ReadyAimFire

David Menkin talks about voicing the villainous Barnabas Tharmr in Final Fantasy XVI, playing Breach in Valorant, and navigating a decades-long career as one of gaming's most versatile voice actors. Hear behind-the-scenes stories from FFXVI, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Battlefield Bad Company, and more.

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Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

Rich Keeble talks about playing Monoco and the unforgettable Trash Can Man in GOTY winner Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Hear behind-the-scenes stories, fan impact, and the art of bringing legendary video game characters to life.

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

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New episodes drop every other week.

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Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

Alix Wilton Regan talks Mass Effect, Divinity, Cyberpunk 2077, and playing the legendary Lara Croft in Tomb Raider. Hear her behind-the-scenes stories, fan impact, and the art of bringing legendary video game characters to life.

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

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Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

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Twitter/X: @rdymfr

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New episodes drop every other week.

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Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

Celebrate the holidays with Neil Newbon in this special Christmas episode as he answers fan questions and shares insights from his incredible career. Best known for his award-winning performance as Astarion in Baldur’s Gate 3, Neil chats about acting, performance capture, gaming, and more in this festive Q&A

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv

Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

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Twitter/X: @rdymfr

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New episodes drop every other week.

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Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

Samantha Béart, the voice and performance behind Karlach in Baldur’s Gate 3, joins us to talk about bringing one of BG3’s most beloved characters to life, the emotional impact of player stories, and the craft behind her performance. They also dives into a new title Absolum and shares what to expect from the upcoming project Fading Echo.

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

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Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

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New episodes drop every other week.

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Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

Mark Takeshi Ota the voice of Sun Wukong from Black Myth: Wukong, joins Tom to discuss acting in games, motion capture & bringing characters to life. Mark shares his journey across titles such as Dead Island 2, Baldur's Gate 3 & The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles.

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv

Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

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Twitter/X: @rdymfr

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New episodes drop every other week.

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Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

Jennifer Hale joins us to talk about voicing Commander Shepard in Mass Effect, how the role was shaped collaboratively, and what it takes to build a legendary career in voice acting. From cold reads and intense BioWare recording sessions to shaping one of gaming’s most iconic characters, Jennifer shares insight, humour, and stories from across her incredible career.

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv

Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

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Twitter/X: @rdymfr

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New episodes drop every other week.

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Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

What’s it really like to make games solo? In this episode of the Ready Aim Fire Podcast, Kezia & Tom chat with Ryan Laley, teacher, YouTube content creator and indie dev behind Mimic, a multiplayer survival horror game built for players and streamers. 

Ryan reveals how he went from teaching game design (including a member of the Sidemen) to building a thriving YouTube community and now running his one-man studio. We talk about the highs and lows of solo development, coding, art, marketing, late night testing and the surprising ways he keeps the momentum going. 

You’ll hear:

• How a hobby project became a full time career
• Why teaching (and even architecture) shaped his process
• Letting fans watch and influence development live
• Building a community on YouTube
• Behind the scenes stories from conventions, Sidemen and Mimic

“I think the number one thing is having an idea that you are interested in first and foremost. Because games take a long time to make and you want to make something that you are interested in. If you don’t have interest in it, then it won’t matter” — Ryan Laley

If you’re curious about indie games, YouTube dev culture, or the future of survival horror, this episode is packed with insights, laughs and inspiration .

00:00 - Games: Art, Story, & Interaction

06:21 - Balancing Freedom and Responsibility

12:05 - Student Foley Project Success

18:18 - Teaching's Impact: Learning and Explaining

25:25 - Engaging Players in Indie Games

27:23-  Game Launch with Diverse Maps

33:11 - Creating a Tactile Game for Son

39:45 - Blueprints: Intense Puzzle Gaming

43:27 - Role of a Game Publisher

51:05 - Passion Essential in Game Development

55:03 - Wholesome Feedback at Game Exhibitions

59:28 - Leveraging Audience to Fund Indie Game

Ryan Laley - Is a notable figure in the game development community, known for his expertise in Unreal Engine. He shares comprehensive tutorials and educational content on YouTube & Twitch, helping thousands of aspiring developers. Ryan is also the founder of Ryan Laley Games and the creator of Mimic, a multiplayer survival horror game built for both players and streamers.

🌐YouTube  📸 Instagram

(chronological order of appearance)

• KSI
• Sidemen 
• Unreal Engine
• Mimic
• Ryan Laley Games
• Among Us
• Patreon
• Resident Evil
• Call of Duty
• Twitch
• Steam Deck
• Sony

“I've always said, like, this wasn't my job, it would be my hobby. And it just so happened I fell into a job that pays me to do my hobby, which I feel very blessed.” - Ryan Laley

“When you're a solo developer, you don't want to be in that mind space of like, oh, I can just change things whenever I want, because otherwise you'll get into this pattern of never actually finishing a project.” - Ryan Laley

Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:

• Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clips
• Leave a review and let us know who you want featured next!

• Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors
• Episode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and more
• Episode 4: Doug Cockle on D&D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher 
• Episode 5: Tom McKay & Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
• Episode 6: Kirsty Gillmore on directing for games including Baldur’s Gate 3
• Episode 7: Hannah Price, Oli Chance, Morgan Rushton & Martin Vaughan on Final Fantasy XVI
• Episode 8: Anthony Howell & Will Porter revisit Alien: Isolation
• Episode 9: Charlotte Mcburney on a Plague Tale
• Episode 10: Inel Tomlinson  on voice acting, The First Descendant & Space Marine 2

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv

Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

TikTok: @readyaimfirestudio

Twitter/X: @rdymfr

LinkedIn: ReadyAimFire

Bluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social

New episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe now and rediscover the games you love.

Listen to ReadyAimFire

Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

What really happens when the person behind your favourite gaming hero finally steps into the booth knowing their voice could change a world, or let down a legion of players?

In this episode of ReadyAimFire, actor and comedian Inel Tomlinson brings us into the volatile, high stakes craft of bringing video game characters to life. From embodying the fearless Quartus in Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 to revealing what it’s really like to join an established franchise as the cool-headed Keelan in The First Descendant, Inel pulls back the curtain with warmth and surprising honesty.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• The untold emotional reality of voice acting how actors navigate secrecy, fan expectations, and the fierce vulnerability of creating a character nobody’s met yet.
• The unsung art of voice direction in games, where scenes are recorded out of order and directors become your “gods” often saving actors’ voices in the process.
• Find out what it’s like to balance the unpredictable life of a jobbing actor, from surreal filming days with set dogs and Resident Evil mansions, to grappling with the looming threat of AI in creative industries.

“It’s a really tough job… you’re having to use your imagination to put yourself there, and it’s up to the voice director to transport you.” — Inel Tomlinson

Step into the fire with us this conversation might just change how you think about the stories, voices, and people who shape the games you love. Press play and join the journey.

00:00 - Voiceover Studio for Game Development

05:54 - Blueprints: A Unique Mystery Experience

08:27 - Unveiling Game Characters Post-Audition

10:04 - Voice Director Guides Actor's Performance

13:21 -  Joining an Established Franchise Challenges

16:52 - Behind-the-Scenes in Gaming

19:41 - Wii Motion Control Memories

23:14 - Diverse Voices Enrich Gaming

26:42 - Balancing Fun and Future Uncertainty

30:23 - Real Life Resident Evil Filming

35:06 - Challenges of Solo Game Development

38:31 - AI Job Market Challenges

39:35 - AI's Impact on Video Game Ethics

44:22 - Monster Hunter's Growing Popularity

48:44 - Celebrating Button Bashing in Gaming

50:09 - Horrible Science New Series Launch

Inel Tomlinson  is known for his voice work in Space Marine 2, The First Descendant, and other major video game titles. He has appeared on the BAFTA award-winning series Horrible Histories, and continues to work across television, radio and stage. 

🌐IMDb  📸 Instagram

(chronological order of appearance)

• Fractured Space on Steam
• Pinewood Studios Official Site
• Red Dwarf Official Site
• Aldi UK
• Wikipedia: NES
• Wikipedia: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES video game)
• Blue Prince Steam Page
• The First Descendant Official Site
• Kirsty Gilmore (Voice Director)
• Space Marine 2 Official
• Warhammer Community
• Get Fit with Mel B
• Twitch
• Ring Fit Adventure
• Jupiter Picross
• Tetris Official
• Horrible Histories BBC
• Neil Newbon Official
• The Last of Us (Game)
• The Last of Us (TV)
• God of War Official
• Metal Gear Solid Official
• Nintendo Official Site
• Sega Official Site
• SAG-AFTRA Official Site
• Monster Hunter Wilds Official
• Monster Hunter Rise Official
• Mega Man Official
• Street Fighter Official
• Tekken Official
• Horrible Science Sky Kids

"One of the good things about the industry as well, is in video games and animations, I guess you get to kind of voice characters that aren't like you a lot of the time, which is. Which is just as fun to do."- Inel Tomlinson

"It's a really tough job. Like, understated and I think underappreciated. What, like the. What voice directors do in the video game genre, because it's very different to every other kind of piece of media out there."- Inel Tomlinson

• Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors
• Episode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and more
• Episode 4: Doug Cockle on D&D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher 
• Episode 5: Tom McKay & Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
• Episode 6: Kirsty Gillmore on directing for games including Baldur’s Gate 3
• Episode 7: Hannah Price, Oli Chance, Morgan Rushton & Martin Vaughan on Final Fantasy XVI
• Episode 8: Anthony Howell & Will Porter revisit Alien: Isolation
• Episode 9: Charlotte Mcburney on a Plague Tale

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv

Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

TikTok: @readyaimfirestudio

Twitter/X: @rdymfr

LinkedIn: ReadyAimFire

Bluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social

New episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe now and rediscover the games you love.

Listen to ReadyAimFire

Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire

After a childhood spent backstage at the opera, what’s it like to find yourself voicing one of gaming’s most unforgettable heroines?

