Unlocked

With rumors swirling and Microsoft confirming a Tokyo Game Show livestream, we discuss whether or not we might be about to get a reveal of Forza Horizon 6. Plus: Hollow Knight: Silksong and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle DLC impressions, former Xbox and industry execs weigh in on Xbox Game Pass, and more!

00:00:00 - Intro & Humble Bundle

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The long-anticipated Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally out the day this episode publishes, and so we brought in Logan Plant from our Nintendo Voice chat to discuss his thoughts so far after he played it at a recent Xbox event and PAX West. Plus: our reactions to the first gameplay deep-dive of IO Interactive's 007: First Light, a discussion around the near-resurrection of The Initiative's and Crystal Dynamics's Perfect Dark, and more!

00:00:00 - Intro & Humble Bundle Choice

This episode of Unlocked is sponsored by 5-hour ENERGY.

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We're drowning in a sea of awesome games this week! Between the three of us, we've been playing a couple of big new releases (Gears of War Reloaded and Metal Gear Solid Delta) and a few hot upcoming games we want to tell you about (Replaced, The Outer Worlds 2, and LEGO Voyagers). Join us!

00:00 - Intro

02:02 - A Bioshock Update

12:15 - Gears of War Reloaded

25:39 - Keep Replaced on your Radars

32:19 - Metal Gear Solid Delta

42:51 - The Outer Worlds 2

53:26 - LEGO Voyagers

This weeks epsiode is Ryan McCaffrey, Michael Higham, MIranda Sanchez, and is produced by Nick Maillet.

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We react to a new since-confirmed report that 2K's new BioShock game continues to find its footing. We discuss where the project is and what the BioShock IP still means to gamers. Plus: Helldivers 2's upcoming Xbox release looks to be extra special thanks to an apparent Halo: ODST crossover, another Xbox exclusive appears to be canceled, and more!

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This week on Unlocked, we dive into the finer details of Battlefield 6 after a hands-on preview and find a return to form for EA’s long-running shooter franchise. But we also dig into Grounded 2’s early access to see how Obsidian keeps cooking up good games for 2025. We also look at the latest Game Pass revenue numbers in contrast to the recent layoffs across Xbox’s game studios. And we couldn’t have done this without our esteemed guest Niki Grayson who you can find on podcasts such as If You’re Driving, Close Your Eyes and VGBees. #Xbox #GamePass #Grounded2 #Battlefield6 #IGN #gaming 

00:00:00 – Intro and August’s Humble Bundle

00:10:17 – Battlefield 6 hands-on preview

00:50:01 – Grounded 2 early access impressions

01:02:14 – Game Pass revenue hits $5 billion

01:14:21 – Outro and where to find us

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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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