CORE - Core Gaming for Core Gamers

Nerdtacular 26 tickets, bags, and CORE swag. Sony raising PS5 prices. Stormgate losing multiplayer after server partner pivots to AI. Super Mario Galaxy Movie reviews are bad. Classic Resident Evil games on Steam, go GOG instead. Scott and Jon played Resident Evil Requiem together (Tuesdays 1pm). Scott in WoW and Dragon Quest Builders 2. Jon hooked on Crimson Desert. Beau wrapped Pirate Yakuza, more multiplayer Slay the Spire 2.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nintendo's surprising decision to make physical Switch 2 games more expensive than digital versions. EverQuest is relaunching in a format designed for time-strapped adults and old farts like us, Capcom is patching out some “accidentally” written incest from Street Fighter 6, Clair Obscur's devs confirm there's no canon ending, new gameplay footage dropped for both Exodus and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. And loads more on top of that!Scott- Crimson Desert- Dragon Quest Builders 2- WoW MidnightJon- Crimson DesertBeau- Crimson Desert- Slay the Spire 2- Diablo 4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crimson Desert launched today, reviews are mixed as expected, amazing open world, minimal story, no traditional leveling, open-world jank. John is at Disneyland! DLSS 5 announced by Nvidia, AI-yassifies characters without permission from devs like Capcom. Listener indie game Garden and a Goat announced, wishlistable on Steam. WoW Midnight discussion, level boosts are hard without knowing your class…but maybe no more? Pinball FX Williams Collection recommended, Pinball Map app finds nearby machines. Evoker alt class tried and abandoned. And loads more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nerdtacular 2026 tickets holding at early bird pricing, plus a swag bag-only option now available at frogpants.com. News:- NetEase pulls funding for Gang of Dragon — future of the game unknown- Valve still targeting 2026 for Steam Machines despite RAM shortages; rumored to be a factor in Sony/Xbox strategy shifts- EA lays off Battlefield staff post record-breaking launch- Jeff Kaplan on his Blizzard exit — plus his one Overwatch regret: making it too team-focused when players want to shine individually- Fortnite raising V-Buck prices- Timberborn hits 1.0- Xbox pushing "everything is an Xbox" / Project Helix, leaning into Windows 11- Valve reports 6,000+ games made over $100k on Steam last year Shared Play: Slay the Spire 2 — all three played it, early GOTY contenderScott: WoW: Midnight (great time, nearly max level, campaign a little cheesy), Thysiastery (turn-based dungeon crawler, very positive on Steam). Also: The Instance now posting Fridays at frogpants.com/instance.Jon: Finished and 100%'d Resident Evil RequiemBeau: Slay the Spire 2, more Star Trek Voyageur, dipped into new Diablo IV season (may have bought the Doom skin)Feedback: Listener thinks he catches Scott being simultaneously terrified by AI and delighted by one-button AI rotations in WoW. And he is wrong about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Looks like Sony is officially getting out of the port business and going all Nintendo on us again. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag remake is indeed happening. Highguard is officially leaving in just a few days. MetaCritic got weird with AI over the last few days. The games we played, a lake correction, Zillow and WoW, and some Diablo 2 stuff!GAMES PLAYEDScott- World of Warcraft Midnight- RoadCraftJon- Resident Evil: RequiemBeau- Legend of Grimrock- Star Trek: Voyager- The Killing Stone- Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon- Overwatch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

March 2026 is shaping up to be a massive month for gaming, with big hitters like Crimson Desert, Marathon, Pokémon Pokopia, Slay the Spire 2, Solasta 2, Death Stranding 2 on PC, and the Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection all loaded up. Also, Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond are out at Xbox, while Sony raises a few eyebrows by signaling a potential end to PC ports. Our eyebrows are defiinately raised. Marvel's Wolverine finally has a September release date, and Valve finds itself in legal hot water as New York's Attorney General sues over alleged illegal gambling promotion to kids among other things. Also, Overwatch is going mobile with Overwatch Rush. Weird.GAMES PLAYED:Scott- Overwatch- UFO 50 (with Van)- Abathor (with Van)- Worms WMD (with Van)- TowerFall (with Van)- Duck Game (with Van)- Boomerang Fu (with Van)Jon- Biorand Resident Evil 2- Resident Evil 6- Resident Evil RequiemBeau- Darkhaven (demo)- Vampire Crawlers (demo)- Dead Spies (demo)- Pragmata (demo)- Wanderburg (demo)- Underkeep (demo)- Esoteric Ebb (demo)- Arms of God (demo)- Armatus (demo)- Wild Blue Skies (demo)- Farever (demo)- Rune Dice (demo)- Twilight Imperium (demo)- John Carpenter's Toxic Commando (demo)- Far Far West (demo)- Baldur's Gate 3 (Honour Mode)- Overwatch- Marathon Server Slam Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That ashes of creation thing is just getting messier and messier by the day. Also, Unity wants you to type your next casual video game. We will explain. GAMES PLAYEDSHARED PLAY THIS WEEK- Diablo 2 Resurrected – Infernal Edition- Overwatch- Dobbel DungeonSCOTT- Advance Wars 1+2 Reboot Camp- No Man's Sky – Remnant Mode- Escape from Ever AfterJON- Mewgenics- TR-49 - Resident Evil 2- FortniteBEAU- Baldur's Gate 3 – Honour Mode- Star Trek Voyager Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our live watch-a-long AUDIO of of today's Sony State of Play.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we prep for the State of Play today, we talk about the games we played this week, and hit the news about all the Warlocks coming to all the Diablos. Highguard and 2XKO getting big layoffs, and the upcoming Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show!Games Played This WeekShared Play- Jon & Beau: MewgenicsScott- Animal Crossing (on Switch 2)- Goblin Sushi- V-Rally 4Jon- Mewgenics- Dragon Quest III HD-2D RemakeBeau- Yakuza 3- Marathon- Crimson Desert- Game with Balls- Ravenswatch (as Merlin)- Skate Story- Overwatch- Enshrouded (Solo)- Deadlock Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Overwatch might be making a big play with some re-branding, a slew of new heroes, and loads more. Will it put things back on top for the team shooter to beat? We talk about that, plus the Ashes of Creation mess, Steam hardware talk from Valve, and what might be the end of all things Outer Worlds.GAMES PLAYED- The Midnight Walk (Scott)- Butcher's Creek (Scott)- LUNARK (Scott)- Resident Evil 2 (Jon)- Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (Jon)- Super Nintendo (Jon)- Pirate Yakuza (Beau)- Overwatch (Beau)- Valheim (Beau) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, now that Highguard is out, what the hell is it? We have takes. Also, the games of Feb, new Mario trailers, Dispatch censorship worries, Hasbro up to no good, Bobby with a Mini Instance chat about the Midnight pre-patch and upcoming launch in WoW, all the games we played and more!Shared Play- Highguard Scott- V Rising- Caravan SandWitchJon- Final Fantasy VII: RebirthBeau- Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii- Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords- Cobalt Core- Jump Space- Enshrouded Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s talk about the Xbox showcase today, as well as the dust up over CDProjekt Red and VR mods. Plus RE getting yet another remake, Highguard getting a freebie, Marathon maybe doing ok afterall, and Nintendo getting you guy another weird toy. GAMES PLAYED:SCOTTStar Wars Dark Forces Remaster Fire Emblem: Engage Terra PitJONI Final Fantasy VII RemakeBEAU Elden Ring Shinobi Guild Wars Reforged Pirate Yakuza Heroes of the Storm Peak Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott sits down with Warren Davis for a deep look at the creation of one of the great arcade games of all time, Q*Bert, as well as his direct impact on everything from the Joust seires to Mortal Kombat to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Check out his book: ‘Creating Q*bert and Other Classic Video Arcade Games’! Some amazing insight in this episode with Warren, and we hope enjoy it!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where the heck is Highguard? Also, Kratos has been cast, RE:R got showcased today, Tomb Raider series gives us a look at Sophie Turner in the role, Ubisoft doing more Ubisoft things, we have an end date for New World, the end of Anthem this week, and more. We played Cozy Caravan, Marble's Marbles, Find my Buddy, OddCore, Trails in The Sky 1st Chap, FF VII remake, Yakuza Kiwami 2, FFI and IV, and a little Yakuza Pirates. Plus your emails and more! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

January Releases: Let's mostly focus on Animal Crossing and FFVII Remake for Switch 2, plus Code Vein 2 and Highguard. (yeah, we kinda forgot about Highguard too.)StarCraft Shooter coming to Blizzcon? It might be Blizzard’s third attempt at a SC shooter, reportedly an open-world project led by Dan Hay (Far Cry fame).Other stuff: Awesome Games Done Quick, a Starfield Star Wars conversion, and FF Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles hitting 1 million players.We discuss games we played this week, including PlippUp, Fallout 4/New Vegas, Trails in the Sky, The Séance of Blake Manor, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Voidigo and beating Powerwash Simulator 2.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for our anual personal and group awards for the games of the last year, and a few that are not. :) Join Scott Beau and Jon as they look back and forward and somehow up and down as well. Oh and this is the first time this gets called The osCORES. Big thx to Taz for the post art! Jump in! Full award notes: https://www.frogpants.com/corepicks2025  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Diablo IV: Both Scott and Beau are back in for Season 11. Scott’s "Hot Take" is that the game is officially "very good now”, and he does not care who knows it. (Paladin to 46); Beau claims it’s the best season of "Diablo 3" yet. (lol)Scott: Revisiting Overload (on sale), playing Escape Room Simulator 2, and starting Banquet for Fools.Jon: Reached the new area in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and is impressed by the visuals.Beau: Mostly Jump Space outside of D4 play. And a CRAP ton of your emails and texts for our last episode of 2025!POSSIBLE SPOILER POINTS 00:00:00.00 - 00:00:00.0000:00:00.00 - 00:00:00.00 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Get your ‘500+ Episodes’ mugs at Frogpants.shop now before its too late!. We recapped The Game Awards: Jon loved Resident Evil Requiem, Scott is into Total War Warhammer 40k, and Beau liked Gang of Dragon. We mostly bounced off Highguard.News: Steam Winter Sale is live. Fallout Season 2 has started. We discussed Netflix buying WB (details at core.show). Supervive is shutting down after 7 months.Played: Scott is on Path of Exile 2 and Mutant Football League 2. Jon is trying demos like Pragmata and back in FFXIV. Beau is on Witcher 3 and other sick-friendly games this week.Ozzfudd notes Scott can finish Far Cry 4 and 5 in minutes via secret endings. Just another Nick suggests Super Fantasy Kingdom. Email us at [email protected]!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Audio edition of our watch-a-long! Listen along with us! Video version will be up on CORE.SHOW shortly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 500! Finishing Dispatch, loving Split Fiction, playing Demeo DND, and the Hordes of Hel! Plus Shinobi is underrated, Divinity still has a lot of stuff on the ground, Witcher 3, and a LOT of prep for tonight’s Game Awards. (coming in a separate post.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎉 500 EPISODE MUGS NOW AVAILABLE!Get yours reserved before we hit the limit!https://frogpants.shop ⚠️ SPOILER POLICY CLARIFICATIONGoing forward:1. We'll do our best not to offer major spoilers on narrative elements2. We'll give ample warning to pause, skip ahead, or come back later3. We'll front-load discussions with spoiler-free content- Scott will play BGM over spoiler sections for podcast listeners- Jon is doing YouTube chapters ASAP once the episode postsNOTE: This has never been a spoiler-free show, but we're making extra effort for those asking. You have personal responsibility to avoid spoilers if they matter to you.