The masthead
About ZoneRespawn
An independent games magazine written above Cuba Street, Wellington — for readers who think games deserve better sentences.
Our mission
Finished First, Scored Second
ZoneRespawn began in 2019 with one desk, two borrowed monitors and a rule we have never broken: no review is written before the credits roll. Seven years later we are nine people and 1,368 articles in, read by 94,000+ people a month across New Zealand and well beyond.
We cover the big releases because our readers play them, and the small ones because somebody should. We pay particular attention to games made in Aotearoa — not out of charity, but because the local industry keeps making things worth writing about.
We are fully independent. No publisher owns a word of this magazine, review copies never guarantee coverage, and scores are argued out loud at the desk before they are printed.
Our history
2019
Founded by Tessa Moreland in a one-room office on Cuba Street. First review published in October; first argument about a score published the same week.
2021
The guides desk opens, and the weekly newsletter — The Sunday Respawn — sends its first issue to 300 readers.
2023
Monthly readership passes 50,000. We publish our 200th review and hire our first full-time news editor.
2025
The magazine moves to a bigger office (same street — we are sentimental). Reader-requested guides become a permanent fixture.
2026
Nine staff, 487 games reviewed, and the coffee machine has finally been serviced.
The people
The Editorial Team
Tessa Moreland
Editor-in-Chief
Tessa founded ZoneRespawn in 2019 after a decade in magazine publishing. She reviews RPGs and adventure games, and still keeps every issue plan in a paper notebook.
Callum Ashworth
Deputy Editor, Reviews
Callum runs the reviews desk. Two hundred verdicts and counting, with a soft spot for anything that respects the player's time.
Priya Nathan
News Editor
Priya covers the business and culture of games across Aotearoa and the wider Pacific. If a studio opens, closes or ships, she knew last week.
Marcus Tane
Guides Editor
Marcus writes the guides desk's most-read walkthroughs. His philosophy: a good guide teaches you to stop needing it.
Ella Whitford
Staff Writer
Ella covers action RPGs, cosy games and everything in between. She finishes what she starts — including, eventually, her backlog.
Jonah Reid
Contributing Writer
Jonah is our racing and shooter specialist, and the only staffer who reads patch notes for fun.
Plus our production team of three, who make sure every page you read loads fast and reads clean.
Talk to us
Say Hello
Press releases, guide requests, corrections, or just an opinion about one of our scores — the inbox is open and a human reads it.