Unlocked

Is the Nemesis System Dead Forever? – Unlocked 683 Mar 06, 2025

Our Xbox crew discusses the awful news of WB Games closing down Shadow of Mordor developer Monolith Productions along with two other studios. Is their patented Nemesis System dead forever? But first, we spend a happy first half of the podcast gushing over a few new games we've been playing: Split Fiction, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and Monster Hunter Wilds.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:03:00 - Spilt Fiction Impressions

00:13:52 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Preview Impressions

00:33:48 - Monster Hunter Wilds Impressions

00:38:15 - Is Hazelight Studios the new Telltale?

00:43:26 - WB Games has shut down 3 Studios

00:56:55 - Is the Nemesis System Dead Forever?

01:05:50 - Fable Delayed

01:13:08 - Outro

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Jump Ship Rocks and So Do Many of the Other ID@Xbox Showcase Games – Unlocked 682 Feb 24, 2025

Our Xbox crew reacts to all of the new and cool games we got to see at the latest ID@Xbox Showcase, from Jump Ship to Herding to Outbound to 33 Immortals and more! And joining us to shed a bit more light on the ID@Xbox program and all of these games is ID@Xbox Director Guy Richards.

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Avowed Director Carrie Patel and Obsidian Studio Head Feargus Urquhart – Unlocked 681 Feb 20, 2025

As Avowed officially launches this week, its Game Director, Carrie Patel, and the studio head at developer Obsidian Entertainment, Feargus Urquhart, join us for a conversation about their big new first-person fantasy RPG. They discuss how the project evolved since its original unveiling, what they did with the extra development time when its release date moved to February, and much more! Plus: Feargus talks Fallout, shares a Matt Stone and Trey Parker story from making South Park: The Stick of Truth, and more!

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Avowed & South of Midnight: What We Think – Unlocked 680 Feb 14, 2025

We've been waiting for this moment: to be swimming in new first-party Xbox games. We have all been playing both Avowed and South of Midnight, and we discuss our thoughts on each of them. We also spend time talking about our experiences with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 so far and why we love its grounded medieval RPG world. Finally, we discuss Bloomberg's new report about WB Games and what's next for Rocksteady, Monolith, and Avalanche with regard to Batman, Wonder Woman, and Hogwarts Legacy, respectively.

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Forza Heads to PS5. Nothing Is Safe – Unlocked 679 Feb 06, 2025

The OG Xbox podcaster Danny Peña from Gamertag Radio joins us to discuss one of Xbox's "core four" franchises, Forza, heading to PlayStation 5 in the form of Forza Horizon 5. What does it mean for Xbox? And is any franchise "safe"? Plus: Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 is out and awesome (and successful), we show some love to one of the newest games on Xbox Game Pass that you might not be familiar with, and more!

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Xbox’s Future Clarified – Unlocked 678 Jan 30, 2025

As Xbox boss Phil Spencer visits two of our friends' podcasts, we discuss his clarifying comments on the future (not to mention present!) of Xbox. Plus: why we love Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, we talk about BioWare getting restructured and what it means for Mass Effect 5, and more!

00:00:00 - LA Fires Support & Intro

00:02:51 - Poll Results from last week's Xbox Direct

00:09:04 - Ninja Gaiden 2 Black Impressions

00:18:30 - Phill Spencer Talks the Future of Xbox

00:43:45 - BioWare getting restructured & Mass Effect 5

00:56:45 - Outro

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NINJA GAIDEN IS BACK HOLY SH*T – Unlocked 677 Jan 23, 2025

We recorded live immediately following this week's fantastic Xbox Developer Direct, so our reactions are very real, highlighted by the stunning announcement of not just the LONG-awaited Ninja Gaiden 4, but also the surprise shadow drop of Ninja Gaiden 2 Black. We've also got plenty of thoughts on Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33!

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Xbox: Third Place, Now Third Party? – Unlocked 676 Jan 16, 2025

With the corroborated rumors that Microsoft is bringing Halo: The Master Chief Collection to PS5 and Nintendo Switch 2, is Xbox now officially a Sega-like third-party publisher? We discuss the complicated (and weird) idea of Halo heading to other platforms. Leading up to that, though, we discuss the rumored details of the Unreal Engine 5 remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, what the mystery game in next week's third annual Xbox Developer Direct might be, and more!

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When Will We See Elder Scrolls 6 Again? – Unlocked 675 Jan 09, 2025

Happy New Year! We begin our first episode of 2025 by discussing some changes happening on the podcast before getting into what you really care about: Xbox games! We talk about what we played over the holidays and then talk about two sequels that are likely still pretty far away: The Elder Scrolls 6 and Mass Effect 5. When will we see TES6 next when it's already been over six years since its official announcement? And will the Paragon/Renegade system return for Mass Effect 5? Join us to discuss it all!

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Do's and Don'ts for Xbox in 2025 – Unlocked 674 Dec 26, 2024

In our final show of 2024, we look ahead to 2025 and give Microsoft some advice in the form of do's and dont's for Xbox in the new year. Thanks so much for listening all year long, and we'll see you next week for the start of a new and exciting year of Xbox!

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What’s Your Xbox Game of the Year? – Unlocked 673 Dec 18, 2024

IGN has announced its Xbox Game of the Year, so now it's our turn to talk about our individual picks for best Xbox game of the year. And then we look ahead and discuss our personal most anticipated Xbox games for 2025.

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The Game Awards Was Stacked This Year – Unlocked 672 Dec 13, 2024

We react to this week's big event, The Game Awards, and the many reveals it brought with it, including The Witcher 4, Elden Ring Nightreign, gameplay for The Outer Worlds 2, and so, so much more!

#GOTYWatch

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Indiana Jones Is the Best Xbox Exclusive in Years – Unlocked 671 Dec 06, 2024

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is here, and we discuss in great (spoiler-free) detail why we think it's the best Xbox exclusive in years. Plus: our predictions for reveals we'll get at next week's Game Awards, Xbox Game Pass's December lineup, and more!

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The Xbox Games We’re Most Thankful For – Unlocked 670 Nov 27, 2024

Happy Thanksgiving to our USA listeners! In the spirit of the holiday this week, we're discussing the Xbox games we're most thankful for. Not necessarily the very best ones, but the ones that mean a lot to us that we're thankful for. Special guest: David "Fame2K" Whitaker from LV1 Gaming.

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STALKER 2 First Impressions – Unlocked 669 Nov 21, 2024

Our STALKER 2 reviewer Michael Higham joins us to discuss his thoughts so far as he's neck-deep in Xbox's big new exclusive first-person shooter. Plus: we discuss the Game of the Year nominees announced for this year's Game Awards, including whether or not an expansion pack should be included. We also talk about what we want from Amazon's live-action Mass Effect TV show, lament how Splinter Cell remains cursed after the long-gestating Tom Hardy-led live-action movie is announced as officially dead, and more!

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GTA 6 Release Date: Place Your Bets – Unlocked 668 Nov 14, 2024

Take-Two's CEO keeps insisting that Grand Theft Auto 6 will be released in 2025. Do we believe him? We discuss why (spoiler) we don't. Plus: a new Phil Spencer interview sees the Xbox boss being quite candid about both an Xbox handheld and the future of exclusives on Xbox hardware, and we have a LOT of thoughts. And we kick things off with a report from IGN contributor Travis Northup, who just got back from Montreal to preview Compulsion Games' new game South of Midnight. Join us! This week's show is Ryan McCaffrey, Stella Chung, Travis Northup, and is produced by Nick Maillet.

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Celebrating Halo 2’s 20th Anniversary – Unlocked 667 Nov 07, 2024

November 9 marks the 20th anniversary of Halo 2's release. We celebrate one of the greatest Xbox games ever by welcoming fellow veteran Xbox gamer Danny Peña from Gamertag Radio to share memories of playing it for the first time, ranking the original dozen multiplayer maps, plus a little surprise from a special guest. This week’s show is Ryan McCaffrey, Destin Legarie, Danny Peña from Gamertag Radio, and is produced by Nick Maillet.

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Getting Evil With Diablo's Rod Fergusson on Episode 666 – Unlocked 666 Oct 31, 2024

We celebrate our perfectly-timed-for-Halloween episode 666 with Rod Fergusson, the super-nice franchise head of one of gaming's most evil franchises, Diablo. Rod talks about the new Diablo 4 expansion pack, Vessel of Hatred, the new Spiritborn character class, his reaction to Gears of War: E-Day as the former studio head at The Coalition, and even what his Gears 6 would've looked like.