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎮 MAIN TOPICTHE FEW GAMES OF DECEMBER 2025Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Octopath Traveler 0, Metroid Prime 4, Yakuza 0 Director's Cut, Terminator 2D: No Fate, & More.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📰 NEWS ROUNDUP🐴 Indie Game "Horses" Keeps Getting BannedBanned from Steam, Epic, and now Humble. Still available on Itch.io and GOG.🎬 Justin Lin to Direct Helldivers MovieThe Fast & Furious director takes on the video game adaptation.🐺 SO MUCH WITCHER- Witcher 4 NOT coming in 2026- Witcher 5 and 6 also in the works- Witcher Remastered on the way🔞 WickedWhims Has 300K Daily LoginsSims' biggest sex mod sees massive daily usage🧛 Paradox Takes Blame for Bloodlines 2Publisher says responsibility for poor sales lies fully with them, not developers━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━🎮 WHAT WE'VE BEEN PLAYINGSCOTT⚠️ Possible Spoilers: Did I finish Dispatch? Have to wait and see!Split Fiction - Incredible co-op game. Most FUN game this year!PowerWash Simulator 2 - Still the best CHORE CORE of 2025.JONCyberPunk 2077 - Done everything in base game, Phantom Liberty awaitsMarvel Cosmic Invasion - Started and finishedSHINOBI: Art of Vengeance - Sleeper hit! (Scott confirms)BEAUWitcher 3: The Wild Hunt continuesNoobs Are ComingJump SpaceRocksmith 2014 - We're backStar Citizen - I forgot about it... sorry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott dropped a Patreon vs Core.show support comparison video—check it at Core.show for the breakdown. Also posted an article about RAM prices going absolutely bonkers right now. The advice? Wait it out. Don't be the person overpaying because you can't control yourself. News Roundup: WoW: Midnight Gets RealJon brought the news: World of Warcraft's next expansion drops March 2nd, 2026. Mark your calendars, prepare your excuses for missing work.Half-Life 3 Copium IntensifiesPeople—including "insiders"—still think HL3 is getting announced this year. Spoiler: It's not. It never is. Stop doing this to yourselves.CD Projekt Reality CheckNo Witcher 4 or Cyberpunk 2 at the Game Awards. Shocking absolutely no one.Cyberpunk 2077 hit 35 million copies sold, outpacing The Witcher 3's trajectoryCyberpunk 2 is still years away. Hang in there, chooms.GAMES PLAYEDScott's GamesDispatchMoonlighter 2: The Endless VaultNo Way HomeGuild Wars 2 MilestoneJackbox Party Pack 11Jon's GamesCyberpunk 2077?Beau's GamesClair Obscur: Expedition 33 - FinishedWitcher 3Total ChaosAnd LOTS MORE!Contact: [email protected] | Text: tenhams.comLinks: Frogpants.com/core Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Main Topic: Game Awards Nominees. Megabonk dev withdraws "Best Debut Indie" nomination (made previous games). Claire Obscur: Expedition 33 breaks record with 12 nominations. Notable snubs: ARC Raiders, Dispatch, Sonic the Hedgehog 3.Other NewsXbox Partners Showcase (Tides of Annihilation, Vampire Crawlers, Total Chaos)Epic/Unity partnership for Fortnite integrationKrafton AI controversy re: Subnautica 2 bonusesDispatch skill requirements discussionFirst live-action Zelda movie set photosOur Week in GamingShared: Dispatch progress (Beau completed, Jon restarted, Scott finished Episode 1)Beau: Claire Obscur Act 3, Slay the Spire boardgame, No Man's Sky Normandy unlock, Vampire Survivors VRScott: Forestrike (standout), Shelldiver (incremental gem), Advance Wars binge, Moonlighter 2 purchased, Cleared Hot, Guild Wars 2 reinstalledJon: Cyberpunk 2077 continuesFallout 4 pricing clarification from NickLandry - Anniversary Edition upgrade options explained, Xbox Play Anywhere support added.Links: Patreon.com/coreshow | CORE.show | frogpants.com/coreNew article on CORE.show: Vegas conversation about AI threats + why GoldenEye is the GOAT.CORE.show vs Patreon (frogpants.com/core)Episode 500 commemorative mug dropping at frogpants.shop this weekend! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Valve has three new hardware options for you, and we talk about them in detail today. Plus all the news and stuff you can stand, as well as a visit from Bobby for a nice little WoW update! GAMES PLAYEDSCOTTTavern KeeperJONDispatchCyberPunk 2077BEAUFarthest FrontierJump SpaceREPOARC RaidersVampire Survivors VR Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

All the details on CORE.show, and what you can get from it! WoW is not coming to consoles, says game lead at Blizz. Fortnite has all the cartoon dads now. Rockstar doing some devious firings. Your Steam Deck can now download while asleep! Warhammer Survivors is HAPPENING! Blizzcon tickets go up tomorrow. Playstation Portal finally does cloud. The return of Nexeopardy! All the games of the week and loads more.SCOTTHoop LandMech HavocUtopia Must FallJONThe Outer Worlds 2Cyberpunk 2077DispatchBEAUARC Raiders Aliens: Dark Descent Ball X PitDawn of War: Definitive EditionJump Space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nintendo wants you to feel like those happy pandemic times again with a big update to Animal Crossing on Switch 2. Also, all the games of November, the Amazon Games layoffs and the apparent shutter of New World. Civ 7 trying to fix things. Claire and Cloud together at last. All the games we played plus all the usual stuff Enjoy!SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKSlots & DaggersSCOTTPowerwash Simulator 2WarsideJONThe Outer Worlds 2Mortal Kombat: Legacy KollectionDispatchBEAUAliens: Dark DescentFellowshipJump Space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How does anyone make a definitive list of the best games? It’s impossible, but we talk about the latest attempt anyway. Plus, Remedy losing their CEO after Firebreak did so poorly, and Vampire Survivors adds DLC to DLC. We also field a load of your questions this week, along with the usual dork-athon, and the games we played to boot! SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKBattlefield 6SCOTTSuperliminal (beat it!)Battle-Suit AcesYet Another Zombie SurvivorsGeometry SurvivorDungeon ClawlerSlots and DaggersJONDispatchThe Outer Worlds 2AbsolumIt Has My FaceBEAUFellowshipNo Man’s SkyBall X PitFarthest FrontierVoid Crew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Early reviews for the Xbox handheld are out, and it is a mixed bag to say the least. Understanding Fearless Drafts. Glen Powell wants in on E33 movies. EA employees not happy about the sell out. Quantic Dream is making a….free to play MOBA? Yep. Also, all the games we played and loads more!GAMES PLAYEDSCOTTBall X PitThe Exit 8.Funguys SwarmSoulstone SurvivorsSilent Hill fJONMegabonkBEAUBattlefield 6Hades 2Pinball FXStar Trek Voyager Across The Unknown demoCosmic Invasion demoWhiskerwood demoSkate Story demo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Straight into Hades II gameplay talk! Covering the “rat boss,” progress paths, end-game challenges, and tarot upgrades, all leading up to some admittedly broad comparisons to ARPGs and roguelites. Design depth, storytelling, and character reactions, Greg Street’s studio troubles, praise for Megabonk. Not to mention the mess that the gamepass changes continue to be. Sackbird Studios has our hopes. Make your own VR headset at home and WAY MORE STUFF!SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKHades 2MegabonkSCOTTIt Has My FaceSoulstone SurvivorsDeep Rock SurvivorsJONFinal Fantasy Tactics Remastered Ultra HD Power Extra EditionBEAUVoid Crew Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott & Jon’s Horror Video Game Fun Time kicks off Friday with Silent Hill f, running each Friday this month. Main topic covers October’s big releases like Ghost of Yotei, Battlefield 6, Little Nightmares 3, Pokémon Legends Z-A, Ninja Gaiden 4, The Outer Worlds 2, Mina the Hollower and more. Other news: Microsoft hikes Game Pass, EA goes private, Fortnite pulls Peacemaker, Capcom coy on RE9. Dear Martha Gameshow returns with “Find the Flaw.” This week in play: Hades 2, CloverPit, Shipbreaker, Kaiju Cleanup, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, Megabonk, Sonic Racing Crossworlds.GAMES PLAYEDSHAREDHades 2CloverPitSCOTTHardspace: ShipbreakerKaiju Cleanup (upcoming)JONFinal Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice ChroniclesMegabonkSonic Racing CrossworldsBEAUHades II all day all night! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Happy ten years to CORE! Plus, Beau reminds us about a Kojima credit card coming soon. Highlights from TGS like Kojima’s new horror game OD and Capcom announcements including C. Viper in SF6, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, Pragmata, and Onimusha: Way of the Sword. PlayStation’s State of Play brought a bag of goodies: Saros, Zero Parades for Dead Spies, Flight Simulator 2024, a Deus Ex remaster, Mega Man in Sonic Racing, Dynasty Warriors 3 Complete, Code Vein 2, Let it Die: Inferno, Chronoscript, new Pulse speakers, and Wolverine. (Which looked REALLY good.) Plus all the usual fun times at CORE.SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKScott and Jon both spent time in Megabonk, which is far better than its looks suggest.Sonic Racing CrossWorlds was played by Scott and Jon.Hades II saw time from all of us, with Beau having already played in Early Access and a bit more today.Borderlands 4 continued, mainly Beau.More No Man’s Sky, though not much new to report, Beau included.SCOTTPlenty of Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor.Three hours of Metal Gear Solid Delta — very Kojima.Tried the demo for Slots & Daggers, which will be a day-one buy.JONFortnite remains a regular, especially the Blitz mode.BEAUSkate in Early Access.More Hollow Knight: Silksong.Some Heroes of the Storm, though waiting on the new patch. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nintendo Direct dropped big news: Metroid Prime 4, more Fire Emblem, a quirky “Ditto Crossing,” and even Virtual Boy stuff, plus Hades 2’s 1.0 launch date is September 25. Meanwhile, Randy Pitchford remains the industry’s baffling clown in an ill-fitting suit, Sega is back with some old-school “Ninten-Don’t” ads, and speculation heats up around Cyberpunk 2 possibly including multiplayer (though Scott was sure that was already confirmed). And of course, LOTS MORE! Shared Games This Week•Borderlands 4•No Man’s SkyScott•Town to City•Cash Cleaner SimulatorJon•No, I’m Not a HumanBeau•Hollow Knight: Silksong•Elden Ring: Neightreign•Void Crew•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frogs, flies, and state borders! Keanu Reeves expressed willingness to bring back Johnny Silverhand in future Cyberpunk projects, fueling speculation about DLC or cameos. PC Gaming Show Tokyo Direct, hosts, and more. Exhibition 33’s concert tour selling out instantly, Halo Infinite getting Invasion mode, and Steam reviews for Silksong differing by language, with Chinese players criticizing localization. And LOTS more!Shared Play•Hollow Knight: Silksong•No Man’s SkyScott•Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots.•Metal Slug TacticsJon•Bodah-Lands 4Beau•Void Crew •World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scott sits down with Tanner Goodman, who just got back from the EU, and his time at Gamescom in Germany. They talk about everything he saw! Including the standout demos like Crimson Desert (beautiful but overloaded with systems), Silent Hill f (creepy immersive theater), Honor of Kings: World (surprise hit with fun elemental combat and raids), and Valor Mortis (first-person Soulslike with grotesque Napoleonic bosses). Also, reasons why Chronos on Switch 2 disappointed due to poor performance and clunky design. Beyond games, Xbox showed its new handheld, cosplay was everywhere, swag was abundant, and even Netflix, Disney+, and Chiquita Bananas had booths. Give it a listen and huge thanks to Tanner for his time! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gamescom brought big World of Warcraft reveals: the new housing system with public, charter, and guild neighborhoods (50 homes each, customizable biomes, permissions, and community events), plus new solo content like Prey hunts and ongoing Delves. Blizzard is also integrating add-on features directly into the UI (boss timers, nameplates, DPS meters), raising questions for Deadly Boss Mods and others. Bobby is here to help us make sense of it all. Also we have a LOT to say about the No Man’s Sky’s Voyager update—building Corvettes, exploring derelict ships, taming bizarre pets, farming nanites, managing settlements, and enjoying the