CORE - Core Gaming for Core Gamers

Hosted by podcasting vet, Scott Johnson, Jon Jagger and Beau Schwartz. Weekly, on the frogpants network. Video games and the issues around them every week!<hr /><p style="color: grey; font-size: 0.75em;"> Hosted on Acast. See <a href="https://acast.com/privacy" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: grey;" target="_blank">acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>

CORE 502: O' Holy CORE!

Diablo IV: Both Scott and Beau are back in for Season 11. Scott’s "Hot Take" is that the game is officially "very good now”, and he does not care who knows it. (Paladin to 46); Beau claims it’s the best season of "Diablo 3" yet. (lol)Scott: Revisiting Overload (on sale), playing Escape Room Simulator 2, and starting Banquet for Fools.Jon: Reached the new area in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and is impressed by the visuals.Beau: Mostly Jump Space outside of D4 play. And a CRAP ton of your emails and texts for our last episode of 2025!POSSIBLE SPOILER POINTS 00:00:00.00 - 00:00:00.0000:00:00.00 - 00:00:00.00 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12-27
02:40:49

CORE 501: Clarity

Get your ‘500+ Episodes’ mugs at Frogpants.shop now before its too late!. We recapped The Game Awards: Jon loved Resident Evil Requiem, Scott is into Total War Warhammer 40k, and Beau liked Gang of Dragon. We mostly bounced off Highguard.News: Steam Winter Sale is live. Fallout Season 2 has started. We discussed Netflix buying WB (details at core.show). Supervive is shutting down after 7 months.Played: Scott is on Path of Exile 2 and Mutant Football League 2. Jon is trying demos like Pragmata and back in FFXIV. Beau is on Witcher 3 and other sick-friendly games this week.Ozzfudd notes Scott can finish Far Cry 4 and 5 in minutes via secret endings. Just another Nick suggests Super Fantasy Kingdom. Email us at SHOW@CORE.SHOW!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12-19
03:00:50

CORE SPECIAL: 2025 Game Awards

Audio edition of our watch-a-long! Listen along with us! Video version will be up on CORE.SHOW shortly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12-12
04:01:34

CORE 500: 500 of These!

Welcome to episode 500! Finishing Dispatch, loving Split Fiction, playing Demeo DND, and the Hordes of Hel! Plus Shinobi is underrated, Divinity still has a lot of stuff on the ground, Witcher 3, and a LOT of prep for tonight’s Game Awards. (coming in a separate post.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12-12
01:14:27

CORE 499: Primed

🎉 500 EPISODE MUGS NOW AVAILABLE!Get yours reserved before we hit the limit!https://frogpants.shop ⚠️ SPOILER POLICY CLARIFICATIONGoing forward:1. We'll do our best not to offer major spoilers on narrative elements2. We'll give ample warning to pause, skip ahead, or come back later3. We'll front-load discussions with spoiler-free content- Scott will play BGM over spoiler sections for podcast listeners- Jon is doing YouTube chapters ASAP once the episode postsNOTE: This has never been a spoiler-free show, but we're making extra effort for those asking. You have personal responsibility to avoid spoilers if they matter to you.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎮 MAIN TOPICTHE FEW GAMES OF DECEMBER 2025Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Octopath Traveler 0, Metroid Prime 4, Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Terminator 2D: No Fate, & More.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📰 NEWS ROUNDUP🐴 Indie Game "Horses" Keeps Getting BannedBanned from Steam, Epic, and now Humble. Still available on Itch.io and GOG.🎬 Justin Lin to Direct Helldivers MovieThe Fast & Furious director takes on the video game adaptation.🐺 SO MUCH WITCHER- Witcher 4 NOT coming in 2026- Witcher 5 and 6 also in the works- Witcher Remastered on the way🔞 WickedWhims Has 300K Daily LoginsSims' biggest sex mod sees massive daily usage🧛 Paradox Takes Blame for Bloodlines 2Publisher says responsibility for poor sales lies fully with them, not developers━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎮 WHAT WE'VE BEEN PLAYINGSCOTT⚠️ Possible Spoilers: Did I finish Dispatch? Have to wait and see!Split Fiction - Incredible co-op game. Most FUN game this year!PowerWash Simulator 2 - Still the best CHORE CORE of 2025.JONCyberPunk 2077 - Done everything in base game, Phantom Liberty awaitsMarvel Cosmic Invasion - Started and finishedSHINOBI: Art of Vengeance - Sleeper hit! (Scott confirms)BEAUWitcher 3: The Wild Hunt continuesNoobs Are ComingJump SpaceRocksmith 2014 - We're backStar Citizen - I forgot about it... sorry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12-05
03:20:09

CORE 498: Law of Threes

Scott dropped a Patreon vs Core.show support comparison video—check it at Core.show for the breakdown. Also posted an article about RAM prices going absolutely bonkers right now. The advice? Wait it out. Don't be the person overpaying because you can't control yourself. News Roundup: WoW: Midnight Gets RealJon brought the news: World of Warcraft's next expansion drops March 2nd, 2026. Mark your calendars, prepare your excuses for missing work.Half-Life 3 Copium IntensifiesPeople—including "insiders"—still think HL3 is getting announced this year. Spoiler: It's not. It never is. Stop doing this to yourselves.CD Projekt Reality CheckNo Witcher 4 or Cyberpunk 2 at the Game Awards. Shocking absolutely no one.Cyberpunk 2077 hit 35 million copies sold, outpacing The Witcher 3's trajectoryCyberpunk 2 is still years away. Hang in there, chooms.GAMES PLAYEDScott's GamesDispatchMoonlighter 2: The Endless VaultNo Way HomeGuild Wars 2 MilestoneJackbox Party Pack 11Jon's GamesCyberpunk 2077?Beau's GamesClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - FinishedWitcher 3Total ChaosAnd LOTS MORE!Contact: show@core.show | Text: tenhams.comLinks: Frogpants.com/core Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11-29
03:37:04

CORE 497: Claire Obscured

Main Topic: Game Awards Nominees. Megabonk dev withdraws "Best Debut Indie" nomination (made previous games). Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 breaks record with 12 nominations. Notable snubs: ARC Raiders, Dispatch, Sonic the Hedgehog 3.Other NewsXbox Partners Showcase (Tides of Annihilation, Vampire Crawlers, Total Chaos)Epic/Unity partnership for Fortnite integrationKrafton AI controversy re: Subnautica 2 bonusesDispatch skill requirements discussionFirst live-action Zelda movie set photosOur Week in GamingShared: Dispatch progress (Beau completed, Jon restarted, Scott finished Episode 1)Beau: Claire Obscur Act 3, Slay the Spire boardgame, No Man's Sky Normandy unlock, Vampire Survivors VRScott: Forestrike (standout), Shelldiver (incremental gem), Advance Wars binge, Moonlighter 2 purchased, Cleared Hot, Guild Wars 2 reinstalledJon: Cyberpunk 2077 continuesFallout 4 pricing clarification from NickLandry - Anniversary Edition upgrade options explained, Xbox Play Anywhere support added.Links: Patreon.com/coreshow | CORE.show | frogpants.com/coreNew article on CORE.show: Vegas conversation about AI threats + why GoldenEye is the GOAT.CORE.show vs Patreon (frogpants.com/core)Episode 500 commemorative mug dropping at frogpants.shop this weekend! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11-21
03:39:11

CORE 496: Open The Valve

Valve has three new hardware options for you, and we talk about them in detail today. Plus all the news and stuff you can stand, as well as a visit from Bobby for a nice little WoW update! GAMES PLAYEDSCOTTTavern KeeperJONDispatchCyberPunk 2077BEAUFarthest FrontierJump SpaceREPOARC RaidersVampire Survivors VR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11-14
03:53:54

CORE 495: Laminate Your Stones

All the details on CORE.show, and what you can get from it! WoW is not coming to consoles, says game lead at Blizz. Fortnite has all the cartoon dads now. Rockstar doing some devious firings. Your Steam Deck can now download while asleep! Warhammer Survivors is HAPPENING! Blizzcon tickets go up tomorrow. Playstation Portal finally does cloud. The return of Nexeopardy! All the games of the week and loads more.SCOTTHoop LandMech HavocUtopia Must FallJONThe Outer Worlds 2Cyberpunk 2077DispatchBEAUARC Raiders Aliens: Dark Descent Ball X PitDawn of War: Definitive EditionJump Space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

11-07
03:10:29

CORE 494: Cross Me Again...

Nintendo wants you to feel like those happy pandemic times again with a big update to Animal Crossing on Switch 2. Also, all the games of November, the Amazon Games layoffs and the apparent shutter of New World. Civ 7 trying to fix things. Claire and Cloud together at last. All the games we played plus all the usual stuff Enjoy!SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKSlots & DaggersSCOTTPowerwash Simulator 2WarsideJONThe Outer Worlds 2Mortal Kombat: Legacy KollectionDispatchBEAUAliens: Dark DescentFellowshipJump Space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-31
04:12:30

CORE 493: Impossible Task

How does anyone make a definitive list of the best games? It’s impossible, but we talk about the latest attempt anyway. Plus, Remedy losing their CEO after Firebreak did so poorly, and Vampire Survivors adds DLC to DLC. We also field a load of your questions this week, along with the usual dork-athon, and the games we played to boot! SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKBattlefield 6SCOTTSuperliminal (beat it!)Battle-Suit AcesYet Another Zombie SurvivorsGeometry SurvivorDungeon ClawlerSlots and DaggersJONDispatchThe Outer Worlds 2AbsolumIt Has My FaceBEAUFellowshipNo Man’s SkyBall X PitFarthest FrontierVoid Crew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-24
03:09:05

CORE 492: Ex-Ally

Early reviews for the Xbox handheld are out, and it is a mixed bag to say the least. Understanding Fearless Drafts. Glen Powell wants in on E33 movies. EA employees not happy about the sell out. Quantic Dream is making a….free to play MOBA? Yep. Also, all the games we played and loads more!GAMES PLAYEDSCOTTBall X PitThe Exit 8.Funguys SwarmSoulstone SurvivorsSilent Hill fJONMegabonkBEAUBattlefield 6Hades 2Pinball FXStar Trek Voyager Across The Unknown demoCosmic Invasion demoWhiskerwood demoSkate Story demo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-16
03:25:59

CORE 491: Goes Up & Down

Straight into Hades II gameplay talk! Covering the “rat boss,” progress paths, end-game challenges, and tarot upgrades, all leading up to some admittedly broad comparisons to ARPGs and roguelites. Design depth, storytelling, and character reactions, Greg Street’s studio troubles, praise for Megabonk. Not to mention the mess that the gamepass changes continue to be. Sackbird Studios has our hopes. Make your own VR headset at home and WAY MORE STUFF!SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKHades 2MegabonkSCOTTIt Has My FaceSoulstone SurvivorsDeep Rock SurvivorsJONFinal Fantasy Tactics Remastered Ultra HD Power Extra EditionBEAUVoid Crew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-09
02:32:07

CORE 490: I'll Pass

Scott & Jon’s Horror Video Game Fun Time kicks off Friday with Silent Hill f, running each Friday this month. Main topic covers October’s big releases like Ghost of Yotei, Battlefield 6, Little Nightmares 3, Pokémon Legends Z-A, Ninja Gaiden 4, The Outer Worlds 2, Mina the Hollower and more. Other news: Microsoft hikes Game Pass, EA goes private, Fortnite pulls Peacemaker, Capcom coy on RE9. Dear Martha Gameshow returns with “Find the Flaw.” This week in play: Hades 2, CloverPit, Shipbreaker, Kaiju Cleanup, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Megabonk, Sonic Racing Crossworlds.GAMES PLAYEDSHAREDHades 2CloverPitSCOTTHardspace: ShipbreakerKaiju Cleanup (upcoming)JONFinal Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice ChroniclesMegabonkSonic Racing CrossworldsBEAUHades II all day all night! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10-02
03:26:38

CORE 489: Straight Out of Hades

Happy ten years to CORE! Plus, Beau reminds us about a Kojima credit card coming soon. Highlights from TGS like Kojima’s new horror game OD and Capcom announcements including C. Viper in SF6, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, Pragmata, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. PlayStation’s State of Play brought a bag of goodies: Saros, Zero Parades for Dead Spies, Flight Simulator 2024, a Deus Ex remaster, Mega Man in Sonic Racing, Dynasty Warriors 3 Complete, Code Vein 2, Let it Die: Inferno, Chronoscript, new Pulse speakers, and Wolverine. (Which looked REALLY good.) Plus all the usual fun times at CORE.SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKScott and Jon both spent time in Megabonk, which is far better than its looks suggest.Sonic Racing CrossWorlds was played by Scott and Jon.Hades II saw time from all of us, with Beau having already played in Early Access and a bit more today.Borderlands 4 continued, mainly Beau.More No Man’s Sky, though not much new to report, Beau included.SCOTTPlenty of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor.Three hours of Metal Gear Solid Delta — very Kojima.Tried the demo for Slots & Daggers, which will be a day-one buy.JONFortnite remains a regular, especially the Blitz mode.BEAUSkate in Early Access.More Hollow Knight: Silksong.Some Heroes of the Storm, though waiting on the new patch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-26
03:55:35

CORE 488: Hedge Your Bets

Nintendo Direct dropped big news: Metroid Prime 4, more Fire Emblem, a quirky “Ditto Crossing,” and even Virtual Boy stuff, plus Hades 2’s 1.0 launch date is September 25. Meanwhile, Randy Pitchford remains the industry’s baffling clown in an ill-fitting suit, Sega is back with some old-school “Ninten-Don’t” ads, and speculation heats up around Cyberpunk 2 possibly including multiplayer (though Scott was sure that was already confirmed). And of course, LOTS MORE! Shared Games This Week•Borderlands 4•No Man’s SkyScott•Town to City•Cash Cleaner SimulatorJon•No, I’m Not a HumanBeau•Hollow Knight: Silksong•Elden Ring: Neightreign•Void Crew•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-19
03:21:22

CORE 487: Give Silver a Hand

Frogs, flies, and state borders! Keanu Reeves expressed willingness to bring back Johnny Silverhand in future Cyberpunk projects, fueling speculation about DLC or cameos. PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, hosts, and more. Exhibition 33’s concert tour selling out instantly, Halo Infinite getting Invasion mode, and Steam reviews for Silksong differing by language, with Chinese players criticizing localization. And LOTS more!Shared Play•Hollow Knight: Silksong•No Man’s SkyScott•Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots.•Metal Slug TacticsJon•Bodah-Lands 4Beau•Void Crew •World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-11
02:42:51

CORE SPECIAL: Gamescom On The Ground

Scott sits down with Tanner Goodman, who just got back from the EU, and his time at Gamescom in Germany. They talk about everything he saw! Including the standout demos like Crimson Desert (beautiful but overloaded with systems), Silent Hill f (creepy immersive theater), Honor of Kings: World (surprise hit with fun elemental combat and raids), and Valor Mortis (first-person Soulslike with grotesque Napoleonic bosses). Also, reasons why Chronos on Switch 2 disappointed due to poor performance and clunky design. Beyond games, Xbox showed its new handheld, cosplay was everywhere, swag was abundant, and even Netflix, Disney+, and Chiquita Bananas had booths. Give it a listen and huge thanks to Tanner for his time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-08
53:13

CORE 486: Bon Voyager

Gamescom brought big World of Warcraft reveals: the new housing system with public, charter, and guild neighborhoods (50 homes each, customizable biomes, permissions, and community events), plus new solo content like Prey hunts and ongoing Delves. Blizzard is also integrating add-on features directly into the UI (boss timers, nameplates, DPS meters), raising questions for Deadly Boss Mods and others. Bobby is here to help us make sense of it all. Also we have a LOT to say about the No Man’s Sky’s Voyager update—building Corvettes, exploring derelict ships, taming bizarre pets, farming nanites, managing settlements, and enjoying the endless systems, bugs and all. Plus all the games we played ands way more.SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKThe ‘No Man’s Sky’ update!SCOTT•Shinobi: Art of Vengeance•BlazBlue Entropy EffectJON•Hollow Knight: SilksongBEAU•Peak•Metal Eden•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

09-04
03:07:09

CORE 485: September Reign

Let’s talk the BIG September 2025 releases: Hollow Knight: Silksong (Sept 4), Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots (Sept 5), Borderlands 4 (Sept 12), Silent Hill F (Sept 25), Sonic Racing Crossworlds, Final Fantasy Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles, Lego Party, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, plus DLCs for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac. News about Expedition 33’s success and its Clair Obscur franchise plans, and Two Point Museum adding retro arcades, among a load more!SCOTT•The Last Spell•Inkshade•Titan Quest II•Shapez 2•Kill The Brickman•The Rogue Prince of PersiaJON•Final Fantasy XII•Hollow Knight•No Man’s Sky•SandBEAU•No Man’s Sky•Rift Breaker 2.0•Valheim•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

08-28
03:27:59

Based

the cope lmao, wokies who can barely admit that Concorde and it's 150 million dollars down the drain was a massive fiasco 🤣

09-20 Reply

Based

Fascinating how Scott played Battlefield in 1997, when it released in late 2002! Must've been an older build huh

08-27 Reply

Zergling Gorbak

I totally thought Beau said "I banged Garett" !!

12-13 Reply

Gavin Milligan

pretty depressing for the community, its clear corporate Blizzard doesnt care about their communities.

12-14 Reply

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