Unlocked

Episodes page 1 of 6

1. Xbox Handheld in 2027? Project Helix in 2028? Game Pass Revamp? Whoa! – Unlocked 757

   22 Oct 2026 · 1 h 24 min · Episode 757

   A new report suggests that not only is Xbox's next-gen Project Helix console coming out in Fall of 2028, but that Microsoft is developing its own first-party handheld due out in Fall of 2027! Xbox Game Pass is also…

2. Gears of War: E-Day Is Awesome (No Spoilers) – Unlocked 756

   1 Oct 2026 · 1 h 11 min · Episode 756

   In a spoiler-free discussion, Ryan and Michael talk about how much they love Gears of War: E-Day, which Ryan reviewed for IGN. Plus: Halo's former Franchise Creative Director comments on the three probable paths to…

3. Halo Studios Is No Longer Making Halo – Unlocked 755

   24 Sep 2026 · 1 h 19 min · Episode 755

   Xbox's "reset" continued this week, and we discussed and analyzed all of the newest changes, including the big one of Activision taking over on Halo from Halo Studios. Our thoughts on why we think this happened,…

4. Sony's Loss Is Xbox's Gain: Hideo Kojima Signs With Xbox for Physint – Unlocked 754

   11 Sep 2026 · 1 h 13 min

   Our hiatus is over and we've got a LOT to talk about this week, starting with Sony's shocking decision to drop Hideo Kojima's next-gen tactical espionage game Physint, only for Xbox to pick it up. Plus: the big…

5. Kingdom Hearts 4 in Late 2027. Can it Really Be True? – Unlocked 753

   20 Aug 2026 · 1 h 18 min · Episode 753

   Join the IGN Discord https://discord.gg/h2T45nkkm6 The director of Kingdom Hearts 4 promises a late 2027 release window for the eagerly awaited Kingdom Hearts 4. Can it really be true? Plus: our very spoiler-free…

6. Xbox Reportedly Won’t Let Discs Die – Unlocked 752

   6 Aug 2026 · 1 h 35 min · Episode 752

   Join the IGN Discord https://discord.gg/h2T45nkkm6 One well-sourced rumor suggests that Xbox won't be backing away from physical media, in the name of backwards compatibility. We discuss what Xbox can and should do to…

7. Where Does Halo Go From Here? + Gears E-Day Multiplayer Thoughts – Unlocked 751

   30 Jul 2026 · 1 h 27 min · Episode 751

   It's all about Halo this week – save for our first hands-on impressions of Gears of War: E-Day's impressive Horde Siege multiplayer mode at the end of the episode – as we discuss not only our thoughts on the…

8. Obsidian Returns to Fallout – Unlocked 750

   16 Jul 2026 · 1 h 22 min · Episode 750

   Fallout: New Vegas game director Josh Sawyer will lead a new Fallout game at Obsidian, giving RPG fans what they've wanted for a long time, even if it's under less-than-ideal industry circumstances. We talk all about…

9. Xbox’s Brutal ‘Reset’ + Who Bought State of Decay 3 and Senua? – Unlocked 749

   9 Jul 2026 · 1 h 40 min · Episode 749

   The axe has fallen at Xbox, and while the result is thousands more job losses, the silver lining is that no studios are being closed. We try to figure out who might've bought Undead Labs (State of Decay 3) and Ninja…

10. What’s Left of/at Xbox? – Unlocked 748

    2 Jul 2026 · 1 h 29 min · Episode 748

    Join the IGN Discord https://discord.com/invite/h2T45nkkm6 Another dreadful week of Xbox news brings reports that State of Decay 3 may get canceled and developer Undead Labs might be shut down, with Arkane and its…

11. Xbox's Third Price Increase Is the Biggest Yet – Unlocked 747

    26 Jun 2026 · 1 h 24 min

    Money is the name of the game this week, from Xbox's third round of price cuts that see the Series S now start at $500 and the Series X start at $750 to GTA coming in at $80 for the base game and $100 for the Ultimate…

12. Hello Darkness My Old Friend – Unlocked 746

    18 Jun 2026 · 1 h 56 min · Episode 746

    All of Xbox's good energy and community goodwill instantly evaporated as the honeymoon phase for new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma came to a quick end this week. Her new publicly released memo talked of a "resetting" of Xbox…

13. Fable, Gears of War, and Halo: Our Behind Closed Doors Reactions – Unlocked 745

    11 Jun 2026 · 1 h 09 min · Episode 745

    We've got SO much more to talk about since the Xbox Showcase last weekend. Namely: we got behind-closed-doors looks at Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, and Halo: Campaign Evolved – the latter of which we got to play!…

14. Xbox Games Showcase 2026 Recap: Gears E-Day, Clockwork Revolution and New Xbox Console | IGN Live 2026 - Unlocked 744

    7 Jun 2026 · 33 min · Episode 744

    The Xbox Games Showcase 2026 was packed with major reveals, world premieres, release dates, and surprise announcements. In this complete recap, we cover everything shown, including Gears of War: E-Day launching October…

15. GTA 6 Looks Likely for November, So What Does it Mean for Xbox? – Unlocked 743

    28 May 2026 · 1 h 15 min · Episode 743

    New comments by Take-Two's CEO suggest that Grand Theft Auto 6 is looking like it's really going to be released on November 19. So what does that mean for Xbox and its packed Fall slate of games? We lay out two likely…

16. Our 12 Xbox Showcase Predictions – Unlocked 742

    22 May 2026 · 1 h 27 min · Episode 742

    While we’re together, and before it gets so close to the Xbox Showcase that things start leaking (hopefully not) – the event is just barely over two weeks away! – we thought we’d have fun this week and make our annual…

17. Forza Horizon 6 Rocks! – Unlocked 741

    14 May 2026 · 1 h 03 min · Episode 741

    Our friend Mark Medina makes his long-awaited return to Unlocked to join our discussion on Forza Horizon 6, the latest open-world driving game masterpiece from Playground Games. We give our thoughts on what we've…

18. New Xbox CEO Kills Copilot AI – Unlocked 740

    7 May 2026 · 1 h 02 min · Episode 740

    It's another busy week of Xbox news as new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma continues to make moves, shaking up the Xbox leadership team and killing Xbox's Copilot AI program in the process. Plus: we geek out over Yakuza developer…

19. New Xbox Logo and Attitude: Is Xbox Back to Being Green and Mean? – Unlocked 739

    30 Apr 2026 · 1 h 33 min · Episode 739

    After Michael tells us about the fun time he had at this year's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival, we spend the rest of the episode discussing Xbox's logo refresh and its new "We Are Xbox" mission statement. There's a LOT…

20. Xbox Game Pass Gets a Price…Decrease! – Unlocked 738

    23 Apr 2026 · 1 h 08 min · Episode 738

    Microsoft has walked back its wild 50% Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price increase from six months ago...mostly. We discuss the bold change and what it means moving forward. Plus: our favorite games from this week's ID@Xbox…

21. Replaced Director Shares Insights, Origins, and What's Next After Xbox Debut – Unlocked 737

    16 Apr 2026 · 1 h 11 min · Episode 736

    Replaced game director Yura Zhdanovich joins us to discuss his just-released Xbox exclusive. He shares insights into the project's origin, getting offered an exclusivity deal from Microsoft, what's next for Sad Cat…

22. State of Decay 3 Is Back from the (Un)Dead – Unlocked 736

    9 Apr 2026 · 1 h 17 min · Episode 736

    After we brought it up on last week's podcast, State of Decay 3 has awoken from its slumber and announced an upcoming community playtest! We talk all about what we want from the upcoming zombie survival/RPG. Plus: our…

23. What Xbox’s Showcase Announcement Tells Us About its 2026 Lineup – Unlocked 735

    2 Apr 2026 · 1 h 21 min · Episode 735

    After talking about our favorite games from PAX East, we discuss Microsoft's Xbox Showcase announcement – which included news that Gears of War: E-Day will get the coveted "Direct" slot immediately following the event.…

24. Xbox Showcase Goes Crazy and We Find Hidden Gems Live at PAX East 2026 – Unlocked 734

    28 Mar 2026 · 53 min · Episode 734

    In episode 734 of Podcast Unlocked, the crew takes the stage to react to the incredibly packed Xbox Partner Showcase. We discuss the biggest reveals, including the new STALKER 2: Cost of Hope DLC, Hades 2 dropping next…

25. Our Favorite New Games You Might Not Have Heard of Yet – Unlocked 733

    19 Mar 2026 · 1 h 17 min · Episode 735

    We all played cool games at the Game Developers' Conference last week, and we'd like to tell you about them! Plus: Michael gushes about all the fun he's been having with Marathon before talking to us about his trip to…

