Podcast Unlocked

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_463.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:50pm EST

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.

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_462.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:15pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_461.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:33pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_460.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:08pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_459.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 12:11am EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_458.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 11:24pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_457.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:35pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_456.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:36pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_455.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 9:01pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_454.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 9:00pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_PostSHow.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:39pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_452.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 9:06pm EST

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.

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_451.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 11:42pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_450.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:42pm EST

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.

Direct download: Unlocked_449.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 9:04pm EST

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.

Direct download: Unlocked_448.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:43pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_447.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 9:00pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_446.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 12:00pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_445.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:05pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_444.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:29pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_443.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:01pm EST

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.

Direct download: Unlocked_442.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:09pm EST

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!

Direct download: Unlocked_441.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:56pm EST

On this week's Xbox podcast, the next Grand Theft Auto is in development, and we discuss the report that it may be a more "moderately sized" offering that's updated continuously. Plus: Microsoft may have an opportunity to gain some market share at the start of the generation after a Bloomberg report reveals Sony's scaled-back PS5 production plans, Crysis is the latest member of the remaster club, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_440.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:06pm EST

Our Xbox team deep-dives on CD Projekt Red's big post-release DLC expansion plans for Cyberpunk 2077, the value of the ESRB's new loot box descriptor, a rumor about Mafia 2 and 3 remasters and the cyclical nature of remasters, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_439.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:12pm EST

Our Xbox crew analyzes what Head of Xbox Phil Spencer said during our interview with him on last week's episode. We think he said a lot in his clever, indirect way... Plus: an Inside Xbox news recap, rumors about what Resident Evil 8 will be like, and at the very end you'll hear our live as-it-happened reactions to the PS5's DualSense controller reveal.

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_438.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:29pm EST

Head of Xbox Phil Spencer makes his long-awaited return to Unlocked for an exclusive one-hour interview. We talk about Xbox Series X price, whether coronavirus could delay the console, the first-party launch lineup, why there's no optical out port on Series X, xCloud, cross-play, the fates of Sunset Overdrive, Ryse and Scalebound, which Microsoft IP Phil would like to see brought back, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_437_with_Phil_Spencer.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 3:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew discusses the recently revealed Xbox Series X tech specs in more detail after some added context arrives in our inbox from a software developer. Plus: Bleeding Edge is another new first-party release this week, we try to decode Konami's denial of the Silent Hill reboot rumor, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_436.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 1:20pm EST

Microsoft has revealed the full tech specs for Xbox Series X and we are pumped. We discuss the ingredients of the next-gen Xbox that have us the most hyped for the new console, from Xbox Velocity Architecture to raytracing. P.S. Please bear with us on our first-ever remote-location episode!

Direct download: Unlocked_435.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:33pm EST

Our Xbox crew celebrates the release of the fantastic Ori and the Will of the Wisps by discussing our final review impressions. Plus: developers talk to IGN about exactly what the Xbox Series X will mean for games, Call of Duty finally gets a standalone, free-to-play battle royale game, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_434.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:46pm EST

Two of our crew have played the first couple hours of Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and they have nothing but good news to report. Plus: GDC's cancellation, Xbox Series X's Quick Resume feature is even better than we thought, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_433.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:45pm EST

We are EXCITED about the new Xbox Series X technical details, including the whopping 12 teraflops of computing power that the next-gen Xbox is packing. Plus: EA canceled another Star Wars project, March's Games With Gold have been announced, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_432.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:18pm EST

This week Parris joins us to discuss the latest interview with Phil Spencer about E3 2020, his plans for the Xbox Series X, and where he sees Microsoft in the competition against Sony. In addition to talking about Xbox strategy for 2020 and Beyond, we discuss the GamerTag radio interview and our perception of Xbox's placement in the upcoming console face-off.

Direct download: Unlocked_2_19_20.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 7:29pm EST

Grand Theft Auto, Anthem, and Gears of War will be changing moving forward thanks to key staffing changes at the top for two of those and a major gameplay overhaul for the other. Plus: Activision is looking to its past for its 2020 product lineup, Cliff Bleszinski had an intriguing Aliens game that almost got made, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_430.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:37pm EST

It may still be winter but Xbox Series X talk is heating up! We discuss the "old thing" Microsoft's new studio, The Initiative, might be working on. Plus: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is a hit, EA talks up the Xbox Series X, the mystery port on the back of the Series X might not be for diagnostics, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_429.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:28pm EST

We finally get a look at the back of the Xbox Series X - for real, this time - and discuss why someone might be in biiiiiiig trouble. Plus: a new rumor about a sort-of remake of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic has us hyped - but also wondering who would be given the assignment.

Direct download: Unlocked_428.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:21pm EST

Ryan played three hours of Doom Eternal and gushes about it. Plus: a Splinter Cell veteran returns to Ubisoft - so what does it mean for the future of the franchise? Also, Dying Light 2 joins Delay-apalooza 2020, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_427.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:43pm EST

We're only on our second episode of the year and it's already time to talk about E3! This week the Unlocked crew discusses Sony's absence from E3 2020, Microsoft's exclusives launch plan, game delays, and more.

Direct download: Unlocked_426.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:12pm EST

We kick off 2020 - The Year of Xbox, in our opinions - by taking a look at a new report that gives us an idea of just how powerful the Xbox Series X will be. Plus: Microsoft stands poised to go on the offensive for the first time in years, Respawn studio head Vince Zampella is given more power at EA, and more. Happy New Year!

Direct download: Unlocked_425.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:09pm EST

On our final episode of the year and of the decade we look back on our favorite Xbox games of the decade, including both first-party exclusives and memorable third-party offerings. Plus: a recap of the rest of the non-Xbox Series X elements of last week's Game Awards and more! Happy Holidays and New Year! See you in January!

Direct download: Unlocked_424.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:44pm EST

Emergency Unlocked episode! We simply HAVE to talk about Microsoft's big announcement at The Game Awards, in which they announced both the name of Project Scarlett and what it looks like. It's the Xbox Series X, and they also showed Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2 running in-engine on the new console! Dig in for 72 minutes of our reactions and analysis.

Direct download: Unlocked_423.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:41pm EST

Huge week of Xbox news! Project Scarlett's lower-cost option, Lockhart, is back in play. We discuss what it means for Xbox's next-gen efforts. Plus: the Xbox finally gets a proper Major League Baseball game, and it's...Sony's?! Also: 2K opens a new studio to make a new BioShock game, IGN's Game of the Year winner Control miiiiiight be coming to Xbox Game Pass, Resident Evil 3 Remake is official, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_422.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:35pm EST

Lots of Scarlett next-gen talk this week! Hear why Cyberpunk 2077 won't be coming to Scarlett as soon as we think - and neither will VR. Plus: leaked concept art gives us our first glimpse of Playground's next-gen Fable reboot (allegedly...), Resident Evil 3 might be getting remade, Saints Row will return, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_421.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:00pm EST

On this blazin' episode of our Xbox show, we look back at Xbox's past this week as the original Xbox turns 18, sharing our favorite (not best, although they're often one and the same!) games from Microsoft's first console. And then we look ahead into the future, recapping X019's Inside Xbox livestream and discussing everything we liked and everything we didn't that Microsoft is cooking up now.

Direct download: Unlocked_420.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:41pm EST

Microsoft's big X019 fan event in London is imminent and we've got lots of details, including which TWO DOZEN games are playable there. Plus: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is curiously omitted from EA's EA Access service, we unbox this year's absolutely glorious fan-made Unlock Block Trivia Challenge trophy, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_419.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:01pm EST

Lots of huge Xbox news to discuss this week, from Ubisoft games that are now coming to Xbox Scarlett (Watch Dogs Legion, Rainbow Six Quarantine, and Gods & Monsters) to Scarlett games we'll have to wait a bit longer for (Battlefield 6, Battlefront 3). Plus: our hands-on impressions of Diablo 4 (!!) and Overwatch 2, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_418.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:46pm EST

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Chad Michael Collins joins us in the second half of the show this week for an interview about acting in one of the biggest games of the year. That interview starts at 42:04 if you'd like to skip straight to it. In the first half of the show, we give our Modern Warfare campaign and multiplayer impressions, detail a fantastic new program from Microsoft that might help ease the sting out of Scarlett's next-gen launch price tag, discuss Fallout 76's new $100 per year service option, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_417.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:15pm EST

#ad #TacoBellPartner First we show off Taco Bell's new Eclipse Xbox One X giveaway bundle (with the new Xbox Elite Series 2 Controller!), and then we discuss Obsidian's new RPG The Outer Worlds with reviewer Dan Stapleton. Plus: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order impressions & more!

Direct download: Unlocked_416.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 9:47pm EST

We're joined by two developers from The Outer Worlds, the new first-person RPG from new Xbox first-party studio Obsidian Entertainment: co-director Leonard Boyarsky and narrative designer Nittai Poddar. It launches on October 25 (including straight into Xbox Game Pass!). We discuss the origins of the project with respect to Boyarsky's Fallout background, crazy things that have happened during playtesting, the importance of The Outer Worlds' deep character creator, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_415.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 10:51am EST

New PlayStation 5 details emerge – particularly about the controller – so we discuss what it might mean for the Scarlett's gamepad. Plus: Brandin finished reviewing Ghost Recon Breakpoint and talks at length about his likes and dislikes, Ryan gives his impressions of the Oxenfree developer's new game Afterparty, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_414.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:57pm EST

Microsoft Flight Simulator. Yes, MICROSOFT FLIGHT SIMULATOR! We discuss why it probably belongs on your radar. Plus: Bungie's future after Destiny, Ghost Recon Breakpoint's launch, and Gearbox's strange feud with voice actor Troy Baker.

Direct download: Unlocked_413.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:45pm EST

We're shot out of a cannon this week! Our Xbox crew recaps the news from this week's Inside Xbox, highlighted by the public Project xCloud preview. Plus: the rumored Batman: Court of Owls game, how Xbox owners are getting shortchanged in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and our Gears 5 spoilercast (at the end of the show, so if you don't want to hear it, you won't miss anything else!).

Direct download: Unlocked_412.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 9:12pm EST

Ryan and Brandin discuss and analyze the week's Xbox news, including the big changes proposed for E3 2020 and how they should make the event better, Ubisoft's doubling-down on large-scale blockbuster games, Gears 5's fast start on Xbox Game Pass, Madden's big sales and the surprising #2 selling game of August, the return of The Game Awards, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_411.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:01pm EST

Our Xbox crew gives in-depth impressions of Gears 5's multiplayer as well as Borderlands 3. Plus: a surprising departure at Bethesda/Zenimax, a bit more on the next Resident Evil project, and the awesomeness that is Banjo and Kazooie appearing in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

Direct download: Unlocked_410.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:22pm EST

Our Xbox crew discusses the Gears 5 campaign now that the review embargo has lifted (don't worry, no spoilers!). Plus: our impressions of Ghost Recon Breakpoint after playing six hours of it, Cyberpunk 2077's surprising multiplayer announcement, Telltale's even more surprising sorta-resurrection, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_409.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:57pm EST

Destin and Brandin return from Gamescom and talk to Ryan about everything they saw there - including a playable build of Marvel's Avengers. Plus: Mortal Kombat's crazy new DLC characters, first impressions of the just-released Remedy game Control, Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey, Astral Chain, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_408.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:42pm EST

On this week's Xbox show, new talent takes over Halo Infinite, Phil Spencer gives an idea of what to expect performance-wise from Xbox Scarlett, Gears 5 comes out swinging at Gamescom, PUBG does an awesome thing, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_407.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:56pm EST

Lots of industry news to cover on this week's Xbox show! The former head of DOOM developer id Software has landed in an unexpected new location. Plus: Hello Games mastermind Sean Murray has started thinking about what's next after No Man's Sky, Call of Duty won't be changing its business model anytime soon, a former PlayStation-exclusive developer will now be making games for Xbox, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_406.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:09pm EST

IGN's Monster Hunter expert Casey DeFreitas makes her Unlocked debut to give her impressions on the upcoming Monster Hunter World: Iceborne expansion. Plus, the crew discusses 343's commitment to a solid Halo Infinite experience on Xbox One, how The Outer World's toughest difficulty setting will completely change the game, and Ninja's move to Mixer along with the streaming service's odd clothing policies.

