Unlocked
Subscribed: 23,074Played: 513,564
Subscribe
© 2022 405569
Description
These days, practically everything is an Xbox, and Xbox fans deserve to celebrate their passion for Xbox everywhere. Unlocked is the definitive Xbox podcast, hosted by Ryan McCaffrey alongside a panel of expert guests. Each week, they dive deep into breaking Xbox news, exclusive game reveals, and heated debates on the future of Xbox—covering everything from consoles and PC to Game Pass and cloud gaming. Whether you're a longtime Xbox fan or just jumping in, Unlocked is your go-to source for all things Xbox.
Unlocked is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand.
Visit Geek.com for more information.
747 Episodes
Reverse
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
00:05:21 - Hollow Knight: Silksong Impressions
00:23:07 - 007: First Light Gameplay Impressions
00:31:09 - The near-resurrection of Perfect Dark
00:49:00 - Call of Duty Movie
01:01:57 - Gamepass Games & Outro
This episode of Unlocked is sponsored by 5-hour ENERGY.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1We'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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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!
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
00:05:15 - Grounded 2, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance, Helldivers 2
00:17:24 - Xbox ROG Ally Price Update
00:28:28 - Hollow Knight: Silksong will be playable at gamescom!
00:35:16 - Xbox games at gamescom
00:41:27 -The Outer Worlds 2 will not be 80 dollars
00:48:14 - Does Microsoft have two unnanounced Xbox games in the pipeline? & Oblivion Remastered
01:01:42 - Future of Starfield
01:11:13:59 - A Farewell to Julian LeFay
01:16:17 - Outro
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
00:03:42 - Perfect Dark00:16:40 - The Future for Halo00:26:05 - Elder Scrolls Online Dev's Comment on Cancelled MMO00:34:37 - Xbox Layoffs Updates & Turn 1000:49:35 - Romero Games' Unannounced Cancelled Project00:56:12 - Founder of Dishonored and Prey Dev Arkane Slams Game Pass01:06:52 - What Now?01:18:31 - Outro
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
00:24:33 - ZeniMax Online’s New MMORPG Has Been Canceled
00:29:55 - Perfect Dark and Game Cancellations
00:44:41 - The Damage to Xbox's Brand
00:52:21 - Xbox's Future & Phil Spencer's Rumored Retirement
01:10:14 - Mafia: The Old Country, LV1 Gaming, & Outro
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
00:27:35 - What is Xbox's Genre Identity?
00:30:45 - What does Fall 2026 look like for Xbox?
00:43:54 - What does 2027 look like for Xbox?
00:52:53 - Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition
01:00:38 - Microsoft Plans Major Job Cuts at Xbox Gaming Division
01:24:00 - Outro
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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.
******
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
We kick off by discussing the specific Xbox eras we'd most like to go back in time to and relive – from Halo 2 to Rock Band, among others – before chatting about Bungie's latest blunder and the state of the once-great studio, Randy Pitchford's spicy message to fans in regards to Borderlands 4 possibly being priced at $80, Microsoft's new additions to Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's domination of April's top-selling games list, and more!
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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
00:04:16 - IGN Live & Xbox Games Studio Publisher Bundle
00:07:53 - Doom: The Dark Ages Reactions
00:28:14 - Elden Ring Nightreign Reactions
00:44:17 - Mafia: The Old Country
00:53:56 - Job cuts at Microsoft
00:57:28 - Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Delayed
01:07:11 - Outro
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
🔴✅📺📱💻ALL>Movies>WATCH>ᗪOᗯᑎᒪOᗩᗪ>LINK>👉https://co.fastmovies.org
usually I write good things about this podcast when I listen but today it's a downer, discussing how Sony makes anti Game pass deals while nearly every deal Xbox has done also keeps it off PlayStation totally ignoring the point that exclusives are a standard of the industry with platforms. very Hypocritical episode today, turned off half way through.
This is getting a bit too political about the CMA, Microsoft met the requirements for the level the EU wanted but they didn't meet the level the CMA wanted. note XMA is independent and made up of people from the private sector and civil servants.
I know you don't like the CMA but they've been reasonable and dropped just about all of Sony's points, CMA is also required to look at the potential scenarios that affect consumers. Side point, Microsoft is giving access to COD but they're also setting the price and the CMA does not want to regulate that.
I'm actually getting a bit unhappy with people comments on the activion deal, this is a completely different level of scale. Microsoft is buying their way to the top, not competing for it. it will damage Sony financially and anything Phill says is worthless because he's always construed everything he's said. Get it in writing as they say.
nice to hear you support Ukraine 🇺🇦
if you can't play destiny on it then it's not for me 🤣🤣
No amount of dying light is to much love that game😂😂
why no new ep.last week?
Constant power tools in the background are annoying. Come on guys how long have you been doing this now?????
does not work
episode isn't playing - broken source
Talking about Xbox exclusives without a single mention about The Gunk is a cardinal crime.
32:31 podcast goes silent.
Someone's first thought when thinking of Sega is Persona and don't know that Sega makes Phantasy Star?? My poor old Sega hardware lovin heart just died a little :(
I thought this was an XBOX podcast, if I want to know about the other systems I would listen to podcasts about the other systems. It’s good and all to have guests on the show I’m all for a different point of view but PLEASE have them at lest play on the XBOX.
OMG!! Did this new girl just ask if Sony is a Japanese company!?! No, rookie has to go! This is not the place for her. Long-winded and and a lot of sighing. No, get Dustin back!
OMG, can someone PLEASE edit out all the live stream ads from the audio version. At most, play them once. I would love to see them gone from the videos too (I'm already watching IGN. Who are you advertising to?), but .. you won't.
when do we get to see next gen games?
what's Three Red Lights? An old Xbox podcast before relaunching as Unlocked?