Episode 229

The seemingly unstoppable downward spiral of Xbox continues with the latest salvo of bad news - a drastic price increase for Game Pass. Today, we analyze how the Activision deal ultimately led to Xbox's current situation and examine the current state of Xbox and Game Pass after the price hike. As always, we conclude with the games we're playing (Ghost of Yōtei, Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut, League of Legends). This episode was recorded in October 2025. Intro and outro music composed for Gametalk by Dylan Chase.

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Timestamps:

0:00 - Opening Banter

10:30 - Time to Cancel Game Pass?

20:42 - The Impact of the Activision Deal

27:58 - Xbox Leadership Has To Go

32:27 - Paid Online is a Scam

40:02 - Xbox Has Lost Consumer Trust

53:57 - Game Pass With Ads?

59:37 - The Xbox Brand is Dying

1:16:53 - Ghost of Yōtei

1:36:49 - Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut

1:46:16 - League of Legends