Xbox: Third Place, Now Third Party? – Unlocked 676

In a huge week of Xbox news, we're discussing Xbox's massive, demoralizing, and unprecedented price increases five years into the console generation. Plus: we gush over the new GTA 6 trailer, celebrate the return of Gears of War 1 via a new remaster, discuss the just-leaked images of ROG's officially licensed Xbox handheld PC, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro & Welcome Lord Cognito 00:03:54 - Xbox Price Hike 00:45:01 - IGN Live Is Back! & Humble Bundle 00:48:19 - GTA 6 Trailer 2 Impressions 01:03:41 - Would you pay $100 for GTA 6? 01:09:28 - Gears of War: Reloaded Announced 01:20:36 - First Pictures of Asus' Xbox-branded Handheld Leak Online 01:30:17 - Outro & Where to Find Us Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's Xbox show, we discuss how Borderlands 4's release date just moved up, and whether or not it means it's getting out of GTA 6...possibly in October? But maybe there's another game it's avoiding... Plus: Assassin's Creed Shadows' strong sales debut, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 gets a hilarious new playable Operator, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is selling great, and more – including a bonus interview with the Obsidian team about The Outer Worlds 2 at the end of the podcast! 0:00:00 - Intro , IGN Live, Humble Bundle Deals 00:04:45 - Borderlands 4’s Release Date Moves Up, Marathon, & GTA 6 00:22:37 - FBC Firebreak Release Date & Black Ops 6 adds Seth Rogen 00:33:59 - AC: Shadows Best-selling game in the U.S 00:43:45 - Clair Obscur has sold over a million copies 00:54:36 - EA cancels another incubation project at Respawn 01:03:49 - The Outer Worlds 2 Developer Interview 01:48:03 - Outro & Credits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's raining RPGs on Xbox Game Pass this week as the long-rumored/leaked Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered finally got released – and it's even better than we'd hoped. We discuss why it's fantastic and what it means for other Bethesda remasters (Fallout 3, anyone?) and The Elder Scrolls VI. Plus: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has also arrived and it is amazing! Michael reviewed it, and he tells you why it's his Game of the Year so far as we approach the one-third mark of 2025. Happy role-playing gaming! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bethesda's "secret" remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion keeps leaking. We'll talk about what we learned from this week's leak, when you can play it (hint: VERY SOON), how it'll hit for a generation of Elder Scrolls fans that have only ever known Skyrim, and more. Plus: our Mount Rushmore of RPGs, Xbox Game Pass's incredible second wave in April, the new Star Wars game and the somewhat surprising developer involved, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We covered a ton of ground this week, from The Outer Worlds 2 looking awesome so far after we got to visit Obsidian for our exclusive IGN First coverage, to Doom: The Dark Ages being fantastic but very different from Doom Eternal based on our four hours of hands-on time with it, to the Minecraft movie's big opening weekend and what other Xbox properties we'd like to see adapted to film and TV, to the grossness and danger that Microsoft's new Copilot AI-powered Quake 2 tech demo introduces, and much more! 00:00 - Intro 05:58 - Michael played The Outer Worlds 2 14:41 - Ryan Played Doom: The Dark Ages 27:23 - Marathon 34:45 - A Minecraft Movie (and other Xbox movies) discussion 46:27 - Whats headed to Game Pass 56:06 - Microsoft's Copilot AI-Powered Quake 2 Tech Demo Is a Problem This week’s show is Ryan McCaffrey, Michael Higham, and is produced by Nick Maillet Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Unlocked, Michael and Miranda are joined by GameSpot's Jordan Ramée to talk all about the latest Xbox exclusive, South of Midnight, now that we have reviewed it and we explore our own connections to American South. We also touch on previews for Doom: The Dark Ages and the ongoing saga of where Hollow Knight Silksong is. And we find a way to make the Nintendo Direct about Xbox (lol) before talking about Asus and Xbox teasing their handheld collaboration. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Unlocked, Miranda and Michael go over the biggest reveals for Minecraft Live 2025 (new mobs!), discuss the Backbone One Xbox Edition and how they hope Xbox's latest neat peripheral designs influence their next major device releases, and round out the show by discussing two games coming to Xbox shown during the Nintendo Direct.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Michael and Ryan give first impressions of this week's big new game release, Assassin's Creed Shadows. And then we delve into our main topic: MORE rumors about the remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and how close to release it apparently is (hint: it's really close!). Plus: Split Fiction's continued success, reassurances from Saber Interactive about the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake, and more! This week’s show is Ryan McCaffrey, Michael Higham, and was produced by Nick Maillet Unlocked is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The crew is joined by Ash Parrish from The Verge to discuss the reports of Xbox handhelds (from OEMs) coming later this year and the prospect of a next-gen Xbox coming in 2027 (and how weird time works because it feels like the Series X|S came out just yesterday). But first, we revisit Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 demo for Miranda's final thoughts, and get Ash's insights on South of Midnight from her preview and interview with actor and developer Ahmed Best. Eat smart with Factor. Get started at factormeals.com/FACTORPODCAST and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Xbox crew discusses the awful news of WB Games closing down Shadow of Mordor developer Monolith Productions along with two other studios. Is their patented Nemesis System dead forever? But first, we spend a happy first half of the podcast gushing over a few new games we've been playing: Split Fiction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Monster Hunter Wilds. 00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:00 - Spilt Fiction Impressions 00:13:52 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Preview Impressions 00:33:48 - Monster Hunter Wilds Impressions 00:38:15 - Is Hazelight Studios the new Telltale? 00:43:26 - WB Games has shut down 3 Studios 00:56:55 - Is the Nemesis System Dead Forever? 01:05:50 - Fable Delayed 01:13:08 - Outro Eat smart with Factor. Get started at factormeals.com/FACTORPODCAST and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices