Joel Franey

Joel Franey

Guides Editor, GamesRadar+

Joel Franey got his Bachelors in Creative Writing and Games Design from Brunel University in 2017, before going on to do a Masters in Creative and Critical Writing from Sussex University. During this time he also worked freelance in various gaming-related roles and professions, including design, PR, reviews and features, before eventually joining the guides team at USgamer and ReedPop in 2019. Since then, he has written professionally for numerous publications, including Gfinity Esports, Eurogamer, VG247, Dicebreaker, RPS, Jelly Deals and more. These have involved, among other things, writing guides, news, features, reviews, and even working as an SEO consultant, restructuring and rewriting content for the purpose of increased online traffic. He eventually joined GamesRadar+ as a Guides Writer in 2021, with a focus on covering single player games and narrative games, though nonetheless regularly contributing to ongoing coverage of online gaming services and multiplayer properties, and has covered a variety of major AAA games in his time since then. In his spare time he is also a long-time fiction writer, having written books, screenplays and more besides in a variety of genres, and is the co-host and co-creator of the pop culture comedy podcast, "Margaret Thatcher, Templar Spy".

Latest articles by Joel Franey

Ocarina of Time
What to do in Goron City in the Ocarina of Time Remake

By Joel Franey Published

Guide Goron City and Darunia in the OOT Remake have players try to cheer up the gloomy Goron

Guide
Ocarina of Time
How to trade all the Masks from the Happy Mask Shop in Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake

By Joel Franey Published

Guide The Skull Mask, the Spooky Mask, the Bunny Hood, and more are part of the Happy Mask Shop quest in OOT Remake

Guide
Ocarina of Time
How to get a Shield and Sword in Zelda Ocarina of Time

By Joel Franey last updated

Guide To reach the Deku Tree in the Switch 2 Ocarina of Time Remake, Link needs to get the Deku Shield and Kokiri Sword first

Guide
Pokemon Legends Z-A Mystery Gift codes for Mega Garchomp Z
All Pokemon Legends Z-A Mystery Gift Codes and Rewards (November 2026)

By Joel Franey last updated

Guide Mystery Gifts in Pokemon Z-A are available now, through different means

Guide
Modern warfare 4 best guns
The best guns in Modern Warfare 4

By Diego Perez last updated

Guide There's some old favorites heading up the best weapons in Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4

Guide
A Meta Quest 3 and 3S on a fuchsia background with a Black Friday deals stamp next to them
Best early Black Friday Meta Quest deals 2026: the best ways to save before the rush

By Duncan Robertson last updated

Deals Black Friday Meta Quest deals are a ways off yet, but here are the offers you can already make the most of.

Deals
ISO Nightshade in Modern Warfare 4
Best ISO Nightshade builds in MW4

By Joel Franey Published

Guide The ISO Nightshade in Modern Warfare is an SMG that focuses on jack-of-all-trades versatility

Guide
Mosin Nagant in MW4
Best Mosin Nagant builds in MW4

By Joel Franey Published

Guide The Mosin Nagant in Modern Warfare 4 is a powerful marksman rifle

Guide
borderlands 4 shift codes
All Borderlands 4 Shift Codes (November 2026) and how to redeem for Golden Keys and Skins

By Iain Wilson last updated

Guide Redeem Shift Codes in Borderlands 4 to get Vault Hunter Skins and Golden Keys, which unlock potentially incredible loot drops

Guide
Rezi 12 MW4
The best Rezi 12 builds in MW4

By Joel Franey Published

Guide The Rezi 12 shotgun in Modern Warfare 4 is one of the game's best, especially with the right build

Guide
Modern Warfare 4
The best Oris 8.6 builds in MW4

By Joel Franey Published

Guide The Oris 8.6 is a marksman rifle in MW4 known for its versatility, as well as its Volt Edge variant

Guide
Modern Warfare 4
What does Non-Milsim Content in MW4 mean?

By Joel Franey Published

Guide Milsim and Non Milsim Content in Modern Warfare 4 are new labels in multiplayer, but what does that mean?

Guide
Fortnite Season 4 in Chapter 7 loading screen showing that Fortnite is down and the servers are not responding
Is Fortnite down? And if so then how long is the Fortnite downtime?

By Iain Wilson last updated

Guide What to know if you're seeing the dreaded "Fortnite servers not responding" error

Guide
Crimson Desert
How to get a sailing ship in the Crimson Desert DLC

By Joel Franey Published

Guide To unlock your own pirate ship in the Crimson Desert DLC, you need to unlock the Wider World questline

Guide
A screenshot of PUCK eating an enemy during the upcoming Xbox Series X game, Shadow Labyrinth.
5 best retro video game remakes and reboots

By Joel Franey last updated

Best List 5 retro revivals to help you wait out The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Remake

Best List
A woman holds up a document sternly in a screenshot from Crimson Desert: Charting the Unknown.
How to start the Charting the Unknown DLC in Crimson Desert and begin your ocean adventure

By Joel Franey Published

Guide To start the Crimson Desert DLC, players will need to go to different locations

Guide
Crimson Desert DLC
When does the Crimson Desert Charting the Unknown DLC release?

By Joel Franey Published

Guide Crimson Desert's first major DLC comes out October 29

Guide
MW4 DMZ weapon manuals
The best places to find DMZ Weapon Manuals in Modern Warfare 4

By Joel Franey Published

Guide Weapon Manuals in the Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 DMZ are found in various locations

Guide
Welcome to Paradise in Cyberpunk 2077
How to complete Welcome to Paradise in Cyberpunk 2077

By Joel Franey Published

Guide The Welcome to Paradise quest in Cyberpunk 2077 2.5 has you track down Haze via a series of tour locations

Guide
Ariadne quest in Cyberpunk 2077
What to do for Ariadne's quest in Cyberpunk 2077

By Joel Franey Published

Guide Ariadne asks you to become a brand ambassador for some clothes, but it's really to unlock Witcher themed gear

Guide
Mods in Cyberpunk 2077
The best mods for Cyberpunk 2077 on every platform

By Joel Franey last updated

Guide Cyberpunk 2077 mods are now available for consoles after the 2.5 patch

Guide
Police Station in Modern Warfare 4 DMZ
How to find and loot Police Stations in MW4 DMZ mode

By Joel Franey Published

Guide There are 5 Police Stations in the COD MW4 DMZ, all spread out across the map for you to loot

Guide
GamesRadar+ RPG Club badge
Venturing into The Witcher 3 Remastered? Join the GamesRadar+ RPG Club and play along with us!

By Jasmine Gould-Wilson last updated

RPG Club The Witcher 3's stunning new remaster is the perfect opportunity to replay Geralt's third adventure (or experience it for the first time)

RPG Club
Traits in Modern Warfare 4
What are the best Operator Traits in Modern Warfare 4 DMZ?

By Joel Franey Published

Guide There are multiple traits to pick between in COD Modern Warfare 4 DMZ mode, chosen between three skill tees

Guide
Cyberpunk 2077
How to start the new Clampdown mission in Cyberpunk 2077's 2.5 update

By Joel Franey Published

Guide

Guide
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