This week the Unlocked crew are joined by a very special guest host, Adam Cole! Discussions include speculation about what we can expect from Halo Infinite Season 2, the Kingdom Hearts 4 reveal, and Cyberpunk 2077's upcoming story expansion. Also, have you guys tried Destin's cookies yet?

• 00:00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping
• 00:02:20 - Halo Infinite Season 2 Announced!
• 00:16:48 - Cyberpunk 2077 Story Expansion Incoming
• 00:24:07 - Kingdom Hearts IV Announced
• 00:31:35 - Dead Space Remake Coming Early 2023?
• 00:38:04 - What’s Up with System Shock 3?
• 00:53:30 - Our “Lifetime” Games & Outro

Big news for those who've still been trying to get their hands on an Xbox Series X: the shortage might finally be over. Plus: our Game Pass picks for new Series X owners, the upcoming Xbox Game Pass Family Plan has been confirmed, Unreal Engine 5's completion means a bunch of Xbox exclusives just got one step closer to release, and more!

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:10 - Is the Xbox Series X Shortage Almost Over?
00:06:27 - Our Recommended Game Pass Games
00:19:10 - Xbox Game Pass Family Plan Incoming!
00:26:46 - Xbox Games for April
00:28:50 - Monkey Island is Back!
00:31:48 - Our Dream Sequel Revivals
00:41:26 - Unreal Engine 5 is Officially Here
00:52:55 - Unlocked Block Trivia & Outro

Grand Theft Auto Online is now offering an optional new subscription service called GTA+. We dig into what it is, who it's for, and whether or not it's worth it. Plus: Xbox leaders discuss the future of cloud gaming and the present-day success of Xbox Game Pass at the Game Developers Conference, and more!

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:57 - Rockstar Announces GTA+ Subscription Service
00:17:50 - April Games for Gold
00:23:00 - What’s Coming for Xbox Cloud Gaming?
00:44:30 - Unlock-Block Trivia & Outro

Tunic creator Andrew Shouldice joins us for the first half of this week's show to discuss the ins and outs of creating the new Xbox-exclusive action-adventure largely by himself. Plus: our reactions to the announcement of the new Witcher game, our reactions to the report of toxic leadership at Ori developer Moon Studio, and more.

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:49 - Interview With Andrew Shouldice!
00:39:40 - New Witcher Game in Development
00:56:52 - Moon Studios is Reportedly an "Oppressive" Place to Work
01:16:58 - Unlock-Block Trivia
01:19:43 - Outro

Three major topics dominate our discussion this week: 1) Our spoiler-free thoughts on the Halo TV show after we all watched the first two episodes. 2) Ryan's spoiler-free thoughts on Tunic now that the review embargo has lifted. And 3) The rocky situation at The Initiative as development on Perfect Dark reportedly struggles to move forward in the wake of many senior development leads leaving the project.

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:30 - Halo TV Series First Impressions
00:17:21 - Tunic Review!
00:26:52 - Perfect Dark Leads Are Leaving Studio
00:47:14 - Unlock-Block Trivia
00:51:37 - Outro

Halo Infinite multiplayer's season 2, Lone Wolves, has been announced, and we've got a lot to say about the state of the game so far and how hyped (or not?) we are for season 2. Plus: GTA 5's next-gen graphics modes are revealed. Also: Microsoft, Xbox, and the war in Ukraine.

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:57 - Halo Infinite Season 2 Multiplayer Announced
00:21:53 - Microsoft Suspends Sales in Russia
00:33:29 - Grand Theft Auto 5 and GTA Online Xbox Series X/S New Features Revealed
00:41:13 - Capcom is Bringing Resident Evil 2 Remake, 3 Remake, and 7 to PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series
00:42:28 - Unlock-Block Trivia
00:48:29 - Outro

Our Xbox crew digs into the latest bit of big Call of Duty news: that the series will be taking next year off. We discuss what it means for the franchise. Plus: Elden Ring lives up to the hype, the possibility of Xbox Game Pass coming to Steam (and thus the Steam Deck), and more!

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:56 - Elden Ring Fever!
00:15:00 - New Call of Duty Pushed to 2024
00:29:09 - Game Pass On Steam Deck?
00:46:49 - Xbox Game Pass For March
00:52:45 - Unlock-Block Trivia
00:55:51 - Outro

Our Xbox crew discusses the report that, among other issues, the release of Halo Infinite's free-to-play multiplayer hurt the launch of Battlefield 2042. Plus: Ubisoft stakes a claim to independence in the wake of so many publishers being bought...unless the right price comes along, Street Fighter 6 just got announced but it's already off to a controversial start, and more!

TIMECODES:

00:00:00 - Intro 

00:03:39 - EA Admits Battlefield 2042 "failed to meet the expectations of our players"

00:19:52 - Ubisoft Acquisition?

00:29:34 - Street Fighter 6 Announced!

00:43:07 - No Man’s Sky Is Not Finished

00:51:20 - Unlock-Block Trivia

00:55:55 - Conclusion

Another week brings another important new update in Xbox's huge acquisition of Activision-Blizzard. Microsoft is making it clear that Call of Duty will continue on PlayStation - and come to Switch - so we discuss the ramifications of that decision for Xbox. Plus: Cyberpunk 2077 comes to Xbox Series X, our thoughts on Netflix's BioShock movie, impressions of The Cuphead Show, and more!

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:23 - Bioshock Netflix Movie
00:10:25 - The Cuphead Show First Impressions
00:12:32 - Microsoft has confirmed that "Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles" will not just be released on PlayStation
00:21:10 - New COD Game For 2022
00:29:30 - Microsoft has committed to putting "the right people in the right position" at the helm of Activision Blizzard
00:34:42 - Cyberpunk 2077 Released On Series X/S Today
00:41:36 - Atomic Heart Gets a Release Window
00:45:56 - Xbox Game Pass Games for February
00:47:18 - Unlock-Block Trivia
00:50:20 - Conclusion

Rockstar has officially acknowledged Grand Theft Auto 6's development, so we spend time mulling over some key questions: When will it be out? Will the long gap between GTA 5 and GTA 6 help or hurt it? Where will it be set? What do we want out of it in terms of main characters, gameplay features, etc. Plus: Infinity Ward confirms the next Call of Duty game and we debate what big and small steps the franchise should take next in order to stay fresh, PlatinumGames wants to bring back Scalebound, and more!

TIMECODES:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:00:48 - Miranda Shows Xbox Nail Polish
00:05:08 - GTA 6 Officially Acknowledged By Rockstar
00:41:12 - GTA 5 Next Gen
00:47:45 - CoD Modern Warfare 2 Coming in 2022?
01:07:15 - PlatinumGames Wants to Return to Scalebound
01:14:15 - Unlock-Block Trivia and Conclusion

Sony has purchased Bungie, who has meant so much to Xbox and its history, that we can't help but discuss the deal. We look at what it means for the future of Bungie on Xbox, remember our favorite Bungie-made moments on Xbox, and more. Plus: our reactions to the Halo TV show's new trailer and release date, and more!

TIMECODES:

00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:10 - Sony Buys Bungie for $3.6 billion
00:32:12 - Halo TV Series Gets New Trailer
00:46:20 - Game Pass Games for February
00:48:04 - Unlock Block Trivia and Outro

We can't stop thinking about last week's landmark Xbox acquisition of Activision-Blizzard, so on this week's podcast, we're talking about A) Who Microsoft might strategically target for acquisition next, and B) our dream Xbox-Bethesda-Activision-Blizzard project collaborations and IP revivals. Plus: Respawn announces THREE new Star Wars games, and more!

Xbox continues its spending spree, buying Activision-Blizzard for almost $70 billion. We spent almost the entire podcast discussing it, from future game exclusivity to Microsoft's role in cleaning up Activision Blizzard's toxic workplace culture to whether or not so much consolidation is a good thing for the video game industry. Join us for the biggest Xbox story of the year (because we can't imagine anything else in 2022 topping this)!

We have a random assortment of Xbox topics to discuss this week, from Dying Light 2's supposed 500-hour play time, Amazon getting the Fallout TV show off the ground with a big name attached, Xbox Game Pass landing another big third-party game on day one, and more!

Happy New Year! Xbox Game Pass gets 2022 started in a big way - by dropping the entirety of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition onto Game Pass. We discuss the legendary RPG series, the importance of its presence on Game Pass, and more. Plus: what we played over the holiday break (hint: Halo Infinite multiplayer), Tencent's stealthy infiltration of the games industry, and more!

The hosts of IGN's four major podcasts (Game Scoop, Unlocked, Beyond, and NVC) unite, Avengers-style, to discuss 2021's biggest games on each platform, as well as look ahead to what's coming in 2022. We hope you enjoy this special episode!

Now that Halo Infinite's campaign has been out for a little while, it's time to go into full spoiler mode and discuss our thoughts on the story! Find out what we thought of the (Legendary) ending, Cortana, Master Chief, The Pilot, The Banished, and more! WARNING: Do NOT listen to or watch this episode if you haven't finished the Halo Infinite campaign yet/don't want to be spoiled. Or just skip ahead to the 1:14:30 mark to avoid Halo Infinite spoilers and go right to our recap of Xbox-centric announcements from The Game Awards.

