Grab your popcorn! The back and forth over Call of Duty and Game Pass between Xbox and PlayStation has truly begun. Last week's episode saw us discussing the possible "fear" within PlayStation as they highlighted how Call Of Duty on Game Pass would create an unfair advantage. In a 27 page document submitted by Microsoft, they have battled back where, yes, the console wars have become all too real. Filling in is 'The Honorable' Ben Smith where we sink into what is effectively our gaming parents bickering. Strangely, both sides are right, wrong, and hypocrites all at the same time. In an otherwise slower week, Xbox has revealed a long demanded feature in the name of Game Pass family plan. Many new "bloodlines" will be forged over this, I'm sure. More delays have landed as well as the Duke Curse continues to become a real thing and we very well may have to cancel the show over it. Stay tuned for that. We're currently marking High On Life as our breaking point.

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For many, this episode's title will seem like a cheap attempt at console war bait, but fret not for it is a legitimate question worth asking. Thanks to the Brazilian government, we have a very transparent view of a rare interaction between PlayStation and Xbox where the two wage a war of their own on the value of exclusivity. The subject matter is Call Of Duty and PlayStation underlines the very scary potential of that big of a game being mixed with day one Game Pass. Matty and Cog dig deep into this delicate subject as it's rare to see shots fired from either side in such a manner.

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News has begun to roll out of Ubisoft that shows them sprinting in multiple different directions at once. From the platform based live service Assassin's Creed game to a tighter and less expansive entry in the series all the way to a heaping four games cancelled, a lot is happening for them and not much of it sounds good. As we have historically seen, Xbox can sweep in when these companies are going through the worst of times. With Lord Acquisition at my (Matty) side, I wanted to tackle the subject of if this is a fit. Otherwise, EA continues their somewhat staggering turnaround as they are producing a single player Black Panther game which may beg the question; is there a more impactful game to a company then Jedi Fallen Order? It's tough to imagine what, but it's success has allowed the winds of change to blow through EA. Beyond that, we have more crocs shenanigans and Halo Infinite gets beat up for the millionth time.

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Microsoft has provided the FTC the additional information it was seeking, potentially triggering a final window to any challenges of the Activision Blizzard acquisition. The Dukes are assisted by Rand Al Thor 19 & LSM family Ben Smith to dissect the deal, potential caveats, and best case scenarios. What does Discord integration mean for Xbox? Arcane’s new game design philosophy? Power Wash Simulator’s greatness? How much do we care about video game merchandise and more!

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Redfall stands as one of Xbox's most anticipated exclusives and it makes sense. Arkane Studios is a world class talent creating some of the best immersive sim titles that our industry has to offer. However, Redfall is set to be different compared to the studio's past work and a major interview by IGN shines a spotlight on why. Together, the Dukes go through it with a fine toothed comb to bring each aspect of the conversation surrounding the game to light. Otherwise in a quieter week of gaming, we get into the thick of things with a topic that has dominated the industry: Ubisoft. As it always seems to be the case, it's not for good reason. With Ubisoft's near miss on threatening the preservation of Assassin's Creed Liberation, we aim to expand the conversation beyond that to the pressing problem of the "Digital Age" quickly approaching and no safety nets in place. Are members of Team Digital about to stage a mutiny?

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The news has slowed that considerably compared to weeks prior, but that's fine because it gives more room to get in touch with what the audience is thinking. Our collective focus is on the future of Xbox Game Pass where many of your chimed in about a variety of paths that the brand can take. What devices or consoles could it appear on? What regions may it thrive in? Should DLC also arrive for free alongside Day One games? Will Xbox craft their own native handheld and submerge themselves in that market? Indeed, the options Xbox has with this service are quite tantalizing, and so with that we dive straight in. In the lighter news load, we speak on God Of War: Ragnarok filling the void Starfield left behind. Is this a shot from PlayStation? We break it down. Alongside that, it appears any hope of Xbox 360 support is canned as Xbox reaches an inflection point with the strong yet fading Games With Gold.

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There's trouble on the homefront. We have collectively report after report roll in describing the struggles of Xbox's first party studios. Whether it be 343 and their mismanagement of Halo, Bethesda and their troubled Fallout 76 development, half of The Initiative leaving, or toxic conditions seeping into Undead Labs; there are now many examples in the ether for us to dissect. All of them combined bring us to one painful question that must be asked: Is Xbox's hands off approach backfiring on them as their teams spiral themselves into the ground? With this week's news, there's no better time to tackle such a tough topic. In lighter news, Mega Man Battle Network is back, Starfield has a pretty exciting leak, and the fork-spoon wars may be set off again thanks to disgruntled pie consumers. With our most write ins to date, it's time to tackle our juiciest episode yet.

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 With some space between us and the showcase, news has slowed down and the dust has settled. It's now that we can take our best look at the road ahead and answer a crucial question: is there enough for Xbox in 2022? Between their new "console launch exclusive" strategy and the investment in Game Pass for Day 1 releases, there are many questions for us to answer. One such question is could Xbox potentially deploying a tactic from the Nintendo playbook in 2023 to stagger the staggering amount of games in the pipeline so they don't cannibalize one another? The Dukes sound off, but there's much more to talk about in an otherwise relatively quiet week. The Activision Blizzard chopping block claims another victim in the name of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 remake and Forza Motorsport is (begrudgingly) spoken about in a positive light! Plus more on the "Piss Gate," Final Fantasy 7's eluding of Xbox, and much more!

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We're days removed from the Xbox & Bethesda showcase as well as the extended one on Tuesday meaning all the announcements, trailers, and news are out in the wild. With that, there is much to sift through such as new Starfield details, a Fallout 5 confirmation by the Toddfather himself, and some possibly worrying Redfall news on its multiplayer component. Couple that in with some insightful questions from the audience about the parameters Xbox has set for themselves during the show with only showcasing content throughout the next 12 months and we have much to discuss on the future of this platform.

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The big day has finally arrived. After months of rumors, speculation, and bold predictions, we have now seen everything the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase for 2022 has to offer. As Cog has to aptly put it, it's a journey through many peaks and valleys. For it is here that we see Starfield for the first time ever, Persona arriving to Xbox, Kojima in the flesh, and many other surprises. That being said, this showcase also placed a clear spotlight on the vacancy of this fall where a majority of the first party content has been punted to 2023. Now the Dukes gather and to breakdown every single trailer, announcement, or reveal that dropped.

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