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Xbox Is Cooking This Holiday – Unlocked 665 Oct 24, 2024

With STALKER 2, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle all releasing one right after another later this Fall, Xbox is set to seriously cook at the end of 2024. Destin gives his glowing hands-on impressions of his recent STALKER 2 preview session, Seth Macy joins us to gush about Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, and Ryan will give his hands-on impressions of Indy...soon. Plus: former Halo senior developer Joseph Staten is back on the free agent market after Netflix shut down its AAA gaming studio, Halo Infinite's rumored battle royale mode was real before getting canceled, and more!

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Xbox's Latest Partner Preview Stream Was Fantastic – Unlocked 664 Oct 17, 2024

We went on the air live, immediately following the latest Xbox Partner Preview livestream. We gave our in-the-moment reactions to Xbox's fantastic presentation that included several reveals, including Remedy's Left 4 Dead-style session-based 3-player co-op multiplayer FPS, FBC Firebreak. We also discussed the adorable dog factor powering The Legend of Baboo along with Wuchang Fallen Feathers, Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, Alan Wake 2's Lakehouse expansion, Mouse: P.I. for Hire, Subnautica 2, and plenty more!

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The Future of Halo Is Unreal – Unlocked 663 Oct 10, 2024

Our resident Xbox crew (including Miranda!) reacts to and analyzes the huge Halo news of all future projects being moved to Unreal Engine 5 as well as the studio rebranding from 343 Industries to Halo Studios. We predict what the next mainline Halo game is, what we might get before that, how it ties into a possible PlayStation debut for the franchise, and much more!

Download the Opera GX: IGN Edition browser at http://Opera.com/gx/ign

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The STALKER 2 Documentary Is a Must-Watch – Unlocked 662 Oct 03, 2024

Our Xbox crew discusses the new STALKER 2 making-of documentary, and how it's a must-watch even if you aren't interested in the game. Plus: Ubisoft admits that Star Wars Outlaws has underperformed its sales expectations, leading us to suggest where the company should go from here in the bigger picture. We also talk about Tango Gameworks's new owner Krafton's plans for Hi-Fi Rush 2, Obsidian's possible expansion of Pillars of Eternity into a new genre, and more!

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Crazy Blizzard Stories With Jason Schreier – Unlocked 661 Sep 26, 2024

Bloomberg video game industry reporter Jason Schreier joins us to discuss his new book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment (out October 8) sharing crazy stories about the prestigious developer that Microsoft just bought as part of their $69 billion acquisition. Plus: Ubisoft delays Assassin's Creed Shadows, Splinter Cell is back...albeit on Netflix, and more!

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How Can Battlefield Get its Mojo Back? – Unlocked 660 Sep 19, 2024

We open this week's Xbox podcast at IGN by giving our hands-on impressions of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Then we discuss another EA game, Battlefield. We've got new details about the next game in the venerable first-person shooter series, and we talk about what we want out of it and what we think it needs to do in order to get back on top. Plus: more Microsoft layoffs, some good news on the Skate reboot, and more!

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What the PS5 Pro Means for Xbox’s Present and Future – Unlocked 659 Sep 12, 2024

We open this week's Xbox podcast by marking Destiny's 10th anniversary and then discussing the present and future for both the long-running shooter and Bungie itself, as well as what's riding on Bungie's next big project in Marathon. Then we give our thoughts on the Minecraft movie teaser before moving into our main topic: the PS5 Pro's widely panned unveiling and what it means for Xbox in both the present and the future.

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The Xbox Exclusives We Almost Got – Unlocked 658 Sep 05, 2024

This week's Xbox show delves into two notable games that Xbox boss Phil Spencer discussed having the chance to sign but didn't – plus one crucial one he did. Plus: Black Myth Wukong's Xbox absence is explained, Enotria: The Last Song's developers publicly call out Team Xbox for a lack of support, Stellas impressions of Call of Duty Black Ops 6, and more!

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Our Thoughts on Star Wars Outlaws (So Far) – Unlocked 657 Aug 29, 2024

Star Wars Outlaws, arguably the first big game to hit Xbox this Fall season, has arrived, and we've got thoughts on what we've played so far. Plus: we discuss some of the biggest announcements to come out of Gamescom (Mafia: The Old Country, Borderlands 4, and others), which games we're most excited about playing for the remainder of this year, and more!

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We’ve Seen Indiana Jones and Avowed & Both Look AWESOME – Unlocked 656 Aug 23, 2024

Ryan and Destin are joined by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams to discuss our extended new looks at two of Xbox's biggest upcoming games: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which both Ryan and Kahlief got a lengthy behind-closed-doors look at; and Avowed, which Destin and Kahlief both got to play. We are super excited for both and we want to tell you all about them. Plus: it turns out Indy is a timed exclusive, so we discuss how Xbox fans are feeling and what it signals for the future of the platform.