26. Project Helix Reactions: Name Ideas, Messaging Musts, and More – Unlocked 732

    12 Mar 2026 · 1 h 13 min · Episode 732

    Microsoft has confirmed the rumor that its next-gen console will play PC games. The machine is codenamed Project Helix, and we discuss potential names for the device, how Microsoft must get its messaging right, the…

27. Resident Evil Requiem Tops a Big Games Week – Unlocked 731

    5 Mar 2026 · 1 h 27 min · Episode 731

    We've spent time with several big new games that we had a blast with this week, and we'd like to tell you all about them: Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon, Mouse: P.I. for Hire, and Control Resonant. A huge year of…

28. Phil Spencer’s Retirement and the Future of Xbox – Unlocked 730

    26 Feb 2026 · 1 h 53 min · Episode 730

    Longtime Xbox executive Greg Canessa, aka the Creator of Xbox Live Arcade, joins us to react to, analyze, and quite honestly just process this week's seismic news about Xbox boss Phil Spencer retiring, Xbox President…

29. Are Hard Drives the Next-Gen Xbox’s Latest Roadblock? – Unlocked 729

    19 Feb 2026 · 1 h 02 min

    Just as we thought things might be lining up for a next-gen Xbox launch in 2027, a new story on hard drive availability has left us wondering if that option might be slipping away. Plus: we go over the new games coming…

30. Next-Gen Xbox in 2027…or Not Until 2028? – Unlocked 728

    12 Feb 2026 · 1 h 15 min · Episode 727

    Remember last week's comments from AMD's CEO about being ready to support a next-gen Xbox launch in 2027? It turns out there's more to the story, so we're discussing what launch timing might make sense for Microsoft,…

31. Resident Evil Requiem Looks Ready to Cook – Unlocked 727

    5 Feb 2026 · 1 h 12 min · Episode 727

    Two big topics dominate our Xbox show this week: first, Resident Evil Requiem. Our own Michael Higham got to play a few hours of a near-final build, and he came back super excited about what will probably be the…

32. Top 100 Xbox Games Ever: The Top 20 – Unlocked 726

    29 Jan 2026 · 2 h 17 min · Episode 726

    In a marathon two-hour episode, our friends from Outside Xbox join us to discuss the Top 20 games in our collaborative Top 100 Xbox Games of All Time list. We share stories, memories, and more from each of these 20…

33. Top 100 Xbox Games Debate: The Obscure Ones – Unlocked 725

    24 Jan 2026 · 1 h 32 min · Episode 725

    Part one of our Top 100 Xbox Games of All Time conversation is here! We're talking about the games that mean a lot to us from 100-26 on our list. There will be games you remember, games that make you go, "Oh yeah, that…

34. Xbox Developer Direct Reactions – Unlocked 724

    23 Jan 2026 · 1 h 07 min · Episode 723

    In this episode, we react to everything shown at Xbox’s latest Developer Direct, with deep dives into Fable, Forza Horizon 6, a surprise reveal from Double Fine Productions, and a brand-new project from Game Freak. Big…

35. Xbox Developer Direct Predictions – Unlocked 723

    15 Jan 2026 · 1 h 18 min · Episode 723

    Xbox's now-annual early-year showcase returns next week! We know Fable and Forza Horizon 6 will be there, but what else will show up? We've got predictions. Plus: Hellblade and Wolfenstein are reportedly getting new…

36. Remembering 2 Xbox Greats – Unlocked 722

    8 Jan 2026 · 1 h 15 min

    The Xbox world lost two wonderful people over the holidays: longtime Microsoft hardware team member Albert Penello and game industry legend Vince Zampella, whose credits include co-creating Call of Duty, Titanfall,…

37. Ranking Every Xbox’s Day-One Launch Lineups – Unlocked 721

    22 Dec 2025 · 57 min

    What to do during a quiet holiday week with no news? How about we argue amongst ourselves? Haha well sort of: we decided to rank the four Xbox console day-one launch lineups we've had so far, and let's just say we…

38. Xbox No-Showed at The Game Awards, but There’s Good News – Unlocked 720

    16 Dec 2025 · 54 min

    We didn't get any reveals from Xbox at this year's Game Awards, but there's some very good news: we're going to see a lot more from them very soon. We talk all about what Xbox's 2026 Developer Direct might look like,…

39. Does Xbox’s Next Gen Start in 2026? – Unlocked 719

    11 Dec 2025 · 58 min · Episode 719

    Our Xbox crew kicks off by going over IGN's nominees for Best Xbox Game of 2025 before giving our individual picks, and then we get to the big topic this week: new comments by Xbox's VP of Next-Gen that seem to suggest…

40. Splinter Cell Might Not Be Dead After All – Unlocked 718

    4 Dec 2025 · 1 h 19 min · Episode 718

    On this week's Xbox show, we've got good news on the long-dormant Splinter Cell Remake project that has us optimistic that a new Sam Fisher adventure might actually see the light of day. Plus: GTA 6 suffers a small but…

41. Major Nelson Shares His Xbox 360 Memories – Unlocked 717

    22 Nov 2025 · 1 h 26 min · Episode 717

    Larry "Major Nelson" Hryb, the longtime public face of Xbox at Microsoft, joins us for a special Xbox 360 episode as the most successful Xbox console ever celebrates its 20th anniversary. Larry shares a ton of great…

42. The Winners from Xbox’s Partner Showcase (Fall 2025) – Unlocked 716

    20 Nov 2025 · 54 min · Episode 716

    The Winners from Xbox’s Partner Showcase (Fall 2025) – Unlocked 716We recorded this week's episode live immediately following Xbox's Fall 2025 Partner Preview showcase, where we got updated looks at known quantities…

43. GTA 6’s Delay Hits Xbox Extra Hard – Unlocked 715

    13 Nov 2025 · 1 h 35 min

    In a jam-packed episode of our Xbox show, we discuss Grand Theft Auto 6's delay and how it hits Xbox harder than any other publisher. Plus: Valve's new Steam Machine will seemingly be competing directly with Xbox's…

44. The Outer Worlds 2’s Game Director Joins the Podcast! – Unlocked 714

    6 Nov 2025 · 50 min

    Our special guest this week is Obsidian's Brandon Adler, the Game Director on The Outer Worlds 2. He tells us about how the team's new RPG has been received so far, what kind of stuff hit the cutting room floor, what…

45. From Playing Mortal Kombat to Preserving It – Unlocked 713

    30 Oct 2025 · 1 h 37 min · Episode 711

    Old-school Xbox fans will get a little extra enjoyment out of this week's episode, which welcomes Ryan's old Official Xbox Magazine podcasting partner Dan Amrich, now a developer at Digital Eclipse, for a KOXM Radio…

46. What We Think of Ninja Gaiden 4 and the Halo 1 Remake – Unlocked 712

    24 Oct 2025 · 1 h 39 min · Episode 712

    We remember original Xbox Ninja Gaiden director Tomonobu Itagaki upon the unfortunate news of his passing before discussing the first new mainline Ninja Gaiden game in 13 years, NInja Gaiden 4. Plus: Ryan went on a…

47. Keeper Devs Tim Schafer and Lee Petty Stop By! – Unlocked 711

    17 Oct 2025 · 1 h 12 min · Episode 711

    Game design legend and Double Fine Productions Studio Head Tim Schafer returns to Unlocked along with Keeper Project Director Lee Petty to talk about their new living-lighthouse game, Keeper! It's out now and it's…

48. How We’d Fix Xbox’s Game Pass Pricing Problem – Unlocked 710

    9 Oct 2025 · 1 h 32 min · Episode 710

    More fallout from last week's Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price hike as DLC discounts on Game Pass get eliminated in favor of Rewards points, as well as a possible cause of the 50% price increase. We discuss how we'd fix…

49. And Now Game Pass Prices Are Going Up Too – Unlocked 709

    2 Oct 2025 · 1 h 29 min · Episode 1709

    It's all about dollars and cents (sense?) on this week's episode of IGN's weekly Xbox show, as we're discussing Microsoft's massive price hike on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, along with the final tough-to-stomach price of…

50. Xbox Raises Console Prices…Again – Unlocked 708

    25 Sep 2025 · 1 h 17 min · Episode 708

    Our main topic is one we'd rather not have to discuss, but unfortunately, here we go again with Xbox console price hikes. We talk about our thoughts on the bigger picture of these higher-than-ever prices five years…