Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#243 | We played The Outer Worlds 2 EARLY and... Aug 31, 2025

Show notes

It's been a bit of a rough go for Obsidian as of late. Compared to their usual RPG triumphs, Avowed felt quite a bit less than that. However, not all of it was entirely their fault. At one point, Xbox chose to make this the $80 game that would lead the charge in a new era of high prices. After considerable pushback, they chose to drop the price to $70. While a welcome sight, some have debated if even that is a fair price point for what appears to be a AA RPG. Now, marketing has kicked the hornet's nest with the latest companion trailer. So, here we are. Cog and Matty played the prologue section of the game and our thoughts are mixed. There certainly wasn't a "sound the alarm" moment, but it read to the Dukes like a less confident showing. Much of what makes an Obsidian RPG great is here. However, after the preview failed to show how that would be executed, both Dukes were left feeling like there is more that could've been done. Now, the tough decision falls to Xbox. Do you risk another preview and overexpose the game to try and correct things? Do you ride into launch and hope for the best? Time will tell, but we only have to wait until October to learn just how worth it Outer Worlds 2 will be.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:15:07 - Write Ins
0:37:33 - Pete Parsons is leaving Bungie
0:51:25 - Tim Schafer on Double Fine’s future games
0:55:32 - Hollow Knight Silksong finally has a release date
1:11:32 - Xbox Ally preorder date leaks
1:12:39 - The reason that Switch 2 ports of Xbox games are delayed?
1:23:00 - Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Game Pass subscribers
1:29:48 - New Starfield updates detailed
1:35:13 - High On Life 2 will include 5 playable games
1:37:14 - Replaced is set to release Spring 2026
1:38:59 - Activision responds to Call of Duty concerns
1:50:34 - More Clair Obscur is on the way
2:04:51 - Atari has acquired 5 Ubisoft games
2:09:26 - Ken Levine opens up on Judas
2:16:53 - Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2’s Wild DLC situation
2:23:20 - Naoki Yoshida says there’s no need for new consoles
2:26:52 - Herman Hulst on Concord’s failure
2:31:46 - Skate enters early access on September 16th
2:40:02 - What We’re Playing
3:48:09 - Forza Horizon 6 will be set in Japan
3:59:05 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass
4:00:22 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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#242 | The TRUTH About The Xbox Ally Is Here... Aug 24, 2025

Show notes

Gamescom took place this week! On top of Opening Night Live which was home to many reveals, Xbox held their own show the day after. It's there that we finally got information on the Xbox Ally. Everything from its official release date to features, specs, capabilities, and so on. With the rumored price tag floating at $549.99 and $899.99 respectively, is this handheld doing enough to justify its enthusiast status? Despite everything being an Xbox, it seems like the Xbox Ally will only function as such if a title supports "Play Anywhere." While not a concern for future games as we've seen many releases support the future, what this means for your established Xbox library isn't great news. We parse through it all... and a lot of Lego Batman.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:07:28 - Health Is Wealth
0:31:52 - Xbox is safe from Tyson... for now
0:33:26 - Grounded 2 is outpacing the first
0:38:08 - Ex-PlayStation Exec Shawn Layden on Game Pass
0:57:15 - Details on the Helldivers x ODST collab
1:01:21 - Rod Fergusson is the new Head of the BioShock Franchise
1:08:28 - High On Life 2 is releasing February 13th, 2026
1:11:31 - Triangle Strategy shadow drops on Xbox
1:15:35 - Mafia: The Old Country sales thus far
1:17:34 - Shenmue 3 Enhanced Edition announced by ININ
1:36:41 - What We’re Playing
2:02:23 - Gamescom recap
2:45:29 - Updates on Xbox Ally
3:01:30 - PlayStation hikes console price
3:08:56 - Leaving Xbox Game Pass
3:10:21 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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#241 | ANOTHER Canceled Game Hits Xbox... - What's Next? Aug 17, 2025

Show notes

Contraband was announced back in 2021. Since then, we've seen just about nothing from the game. No messaging beats, no trailers, and even the Xbox executives didn't yap about this one! After four years of development, this collaboration between Xbox and Avalanche has come to a close. Adding it to the list of canceled Xbox titles, this one feels different to Dependable Cog and Choco Matty. Part of it is apathy, but it's also a new angle from the previous shutdowns where we really don't know much about what was lost. It's a valuable lesson in why Xbox shouldn't announce things early. Beyond our headline, we get into Xbox's president offering her talents to Tyson Foods (?!), Halo coming to PlayStation, a legend leaving Xbox, and diving deep into Matty's recent interview with ex-BioWare vet, Mark Darrah.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:10:29 - Cog wears diapers & Matty goes viral for cleaning
0:40:34 - Health Is Wealth
0:48:38 - Mafia: The Old Country "Controversy"
0:58:16 - Are games giving what the fans want?
1:04:19 - Ex BioWare dev on Dragon Age remasters
1:25:35 - PlayStation is moving away from hardware?
1:43:25 - Rod Ferguson is leaving Blizzard
1:51:15 - Sarah Bond joins… Tyson Foods
2:00:50 - An update on the future of Forza
2:05:48 - The release date for the Xbox Ally has leaked
2:07:58 - Heretic + Hexen re-release shadowdropped
2:12:09 - A Halo game is coming to PlayStation
2:17:13 - Halo ODST is coming to Helldivers 2
2:21:52 - Bungie’s leash tightens with Marathon
2:28:48 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is getting a massive roadmap
2:34:14 - LEGO Batman is getting the Skywalker Saga treatment?
2:44:11 - Crimson Desert has been delayed to Q1 2026
2:45:40 - What We’re Playing
3:25:42 - Contraband has been canceled
3:33:39 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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#240 | We Played Ninja Gaiden 4 Early... Aug 10, 2025

Show notes

The year of the Ninja rages on! Fresh off Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, we have more ninjas to talk about thanks to the new Shinobi demo alongside Ninja Gaiden 4. In a seemingly impossible move, Xbox brought together two legendary Japanese developers to reactivate a franchise that had laid dormant since 2012. There were still question marks even after a strong showing at this years Developer Direct. At the top of everyone's list following a ton of layoffs was simply: Does PlatinumGames still have it? Well, it appears that despite the winds of change blowing through the studio, the new wave of talent at Platinum is more than up to the task.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:07:28 - Health Is Wealth
0:20:25 - Starfield’s PS5 port and Expansion 2 won’t be out until 2026
0:42:12 - Xbox financials update
0:50:54 - Pouring one out for BioShock fans
1:03:17 - Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal reactions
1:16:12 - Nintendo Direct announces new Xbox games
1:23:55 - THQ Nordic 2025 showcase breakdown
1:31:25 - Kojima on OD when speaking to SSense about his career
1:34:15 - EA is working on more games with Disney
1:40:31 - So, uh, Ubisoft threatened to sue Edward Kenway’s actor?
1:45:37 - Ninja Gaiden 4 / What We’re Playing
2:39:34 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass
2:44:01 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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#239 | Getting REAL With Xbox... Aug 03, 2025

Show notes

A new job listing over at PlayStation shows that more games are headed to Xbox. Naturally, the internet did its thing and we saw some crazy titles get tossed out as ideas for ports: The Last Of Us, Uncharted, Spider-Man, God Of War, and so on. Others have suggested that PlayStation is folding just as Xbox has. Have they? Joining me is Sir Bradley Ellis to dive into what ends up being a semi-painful reminder of the current state of Xbox as we shift from topic-to-topic.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:04:50 - Xbox's game price landmine
0:21:12 - Satya’s statement lol
0:28:31 - More Xbox games to PlayStation
0:34:31 - Holy cow, Xbox is getting more physical games?!
0:44:20 - Fallout 76 is going to Ohio?
0:53:08 - Oblivion Remastered reaches 9 million players
0:56:31 - Xbox falls in like with UK’s age verification process
1:01:37 - Video game subscription spending is at an all time high
1:04:18 - Wolfenstein is getting a TV series
1:07:42 - Dead Space director Glen Schofield may have directed his final game
1:23:15 - Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection had its release date leaked
1:27:34 - Dying Light: The Beast has been delayed by 4 weeks
1:32:16 - Silent Hill 1 Remake is closer than we thought?
1:35:45 - A new Spongebob game has LEAKED
1:48:20 - Can The Witcher 3 even be beat? CDPR doesn’t know
1:53:20 - Mafia: The Old Country is longer than expected?
1:58:28 - A Star Wars Outlaws sequel has been canceled
2:03:45 - What We’re Playing
2:33:41 - More PlayStation games coming to Xbox according to a job post
2:48:22 - Xbox will have a significant presence at Gamescom
2:56:58 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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#238 | Xbox Backs Down - The Outer Worlds 2 PRICE DROP! Jul 27, 2025

Show notes

Hell has frozen over! Xbox has moved the price of The Outer Worlds 2 down to $70 after fan backlash. What does this mean for the future of Xbox's lineup and the games industry as a whole?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:21:27 - Health Is Wealth
0:35:02 - Clarifying the Fable rumor
0:39:57 - MachineGames has multiple projects in development
0:42:09 - Contraband lives on
0:47:26 - Xbox is working on next gen cloud gaming
0:49:54 - Starfield ACTUALLY gets an update
1:02:37 - Xbox is adding a play history tab
1:05:18 - Oblivion Remaster's Virtuous Studio sees layoffs
1:17:08 - From Software has ANOTHER game on the way
1:21:14 - Ubisoft on why Star Wars Outlaws failed
1:31:53 - Saber Interactive reveals Clive Barker’s Hellraiser: Revival
1:35:17 - Battlefield 6 reveal happening this week
1:37:39 - Splitgate 2 unlaunches
1:42:50 - What We’re Playing
2:23:39 - The Outer Worlds is $70
2:51:39 - No Rest For The Wicked is skipping Xbox
3:05:24 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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#237 | We're FINALLY Getting Fallout 5... But There's A Catch... Jul 20, 2025

Show notes

Xbox saw Matty was slipping, so in a bold strategy to reel the Dukes back in, they have opted to greenlight Fallout 5. Despite what many will try and say to downplay this, there is a strong chance that Fallout 5 goes beyond the borders of Bethesda for the first time since 2010. Considering it's a mainline entry, this is a massive shakeup. It gets even more dicey when Obsidian Entertainment gets taken off the board. So, who makes a new Fallout game? The 76 team? InXile? Larian? Dare we say, a new studio? Oh, boy. Each choice outside of the obvious like Larian or InXile has their caveats. So, let's get into the thick of the future of the Bethesda's valuable post-apocalyptic IP.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro/ Health Is Wealth
1:08:15 - Arkane Lyon is safe for now
1:10:18 - Zenimax hasn't seen layoffs yet
1:13:52 - Rare has commented on the layoffs for the first time
1:18:24 - Guitar Hero easter egg in Tony Hawk
1:22:10 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3 + 4 is fully on the disc
1:23:51 - Forza Horizon 5 sold 2 million copies on PlayStation 5
1:25:52 - Fallout 76 is getting TV show content
1:28:16 - Oblivion Remastered gets a crucial patch… and a physical edition?!
1:32:24 - Jez Corden on Starfield’s next DLC
1:37:00 - The Alters has sold 280K copies
1:38:49 - Ken Levine on Judas
1:40:35 - Xbox is paying how much for Game Pass deals?!
1:43:49 - Halo 1 Remake rumors
1:54:05 - What We’re Playing
2:20:40 - Fallout 5 has been greenlit
2:52:08 - The Xbox Ally will be $1,000?
3:01:19 - King is replacing workers with AI
3:12:49 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass
3:18:01 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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#236 | Goodbye Xbox, Hello Microsoft Gaming! Jul 13, 2025

Show notes

A conversation involving such dramatic shifts in the brand requires as much nuance as we can gather! Summoned to the realm of the Dukes are none other than Last Stand Media's own Gene Park and Rick Hoeg to help us sift through the fallout of last week's Xbox layoffs. Any single one of these stories could be our lead for the week, but let's get it started with Microsoft's $80 billion investment in their AI infrastructure. Sadly, it has been reported that this is the root cause of the layoffs. Naturally, an investment to the tune of almost $12 billion more than Activision doesn't sneak up on you. The question we're left asking in wake of these claims is how leadership was able to blindside staff within Xbox despite likely knowing about these impending changes for months. Why meet with teams like Zenimax Online Studios and Romero Games, prepare hardware investments, create long term production plans only to axe them by the following weekend? A fired up Rick Hoeg will certainly let us know how he feels on the matter (IYKYK). Speaking of Zenimax Online Studios, we now have details on the canceled Project Blackbird to parse through thanks to multiple insider reports. Blackbird was an online, open world RPG focusing on shooting and traversal mechanics with a planned release window of 2028. With the pedigree of this studio being clear and the risk being low compared to most live service initiatives out there, why shut down something with such great potential? Well, perhaps that's because in a "hits only" business, you need to go with the guarantee. There's no greater guarantee for money than the Fallout IP and, finally, it appears Xbox has come to their senses. Multiple Fallout games are in production! Reason for celebration, no? We'll get to that. Plus, our thoughts on Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox, a Halo project potentially in trouble, and returning once more to the "Great Game Pass Profitability Debate."

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:07:15 - Write Ins
1:02:59 - What We’re Playing
1:46:33 - Microsoft's $80 billion investment led to last week's layoffs
2:40:54 - Details on Project Blackbird
3:21:40 - Multiple Fallout games in development
3:39:53 - The next Halo game is in trouble?
3:50:59 - Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox on August 26th
4:11:14 - The great Game Pass profitability debate

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#235 | Xbox Is A Disaster... - Multiple Games Canceled & The Initiative CLOSED! Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

To be apathetic to something is to experience a lack of feeling or emotion in response to an event. For the Dukes, it's the word of the show. Xbox has been mismanaged for an entire generation and it has come at the cost of losing world class talents alongside studios. It was just in 2024 that we lost Tango Gameworks, Arkane Austin, Roundhouse Studios, and Alpha Dog Games. There was also the formidable Toys For Bob that went independent. That alone was more than enough to last us a generation, but today we learned that Xbox has closed down the studio they started back in 2018: The Initiative. Alongside that, Rare's Everwild has been canceled on top of a new IP from Zenimax Online Studios. There's no other way to slice it. For Xbox to improve, leadership must be held accountable. The question is if they ever will and given how situations at teams like Bungie have gone down, we expect a meek, weak willed level of accountability to the bloodbath at Microsoft this week. Indeed, much of the frustration is built off the back of constant, mind-numbing, inconsistent messaging. It was only in February that CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, said Everwild was really shaping up. It was canceled today. With such wishy-washy messaging to their fans, the brand is at a point where no one can believe anything they say. Sure, a partnership with AMD to do next-generation consoles was announced within the last month. How can we trust that? It's the lowest level of trust asked of a consumer that you can believe an announcement when you see it. Instead, the only message we're left with is that if you're not a mega-hit in the making, Xbox wants to have no part of you. What does this say to teams like Compulsion and Ninja Theory or larger developers like Obsidian that like to split off in pursuit of smaller titles? It's amusing that Xbox has done this in the name of creating a sustainable business yet their methods and approach to making games is arguably the least sustainable thing we've seen. They're all in on a subscription service while putting tens of millions of dollars into making games. How it'll all shake up will be interesting to watch, but many of us know how this story will end.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:02:40 - Health is Wealth 

0:20:27 - Xbox layoffs

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#234 | It's Happening AGAIN - More Xbox Layoffs Inbound... Jun 29, 2025

Show notes

It was supposed to be a slow news week, so naturally we talked for almost four hours on the latest in gaming. Heading up our show is a recurrent subject: layoffs at Xbox. Despite Phil's claims about a sustainable business, the cuts keep coming. Of course, that leaves us in a bit of a pickle. What parts of Xbox business are faltering? We're about a year removed from last year where Xbox began shutting down multiple teams, so it's not a far cry to say we may be approaching that point. We haven't seen Game Pass numbers in a hot minute, titles like South Of Midnight and Hellblade 2 have questionable sales at best, and the green team is all but officially confirmed to be out on physical games. So, which is it, if any? We gab quite a bit before leaving it to next week where we'll get official confirmation. Plus, Xbox integrating other PC storefronts into their app, righting the record on Final Fantasy XVI, diving into Lies Of P sales figures, and so much more in what was an unexpectedly meaty (oh!) episode of Defining Duke.

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:16:24 - Health Is Wealth
0:32:22 - Correcting FF16 information from last week
0:41:52 - A new Halo game is releasing… kinda
0:54:16 - Meta Quest 3S Xbox Edition announced
1:01:46 - SEGA sales data leaks
1:14:08 - Persona 4 Revival & Stranger Than Heaven release info
1:17:35 - Blood Of Dawnwalker Gameplay deep dive
1:22:58 - Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.3 has been delayed
1:27:54 - Layoffs headed for Mindseye developer
1:40:01 - Blood Message reveal reaction
1:43:03 - Rematch devs respond to crossplay issues
1:48:34 - Third party Switch 2 sales below estimates
1:59:03 - Splitgate 2 devs face layoffs
2:12:25 - Lies Of P difficulty settings
2:23:24 - What We’re Playing
3:08:15 - Major Xbox layoffs inbound
3:33:13 - Steam library comes to Xbox PC App
3:45:03 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week

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