endless systems, bugs and all. Plus all the games we played ands way more.SHARED PLAY THIS WEEKThe ‘No Man’s Sky’ update!SCOTT•Shinobi: Art of Vengeance•BlazBlue Entropy EffectJON•Hollow Knight: SilksongBEAU•Peak•Metal Eden•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s talk the BIG September 2025 releases: Hollow Knight: Silksong (Sept 4), Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots (Sept 5), Borderlands 4 (Sept 12), Silent Hill F (Sept 25), Sonic Racing Crossworlds, Final Fantasy Tactics: Ivalice Chronicles, Lego Party, Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion, plus DLCs for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 and Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac. News about Expedition 33’s success and its Clair Obscur franchise plans, and Two Point Museum adding retro arcades, among a load more!SCOTT•The Last Spell•Inkshade•Titan Quest II•Shapez 2•Kill The Brickman•The Rogue Prince of PersiaJON•Final Fantasy XII•Hollow Knight•No Man’s Sky•SandBEAU•No Man’s Sky•Rift Breaker 2.0•Valheim•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s star with Steam’s new language-based review system, which pushed Palworld to an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating in English, for example. We looked at the debut of the World of Warcraft launch cinematic in October 2004, before the game’s release. A detailed rundown of Gamescom’s Future Games Show including major stuff like Resident Evil Requiem, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, and loads others, along with release dates for some. Including Silksong. We also broke down mechanics for Kill the Brick Man and The Rogue Prince of Persia, and compared the critical and fan reception of Final Fantasy XII within the series and over time. Among a lot of other stuff!GAMES WE PLAYED!Scott•The Rogue Prince of Persia•Kill The Brick Man•Shapez 2Jon•Final Fantasy XII•Promise Mascot Agency•Dyson Sphere Program•He is ComingBeau•World of Warcraft Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Microsoft may shift Xbox toward a modular, PC-like system called Magnus, we have some debate over complexity versus convenience. Rod Ferguson has exited Blizzard, raising questions about Diablo IV’s future, while Blizzard’s cinematic team voted to unionize. Crimson Desert sees a delay, and rumors suggest Paladin could return in a Diablo expansion, too late or not. Mind blown around The Secret of the Weepstone, WASD controls coming to League of Legends, and a Vampire Survivors board game. And lots more.GAMES PLAYEDScott•Shapez 2•He Is Coming•Time FliesJon•Final Fantasy XII•Final Fantasy X-2•FortniteBeau•Heroes of the Storm•The Bazaar Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let’s talk about older consoles and approaching games in unconventional ways, and address while we are here, developments in the gaming business this week. MK: Legacy Kollection looking very cool. Battlefield 6 also seems like things are poppin. GOG says come get these free nudie games. Kirby fans finally know what they are getting soon. Lucy from CyberPunk is coming to…Guilty Gear Strive? Guntouchables is FREE right now. And how many Power Ranges in Fortnite is enough? An Instance WoW segment with Bobby! And lots more! Shared Play This Week•Ninja Gaiden: RageboundScott•The Spell Brigade•Shapez 2Jon•Minishoot’ Adventures•Juggling Final Fantasy X-2, XI, & XII.Beau•Titan Quest 2.•More Abiotic Factor.•Played War Within patch 11.3.•Tried Yakuza Kiwami 2. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talked about upcoming games for August, including Metal Gear Solid Delta, House of the Dead 2 remake, and Gears of War: E-Day. We discussed the return of Nerdtacular in June 2026 in Salt Lake City and encouraged listeners to fill out the interest survey. We covered game delistings tied to payment processors, especially around sensitive themes, and had a broader discussion on censorship, parenting, and internet policy shifts. We debated the 1980s cultural resurgence, Roblox’s value, and Microsoft’s growing dominance via studio acquisitions and Game Pass. And a LOT more to boot!GAMES PLAYEDScottShapez 2FumesMore BananzaJonFinal Fantasy X (finished)Final