This week's episode is all about Halo Infinite. We can FINALLY talk about it now that the review embargo has lifted. We discuss everything we did and didn't like about Master Chief's glorious return,. but don't worry – this conversation is spoiler-free. We'll do a full Halo Infinite spoilercast on next week's episode.

Happy holidays! As we push into the final (huge) month of the Xbox year, we discuss Amazon's rumored Mass Effect TV show. Can it work? Who should it focus on? Who should star in it? Plus: Halo Infinite multiplayer impressions, Scalebound's director speaks candidly about the canceled Xbox exclusive, and more!

Our second episode this week tackles the biggest topic in the Xbox world right now: Halo Infinite. From the surprise early release of the free-to-play multiplayer suite to our impressions of the campaign, we spend a lot of time talking Halo. But we also spend a lot of time talking about the top 5 best original Xbox games ever in celebration of the console's 20th anniversary. Join us!

Xbox creator Seamus Blackley joins us for a special episode commemorating the 20th anniversary of Xbox. He shares stories from the early days of building the Xbox at Microsoft, discusses what he thinks of Xbox and the gaming industry now, and much more!

Our Xbox crew spends a ton of time digging into the just-released masterpiece that is Forza Horizon 5, including why we love it, and we feel like it's finally getting its due as a series after all these years. Plus: we're less enthusiastic about Call of Duty: Vanguard, huge games like Diablo 4, Overwatch 2, and Marvel's Midnight Suns get delayed, and more!

Is id Software moving onto Quake after Doom? Job postings suggest that might be the case, and we discuss what we'd like to see out of what would be Xbox's next major exclusive first-person shooter. Plus: Miranda and Ryan tell you about their visit to 343 Industries to play Halo Infinite, Sega and Microsoft forge a new partnership, and more!

With six minutes of new Halo Infinite campaign footage to chew on, we spend a lot of time in this episode reacting to the footage we've all been waiting over a year to see. We talk about the open world, the improved graphics, the ray tracing (or the lack thereof), the boss battles (?), and more! Plus: Halo's former art director stars a new studio at EA, and we dream about what he might be making. Also, don't miss Echo Generation and Moonglow Bay on Xbox Game Pass this week!

A plethora of new details about Avowed emerged this last week from Windows Central's Jez Corden who reports that it's deep into development and will feature destructible environments, and elements Pillars of Eternity fans are familiar with. We brought Jez on the show to discuss his Avowed piece along with Miles Dompier, also of Windows Central. In addition to Avowed, Xbox news has not slowed this week with a livestream planned in November, new options when repairing your consoles, and even a mini-fridge that sold out in minutes. All of that and more this week on Podcast Unlocked!

It's the busy fall games season and we've got a LOT to talk about, from Forza Horizon 5 preview impressions (spoiler: it's absurdly good) to Back 4 Blood first impressions, the Grand Theft Auto Trilogy remasters being real, Ubisoft's latest uninspiring announcement in Ghost Recon Frontline, and more. Plus a special show announcement!

Xbox boss Phil Spencer reaffirms his commitment to supporting the Japanese game market and Japanese-developed games. We discuss what needs to happen and what we'd like to see. Plus: our impressions of Big Team Battle in Halo Infinite's second weekend of multiplayer test flight #2, and more!

Two big topics dominate this week's episode. First and foremost is our recap and analysis of the first weekend of the second Halo Infinite multiplayer test flight. We were all incredibly impressed by what 343 has put together so far. And second, we discuss the unexpected news that Square Enix-owned Crystal Dynamics, makers of Tomb Raider, will be partnering with Microsoft's The Initative studio on development of Perfect Dark. Join us!

Battlefield 2042's short delay has set up a heck of a Fall/holiday season for first-person shooter fans. We discuss each of the five major FPS games out between now and the end of the year: Far Cry 6, Back 4 Blood, Call of Duty: Vanguard, the aforementioned Battlefield 2042, and Halo Infinite. And please welcome back guest panelist NeoGameSpark!

Beloved original Xbox classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (aka KOTOR) is back as...a timed PlayStation 5 exclusive? We discuss the strange circumstances of this long-awaited revival, from the exclusivity deal to the developer behind it and more. Plus: we get psyched for Halo Infinite's next multiplayer test flight, Grand Theft Auto 5's next-gen edition gets delayed, and more!

Alan Wake is back and we are incredibly excited. Will this lead to the long-awaited sequel? We discuss... Plus: it's time to give Psychonauts 2 its flowers after an incredible journey that began in the early days of the original Xbox, so we do just that on this episode. Also: Miranda's "meh" reaction to Call of Duty: Vanguard's multiplayer beta, and more!

Halo Infinite finally has a release date, and it's not what any of us would've guessed. We analyze what the December date may or may not mean, celebrate both the unsurprising special-edition Halo controller and the definitely-surprising special-edition Halo Infinite Xbox One, discuss the negative reaction to the Saints Row reboot, give our hands-on impressions of Far Cry 6, and more!

We recorded this episode live immediately following the Xbox Showcase at Gamescom. We discuss why we thought this was a poor overall showing for Xbox due to pacing and notable game absences like Halo Infinite, Bright Memory Infinite, Scorn, and CrossfireX. But we also go over the really cool stuff, like the Forza Horizon 5 custom controller, xCloud coming to console, new indies like Midnight Fight Express, and more!

A credible rumor suggests that Rockstar is preparing to release an Unreal Engine remaster of the Grand Theft Auto 3/Vice City/San Andreas trilogy. We discuss the technical side of that, the financial side of it, which one we're most excited to dive back into, and more. Plus: a spoiler-free discussion of the latest Xbox exclusive, Twelve Minutes, now that the review embargo has lifted, our thoughts on Call of Duty apparently going back to WWII once again for Call of Duty: Vanguard, and more!

Xbox announces its big Gamescom event. We make our predictions for what we think we're going to see, along with what we think we might not see at this particular event. Plus: our highlights from the second Xbox Twitch indie showcase, Dead Space's maybe-earlier-than-expected release date, what we want from Trey Parker and Matt Stone's new South Park game, what Mass Effect: Legendary Edition's strong sales mean for Mass Effect 4, and more!

It was a big weekend for Xbox. In this episode we break down the different modes and experiences we tried in the Halo Infinite tech preview, share thoughts on The Ascent, and explore the question that will never die: does Halo need a Battle Royale?

EA's just-announced Dead Space remake leads us to discuss whether or not EA has turned the corner and started to re-earn gamers' trust. Plus: our impressions of Microsoft Flight Simulator on Xbox Series X and S, a bit on Death's Door, The Coalition's Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, Halo Infinite's imminent multiplayer tech test, and more! (P.S. This was recorded prior to Microsoft's earnings call.)

Reactions to Ubisoft's new Tom Clancy-universe-blending first-person shooter XDefiant have been polarizing, to say the least. We spend the bulk of the show discussing the controversial game announcement, from the challenges it faces to why it's upsetting some Clancy game fans to where the Clancy games go from here. Plus: Miranda shares her hands-on impressions of Psychonauts 2, and more!

With word from Battlefield 2042 developer DICE that cloud computing will soon level up the capabilities of first-person shooters, we discuss what we'd like to see and what we think we'll see. Plus: what we hope the studio formerly known as DICE LA will be up to next, Dark Souls 3's new FPS Boost on Xbox Series, and more!

In this episode of Unlocked, the crew joined by Taylor Lyles discusses Microsoft's team up with All-4-One for a neat "I Swear" Xbox All Access remix, revisits the Phil Spencer interview from Unlocked 500, theorizes what could be happening with a rumor about Kojima and Xbox Cloud Gaming, and plenty more.

We celebrate the 500th episode of IGN's long-running Xbox podcast in the best way we can think of: by hanging out with the Head of Xbox himself, Phil Spencer, who has been at Xbox since Day One. We talk to Phil about the past, present, and future of Xbox as the brand turns 20 this year. Join us!

This episode was recorded live immediately after the Xbox Extended Showcase, hosted by Gamertag Radio's Parris Lilly. Parris joins us for this episode to discuss big games (like Halo Infinite, Redfall, Starfield, Forza Horizon 5, and many more), stunning indie gams (like Replaced, 12 Minutes, Somerville, and more), whether or not this was Xbox's best E3 presentation ever, and more!

As E3 2021 looms, it's time for our annual E3 predictions episode! We make a dozen total predictions about what we think we're going to see at Xbox's E3 press conference. And then make sure to join us live for our Xbox E3 press conference pre-show, starting at 9:30am PT/12:30pm ET on Sunday, June 13!

As E3 2021 looms, the big games are starting to show their hand. We discuss the recent gameplay reveals for Far Cry 6 and Dying Light 2 – both of which also got firm Fall release dates. Plus: Bungie's next project, Microsoft Flight Simulator does some housekeeping to maybe get ready for its Xbox Series X release, and more!

