In this episode of the Day One Patch Podcast, we kick things off with a Video Game Fun Fact all about the Pocket Pikachu, Nintendo’s quirky pedometer-based handheld companion from the late ’90s.

We then break down Call of Duty’s latest move to restore its grounded identity by cutting carry-forward skins in Black Ops 7. Treyarch says it’s about keeping the game “immersive and visceral,” but fans are divided after losing their crossover cosmetics. We also look at Microsoft and Asus’ surprising decision to announce the ROG Xbox Ally X release date—without revealing its price—blaming shifting “macro-economic” conditions.

In Query Corner Lite, we cover Larian Studios’ sharp criticism of the gaming industry, pointing to ballooning budgets, long dev cycles, and publishers playing it safe instead of taking risks.

In this episode of the Day One Patch Podcast, we kick things off with a gaming fun fact all about the original Game Boy — its release, lineup, and legacy. Then, we dive into the biggest stories of the week. Former Dragon Age boss Mark Darrah explains why a remaster of Dragon Age: Origins and the series hasn’t happened yet, despite fan demand. We also explore Fallout: Season 2’s exclusive New Vegas setting, featuring returning characters, iconic landmarks, and the long-awaited arrival of Mr. House. Finally, we break down the latest Call of Duty news, where Black Ops 7 looks set to skip the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch despite Microsoft’s commitments. Plus, we wrap up with what we’ve been playing.

In this episode of the Day One Patch Podcast, we cover the latest Starfield leak hinting at a new “Cruise Mode” for real-time space travel, break down Sony’s lawsuit against Tencent over claims that Light of Motiram is a Horizon: Zero Dawn clone, and discuss the Secure Boot requirement causing headaches for Battlefield 6 players on PC. Plus, we share what we’ve been playing and this week’s Video Game Fun Fact on the history of the Battlefield series.

In this episode of the Day One Patch Podcast, we dive into Battlefield 6’s commitment to gritty realism and whether EA can resist the temptation of goofy crossover skins like Call of Duty. We also look at Microsoft dominating PlayStation’s sales charts with six of the top ten best-selling games and discuss Dead Space creator Glen Schofield stepping back from AAA development. Plus, this week’s fun fact covers a recently discovered ROM of a long-lost game that fans finally tracked down.

Sony deepens its ties with Bandai Namco, buying a 2.5% stake as part of a broader strategic partnership that could expand franchises like Elden Ring across games, anime, and merch. In this episode, we break down what this move could mean for both companies and for fans. We also cover Sony’s new DualSense feature that makes switching between PS5, PC, and mobile more seamless. Then we dive into Star Wars Outlaws and Ubisoft’s surprising explanation for the game’s underwhelming reception — is the franchise really to blame?

In the Video Game Fun Fact of the Week, we take a nostalgic look back at the rise and fall (and rise again) of Electronics Boutique, known today as EB Games Canada.

In this episode, the guys dive into a full tech reboot at EB Games Canada, with a brand-new website, faster checkout, and more self-serve tools on the way. Then it’s off to Netflix as the Assassin’s Creed live-action series finally moves forward, promising power, violence, and high-concept drama across time and cultures.

Meanwhile, reports suggest Microsoft is replacing laid-off Candy Crush devs with AI tools — including the very ones those devs helped build.

Also in this episode: a video game fun fact about Ratchet’s personality shift between Ratchet & Clank and Going Commando, and of course we finish things off with what we’re playing!

This week we cover Microsoft’s massive layoffs across its gaming division, including the shocking closure of The Initiative and cancellation of the long-awaited Perfect Dark reboot. Rare’s Everwild is also reportedly shelved, and Candy Crush maker King was hit hard. We also discuss Helldivers 2 becoming the first PlayStation-published title to hit Xbox.

In our gaming fun fact, we dive into the problems with the classic Atari CX40 joystick, compare it to modern analog stick drift, and explore the potential future of controllers with HAL sensor technology.

In this episode of the Day One Patch Podcast, we dive into some major Xbox news as Microsoft begins rolling out an aggregated PC game library, letting players launch titles from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and more—all from within the Xbox app. We also check out the newly announced Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition, a sleek VR bundle built with Xbox fans in mind. Then, in true Kojima fashion, we discuss why the legendary developer rewrote parts of Death Stranding 2 because playtesters were enjoying it too much. Plus, this week’s Gaming Fun Fact covers the unique case of 007: Nightfire—a game with a surprisingly different PC version than its console counterparts.

Xbox has announced a multi-year partnership with AMD to power their next-gen consoles. We speculate and discuss whether Microsoft will make their own Xbox handheld and if it will run Xbox games come next-gen's debut.

CDPR is focusing on developing The Witcher 4 on console hardware in order to help with scaling. After their last disastrous release of Cyberpunk 2077 this may come as a comfort to console gamers running the PS5 and above. An impressive demo was shown off of The Witcher 4 running on the PS5 at 60fps. We speculate on whether the game will release before the PS6 comes out and whether the console-first approach is a wise idea.

This week's Gaming Fun Fact focused on Mercenaries: Playground of Destruction and how it started out life not as Mercenaries, but instead as a sequel to 1992's Desert Strike. This also marks one year of our Gaming Fun Facts segment on the show!

Later in the episode in the Query Corner Question we ask which game mechanics you'd like applied to a different game/genre. For example, would you like Monolith's nemesis system applied to an entirely different genre or game franchise?

E3 may be gone, but the spirit lives on! In this episode, we break down all the biggest announcements, surprises, and letdowns from Summer Game Fest 2025, PlayStation’s June State of Play, and the Xbox Games Showcase. From jaw-dropping reveals to indie gems, we cover everything you need to know from this year’s unofficial E3 week(s).