Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

Cronos: The New Dawn, Hell Is Us, Hollow Knight Silksong, Borderlands 4, Silent Hill F, Trails In The Sky Remake, and the list goes on. It's an overload of games right now and the Dukes are doing their best to keep up! Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:05:29 - Health Is Wealth0:45:32 - Dragon Quest 7 info0:50:36 - Is RE5 remake different from what we thought?0:55:30 - Does Bethesda still have it?1:16:25 - Nintendo Direct reaction1:35:26 - Randy Pitchford’s Borderlands 4 meltdown1:50:40 - The Initiative studio head breaks his silence2:05:07 - The Scalebound Saga continues on2:14:03 - Zenimax Online Studios wants to make new stuff2:20:18 - Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Part 3 is going multi-plat2:33:04 - The Series S helped Battlefield 62:39:22 - GTA 6 is getting delayed… again?2:45:22 - Nintendo’s dangerous new patent2:55:58 - Black Flag Remake might be more RPG-heavy3:00:50 - State Of Play next week3:10:34 - Far Cry is leaning into multiplayer3:15:22 - What We’re Playing3:36:48 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass…3:39:23 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Much of the conversation surrounding Game Pass and its sustainability has been about whether or not it can turn a profit. The Dukes themselves have pondered on this very subject for dozens of episodes. At this point, Game Pass is here to stay. The conversation has evolved from how much money the service makes to whether or not it dramatically impacts how games are made. At first, PlayStation alumni Shawn Layden brought attention to this subject. While well respected and incredibly knowledgable, many believed that Shawn bled a bit too much blue for their taste and that his points may be biased. That's fair to say, but what happens when many of Xbox's own start to say the same? Much of our conversation is about what Pete Hines, the former SVP of Communication and Marketing at Bethesda, had to say on Xbox's premier service. However, it's really about the fallout from it. Shannon Loftis, a Xbox lifer who spent 20+ years at the company, sang a similar tune to that of Pete and Shawn. Even MachineGames currnet studio head had thoughts on how Game Pass players dip very quickly. Even recently, Larian's own Swen Vincke had his concerns about Game Pass. Raphael Colantonio, formerly of Arkane and now at WolfEye, shared a similar sentiment. While indie and even AA have found a pocket from which they very much benefit from Game Pass, AAA is speaking out. The question remains: Are players willing to listen in the face of such value? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:17:57 - Health Is Wealth0:22:02 - Bethesda finally teases Starfield DLC0:30:16 - Wolfenstein lives on0:38:37 - Hollow Knight Silksong breaks records0:51:10 - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth due out on Xbox in 20260:53:27 - Physical games live on for another generation?1:05:37 - Dead Island 3 on the way1:12:19 - Helldivers 3 basically confirmed1:16:05 - Resident Evil 5 Remake isn’t happening1:22:44 - Old KOTOR Remake concept art leaks1:24:35 - Metal Gear Delta sells 1 million copies in 2 days1:25:22 - 2K is making a “college basketball experience” while EA bails1:34:37 - Batman Arkham Shadow is getting a sequel1:39:35 - IO Interactive finally talks about Mindseye launch1:44:20 - What We’re Playing2:23:54 - Pete Hines opens up on Xbox & Bethesda3:12:04 - Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show plans3:20:02 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today in news that we wish we never knew about: Xbox's reboot of Perfect Dark was nearly saved! Their dance partner? Take Two Interactive who serves as publisher of Rockstar. Yes, indeed, a recent report states that these two were working out a deal similar to Xbox selling off Tango Gameworks alongside the Hi Fi Rush IP to Krafton in order to help the company. Unfortunately, a falling out between both sides occurred over an IP ownership dispute. Now, Perfect Dark is doomed to sit in "IP Jail" with many of Xbox's other abandoned properties. At least Banjo has some company now. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:02:40 - Health Is Wealth0:23:57 - Our preview philosophy0:35:17 - Is The Outer Worlds 2 hate overblown?0:50:30 - What games should you play soon?0:54:23 - Call Of Duty is entering the movie business1:00:49 - Gears Of War Reloaded numbers are in1:12:16 - Helldivers 2 is the #1 paid game on the Xbox store1:23:23 - Grounded 2 seems to be doing very well1:28:52 - 007 First Light impressions1:36:14 - PlayStation 6 will be a handheld?1:48:20 - Epic responds to Unreal Engine 5 concerns2:02:20 - Ubisoft’s 2026 and 2027 games2:10:54 - What's going on with Cyberpunk 2077?2:14:25 - Kojima event may show off OD2:17:05 - What We’re Playing3:10:24 - Perfect Dark was nearly revived3:28:05 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass3:40:56 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a bit of a rough go for Obsidian as of late. Compared to their usual RPG triumphs, Avowed felt quite a bit less than that. However, not all of it was entirely their fault. At one point, Xbox chose to make this the $80 game that would lead the charge in a new era of high prices. After considerable pushback, they chose to drop the price to $70. While a welcome sight, some have debated if even that is a fair price point for what appears to be a AA RPG. Now, marketing has kicked the hornet's nest with the latest companion trailer. So, here we are. Cog and Matty played the prologue section of the game and our thoughts are mixed. There certainly wasn't a "sound the alarm" moment, but it read to the Dukes like a less confident showing. Much of what makes an Obsidian RPG great is here. However, after the preview failed to show how that would be executed, both Dukes were left feeling like there is more that could've been done. Now, the tough decision falls to Xbox. Do you risk another preview and overexpose the game to try and correct things? Do you ride into launch and hope for the best? Time will tell, but we only have to wait until October to learn just how worth it Outer Worlds 2 will be. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:15:07 - Write Ins0:37:33 - Pete Parsons is leaving Bungie0:51:25 - Tim Schafer on Double Fine’s future games0:55:32 - Hollow Knight Silksong finally has a release date1:11:32 - Xbox Ally preorder date leaks1:12:39 - The reason that Switch 2 ports of Xbox games are delayed?1:23:00 - Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Game Pass subscribers1:29:48 - New Starfield updates detailed1:35:13 - High On Life 2 will include 5 playable games1:37:14 - Replaced is set to release Spring 20261:38:59 - Activision responds to Call of Duty concerns1:50:34 - More Clair Obscur is on the way2:04:51 - Atari has acquired 5 Ubisoft games2:09:26 - Ken Levine opens up on Judas2:16:53 - Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2’s Wild DLC situation2:23:20 - Naoki Yoshida says there’s no need for new consoles2:26:52 - Herman Hulst on Concord’s failure2:31:46 - Skate enters early access on September 16th2:40:02 - What We’re Playing3:48:09 - Forza Horizon 6 will be set in Japan3:59:05 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass4:00:22 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Gamescom took place this week! On top of Opening Night Live which was home to many reveals, Xbox held their own show the day after. It's there that we finally got information on the Xbox Ally. Everything from its official release date to features, specs, capabilities, and so on. With the rumored price tag floating at $549.99 and $899.99 respectively, is this handheld doing enough to justify its enthusiast status? Despite everything being an Xbox, it seems like the Xbox Ally will only function as such if a title supports "Play Anywhere." While not a concern for future games as we've seen many releases support the future, what this means for your established Xbox library isn't great news. We parse through it all... and a lot of Lego Batman. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:07:28 -  Health Is Wealth0:31:52 - Xbox is safe from Tyson... for now0:33:26 - Grounded 2 is outpacing the first0:38:08 - Ex-PlayStation Exec Shawn Layden on Game Pass0:57:15 - Details on the Helldivers x ODST collab1:01:21 - Rod Fergusson is the new Head of the BioShock Franchise1:08:28 - High On Life 2 is releasing February 13th, 20261:11:31 - Triangle Strategy shadow drops on Xbox1:15:35 - Mafia: The Old Country sales thus far1:17:34 - Shenmue 3 Enhanced Edition announced by ININ1:36:41 - What We’re Playing2:02:23 - Gamescom recap2:45:29 - Updates on Xbox Ally3:01:30 - PlayStation hikes console price3:08:56 - Leaving Xbox Game Pass3:10:21 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Contraband was announced back in 2021. Since then, we've seen just about nothing from the game. No messaging beats, no trailers, and even the Xbox executives didn't yap about this one! After four years of development, this collaboration between Xbox and Avalanche has come to a close. Adding it to the list of canceled Xbox titles, this one feels different to Dependable Cog and Choco Matty. Part of it is apathy, but it's also a new angle from the previous shutdowns where we really don't know much about what was lost. It's a valuable lesson in why Xbox shouldn't announce things early. Beyond our headline, we get into Xbox's president offering her talents to Tyson Foods (?!), Halo coming to PlayStation, a legend leaving Xbox, and diving deep into Matty's recent interview with ex-BioWare vet, Mark Darrah. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:10:29 - Cog wears diapers & Matty goes viral for cleaning0:40:34 - Health Is Wealth0:48:38 - Mafia: The Old Country "Controversy"0:58:16 - Are games giving what the fans want?1:04:19 - Ex BioWare dev on Dragon Age remasters1:25:35 - PlayStation is moving away from hardware?1:43:25 - Rod Ferguson is leaving Blizzard1:51:15 - Sarah Bond joins… Tyson Foods2:00:50 - An update on the future of Forza2:05:48 - The release date for the Xbox Ally has leaked2:07:58 - Heretic + Hexen re-release shadowdropped2:12:09 - A Halo game is coming to PlayStation2:17:13 - Halo ODST is coming to Helldivers 22:21:52 - Bungie’s leash tightens with Marathon2:28:48 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is getting a massive roadmap2:34:14 - LEGO Batman is getting the Skywalker Saga treatment?2:44:11 - Crimson Desert has been delayed to Q1 20262:45:40 - What We’re Playing3:25:42 - Contraband has been canceled3:33:39 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The year of the Ninja rages on! Fresh off Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, we have more ninjas to talk about thanks to the new Shinobi demo alongside Ninja Gaiden 4. In a seemingly impossible move, Xbox brought together two legendary Japanese developers to reactivate a franchise that had laid dormant since 2012. There were still question marks even after a strong showing at this years Developer Direct. At the top of everyone's list following a ton of layoffs was simply: Does PlatinumGames still have it? Well, it appears that despite the winds of change blowing through the studio, the new wave of talent at Platinum is more than up to the task. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:07:28 - Health Is Wealth0:20:25 - Starfield’s PS5 port and Expansion 2 won’t be out until 20260:42:12 - Xbox financials update0:50:54 - Pouring one out for BioShock fans1:03:17 - Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal reactions1:16:12 - Nintendo Direct announces new Xbox games1:23:55 - THQ Nordic 2025 showcase breakdown1:31:25 - Kojima on OD when speaking to SSense about his career1:34:15 - EA is working on more games with Disney1:40:31 - So, uh, Ubisoft threatened to sue Edward Kenway’s actor?1:45:37 - Ninja Gaiden 4 / What We’re Playing2:39:34 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass2:44:01 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new job listing over at PlayStation shows that more games are headed to Xbox. Naturally, the internet did its thing and we saw some crazy titles get tossed out as ideas for ports: The Last Of Us, Uncharted, Spider-Man, God Of War, and so on. Others have suggested that PlayStation is folding just as Xbox has. Have they? Joining me is Sir Bradley Ellis to dive into what ends up being a semi-painful reminder of the current state of Xbox as we shift from topic-to-topic. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:04:50 - Xbox's game price landmine0:21:12 - Satya’s statement lol0:28:31 - More Xbox games to PlayStation0:34:31 - Holy cow, Xbox is getting more physical games?!0:44:20 - Fallout 76 is going to Ohio?0:53:08 - Oblivion Remastered reaches 9 million players0:56:31 - Xbox falls in like with UK’s age verification process1:01:37 - Video game subscription spending is at an all time high1:04:18 - Wolfenstein is getting a TV series1:07:42 - Dead Space director Glen Schofield may have directed his final game1:23:15 - Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection had its release date leaked1:27:34 - Dying Light: The Beast has been delayed by 4 weeks1:32:16 - Silent Hill 1 Remake is closer than we thought?1:35:45 - A new Spongebob game has LEAKED1:48:20 - Can The Witcher 3 even be beat? CDPR doesn’t know1:53:20 - Mafia: The Old Country is longer than expected?1:58:28 - A Star Wars Outlaws sequel has been canceled2:03:45 - What We’re Playing2:33:41 - More PlayStation games coming to Xbox according to a job post2:48:22 - Xbox will have a significant presence at Gamescom2:56:58 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hell has frozen over! Xbox has moved the price of The Outer Worlds 2 down to $70 after fan backlash. What does this mean for the future of Xbox's lineup and the games industry as a whole? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:21:27 - Health Is Wealth0:35:02 - Clarifying the Fable rumor0:39:57 - MachineGames has multiple projects in development0:42:09 - Contraband lives on0:47:26 - Xbox is working on next gen cloud gaming0:49:54 - Starfield ACTUALLY gets an update1:02:37 - Xbox is adding a play history tab1:05:18 - Oblivion Remaster's Virtuous Studio sees layoffs1:17:08 - From Software has ANOTHER game on the way1:21:14 - Ubisoft on why Star Wars Outlaws failed1:31:53 - Saber Interactive reveals Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival1:35:17 - Battlefield 6 reveal happening this week1:37:39 - Splitgate 2 unlaunches1:42:50 - What We’re Playing2:23:39 - The Outer Worlds is $702:51:39 - No Rest For The Wicked is skipping Xbox3:05:24 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Xbox saw Matty was slipping, so in a bold strategy to reel the Dukes back in, they have opted to greenlight Fallout 5. Despite what many will try and say to downplay this, there is a strong chance that Fallout 5 goes beyond the borders of Bethesda for the first time since 2010. Considering it's a mainline entry, this is a massive shakeup. It gets even more dicey when Obsidian Entertainment gets taken off the board. So, who makes a new Fallout game? The 76 team? InXile? Larian? Dare we say, a new studio? Oh, boy. Each choice outside of the obvious like Larian or InXile has their caveats. So, let's get into the thick of the future of the Bethesda's valuable post-apocalyptic IP. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro/ Health Is Wealth1:08:15 - Arkane Lyon is safe for now1:10:18 - Zenimax hasn't seen layoffs yet1:13:52 - Rare has commented on the layoffs for the first time1:18:24 - Guitar Hero easter egg in Tony Hawk1:22:10 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 is fully on the disc1:23:51 - Forza Horizon 5 sold 2 million copies on PlayStation 51:25:52 - Fallout 76 is getting TV show content1:28:16 - Oblivion Remastered gets a crucial patch… and a physical edition?!1:32:24 - Jez Corden on Starfield’s next DLC1:37:00 - The Alters has sold 280K copies1:38:49 - Ken Levine on Judas1:40:35 - Xbox is paying how much for Game Pass deals?!1:43:49 - Halo 1 Remake rumors1:54:05 - What We’re Playing2:20:40 - Fallout 5 has been greenlit2:52:08 - The Xbox Ally will be $1,000?3:01:19 - King is replacing workers with AI3:12:49 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass3:18:01 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A conversation involving such dramatic shifts in the brand requires as much nuance as we can gather! Summoned to the realm of the Dukes are none other than Last Stand Media's own Gene Park and Rick Hoeg to help us sift through the fallout of last week's Xbox layoffs. Any single one of these stories could be our lead for the week, but let's get it started with Microsoft's $80 billion investment in their AI infrastructure. Sadly, it has been reported that this is the root cause of the layoffs. Naturally, an investment to the tune of almost $12 billion more than Activision doesn't sneak up on you. The question we're left asking in wake of these claims is how leadership was able to blindside staff within Xbox despite likely knowing about these impending changes for months. Why meet with teams like Zenimax Online Studios and Romero Games, prepare hardware investments, create long term production plans only to axe them by the following weekend? A fired up Rick Hoeg will certainly