Microsoft takes full control over Obsidian's Outer Worlds franchise from Private Division, so we discuss what that means for the future. Plus: Starfield's release window becomes clearer, No Man's Sky gets a thematically appropriate Mass Effect Easter egg, and more!

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is out and we spend most of the show discussing it, from whether or not it was worth the wait (hint: it was), to what we think of Mass Effect 1's quality-of-life upgrades, to how it holds up in 2021, and more! Plus: impressions of the upcoming Xbox exclusive The Ascent, new Xbox Game Pass games for the month of May, and more!

As Fable and Gears of War's next-gen tech is revealed, we discuss what their new engines mean for the future of those franchises - and the franchises around them. Plus: our impressions of Resident Evil Village, 12 Minutes, what we want from the new list of publishers who've confirmed they'll attend E3 2021, and more!

Halo Infinite details its impressive PC features and options, leading some of the Unlocked crew to ponder whether to stick with it on Xbox or move to PC. Plus: the Xbox Compatibility Team drops another batch of FPS Boost games, a trademark gets filed for Sunset Overdrive by...Sony?!, and more!

The Xbox compatibility team delivers again by boosting a ton of fairly recent EA games -- including Battlefield V and Titanfall 2 -- up to 120fps on Xbox Series X. Plus: Respawn incubates a new game, It Takes Two gets off to a well-deserved great start, we debate the effect of Sony delisting Cyberpunk 2077 from the PlayStation Store on the game's Xbox sales, and more! (Note: this episode was recorded prior to Microsoft's Q3 earnings call.)

Another big week for Xbox! We talk about why we think xCloud's long-awaited Apple/iOS rollout is key for the future of the Xbox platform, Discord turning down Microsoft's $10 billion offer, Psychonauts 2 and Xbox's underrated 2021 lineup, Resident Evil Village's next-gen specs, and more! Spawn on Me host Kahlief Adams joins us to discuss the DICE Awards he's hosting this week as well. Tune in!

The gaming community is buzzing about a hot rumor that Microsoft is in talks with legendary game developer Hideo Kojima to develop his next game for Xbox. We humor the rumor and discuss what it would mean for Xbox, as well as what kind of game we'd like to see Kojima make for Microsoft. Plus: how you can have a chance to play Forza Motosport this year, the tragedy of Ninja Gaiden Black's lost source code, and more!

Xbox Game Pass is on such a roll that it's landing first-party Sony games now! MLB The Show 21 is a huge get for Game Pass. We discuss MLB's smart, forward-thinking move as well as the incredibly momentum of the Game Pass service in general. Plus: E3 is back...sort of...we discuss Xbox's new $500 wireless headphones, and more!

With Sledgehammer reportedly back in the Call of Duty business and prepping a World War II-set video game for this year's entry in the series, we discuss whether we even want another WWII-set CoD. Plus: It Takes Two is excellent, the ID@Xbox stream was a fantastic show of a ton of great new games (many of which are going straight to Xbox Game Pass), CD Projekt Red changes its plans as they continue to try and rebound from Cyberpunk 2077's disastrous launch, and more!

One of 2021's big releases, Gotham Knights, just got pushed to 2022. We discuss what it means not just for that game, but for Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League as well. Plus: Xbox Live gets rebranded, Microsoft might be buying Discord, we've got an ID@Xbox showcase to look forward to this week, and more!

Bethesda held a fantastic roundtable discussion with Phil Spencer and some of the Xbox leadership team, and we discussed our impressions of the first big post-acquisition event, from Phil's comments on exclusivity to his admiration of the id Tech engine to the avalanche of Bethesda games that are now on Xbox Game Pass. Plus: our impressions of the excellent new Xbox Wireless Headset, Halo Infinite's fun new gameplay trick, and much more!

Big Xbox news this week as European and American regulators sign off on Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax and Bethesda, making the acquisition official. What will Microsoft do next? Which games will be exclusive? We discuss that and much more on this topic. Plus: what other new Xbox surprises await in 2021, WTF do Pringles' Halo Infinite "Moa Burger"-flavored potato chips taste like, and more!

Lots of BioWare news to discuss this week, from Anthem's cancellation to Henry Cavill (aka Superman aka Geralt)'s Mass Effect project to Dragon Age 4 no longer being a live-service game. Plus: Xbox's Aaron Greenberg downplays recent Elden Ring rumors, Battlefield for next-gen gets more help within EA, and more!

The Xbox backwards compatibility team flexes their muscles again with FPS Boost, an unexpected and awesome new improvement to back-catalog games. We celebrate the new feature. Plus: Diablo 2's long-rumored remaster has us super excited, we wonder what's next for Bungie as the studio expands, March's Games With Gold revealed, and more!

We discuss the return of Six Days in Fallujah, a resurrection of a canceled 2009 game based on real-world events, including its A-list team of ex-Bungie developers and what they've said about the controversial project so far. Plus: we're excited about the just-announced Xbox Wireless Headset, Microsoft creates a new Fallout-themed company to oversee the Bethesda acquisition, and more!

With a job posting suggesting that 343 Industries is spinning up a new Halo game besides Halo Infinite, we speculate on what it might be – and decide we want a Halo horror game. Plus: our impressions of Xbox exclusive The Medium, Grand Theft Auto 5's unstoppable run and what we want from GTA 6, and more!

To quote a line from Halo 2 in describing Mass Effect: Legendary Edition: "There are those who said this day would never come. What are they to say now?" Yes, we're talking about the long-awaited remaster of BioWare's beloved sci-fi RPG trilogy. We've seen it, and we want to tell you all about it. Plus: Xbox's baseball-game curse is finally lifted – a year earlier than expected too! – and EA surprised everyone with the return of a college football game. Please welcome special guests Kat Bailey and Cam Hawkins this week!

What a week! There's so much to discuss on this episode, from Microsoft shockingly doubling the price of Xbox Live Gold only to just-as-shockingly walk it back later that same day, to the insane new Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic rumor, to Vicarious Visions merging into Blizzard to work on...Diablo 2 (!), and more!

The new Lucasfilm Games publishing umbrella once again dominates our conversation this week, as the first new non-EA Star Wars game in a decade gets announced. We discuss Ubisoft and Massive's upcoming open-world Star Wars adventure, including what it might be, what we hope it is and isn't, what it means for The Division, and more. Plus: Ninja Gaiden's creator would be "honored" to work with Microsoft again, and more!

Will the just-announced Indiana Jones game from Bethesda, Machinegames, and Todd Howard be an Xbox exclusive? We discuss this fascinating announcement. Plus: is Star Wars gearing up for life after EA? And we sort through the revelation that Microsoft tried to buy Nintendo (!) in the early Xbox days, a rumored Mass Effect: Legendary Edition release date, and more. It's a busy week of Xbox on Podcast Unlocked!

Happy New Year! On our first Unlocked episode of 2021, we look ahead to the (long) list of Xbox exclusives coming this year. Plus: Gears 5: Hivebusters rocks, Fortnite's developer moves into...a mall(?), Games With Gold for January includes an OG Xbox cult classic, and more!

Our final episode of 2020 is a special one! Ryan welcomes Tim Schafer, the head of Double Fine (aka one of the newest Xbox Game Studios), for a 40-minute conversation about life since being acquired by Microsoft. But don't fret – that very much includes an update on Psychonauts 2 as well! P.S. We're off next week but we'll be back with new episodes of Unlocked starting January 5. Happy holidays and Happy New Year!

Our penultimate show in 2020 is a big one! We spend the first half of the show discussing the nightmare scenario that is Cyberpunk 2077 on the current-gen consoles. After that, we dig into the big Xbox news from The Game Awards, including the long-anticipated reveal of the Perfect Dark reboot from The Initiative, the awards that Xbox games won, and Mass Effect's surprising continuity. Plus: Halo Infinite's release window and more!

Digital Foundry's John Linneman and Gamertag Radio's Danny Peña join us to talk about all sorts of Xbox stuff this week! Topics include: the future of BioWare after their big studio leadership shakeup, next-gen sports games on Xbox Series X, what's going on with Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War on Series X, our Game Awards announcement predictions for Xbox, and much more!

What will Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer be like? Special guests Ray Apollo from Twitch and Cam Hawkins from DualShockers join Ryan and Brandin for an extra-fun episode that also discusses Microsoft's underrated next-gen efforts, more awesome stuff coming to Xbox Game Pass, MechWarrior's long-awaited Xbox return, and much more!

The developer of Hitman has a new James Bond game in the works. We discuss why it could be the best Bond ever. Plus: Phil Spencer says an Xbox smart TV app is closer than we think, some of us would totally play the leaked retail Cyberpunk 2077 disc that hasn't been patched yet if we could, a bunch of big games get delayed, and more!

Next-gen is now officially current-gen! The Xbox Series X and S are out, and we talk about our first week of living with them. Plus: we analyze Microsoft's big first-week numbers, address shortages expected well into 2021, talk about another Xbox executive's recent comments on Bethesda game exclusivity, and more!

It's the week you've been waiting for: the next-generation of Xbox has officially arrived with the Series X and Series S. We discuss the launches of Microsoft's two new consoles. Plus: EA and BioWare finally confirm Mass Effect: Legendary Edition, the 4K remaster of the classic sci-fi trilogy. We discuss that as well as the future of the fan-favorite RPG franchise.

Welcome to a special two-hour episode of Unlocked that was recorded live with all of you, along with special guest panelist Parris Lilly from Gamertag Radio! We played the Series X for two hours now that the review embargo has lifted, and answered a lot of your questions along the way. We also talked through our final impressions of Microsoft's new consoles. If you normally listen to the podcast feed of Unlocked, we'd encourage you to watch the video version on this one!

Cyberpunk 2077's last-minute delay affects everyone, from developers to gamers to media outlets alike. We sort through the fallout of this major news. Plus: a surprise Gears 5 update, Phil Spencer teases a possible 1 vs. 100-like replacement on Xbox Series, and more!

Another busy week of Xbox news to discuss, from the Xbox Series X's launch lineup (to the best Xbox launch lineup in history) to what Phil Spencer said about Bethesda game exclusivity in a recent interview to what The Initiative is working on, and more! Cam Hawkins from DualShockers stops by as our special guest this week.

We finally got to play a couple of proper Xbox Series X games. We give our impressions of those titles on the Series X, plus discuss The Medium's release date, Microsoft's new plan to get xCloud game streaming onto iOS devices, and more!

As inXile announces yet another Xbox Series RPG, we run down the Xbox's exclusive RPG and discuss how Xbox Series is going to be THE home for Western RPGs. Plus: the games we've been hyped-beyond-hype for in our gaming lives as Cyberpunk 2077 goes gold, some critically acclaimed Bethesda games that appear to be headed to Xbox Series in a couple of collections, and more!

The fantastic Pikachulita joins our Xbox crew this week to discuss yet another big week of Xbox news! Topics include Ryan's life with the Xbox Series X in his house so far, Phil Spencer saying that there will be future generations of Xbox consoles, the Series S/X's pricey 1TB expansion card, Bethesda's first big Xbox move following the acquisition, and more!

The Unlocked crew discusses the massive news of Microsoft buying ZeniMax Media (Bethesda Softworks, id Software, Arkane, and more!) the day before Xbox Series X and Series S consoles pre-orders go live plus the growth of Game Pass.

We discuss the rumors of Microsoft trying to buy Bungie again (which Bungie quickly and sternly refuted), the leaked Xbox Series S presentation that never got to air, the backwards compatibility capabilities of the Xbox Series S, our disappointment about the Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake, and more!

Gamertag Radio's Parris Lilly rejoins Unlocked to talk through the long-awaited Xbox Series S reveal, price, and release date – plus the alleged price for the Series X as well. Plus: The Witcher 3 returns for Series X, September's Games With Gold and Game Pass additions, and more!

MC Fixer from the My Xbox and Me podcast joins us to discuss another big week of Xbox news, from longtime Bungie veteran Joseph Staten being brought in to help lead Halo Infinite's campaign to Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War's confusing generational price and upgrade differences to Microsoft's uphill battle in providing reasons to buying the Xbox Series X this holiday and more!

Special guest "Lord Cognito" from the Iron Lords Podcast joins us to discuss our reactions to the DC FanDome reveals of Gotham Knights and Rocksteady's Suicide Squad. Plus: our Battletoads impressions, Black Myth: Wukong's amazing debut, 343's track record with Halo, and more!

Microsoft's first 10/10-rated game from IGN in quite some time comes from the most unexpected place: Microsoft Flight Simulator! Reviewer Seth Macy joins us to discuss the next-gen brilliance of the first-party masterpiece. Plus: taking stock of Xbox Game Studios' impressive 2020 output, the teaser campaign for the Batman Court of Owls game, Gotham Knights, has us exhausted and annoyed, and more!

Major Xbox news this week! Halo Infinite gets delayed, so what does it mean for the franchise and for the Xbox Series X launch? Plus: Apple blocks Microsoft on Project xCloud, the Xbox Series S gets confirmed via the strangest of leaks, Rocksteady finally announces their next game, and more!

Project xCloud takes the next big step towards becoming a major part of the Xbox ecosystem, and we discuss how it's kind of like the "Xboy" handheld Xbox that we never got. Plus: the ramifications of Halo Infinite's multiplayer being free-to-play, how Xbox fans feel about PlayStation's exclusive Spider-Man deal in Marvel's Avengers, and more!