Fantasy X-2 (sampled)Final Fantasy XI (sampled)Final Fantasy XII (sampled)Donkey Kong BananzaBeauAbiotic FactorNinja Gaiden: RageboundValheim (Trollstav incident)Magic: Edge of EternitiesStarCraft 2 co-op Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Critical Role enters game dev, Outer Worlds 2 drops back to $70, and Splitgate 2 unlaunches. RIP Julian LeFay, and yes, that Hellraiser trailer is terrifying. Beau praises the SC2 World Cup. In “Dear Martha,” we “misremember” the PS2. Shared play this week: Donkey Kong Bananza. Scott tries Captain of Industry, Jon nears the end of FFX, and Beau dives into Pizza Tower, Slay the Spire, and more. Plus: Xbox handheld talk and some corrections.Shared Play (Scott & Jon):•Donkey Kong BananzaScott:•Captain of Industry•Back to the Dawn•Fantasy Finds DLC (2 Point Museum)Jon:•Final Fantasy X•Ghost of Tsushima (mentioned in passing)•Magic: The Gathering ArenaBeau:•Pizza Tower•Roundguard•Wildfrost•Backpack Hero•Fighting Fantasy Classics•Slay the Spire•Valheim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We covered Krafton's ongoing legal dispute with ousted Subnautica 2 founders, including a leaked memo and bonus extensions. The leaked Xbox Rog Ally price and portable gaming appeal. Steam's updated terms of service for adult games, shifting responsibility to developers and payment processors, were also reviewed. Our segment "Dear Martha" and Donkey Kong get together!. And loads more!GAMES PLAYED:SCOTT:Donkey Kong BananzaShapez 2Turnip Boy Robs a BankJON:Resident Evil HD (Remake)Resident Evil 2 (Original)Magic: The Gathering (IRL and MtG: Arena)Final Fantasy XBEAU:Death Stranding••Valheim (Ashlands biome) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discussed controller comfort and aging, the delay in finishing Ghost of Tsushima, and how handhelds like the Steam Deck affect game choices. We covered the Subnautica 2 delay and controversy involving Krafton possibly avoiding a $250M payout. We speculate on corporate motives, Unknown Worlds founders’ ousting, and Krafton’s Starcraft gig. We also hit on Romero Games losing a Microsoft contract, Final Fantasy IX remake rumors, and a new Resident Evil mobile game announcement. Emails, texts and loads more! Also, Scott tied with Beau this week in Dear Martha!GAMES PLAYEDSCOTTSatisfactory 1.1Offroad ManiaSoulstone Survivors 1.0Rogue TraderJONResident Evil (PC version)Resident Evil RemakeA Building Full of Cats 2Magic: The GatheringBEAUDeath StrandingValheimNightreignMagic: The Gathering Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have another bad case of layoffs, but this time, we hit the specific projects impacted by them. Some gnarly ones. Plus, Warcraft Rumble gets hit hard too. On the upside, we talk about the games un-effected, and the teams that are doing to stay intact. Leon S. Kennedy predictions. Stop Killing Games in the EU. Marvel Rivals is trolling fans. Dear Martha! Our week in games, and some great texts and voice mails this week!SCOTTFast Fusion Red Faction: GuerrillaThe MessengerJONLike a Dragon: Infinite WealthDate EverythingSystem Shock 2 RemasteredFinal Fantasy XBEAUSlay the Spire: The Board GameNIGHTREIGNMagic: The Gathering••Valheim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We discuss our sleep schedules, gaming habits, and Xbox’s evolving hardware strategy. We share frustrations with Microsoft and Windows, and talk about competition between major gaming companies. We cover upcoming July games like Mecha Break, Micropunk, Donkey Kong Bonanza, Robocop: Unfinished Business, Wildgate, and Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. We react to Death Stranding 2’s high early praise, debate Game Pass expansion, reminisce about retro toys like 2-XL and Hulkamania workout sets, and play a Final Fantasy Dear Martha. And some thoughts about Predator things for various reasons. :)GAMES PLAYEDScott:The MessengerSuper Mario Odyssey (more moon collecting)Red Faction: Guerrilla Re-Mars-teredJon:Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in HawaiiDate Everything!Beau:Elden Ring: NightreignMagic: The Gathering – Final Fantasy (limited draft)Valheim Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.