This episode, ReadyAimFire welcomes Charlotte McBurney, the BAFTA-nominated actor behind Amicia de Rune in A Plague Tale: Innocence and A Plague Tale: Requiem, and young Jill in Final Fantasy XVI. From a whirlwind of a creative upbringing to stepping into roles that challenge heart and soul, Charlotte takes us through her journey so far, with some hilarious anecdotes and revealing insights.

You’ll hear: 

• How Charlotte grew up backstage at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and once ‘kidnapped’ a lollipop lady off the street to perform her own version of The Nutcracker
• How the Requiem script was written with Charlotte in mind, after the devs saw what she could do in the first game
• What Charlotte really thinks about Amicia’s signature slingshot kills
• Why she believes actors who truly love games change the medium from within.

“I feel very, very deeply connected to Amicia. It's my first character that I ever got to play professionally. We sort of grew up together.” Charlotte McBurney

If you’re curious as to how a theatrical family pedigree, late-night dinner debates with Yo-Yo Ma, and sheer creative audacity combine to shape one of gaming’s most unforgettable heroines, this episode is for you.

00:00:00 – Introduction to acting: enchanted by the opera stage

00:05:05 – Theatre's timeless influence on gaming

00:06:36 – Voice acting: the craft of amplifying expressions

00:10:12 – Charlotte’s first experience: learning on the job

00:15:44 – The emotional toll of voice acting 

00:17:09 – A script that brought her to tears: A Plague Tale’s incredible writing 

00:21:56 – Surprising similarities: narrative and design in gaming and opera

00:25:44 – Discovering gaming through friendship

00:28:45 – Charlotte’s favourite game scene in A Plague Tale

00:32:30 – Recording Requiem, insights into the process

00:35:20 – Amicia de Rune’s journey ends

00:37:19 – Siblings vs the Inquisition – and rats!

00:39:41 – Why Charlotte loves rats

00:44:28 – The power of character: the bond between Charlotte and Amicia

00:47:29 – Respected in the room: R&D and game development

00:51:27 – The process of performance

00:55:27 – Charlotte’s (surprising!) musical instrument of choice

58:09 – Solo show: The City for Incurable Women

Charlotte McBurney is known for A Plague Tale: Requiem, A Plague Tale: Innocence, Final Fantasy XVI and podcast series Abridgd... Too Far! She is also part of theatre collective fish in a dress, and is currently appearing at the Edinburgh Fringe in The City for Incurable Women at the Pleasance Courtyard. 

🌐IMDb  📸 Instagram

(chronological order of appearance)

• Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• Lyric Opera of Chicago
• The Nutcracker 
• Complicité (theatre company)
• Plague Tale series 
• Final Fantasy XVI
• BAFTA 
• The Last of Us
• Neil Druckmann 
• God of War 
• Chris Judge
• Yo-Yo Ma (cellist)
• Anna Karenina 
• Wes Anderson 
• Opera: Libretto 
• Puccini 
• Alien 
• Doom 
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2002 game)
• EGX 
• Edinburgh Fringe 
• The City for Incurable Women (Charlotte’s show at the Edinburgh Fringe)

“I think people who love games should work in games… I mean that's how Plague Tale came about, right? It was basically these guys loved the Last of Us and that was where a lot of the inspiration came for Plague Tale.”

– Charlotte McBurney

“Growing up, being in the opera, where you get your hair and makeup done, you get a fabulous costume and you go on stage and the music is so loud that my teeny tiny body would just vibrate. And once you've heard that, you're like, yeah, I want to do this.”

– Charlotte McBurney

Enjoyed the episode? Don’t forget to:

• Follow the podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
• Subscribe on YouTube for full episodes and clips
• Leave a review and let us know who you want featured next!

• Episode 1: Devora Wilde on Lae’zel and Performance in Baldur’s Gate 3
• Episode 2: Michael Geary on Warhammer, Magic, and Mushroom Warriors
• Episode 3: Damien Goodwin on directing Returnal, Helldivers 2 and more
• Episode 4: Doug Cockle on D&D love and voicing Geralt in the Witcher 
• Episode 5: Tom McKay & Luke Dale on Kingdom Come Deliverance 2
• Episode 6: Kirsty Gillmore on directing for games including Baldur’s Gate 3
• Episode 7: Hannah Price, Oli Chance, Morgan Rushton & Martin Vaughan on Final Fantasy XVI
• Episode 9: Anthony Howell & Will Porter revisit Alien: Isolation

🎧 Spotify: https://readyaimfire.tv/spotify

🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://readyaimfire.tv/apple

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ReadyAimFireStudio

🌍 Website & Email Sign-Up: https://readyaimfire.tv

Instagram: @readyaimfirestudio

TikTok: @readyaimfirestudio

Twitter/X: @rdymfr

LinkedIn: ReadyAimFire

Bluesky: readyaimfire.bsky.social

New episodes drop every other week.

Subscribe now and rediscover the games you love.

Listen to ReadyAimFire

Copyright 2026 ReadyAimFire