Now that we've had time to sit with big Xbox Games Showcase, we reflect back on the big event and discuss how we thought Microsoft did and whether or not Microsoft has a "Halo problem" after how the Halo Infinite campaign demo was received. Plus: a mysterious white Xbox Series X controller appears, Call of Duty 2020's title seemingly leaks via Doritos (yes, seriously), and more!

IGN's Xbox crew (with special guest Parris Lilly) recaps and analyzes Microsoft's long-awaited Xbox Games Showcase. We talk Halo Infinite, Fable, and much, much more!

Our Xbox crew reacts to the Ubisoft Forward event, including the Far Cry 6 reveal, Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla contributing to an open-world bonanza this Fall, and what Valhalla's release date might say about the Xbox Series X launch date. Plus: Phil Spencer rejects your "holding Series X games back" meme, small updates on a lot of the new Xbox studios, and more!

Microsoft finally sets a date for their long-awaited Xbox Games Showcase, and we've got predictions for what we think we'll see. Plus: Microsoft is reportedly one of the companies interested in buying Warner Bros.'s game studios, and we discuss the potentially industry-shifting ramifications the move could have. And with NBA 2K21 set to increase its price to $70 for Xbox Series X, we debate the merits of paying more for video games.

Lots to discuss in the world of Xbox this week, from the rumored timing of the Xbox Series S/Lockhart announcement (plus what else we think will happen when that does), Halo Infinite returns a familiar but long-dormant foe, Fable and Perfect Dark Twitter accounts registered to Microsoft email addresses raise suspicions, and much more!

Special guest panelist and known Kinect superfan Cicero Holmes joins the show this week to discuss a busy stretch of Xbox news. We react to EA's not-very-next-gen-y EA Play press conference last week, what the Cyberpunk 2077 delay means for Xbox Series X's launch, Rocksteady's rumored Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League game, and more! Check out Cicero's Star Trek podcast at @DSCDebrief.

Xbox Series X Director of Program Management Jason Ronald from Microsoft stops by halfway through the show to talk about the Series X's Smart Delivery feature. Plus: Xbox gamer and D&D podcaster Shareef Jackson joins us as a guest panelist to discuss the week's Xbox news, including the newly announced Star Wars: Squadrons, the rumor that Warner Bros. might be selling off its video game studios (including Rocksteady and NetherRealm), and more! Check out Shareef's D&D podcast at RivalsOfWaterDeep.com.

Parris Lilly from Gamertag Radio joins Ryan to discuss a busy week of Xbox news! Evidence of the Xbox Lockhart (aka Xbox Series S) surfaces, Bungie lays out the future of Destiny while job postings hint at its next game, Cyberpunk 2077's special-edition Xbox One X console has an extra surprise...if you can find one, Activision and EA get serious about cleaning up their online communities, Parris dreams of a Mass Effect Trilogy remake in Unreal Engine 5, and much more!

Spawn on Me host Kahlief Adams guest-hosts this week with Ryan, Miranda, and Destin as the Xbox crew discusses Xbox's and Sony's differing approaches to compatibility, EA's newly renewed exclusivity agreement with the NFL for Madden, the future of the now-canceled BlizzCon, and more!

First-party Xbox studio inXile confirms they'll be using Unreal Engine 5 for their next-gen RPG. We dissect what this means for that game and other Xbox Series X games from other newly acquired Xbox game studios. Plus: Take-Two has a lot of next-gen games in the pipeline, this year's Call of Duty will revisit a familiar timeline, this month's Xbox Games With Gold, and more!

IGN's Xbox team discusses Phil Spencer's recent comments about how COVID-19 might affect early 2021 games, the dates and details for Gamescom's all-digital event later this summer, the three classic games that Double Fine is bringing to Xbox this year, and more!

Our Xbox crew debates whether or not 30fps is disappointing for Xbox Series X games in light of the Assassin's Creed Valhalla framerate revelation. Plus: more reactions to last week's Xbox event, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater returns, another publisher announces a summer livestream, and more!

Xbox's first big salvo of next-gen games has been fired, and we've got reactions and analysis to all of the big third-party game reveals and showcases – from the good to the bad to the stomach-churning.

Our Xbox crew opens the show by talking about Gears Tactics, the new XCOM-style tactical strategy game from Xbox Game Studios that Xbox fans shouldn't sleep on. Plus: we discuss Xbox's impressive first-party efforts so far in 2020, what the rest of the year looks like, drama around the WWE 2K franchise, and more!