Direct download: unlocked405.mp4
Category:general -- posted at: 6:23pm EST

A keen-eyed Halo fan discovered an interesting audio Easter egg hiding in the Halo Infinite E3 trailer. We play it for you and speculate about what it means. Plus: the Xbox Dashboard is getting another refresh, the Blair Witch game finally shows itself, classic Doom games get re-released on Xbox - but things don't go super smoothly for Bethesda, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_404.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:19pm EST

Miranda and Brandin host Unlocked 403 in what feels like a very summer episode, which you can interpret as you will. The two discuss Hideo Kojima's comments on game streaming, the Gears 5 Tech Test, and their thoughts on Netflix's The Witcher trailer. 

Direct download: unlocked304.mp4
Category:general -- posted at: 7:10pm EST

As we break in our brand-new studio, our Xbox crew discusses why Square seems to have had a change of plans with regard to an Xbox release of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Plus: the director of Halo Reach has a new first-person shooter, The Division 2's director contemplates a single-player spinoff, Gears 5 says no to smoking, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_402.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:31pm EST

On this week's Xbox show, we give our hands-on impressions from the first weekend of the Halo Outpost Discovery fan experience, discuss a new Batman release from Rocksteady (not a new game, sadly), talk through the small glimpses we've been getting at Playdead's new post-Inside game, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_401.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:15pm EST

As rumors suggest that Xbox Scarlett is now one console instead of two, we discuss what that means for Xbox heading into the next generation. Plus: Alan Wake 2 is a lot more possible now than it was last week, EA executives forego their bonuses, the co-creator of Dead Space is making a narrative-driven game for PUBG Corp, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_400.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:02pm EST

Gears 5 boss Rod Fergusson joins us for an entire show of Gears talk, from taking over the beloved franchise from Epic to Gears Tactics to Gears 5 to Project Scarlett, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_399.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 7:18pm EST

We continue our Xbox E3 recap by discussing most of the rest of Xbox's press conference announcements, including Bleeding Edge, Ori 2, Minecraft Dungeons, Gears 5, Blair Witch, Battletoads, and Avengers (even though that last one wasn't in the Xbox conference).

Direct download: Unlocked_398.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:00pm EST

Film and TV star Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley, The Big Sick, Men in Black: International, Stuber) joins our live-from-E3 episode to recap Microsoft's biggest Xbox E3 announcements. We'll deep-dive into the rest on the next episode!

Direct download: Unlocked_397.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:36pm EST

On this week's Xbox show, we discuss the biggest E3 leak so far in Watch Dogs 3, gush over the just-released Outer Wilds, address Rainbow Six Siege's plan for next-gen, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_396.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 3:27pm EST

On this week's Xbox show, it's time once again for a beloved pre-E3 tradition: making our Xbox E3 predictions! We discuss what could happen with regard to Xbox Scarlett's release date and specs, Halo Infinite, a new Xbox Elite controller, and more! Plus: our take on the big Call of Duty: Modern Warfare rumor, why Dead Island 2 is still alive, what Saints Row and Red Faction developer Volition might be up to, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_395.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:59pm EST

On this week's Xbox show, Sony and Microsoft announced a partnership. Yes, you read that right! We talk about their mutual cloud-gaming initiative. Plus: Call of Duty's development gets thrown into turmoil for next year, so we examine what effect it will have on the future of the franchise. And did Ubisoft just announce Splinter Cell or were they just "joking"? All that and more on this week's Unlocked!