let us know how he feels on the matter (IYKYK). Speaking of Zenimax Online Studios, we now have details on the canceled Project Blackbird to parse through thanks to multiple insider reports. Blackbird was an online, open world RPG focusing on shooting and traversal mechanics with a planned release window of 2028. With the pedigree of this studio being clear and the risk being low compared to most live service initiatives out there, why shut down something with such great potential? Well, perhaps that's because in a "hits only" business, you need to go with the guarantee. There's no greater guarantee for money than the Fallout IP and, finally, it appears Xbox has come to their senses. Multiple Fallout games are in production! Reason for celebration, no? We'll get to that. Plus, our thoughts on Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox, a Halo project potentially in trouble, and returning once more to the "Great Game Pass Profitability Debate." Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:07:15 - Write Ins1:02:59 - What We’re Playing1:46:33 - Microsoft's $80 billion investment led to last week's layoffs2:40:54 - Details on Project Blackbird3:21:40 - Multiple Fallout games in development3:39:53 - The next Halo game is in trouble?3:50:59 - Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox on August 26th4:11:14 - The great Game Pass profitability debate Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

To be apathetic to something is to experience a lack of feeling or emotion in response to an event. For the Dukes, it's the word of the show. Xbox has been mismanaged for an entire generation and it has come at the cost of losing world class talents alongside studios. It was just in 2024 that we lost Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Roundhouse Studios, and Alpha Dog Games. There was also the formidable Toys For Bob that went independent. That alone was more than enough to last us a generation, but today we learned that Xbox has closed down the studio they started back in 2018: The Initiative. Alongside that, Rare's Everwild has been canceled on top of a new IP from Zenimax Online Studios. There's no other way to slice it. For Xbox to improve, leadership must be held accountable. The question is if they ever will and given how situations at teams like Bungie have gone down, we expect a meek, weak willed level of accountability to the bloodbath at Microsoft this week. Indeed, much of the frustration is built off the back of constant, mind-numbing, inconsistent messaging. It was only in February that CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, said Everwild was really shaping up. It was canceled today. With such wishy-washy messaging to their fans, the brand is at a point where no one can believe anything they say. Sure, a partnership with AMD to do next-generation consoles was announced within the last month. How can we trust that? It's the lowest level of trust asked of a consumer that you can believe an announcement when you see it. Instead, the only message we're left with is that if you're not a mega-hit in the making, Xbox wants to have no part of you. What does this say to teams like Compulsion and Ninja Theory or larger developers like Obsidian that like to split off in pursuit of smaller titles? It's amusing that Xbox has done this in the name of creating a sustainable business yet their methods and approach to making games is arguably the least sustainable thing we've seen. They're all in on a subscription service while putting tens of millions of dollars into making games. How it'll all shake up will be interesting to watch, but many of us know how this story will end. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:02:40 - Health is Wealth
