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

Agave locations in Arc Raiders
By Joel Franey published
Guide Agave plants in Arc Raiders are found in most maps, but are most common in Riven Tides

Shoring Up Defenses Arc Raiders walkthrough
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Shoring Up Defenses has you finding a Stacking Yard Crane and boarding up hotel windows in Riven Tides

Best PTCGP decks and tier list (May 2026)
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Pulsing Aura is bringing new deck builds for PTCGP

How do Adrenaline Levels in Saros work?
By Joel Franey published
Guide Adrenaline levels grant bonuses for collecting Lucenite in Saros without taking damage

All Pokemon Legends Z-A Mystery Gift Codes and Rewards (May 2026)
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Mystery Gifts in Pokemon Z-A are available now, through different means

All Borderlands 4 Shift Codes (May 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

How to save your progress in Saros
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Saving your progress in Saros is done with auto-save, not a manual option

How to get through Yellow Barriers in Saros
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Yellow walls or barriers in Saros need a Blazing Strike to break through

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

All Secret missions in Pokemon TCG Pocket
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide Every secret mission in PTCGP is here, including those from the Pulsing Aura set

When is Saros out? Release times and dates for all time zones
By Joel Franey published
Guide If you bought the standard version of Saros, it'll be out April 30

How to find all Ship Models in Arc Raiders
By Joel Franey published
Guide How to find the ship models for the Last Resort event, including the Leviathan's Crown

Metal Detectors and Beachcombing in Arc Raiders explained
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide The metal detector in Arc Raiders is tied to the Beachcombing map modifier for Riven Tides

How to complete the Arc Raiders Avian Alarm project
By Joel Franey last updated
Guide How to complete the Avian Alarm project and find the Buoys along the Seabed in Riven Tides

All Endings in Saros explained and how to get them
By Joel Franey published
Guide In this spoiler-heavy guide, we explain how to get every ending in Saros and what they mean

Everything we know about the Arc Raiders Riven Tides update
By Leon Hurley last updated
Guide Here's what to expect in Riven Tides, the new content for Arc Raiders

Best Saros weapons and guns
By Joel Franey published
Guide Our tier list for Saros guns lists all the best options for weapons in-game, including Power Weapons

All abilities and permanent upgrades in Saros
By Joel Franey published
Guide To unlock abilities in Saros, players need to progress to certain points of the campaign

How to drop Artefacts in Saros and gain more slots
By Joel Franey published
Guide Artefacts in Saros grant buffs, but there's limited slots to hold them

Corrupted Weapons and Health in Saros explained
By Joel Franey published
Guide Corruption in Saros has different effects on Health, Weapons, Artefacts, and more

Drive, Command, Resilience and Proficiency in Saros explained
By Joel Franey published
Guide Drive, Command, Resilience and Proficiency attributes are all explained here

What does Autohit in Saros mean?
By Joel Franey published
Guide Autohit in Saros is a weapon feature that's both useful and a challenge

How long is Saros?
By Joel Franey published
Guide Saros will take roughly twenty to thirty hours to beat for most players
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