Lots to talk about this week! We start by discussing the latest releases and games we're previewing, including Grounded 2, Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, and Shinobi: Art of Vengeance. Then we hit on Helldivers 2 making a surprise jump to Xbox, chat about the rumored pricing for the Xbox ROG Ally handheld, celebrate Hollow Knight: Silksong being playable at Gamescom in a few weeks, express relief at Xbox backing down from its $80 first-party game pricing plan, and then go through a few Bethesda/Elder Scrolls-related stories.

00:00:00 - Intro & July Humble Bundle

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Former Xbox executive Greg Canessa – creator of Xbox Live Arcade – joins us for our 700th episode to share some awesome inside-baseball stories from his days at Xbox. He also talks about his perspective on Xbox today from the business side of things (including his thoughts on the Activision-Blizzard acquisition), as well as how he feels about Xbox's future. You're not gonna want to miss this one!

This weeks episode is Ryan McCaffrey, Michael Higham, Greg Canessa, Parris Lilly, and is Produced by Nick Maillet

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We sort through the aftermath of Xbox's devastating layoffs from last week, including updates on the status of where Perfect Dark was, what's left of the Turn 10 team, how Microsoft's AI investments may have played a part in all of this, and much more.

00:00:00 - Intro

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As expected, layoffs at Microsoft and Xbox did happen this week, and they were unbelievably brutal. Approximately 9,000 people reportedly got laid off, multiple games were canceled, and entire studios were shut down. We sort through the wreckage on this week's Unlocked.

00:00 - Intro

00:11:12 - Assessing Xbox’s Layoffs

00:29:55 - Perfect Dark and Game Cancellations

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This year's Xbox Showcase was very good, but next year's Showcase should be absolutely jam-packed with Xbox's A-listers, from Halo to Gears of War to Fable and Forza Horizon. And not just that, Fall 2026 should be one of the biggest quarter of releases in Xbox history. Plus: Xbox's curious collab with Meta Quest, our bigger-picture perspective on reportedly imminent Xbox layoffs, and more!

00:08:34 - Let’s talk about NEXT year’s Xbox Showcase

00:30:45 - What does Fall 2026 look like for Xbox?

00:43:54 - What does 2027 look like for Xbox?

01:00:38 - Microsoft Plans Major Job Cuts at Xbox Gaming Division

01:24:00 - Outro

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We kick off by talking about the games we got to play behind closed doors after the Xbox Showcase: The Outer Worlds 2, Gears of War Reloaded, and Ninja Gaiden 4. And then we dig into our main topic: Xbox's next-gen hardware announcement. We analyze what it means, what it doesn't, and discuss where Xbox is going.

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00:00 - Intro

03:00 - Outer Worlds, Gears of War Reloaded, & Summer Game Fest

13:50 - Handhelds Are Clearly Important to the Future of Xbox

21:20 - Ninja Gaiden 4 is Pretty Rad

34:43 - Dissecting Xbox’s Next-Gen Announcement

57:31 - Marathon got Delayed

01:07:03 - Whats Headed To Gamepass

This week’s show is Ryan McCaffrey, Michael Higham, Miranda Sanchez, and is produced by Nick Maillet

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In this jam-packed IGN Live 2025 special, we’re diving into three games revealed in the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. First, Daemon Hatfield joins Obsidian Entertainment for a deep dive into The Outer Worlds 2, then Remedy stops by to talk FBC: Firebreak. Finally, Tom Jorgenson sits down with Iron Galaxy to break down the long-awaited Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Remaster. You don't wanna miss it!

00:00:00 - The Outer Worlds 2

00:12:01 - FBC: Firebreak

00:21:40 - Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4 Remaster

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The Xbox Games Showcase delivered big reveals and we’ve got thoughts. In this episode, we break down the biggest surprises and top takeaways from the show, including the ROG Ally Xbox handheld, Clockwork Revolution, Call of Duty Black Ops 7, the return of Persona 4, and Final Fantasy’s Xbox debut.

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IGN Live is nearly here and we have a limited number of complimentary tickets for it! Head here and use the code "UNLOCKEDGUEST" to get a complimentary GA ticket for Saturday or Sunday: ⁠www.ign.com/live

00:00:00 - Intro, IGN Live, & Humble Bundle

00:08:28 - Favorite Xbox Era?

00:39:16 - Bungie Accused of Plagiarism

00:58:44 - Borderlands 4 $80 Controversy

01:08:09 - Retro Classics with Game Pass

01:11:22 - Game Pass Wave 2 for May & Best Selling Games of May

01:19:46 - RAIDOU Remastered & Outro

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IGN's Doom: The Dark Ages reviewer (and Doom superfan) Mitchell Saltzman joins fellow Doom superfan Ryan McCaffrey to discuss id software's just-released prequel: how it compares to Doom Eternal, why we love it, where the series goes from here, and more. Plus: Mitchell talks about his visit to From Software to play a ton of Elden Ring Nightreign as part of our exclusive IGN First coverage, Mafia: The Old Country makes a surprising pivot on price and game direction, and more!

00:00:00 - Intro

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