Direct download: Unlocked_394.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:02pm EST

On this week's Xbox show, the crew discusses their Rage 2 impressions and their thoughts on Red Dead Online's official launch and all the new content coming with it. Despite being just a few weeks away from E3, there's still other announcements rolling out, including the reveal of Ghost Recon Breakpoint, the unfortunate, concerning news from the Starbreeze financial call, and more.

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Category:general -- posted at: 5:30pm EST

Ghost Recon appears to be returning soon, as does Call of Duty. We debate what each might look like. Plus: Sea of Thieves Anniversary Update impressions, PlatinumGames laments how Microsoft has been treated in the wake of Scalebound's cancellation, Tekken x Street Fighter is probably never happening, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_392.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:22pm EST

On this week's Xbox show, willl the Sonic the Hedgehog movie set video game movies back a decade or turn them into high art? Plus: Kansas City Chiefs fans have to reckon with the Madden Curse as the first details of Madden NFL 20 are announced, Games With Gold for May have been revealed, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_391.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 3:49pm EST

Our Xbox crew gives our impressions of the just-released Mortal Kombat 11, discusses Respawn's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and why we're optimistic about it, speculates on the motive behind the return of a Call of Duty co-creator after a six-year retirement, and more! Plus: how much next-gen will Microsoft talk at E3?

Direct download: Unlocked_390.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 5:20pm EST

Ubisoft seems to have teased the next Assassin's Creed game in The Division 2! We discuss the apparent Viking theme and its likely next-gen debut. Plus: Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold might be bundled together, an anonymous millionaire wants to set up a real-life battle royale (and we have ideas! Boy, do we have ideas!), we get a few new tidbits of Borderlands 3 information, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_389.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:05pm EST

Lots to discuss this week! James Duggan's impressions of The Division 2 and how it compares to other loot shooters. Plus: our headliner is Borderlands 3. It's finally official, but what kind of game will it be? We each give our take. We also detail the just-announced monster FPS Darkborn, wonder about Ubisoft's E3 press conference, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_388.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:39pm EST

Our Xbox podcast crew gives detailed impressions of the just-released Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice as well as Remedy's upcoming third-person action game Control. Plus: a look back at the Elder Scrolls games that helped make the Xbox great as the franchise celebrates its 25th anniversary this week, more rumored details of the all-digital Xbox One S, a bit of Mortal Kombat 11 talk, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_387.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 4:42pm EST

Original Left 4 Dead developer Turtle Rock Studios returns with a game that sounds an awful lot like Left 4 Dead...literally and figuratively. Plus: we try to predict Bethesda's just-announced E3 press conference, No Man's Sky keeps building, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_386.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:49pm EST

Another major publisher decides to skip its E3 press conference in 2019. We discuss what we think EA's decision means for Microsoft. Plus: Halo MCC gets Reach, Mortal Kombat 11 goes for the gusto in the story department, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_385.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

A new report suggests the disc-less Xbox One S will be announced next month. We speculate on price, who it's aimed at, and more! Plus: Borderlands 3, Apex Legends' sweet revenge for Respawn, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_384.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

We dive deep into the credible rumors surrounding Microsoft bringing Xbox Game Pass to the Nintendo Switch. Plus: Microsoft considered hiring Gearbox to make Halo 4. How would THAT have changed history?? Also: HoloLens 2 and its potential future in the Xbox ecosystem, and we say goodbye to our beloved Shark.

Direct download: Unlocked_383.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew deep-dives into Xbox's two biggest new releases, Anthem and Crackdown 3. Plus: BioWare says Mass Effect will return, but how and when? We discuss...

Direct download: Unlocked_382.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

IGN's Xbox crew discusses Apex Legends enormous success and it's potential, the future of EA, and a traveling Halo Amusement Park that may be headed your way.

Direct download: Unlocked381_021219_Audio.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew has a lot to chew on this week! Apex Legends reactions and impressions, Crackdown 3 impressions, Xbox Live's stunning extension to Nintendo Switch, Xbox's big E3 2019, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_380.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Three major games dominate the water-cooler conversation this week, including the controversial Anthem VIP demo, plus the releases of Resident Evil 2 and Kingdom Hearts 3.

Direct download: Unlocked_379.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

EA has been having a tough time with Star Wars: What went wrong and can it be fixed? Our Xbox crew discusses that and more on this week's show.

Direct download: Unlocked_378.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Bungie is now a free agent. Here's what it means for Xbox fans. Will Microsoft buy Bungie again? Will Destiny 3 happen? What's after Destiny? Plus: Phil Spencer briefly mentions the future at CES, Resident Evil 2's demo is popular, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_377.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

IGN's Xbox team kicks off the new year by discussing some of the games we're most excited about. Plus: one new Alien game not for Xbox and one that is, From Software's mystery new games, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_376.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew looks back on all aspects of the Xbox world in 2018, from games to studio acquisitions to services and much more! Plus: a look ahead to the fast start we're set to get off to in 2019, what Xbox characters we'd like to see in Smash Bros., and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_375.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew recaps last week's Game Awards, reacting an analyzing the biggest Xbox-related announcements. Plus: tune in for a bonus Let's Play of Below with creative director Kris Piotrowski!

Direct download: Unlocked_374.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew makes some last-minute Game Awards predictions that are sure to be comically wrong. Plus: Rocksteady says they're not doing a Superman game. So what ARE they up to? Also: BioWare teases Dragon Age 4 and we cast the Gears of War movie.

Direct download: Unlocked_373.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Microsoft's planets are all aligning towards E3 2020. We explain why it will be the most important moment in the last decade of Xbox. Plus: Red Dead Online impressions, The Initiative's big new hire, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_372.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew discusses Sony's big E3 decision and what it means for Microsoft. Plus: in-depth Fallout 76 impressions, the rumored new disc-less Xbox One, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_371.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Tina Amini is joined by Destin Legarie, Jon Ryan, and Casey DeFreitas to talk about all of the Red Dead 2 spoilers that need to be talked about!

Direct download: RedDead2_Spoilercast_AudioExport.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 12:00pm EST

Microsoft's jam-packed X018 fan event brought with it a ton of new announcements. We react to and break down the TWO new studio acquisitions, Winter of Arcade, Crackdown 3's multiplayer mode and new release date, and much more!

Direct download: Unlocked_370.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Our Xbox crew discusses what TWO games Respawn looks set to release this year and how to make sure Titanfall 3 doesn't get Titanfall 2'd. Plus: Forza Horizon 4's impressive sales feat, why NDAs are serious, Microsoft's Minecraft-made campus renovation preview, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_369.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 1:20pm EST

With Red Dead Redemption 2 finally out, we discuss its huge debut as well as the crazy things we've been doing inside its Old West world. Plus: Grand Theft Auto's future, Xbox Game Pass heads to PC, Battlefield V's Battle Royale mode gets a release date, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_368.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

FPS/Battle Royale expert James Duggan joins Unlocked this week to discuss Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's Blackout mode after handling IGN's Blackout mode review. Is it Baby's First Battle Royale, or something more? Plus: Jade Raymond is out at the EA studio she founded, Devil May Cry 5 has one of the craziest special editions ever, four Valve classics get Xbox One X enhancements, and more!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_367.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

Longtime Xbox fan and military veteran Jeff Bartrom stops by to talk about Operation Supply Drop and 8-Bit Salute, the charity that helps active and retired military service members through video games. Plus: our Black Ops 4 Blackout impressions, Red Dead 2's 60-hour story, Diablo 4 (!...?), and much more!

Direct download: Unlocked_Episode_366.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 6:00pm EST

We discuss our day playing Bethesda's big new RPG. Plus: Impressions of Hitman 2, discussion of Microsoft's new Project xCloud initiative, Microsoft's apparent new studio acquisition, and much more!

Direct download: Unlocked365_100818_FULLEP.mp3
Category:Podcast Unlocked -- posted at: 8:14pm EST