 0:20:27 - Xbox layoffs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was supposed to be a slow news week, so naturally we talked for almost four hours on the latest in gaming. Heading up our show is a recurrent subject: layoffs at Xbox. Despite Phil's claims about a sustainable business, the cuts keep coming. Of course, that leaves us in a bit of a pickle. What parts of Xbox business are faltering? We're about a year removed from last year where Xbox began shutting down multiple teams, so it's not a far cry to say we may be approaching that point. We haven't seen Game Pass numbers in a hot minute, titles like South Of Midnight and Hellblade 2 have questionable sales at best, and the green team is all but officially confirmed to be out on physical games. So, which is it, if any? We gab quite a bit before leaving it to next week where we'll get official confirmation. Plus, Xbox integrating other PC storefronts into their app, righting the record on Final Fantasy XVI, diving into Lies Of P sales figures, and so much more in what was an unexpectedly meaty (oh!) episode of Defining Duke. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:16:24 - Health Is Wealth0:32:22 - Correcting FF16 information from last week0:41:52 - A new Halo game is releasing… kinda0:54:16 - Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition announced1:01:46 - SEGA sales data leaks1:14:08 - Persona 4 Revival & Stranger Than Heaven release info1:17:35 - Blood Of Dawnwalker Gameplay deep dive1:22:58 - Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.3 has been delayed1:27:54 - Layoffs headed for Mindseye developer1:40:01 - Blood Message reveal reaction1:43:03 - Rematch devs respond to crossplay issues1:48:34 - Third party Switch 2 sales below estimates1:59:03 - Splitgate 2 devs face layoffs2:12:25 - Lies Of P difficulty settings2:23:24 - What We’re Playing3:08:15 - Major Xbox layoffs inbound3:33:13 - Steam library comes to Xbox PC App3:45:03 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The green team is sticking with making hardware. Consoles, handhelds, maybe even more. They're in! In a push to put their games in more places than ever alongside a massive decline in Series console sales, the understanding was Xbox has no place in the hardware business and may as well bow out. With today's news, it appears to be quite the opposite. Alongside this news presented by Xbox President, Sarah Bond, we also learned there will be more storefronts and games will continue to go everywhere. The moves made by Xbox have even extracted comments out of PlayStation execs during a fireside chat about their financials. As they continue to turn heads, we'll do our best to unpack how this even makes sense for Xbox. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:03:16 - Health Is Wealth0:24:50 - Xbox's video capture issue0:30:22 - Will Xbox deliver a GOTY winner?0:44:22 - Marathon has been indefinitely delayed1:02:47 - Borderlands 4 will cost $701:11:27 - Final Fantasy 16 is flopping on Xbox?1:26:06 - PlayStation comments on Xbox’s hardware direction1:37:45 - Outer Worlds 2 director responds to the $80 concerns1:47:58 - Crash Team Racing reaches 10 million sales1:51:51 - Silent Hill 1 Remake confirmed1:56:19 - Expedition 33 “improvements” are on the way1:59:48 - What We’re Playing2:25:10 - Xbox details their next generation consoles3:01:24 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass3:05:17 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fallout of any Xbox showcase is always our favorite episodes to record as a duo! It gets us all involved and allows to pick with greater detail at whatever is on the community's mind as consuming so many trailers. Well, there's mostly one thing on Xbox fan's minds at the moment and it's if Outer Worlds 2 should be the second ever $80 game. There's no doubt about it that there are more to come, but should Call Of Duty have taken the fall? Is this price tag going to prevent The Outer Worlds 2 from reaching its peak popularity? We have many thoughts on this touchy subject, but also on the future of Windows combining itself with Xbox. With Xbox Play Anywhere, things are changing. However, many fans are noticing that most of their library CAN'T play anywhere. Will Xbox ameliorate this and, if so, how quickly? Plus more on Cog's incredible Shinobi story, MindsEye first impressions, the future of Halo's story as a multi-platform title, when we'll get Persona 6, and plenty more! Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:06:58 - Health Is Wealth0:20:43 - Persona 6?0:31:42 - Should Xbox go full Nintendo?0:50:20 - Xbox console games on PC1:13:05 - What is in the water at Obsidian?1:22:25 - The future of Halo’s story1:28:56 - Does Matty truly hate Forza Horizon?1:33:53 - Phil on Xbox & Windows team1:35:14 - Why does Grounded 2 exist?1:43:29 - Oblivion Remaster gets its first update1:45:32 - What We’re Playing3:14:39 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices