The DayOne Show | A Video Games Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 270 | "A Dark Day" Jul 06, 2025

Show notes

Absolutely awful. There's no other way to describe the week Xbox has just had, and it sure has many fans genuinely concerned for the Xbox platform. The crew get together for some hopefully insightful discussion on what happens next in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 270.

Myself, Nick and Jesse return to chat about all the awful things that happened this week, in addition to some of the good. We saw Microsoft begin mass-layoffs, with other 9000 employees affected worldwide, and a sizeable chunk within the Xbox division. Rare's Everwild was cancelled. Perfect Dark and it's studio, The Initiative, was shutdown.

A reportedly promising title, 'Project Blackbird' came to an unfortunate end for Zenimax Online Studios, that saw their leader, Matt Firor depart Xbox forever. Even Turn 10, a legendary studio that had been around since the original Xbox, didn't escape unscathed, with 50% of staff reportedly let go. Even partner studios have been affected, with Romero Games losing their funding from Xbox.
Suffice to say, it's left Xbox fans feeling pretty down in the dumps, and I know you'll join me in wishing the developers affected the best of luck in landing on their feet. The drama didn't stop there however. This week also saw another bombshell announcement that saw - for the first time - a PlayStation Studios title land on the Xbox platform. That's right - Helldivers 2 is coming to Xbox, in a move that challenges many preconceived notions about Sony's 1st Party Strategies.

We ask the big questions. Can we trust Xbox anymore? Who's to blame for this catastrophic week? Is it really down to Phil Spencer, Matt Booty and Sarah Bond, or do we need to look to the unrealistic expectations of CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood? Is Xbox Game Pass to blame? All this discussion and more in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 270.

As always, your support makes what we do possible - if you enjoy our work, consider supporting us directly on Patreon. Just head to Patreon.com/xboxera.

Episode 269 | "A Different Kind of Meta" Jun 29, 2025

Show notes

It's been a relatively quiet week in video games, but for some awful reports of what has now become standard for this industry - mass layoffs! Join the crew for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 269!

Myself, Nick and Jesse are back for all things video games, and the show gets off to a relatively rough start - mostly because I'd been enjoying the sunshine and the beverages! But never mind all that, there's a few things to dive into. We talk through some of the games we've been playing, from I Am Your Beastto the lovely System Shock 2: Remaster. There's also a massive review on Soulstone Survivors, if that's your jam.
We also discuss the rip-roaring success for Sloclap and Rematch before diving in to all things Xbox, which is a bit miserable because of all the reports of mass layoffs, and worse - studio closures. We talk through it all, in addition to the new Xbox PC App updates and of course, our intentions to get out and enjoy Gamescom 2025.

As always, everything we do is made possible and supported by our incredible community. If you want to join the growing army of awesome people, consider heading over to Patreon.com/XboxEra.

Episode 268 | "No Restrictions" feat. Ryan McCaffrey Jun 22, 2025

Show notes

Despite the summer showcases being firmly behind us, we weren't left wanting for interesting developments in the video game industry to discuss! Sit back and relax for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 268!

This week, we're joined by none other than the lovely Ryan McCaffrey from IGN, Unlocked and Ride The Lightning. Together with myself, Nick and Jesse, we discuss his beginnings in the industry, his take on Microsoft's moves back to a more PC like gaming system and more!
We discuss these things because this week, both Xbox and AMD released short videos expressing their commitment to Xbox hardware, both in your living room, and in your hands. It made us ask - and answer - ⁠What's the point of Xbox?Beyond that, we also have a commitment from Sarah Bond, President of Xbox and Lisa Su, CEO of AMD that these devices will continue to play our existing library of games and not be tied to a single online store. Exciting stuff!

We also chat about Rematch, FF16 , FBC: Firebreak and TRON: Catalyst in addition to all of the other video games news, from Marathon's delay and Splitgate 2 layoffs.
As Ryan himself made very clear - if you love what we do, consider supporting us for less than a cup of coffee a month by heading over to patreon.com/xboxera. Your support really does make all the difference in the world.

Episode 267 | "Is THIS an Xbox?" Jun 15, 2025

Show notes

Like a kid that's furiously unwrapped everything on Christmas morning, and is left exhausted and elated with all they have received, Summer Game Fest and Showcase season is over. Thankfully, it was a good one and we're going to break it all down in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 267!

Jon, Nick, Jesse and Aarsal return to discuss everything we've seen, played and witnessed during our time at Summer Game Fest, and honestly, there's almost too much to list out here, so we'll let our timestamps do the talking. We go through every game, from our recent The Alters review, the Gears of War: Reloaded improvements, and the surprise that was High on Life 2. We've got Capcom previews, SPINE, Lego Party! and more, all for you to enjoy.
We even went hands on with the ROG Xbox Ally X, Microsoft's new partner led handheld. Is it truly a new Xbox, or just a well-marketed handheld PC? You decide and be a part of the discussion in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 267!

Episode 266 | "It's Gaming Christmas!" Jun 12, 2025

Show notes

We're live in LA from Summer Game Fest 2025!

Well, most of us!

Jon, Aarsal and Jesse are camped out in the hotel room to discuss the opening show, in addition to our final predictions for the showcase from Xbox.

Oh, and Nick is here too.

Episode | ""Wakanda for Never?" Jun 03, 2025

Show notes

It's been a busy week for XboxEra. I was out at UK Games Expo to show off Console Wars The Card Game, and Jesse and Aarsal have been hard at work preparing for our attendance at Summer Games Fest. While I couldn't attend the show this week, our good friend Abe stepped in to say hello and talk through all the latest in gaming this week in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 265!

The crew have been playing through plenty of games, from Spray Paint Simulator to Elden Ring: Nightreign, as well as continuing the journey in Doom: The Dark Ages. Nick of course, is pretty excited to get his hands on his Switch 2.
In gaming news, reports from our friends at Windows Central suggest that Xbox are putting the native handheld on the backburner, Zenimax's QA Union have come to an agreement, and EA have cancelled their Black Panther video game. All this, and more - so jump in!
As always, everything we do is supported by our amazing Patreon Community - if you enjoy our content, consider supporting us directly by heading to patreon.com/xboxera.

Episode 264 | "Top of the Pops!" May 25, 2025

Show notes

A crazy, news and announcement filled week has come to a close and the podcast crew are here to break it all down in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 264!

Jon, Nick and Jesse are here to break down another crazy week in gaming, with a tonne of announcements, surprises and great games. On the news front, there's a plenty to talk about! Xbox partnered with Antstream Arcade to bring 50+ Activision Retro Classics to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members. Team Green also dominated their competitors last month, with 5 of the top 7 games on PlayStation being Microsoft published titles. That domination is set to continue, with the announcement that Senua's Saga: Hellblade II is coming to PlayStation 5 later this summer, with a free updates to existing owners that will bring with it 'new optimisations'.

On the games front, besides another bonkers Xbox Game Pass drop, we've been playing quite a bit! Jesse has dropped reviews for Roadcraft, Blades of Fire and the fantastic Monster Train 2. Jon has been enjoying Splitgate 2 (until it broke) and has a review of Xbox Game Pass release 'to a T' coming next week for you.
Besides all of that, we dive into all the other news, as well as breaking down your community questions, live on the show! If you want to be included and share your thoughts on the XboxEra Podcast, consider signing up to support us directly on Patreon by heading to patreon.com/xboxera.

You can also support us by picking up a copy of CONSOLE WARS THE CARD GAME, available now on Amazon.

Episode 263 | "Leitch of War" May 18, 2025

Show notes

Another week in this crazy industry passes us by, and there's a lot to talk about. Who better to do so with than Nick, Jesse and Aarsal as they break down all the latest in gaming in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 263!

This week, Nick and Jesse are joined by Aarsal to deep dive into all the latest topics. Everyone has been playing DOOM: The Dark Ages and of course the lovely Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Jesse released a preview of Lost in Random: The Eternal Die, and he's also been playing Blade of Fire and Roadcraft.

Nick has released a review of Capcom Fighting Collection 2, and Jon finally released Console Wars The Card Game at retail via Amazon (Seriously, go pick up a copy, it really helps us out!). In gaming news, PlayStation drama continues with the departure of Jade Raymond and legendary studio Bungie used a ton of art from an artist without permission (Again!).
Elsewhere, Microsoft fire a massive 3% of their global workforce, the Xbox Series dashboard is getting some cool customisation improvements and the Gears of War movie finally has a director! All this and more in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 263!

As always, everything we do is only made possible by our incredible community, so if you love what XboxEra does, consider supporting us directly on Patreon - just head to patreon.com/xboxera

Episode 262 | "DOOM and Gloom" May 11, 2025

Show notes

Where there's DOOM, there's probably some gloom, right? This is an Xbox-focused show after all, so let's dig into all the news of the week in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 262!

DOOM: The Dark Ages reviews have gone live, and safe to say, iD Software have cooked! Nick, Jesse and myself have all been playing it, and now that we're free of embargos, we dive into some spoiler-free discussion about everything the Slayer brings to the table this time around.

The long rumoured ASUS/Xbox partnered handheld device had some images leak thanks to the FCC, and well, it's the ROG Ally 2 alright. We talk a little about what to expect and what we like and don't like about this curious looking device. And lastly, GTA6 had a second trailer drop out of nowhere, and oh my are we impressed.

Beyond that, we talk a little about Console Wars The Card Game and our upcoming retail launch, discuss Revenge of the Savage Planet and talk a lot about Gears of War: Reloaded. Oh, and Giant Bomb go independent, which is just lovely, lovely news.
As always, everything XboxEra does is only made possible by our incredible Patreon Community, and we would love you to be a part of it! If you enjoy what we do, and the content we create, consider supporting us directly on Patreon - just head to Patreon.com/xboxera.

Episode 261 | "They Cancelled WHAT?!" feat. Rand Al Thor19 May 04, 2025

Show notes

With Jon being out for this weekend (and thank god, five hours?!) the legendary Rand Al Thor19 joins Nick and Jesse to talk through all the carnage of this week in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 261!

Beyond talking through the lastest games, the podcast crew sit down and chat about all of the latest in news from across the industry. GTA6 has been delayed into May of next year, games media takes another blow with the decimation of Polygon and the PG-13 Fandom restrictions placed on Giant Bomb.

EA lay-off a bunch of developers, and according to popular rumour, cancel a potential Titanfall game....but maybe that's okay, because it was another extraction shooter. Ubisoft tease a Prince of Persia Lost Crown follow-up, and Microsoft raise prices on hardware and software.

It basically all kind of sucks, and the crew spend a whopping five hours talking about as well as taking questions from our amazing Patreon Community. If you value having an indepedent publication focused on your favourite platform, consider supporting XboxEra directly via patreon.com/xboxera.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

The DayOne Show | A Video Games Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected