True Avatars - A Queer Video Game Podcast

I know right? You’re taking in every word from that title and thinking: “how can these people be trans and ***not*** have played Celeste?!” …and all we can say is, we’re sorry! We’re making up for it by playing it now (better late than never) and sharing our thoughts right here for you. Also this week! Games are addictive again, Dragon Quest turns 40, Fable was delayed, somehow Witcher 3 returned, and we have a few hopes and predictions for the next month of game announcements. A small note: I messed up my audio despite doing everything to not mess up my audio, so I had to use Adobe Podcast Enhance to fix it up and I sound a little different because of that… Oops!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:11:35 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:11:44 - No Man’s Sky 00:15:28 - Dragon Quest VII Reimagined 00:25:53 - Celeste 00:42:24 - News 00:56:16 - Summer Gaming / Not-E3 Predictions   This episode was recorded on May 30 and 31 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Sources: Access-Ability Summer Showcase 2026: https://access-ability.uk/2026/01/30/access-ability-summer-showcase-returning-for-2026/ Story-Rich Showcase: https://www.fellowtraveller.games/blog/story-rich-showcase-premiers-june-6 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/fable-has-been-delayed-to-2027/ https://bsky.app/profile/thewitcher.com/post/3mmt5gshsa22r https://support.cdprojektred.com/en/witcher-3/pc/sp-technical/issue/2973/upcoming-changes-to-minimum-requirements-for-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Op9YgXhjgNM https://dq11.jp/s/pf/faq/en.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsYz_CVdowA https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/05/dragon-quest-monsters-the-withered-world-has-been-rated-for-switch-1-and-2

This week we’re catching up on some headlines from during the podcast’s hiatus. When I was doing show notes this week, I noticed that every headline seemed to come with some “good” news and some “bad” news, so we made a kind of game(ish) of it! Amy-Lynn, Lloyd, and I pick from the good and bad news, choosing which we want to hear first. There’s headlines from PlayStation, Fallout, Bloodborne, Pokémon, and video game adaptation casting (Life is Strange and Sonic the Hedgehog 4).   00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:41 - News 00:06:14 - PlayStation 00:13:04 - Casting (Life is Strange and Sonic) 00:31:43 - Fallout 00:39:28 - Bloodborne 00:49:51 - Pokémon   This episode was recorded on May 20 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Amy-Lynn: https://www.instagram.com/amethystlylac Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Sources: Twink Yoshi: https://x.com/nintendoamerica/status/2055317658015322471 https://bsky.app/profile/jasonschreier.bsky.social/post/3mm5jzsls5s2a https://x.com/PlayStation/status/2056404450793938989 https://blog.playstation.com/2026/05/20/state-of-play-returns-tuesday-june-2/ https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/life-is-strange-series-maisy-stella-tatum-grace-hopkins-1236678032/ https://pridesource.com/article/how-maisy-stellas-own-queerness-enriches-her-performance-in-my-old-ass https://x.com/gingriich/status/2028892100478288114?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/life-is-strange-tv-series-karyn-kusama-director-1236692403/ https://variety.com/2026/film/news/sonic-the-hedgehog-4-cast-keanu-reeves-idris-elba-1236692974/ https://toynewsi.com/14-62286 https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/1rps0nv/fallout_3_remastered_seemingly_confirmed_via_new/?share_id=oFdPnZBfhPJ8xYdj8A1j1&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/03/fallout-support-studio-insists-its-not-teasing-another-game https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/bloodborne-is-officially-returning-as-an-r-rated-animated-movie/ https://www.ign.com/articles/the-pokemon-company-is-already-considering-a-future-where-the-total-number-of-pocket-monsters-available-hits-maybe-10000

Amy-Lynn and Lloyd join me this week to discuss what we’ve been playing, which is quite sim heavy! Games include Pokémon Pokopia, Leafy Corner, and Retro Rewind. For the news, we’re discussing an older headline: The Last of Us Season 3 finds its actor for Lev and… well, let’s just say they didn’t cast a trans masc actor like we all hoped.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:13 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:06:21 - Pokémon Pokopia 00:21:09 - Leafy Corner (Demo) 00:33:25 - Retro Rewind 01:06:30 - News (The Last of Us Casting)   This episode was recorded on May 12 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Amy-Lynn: https://www.instagram.com/amethystlylac Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Sources: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ebay-rejects-unsolicited-proposal-from-gamestop-302769000.html https://deadline.com/2026/03/the-last-of-us-michelle-mao-yara-kyriana-kratter-lev-1236761572/

We’re back, True Avatars! Ekamy and Lloyd join me for this mildly revamped version of the podcast, which has a greater focus on games discussion and less focus on news. What’s in store for the future? Just how scaled back is news? Where are the special segments? The changes aren’t as drastic as they might seem, so please listen for all the details! This week we talk about a few modern classics, the quality level of the latest Life is Strange, and the Switch version of the Tomodachi Life sim game. Plus, we do have a couple news stories: GameStop is buying eBay…? And the Bank of America wants you to pay a lot of money for GTA 6 to save the games industry. Please note that this episode was recorded before Nintendo announced their price increases!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:10:18 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:10:36 - Trace Memory (Another Code) 00:20:43 - Psychroma 00:29:59 - Homodachi Life: Living the Dream 00:42:26 - Dustborn 00:51:07 - Neverway Demo 01:01:26 - Life is Strange: Reunion (Double Exposure SPOILERS) 01:13:25 - News   This episode was recorded on May 5 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Ekamy: https://www.twitch.tv/ekamy Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Sources: https://investor.gamestop.com/news-releases/news-details/2026/GameStop-Proposes-to-Acquire-eBay-at-125-00-Per-Share/ https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/04/business/gamestop-buys-ebay-intl https://www.ign.com/articles/video-game-industry-would-have-difficulty-selling-games-for-80-if-gta-6-cost-70-bank-of-america-says?utm_source=twitter

Sorry for the late episode this week, True Avatars! I am traveling again but there is a lot of queer game stuff happening these days, thankfully. This week’s headlines include Stardew Valley’s 10th anniversary (with new marriage candidates), Overwatch has a new (mobile) spin-off, Until Then has DLC (with trans rep), Wolverine has a release date, eSports are coming to the Gay Games, and a pretty big update about the Discord age verification scandal. Pokémon just reached its 30th anniversary and they had tons of news to share in their Direct-style live stream. Amy-Lynn and Nicole are back to discuss it all, including the new games: Winds and Waves!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:21 - News 00:35:17 - Pokémon Turns 30 and Announces Winds and Waves   This Pokémon segment was recorded on Feb 27 2026 and the news segment was recorded on March 2 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Amy-Lynn: https://www.instagram.com/amethystlylac Nicole: https://www.instagram.com/nicoletyngs   Sources: https://fortune.com/2026/02/24/discord-peter-thiel-backed-persona-identity-verification-breach/ https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/discord-delays-its-global-age-verification-rollout-and-cuts-ties-with-peter-thiel-backed-verification-vendor-after-upsetting-almost-everyone-on-earth-weve-made-mistakes/ https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24244645/development-update-overwatch-rush https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geiTg6Z7w3A https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-finally-confirms-marvels-wolverine-release-date-and-its-coming-before-gta6/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7GI-k5Gqnw https://cogconnected.com/2026/02/until-then-is-getting-the-afterimages-dlc-later-this-year/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/02/uk-retailer-game-closes-all-standalone-stores-as-it-enters-administration https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-02-27/sony-s-bluepoint-pitched-bloodborne-remake-before-closure?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MjIyMjY3OSwiZXhwIjoxNzcyODI3NDc5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQjRWUTJLR0NURlowMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.s6maZIveh-F152mZBWUNjPFeE0Lm7AFRegwaizQvVlA&leadSource=uverify%20wall https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/eas-skate-studio-confirms-layoffs-as-it-moves-to-better-support-the-games-long-term-future/ https://www.gamefile.news/p/tencent-timi-montreal-closed https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/games-media-set-for-more-layoffs-as-ign-owned-eurogamer-cuts-editorial-staff/ https://checkpointgaming.net/news/2026/02/valve-sued-by-new-york-attorney-general-for-promoting-illegal-gambling/ https://bsky.app/profile/kemowoomy.bsky.social/post/3mfqenszzxk2l https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-game-developer-promoting-illegal-gambling-through https://gaymingmag.com/2026/02/gg-valencia-the-gay-games-welcomes-esports-to-the-quadrennial-event-for-the-first-time/ https://www.gaygames.org/ https://www.ign.com/articles/saudi-owned-rts-takes-full-ownership-of-evo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh2WcRJOVPU https://www.pokemon.com/us/pokemon-news/see-the-new-trailer-for-pokemon-winds-and-pokemon-waves-coming-to-nintendo-switch-2 https://x.com/SerebiiNet/status/2027436478591103269?s=20 https://serebii.net/news/2026/27-February-2026.shtml https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/pokemon-pokopia/

Steam Next Fest is back and Ekamy, Cleo, and I checked out 6 (or more…?) very exciting queer game demos!   00:00:00 - Intro and What We’ve Been Eating 00:04:36 - Fishbowl 00:12:40 - Feline Forensics and the Meowseum Mystery 00:18:27 - Scriptorium: Master of Manuscripts 00:24:04 - I'm Making a Monster 00:35:02 - The Witch's Bakery 00:45:06 - 1348 Ex Voto 00:53:15 - The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish   This episode was recorded on February 25 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Ekamy: https://www.twitch.tv/ekamy Cleo: https://www.instagram.com/cleostrophobia   Demos: Fishbowl: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1638070/Fishbowl/ Feline Forensics and the Meowseum Mystery: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2945150/Feline_Forensics_and_the_Meowseum_Mystery/ Scriptorium: Master of Manuscripts: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3119540/Scriptorium_Master_of_Manuscripts/ I'm Making a Monster: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4047160/Im_Making_a_Monster/ The Witch's Bakery: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2967950/The_Witchs_Bakery/ 1348 Ex Voto: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1895900/1348_Ex_Voto/ The Wide Open Sky is Running out of Catfish: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3172760/The_Wide_Open_Sky_is_Running_out_of_Catfish/ All Will Rise: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3165340/All_Will_Rise/ Moorage: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4178140/Moorage/

It’s an episode jam-packed full of controversy, drama, and discourse! Where to begin? Well, there’s lots of good news! Pokémon’s 30th anniversary is already in full swing, Sonic 4 has found its Amy voice, and This Bed We Made is getting a sequel. But there were more layoffs, AI is gaining ground in the games industry, and the RAM shortage impacts are felt even more. And what else could go wrong? Since you asked, Yakuza Kiwami 3 removed a pro-trans storyline… In the second half, I’m joined by Devona to discuss the Discord age verification news. What does it all mean? How worried should we be? Is there even a good alternative?   00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:41 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:11:56 - News 00:53:14 - Discord Age Verification Controversy 01:38:06 - Queer Game of the Week: Monster Prom   The news segment was recorded on February 21 2026 and the Discord segment was recorded on February 22 2026..   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Devona: https://www.twitch.tv/heldevo   Sources: https://x.com/pokemon/status/2024757682851233891 https://x.com/pokemon/status/2024756120313807015 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sonic-4-kristen-bell-voice-amy-rose-1236508342/ https://comicbook.com/movies/news/jim-carreys-dr-robotnik-return-in-sonic-4-gets-a-major-update/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/review/yakuza-kiwami-3-dark-ties-review/ https://www.thegamer.com/yakuza-3-remastered-transphobic-sidequest-removed/ https://www.resetera.com/threads/yakuza-kiwami-3-cuts-the-original-games-trans-acceptance-substory-that-was-originally-removed-for-the-west-but-added-back-in-later-with-the-remaster.1430275/ https://www.reddit.com/r/yakuzagames/comments/1r0wgdn/people_focusing_on_the_removed_trans_substory/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/02/stardew-valleys-new-update-for-nintendo-switch-2-is-now-live https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/02/stardew-valley-creator-teases-two-more-marriage-candidates-for-update-1-7 https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/02/bethesda-releases-skyrim-update-1-2-for-switch-2-includes-60hz-mode-and-much-more https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3Ga_cAccQg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoInIGhXHYY https://www.nintendo.com/jp/switch/blfga/index.html?modal=1 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/destiny-2-fans-face-long-wait-as-bungie-delays-and-overhauls-next-major-update/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/steam-deck-is-out-of-stock-in-the-us-as-valve-warns-of-intermittent-memory-and-storage-shortages/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-is-considering-holding-back-playstation-6-until-2028-or-2029-report-claims/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/huge-xbox-shakeup-phil-spencer-retiring-sarah-bond-resigns-microsoft-ai-boss-becomes-new-microsoft-gaming-ceo/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/numerous-video-game-company-share-prices-dropped-following-googles-project-genie-ai-rollout/ https://www.ign.com/articles/tunic-night-in-the-woods-publisher-says-tiktok-is-creating-and-running-racist-genai-ads-for-its-games-without-permission https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xcoms-jake-solomon-announces-his-new-studio-is-closing-reveals-now-cancelled-ai-driven-narrative-game/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/midsummer-studios/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ubisoft-confirms-layoffs-at-toronto-studio-but-insists-splinter-cells-remake-is-still-coming/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-19/sony-is-shutting-down-the-playstation-studio-bluepoint?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3MTUyNzAyNiwiZXhwIjoxNzcyMTMxODI2LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQVBZWlBLR0lGUFkwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.utABYnI4m_K6kqNqybZarBQ9T5WW_aWCH6NI3kt8Q64 https://kotaku.com/sony-email-bluepoint-hermen-hulst-studio-closing-why-2000671437 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAbyOXDwRXM https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/02/assassins-creed-shadows-claws-of-awaji-expansion-lands-switch-2-release-date Lost & Found: A This Bed We Made Story: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4333200/Lost__Found_A_This_Bed_We_Made_Story/ https://x.com/lowbirthgames/status/2024625302815518790 https://www.theverge.com/tech/875309/discord-age-verification-global-roll-out https://discord.com/press-releases/update-on-security-incident-involving-third-party-customer-service https://www.pcgamer.com/software/platforms/oh-good-discords-age-verification-rollout-has-ties-to-palantir-co-founder-and-panopticon-architect-peter-thiel/ https://www.pcgamer.com/software/security/security-researchers-claim-persona-the-provider-behind-discords-uk-age-verification-experiment-performs-269-individual-verification-checks-on-user-data-including-those-for-terrorism-and-espionage/ https://mashable.com/article/age-verification-may-impede-on-adults-rights-study-suggests Ring Lost Dog Superbowl Ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OheUzrXsKrY https://www.reddit.com/r/discordapp/comments/1r05vkj/comment/o4j5nl1/?context=3 https://discord.com/press-releases/discord-launches-teen-by-default-settings-globally#age-assurance-clarification

I took a week off from recording and during that time, there were so many queer game announcements that it’s gonna take me an hour to get through them all! We’ve got Final Fantasy, Diablo, Overwatch, Horizon, Hollow Knight, Oblivion, Fallout, and… Thomas the Tank Engine…?! In the second half, Cleo joins me for our long overdue discussion of the off-the-wall rhythm game UNBEATABLE. Was the game actually beatable after all? Cleo gives us all the details (including a dose of spoilers in the last 10 minutes)!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:10:51 - News 01:02:41 - UNBEATABLE 01:28:34 - SPOILERS for UNBEATABLE   The news segment was recorded on Feb 16 2026. The UNBEATABLE segment was recorded on January 28 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Cleo: https://www.instagram.com/cleostrophobia   Sources: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/den-of-wolves-studio-10-chambers-confirms-large-number-of-layoffs-including-several-co-founders/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alex-graner-a37262114_alex-graners-resume-activity-7427480816940892161-hmDh/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/designer-claims-most-of-highguards-dev-team-have-been-laid-off-weeks-after-launch/ https://www.polygon.com/ubisoft-strike-workers-france-italy/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/overwatch-is-dropping-the-2-adding-10-new-heroes-and-coming-to-switch-2-in-major-revamp/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/we-agree-that-she-can-be-even-better-overwatch-director-vows-to-redesign-anran-following-player-and-voice-actor-backlash/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/france-gives-28-clair-obscur-developers-a-knighthood-and-says-video-games-have-reached-a-new-level-of-recognition/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/clair-obscur-expedition-33-wins-five-awards-at-the-d-i-c-e-awards-2026-including-game-of-the-year/ https://deadline.com/2026/02/baldurs-gate-3-tv-show-craig-mazin-hbo-1236710583/ https://deadline.com/2026/02/jason-momoa-helldivers-release-date-1236715868/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JubgL46Xkmk https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-and-guerrilla-announce-tactical-co-op-horizon-game-horizon-hunters-gathering/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Ym9SCKFpc https://www.teamcherry.com.au/blog/hollowknightupgraded https://www.nintendo.com/en-gb/Games/Nintendo-Switch-2-games/Granblue-Fantasy-Relink-Endless-Ragnarok-3017587.html?srsltid=AfmBOorhQ3-uZMqM7eIViFQbSYBIcz5otAFbrhK6pxKj9UoBleVhUWBe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tnOYh_jIZ0 https://store.steampowered.com/app/3839790/Granblue_Fantasy_Relink__Endless_Ragnarok_Upgrade_Kit_Standard_Edition/ https://x.com/Borderlands/status/1970609156936868102 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGdFBim7nYY https://www.konami.com/games/darwins_paradox/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/fromsoftware-owner-reiterates-duskbloods-is-still-coming-this-year-exclusive-to-nintendo-switch-2/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/01/psa-apex-legends-switch-version-shutting-down-this-august Diablo 30th Anniversary Stream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnAsWN-6hvw https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/diablo-2-gets-its-first-new-class-in-25-years-as-diablo-4-director-promises-players-will-freak-out-at-whats-coming/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/valve-confirms-steam-machine-price-and-release-details-have-been-delayed-by-exploding-component-prices/ Valve release date schedule (Valve time): https://developer.valvesoftware.com/wiki/Valve_Time https://www.wondersofsodor.com/gb https://x.com/cartycinema/status/1880062136766067108?s=20

Nintendo fulfilled its promise to include same-sex relationships in Tomodachi Life, but they didn’t stop there! Just how queer is the new Nintendo wacky life-sim? We’ve got all the big gay details! Lloyd joins me for this episode in which we also discuss the first steps into our Celeste journeys, plus the news, and finally a discussion about generative AI in video games. Headlines include game developers reportedly *maybe* skipping the Game Developer Conference, a bold industry response to the Ubisoft layoffs/restructuring, and Scott Pilgrim EX has a release date. Please note that our connection was a bit weaker than usual so there is a bit of a delay between some of mine and Lloyd’s discussion. Sorry about that, True Avatars!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:06 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:38:18 - News (incl. Tomodachi Life) 01:15:49 - Generative AI in Video Games   This episode was recorded on January 30 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_0kl1WiSPg https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/71317/ https://gamerant.com/gdc-2026-ice-concerns-us-safety-fears-dev-comments/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/gdc-organiser-says-it-hasnt-seen-cancellations-from-overseas-visitors-attendance-tracking-in-line-with-expectations https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ubisoft-proposes-to-cut-18-of-workforce-at-france-headquarters-as-part-of-major-reset-plan/ https://insider-gaming.com/ubisoft-employee-suspension/ https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/-it-s-time-for-real-accountability-ubisoft-unions-call-international-strike?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/wario64.bsky.social/post/3mdgfmwvhtf2y https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2026/01/scott-pilgrim-ex-brings-more-beat-em-up-action-to-switch-in-march https://www.polygon.com/gaming/604420/scott-pilgrim-ex-new-game-release/ https://www.linkedin.com/posts/simoncarless_interestingly-pc-video-game-platform-steam-activity-7417944215675908096-OGNg/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/valve-has-significantly-rewritten-steams-rules-for-how-developers-much-disclose-ai-use/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/google-rolls-out-prototype-of-project-genie-an-ai-tool-which-generates-playable-worlds/ https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-centers-and-water-consumption https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/artificial-intelligence-types https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/computer-vision

Hosting solo again and covering a big week of queer game reveals: Life is Strange: Reunion, 1348 Ex Voto, and possibly even Fable. There was a bunch of Mario news (including trans reps in the new movie), Warframe is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 very soon, the PS6 might be delayed, Ubisoft is laying off even more people, and so much more!   00:00:00 - Intro and What We’ve Been Playing 00:03:17 - What I’ve Been Playing 00:10:41 - News   Mild spoilers for the ending of Life is Strange: Double Exposure   This episode was recorded on January 25 2026.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Sources: https://youtu.be/b2eHeCKYHJc?t=1806 https://www.youtube.com/live/hXn6bvU1Kh4 https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/fables-evil-landlords-wont-grow-devil-horns-as-reboot-ditches-classic-character-morphing-due-to-a-lack-of-belief-in-objective-arseholery https://1348exvoto.com/ https://x.com/1348ExVoto/status/2014714742108024903?s=20 https://www.gematsu.com/2026/01/1348-ex-voto-launches-march-12-for-ps5-and-pc-xbox-series-version-canceled https://www.ign.com/articles/ubisoft-cancels-6-projects-including-prince-of-persia-sands-of-time-remake-closes-2-studios-and-confirms-further-layoffs-in-major-company-restructure https://www.linkedin.com/company/ubisoft-stockholm/ https://www.reddit.com/r/PS5/comments/1qk6qd6/rumor_sandstoneinsights_analysis_sony_expects_the/?share_id=jwMnzRpiBdD8gCbT0PdXG&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 https://www.digitalextremes.com/news/january-warframe-devstream-highlights https://www.nintendo.com/us/whatsnew/free-update-for-mario-kart-world-lets-you-race-as-a-team-in-knockout-tour/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVB3hZoOF0A https://youtu.be/yP5RGz_CRFM https://x.com/USJ_Official/status/2014203076266348758