenty of mind-blowing twists.
Latest
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Games That Were The End Of An Era
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Does FromSoftware's signature approach to the soulslike formula feel outdated in 2025? Spoiler: not one bit.
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Different genres, same intentions - these games provide some of the most ridiculous gameplay for their players.
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Hell is Us: Best Defensive Gear & How to Get It
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Hell is Us: Best Relics & How to Get Them
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Upcoming Soulslike Games With Ridiculous Mechanics
From late 2025 onward, these upcoming soulslike games promise to shake up the genre with innovative mechanics.
Upcoming Open-World Games With A Focus On Realism
Realistic open-world games are rare, but these upcoming titles should be on every fan's radar.
Ubisoft Open-World Games That Get Better As You Play
These Ubisoft games might not start off running, but they prove that some open-world games are better as a marathon, not a sprint.
Best Open-World Games You Need To Play Before You Die
These are the absolute masterpieces that any player keen on open-world games should try.