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8 Spectacular Games We Checked Out At gamescom 2024 - Podcast Unlocked Aug 22, 2024

What’s happening, friends? It is a special gamescom edition of Podcast Unlocked. This week, we've constructed for you a very unique gamescom-specific audio episode this week. Our awesome team at gamescom have put together a number of Xbox developer interviews that we’re going to share with you back to back. Coming up, we have interviews with the developers of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Monster Hunter Wilds, Diablo IV, Marvel Rivals, Fragpunk, Civilization VII, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.

Look for another regular episode of Podcast Unlocked, where we will dig into all sorts of stuff, including my behind-closed-doors demo of Indiana Jones, which I am unbelievably thrilled about. We’ll talk about all that and more, but for now, enjoy these developer interviews.

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We Love Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (So Far) – Unlocked 655 Aug 15, 2024

We've played a bunch of the upcoming Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster and we want to tell you all about why we love what we've played so far. Plus: one of our most anticipated games gets delayed to 2025 but we're happy it'll get the time it needs AND avoid the Fall games rush, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks gets saved by PUBG publisher Krafton and we're pretty sure we know what game they'll make next, we daydream about Batman games on Xbox now that WB is open to licensing its IPs to other game developers, and more!

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Avowed’s ‘Problem’ Is the Best Kind of Problem for Xbox – Unlocked 654 Aug 08, 2024

Our Xbox crew discusses why Avowed's delay out of the Q4 holiday season and into early 2025, and why the "problem" of it getting delayed is actually a blessing in disguise for Obsidian's eagerly anticipated first-person RPG. Plus: what Xbox's near-term lineup looks like now after the Avowed and STALKER 2 delays, one of last year's best games comes to Xbox One for those who haven't upgraded to a Series X or Series S yet, and more!

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Ranking Xbox’s Most Important Franchises – Unlocked 653 Aug 01, 2024

Parris Lilly from Gamertag Radio joins Ryan and Destin to discuss a number of Xbox topics this week, from the cancellation of the Paramount+ Halo TV series – which leads to a discussion about how important of a franchise Halo is to Xbox these days, and what the most important franchises are to Microsoft now – to Xbox's mixed-results financials, the devastating layoffs at Bungie, and more!

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Deadpool’s Ass (Xbox Controller) Is Amazing – Unlocked 652 Jul 18, 2024

Xbox just dropped the best gaming controller we've ever seen in the literal form of Deadpool's ass! We discuss how much we adore Xbox's cake-tastic new gamepad and implore Microsoft and Marvel to make more of the one-off sweepstakes prize so we can buy one. Plus: we make our Xbox Gamescom predictions for next month's big event, Xbox Game Pass's upcoming lineup has a head-scratching gap in it, and more!

Presented by Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs

00:00:00 - Intro

00:01:10 - Deadpool Xbox Controller

00:10:59 - Wendy's Saucy Nuggs Featuring Unnecessary Inventions

00:12:09 - The Underwhelming Xbox 360 Blades Dashboard

00:16:40 - Coming to Game Pass

00:24:42 - gamescom Predictions

00:45:28 - EA Sports College Football 25

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Dream Games We Wish Xbox Would Make – Unlocked 651 Jul 11, 2024

We had some fun this week and talked about 10 dream Xbox games we'd love to see Microsoft's massive collection of studios make, from a Halo horror game to giving one particular underrated Activision studio a chance to crack the code on a big-budget Superman game. Plus: Xbox raises Game Pass prices and reshuffles some of its tiers in a frustrating and confusing way, and more!

Presented by Wendy’s Saucy Nuggs

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So Many Remakes, Remasters, and Reboots! - Unlocked 650 Jul 04, 2024

This episode is all about the remakes we're cautiously optimistic about

(Assassin's Creed...but which ones?), the remasters we're excited about

(Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster), and the reboots we're left scratching our

heads over (Crazy Taxi). Plus: what we expect from the just-confirmed

Resident Evil 9, and more!

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What We Want from Xbox’s Big Gamescom – Unlocked 649 Jun 27, 2024

Xbox says it's going big at this year's Gamescom event, so we discuss what we think to see and what we hope to see. Plus: why we're thrilled about Capcom's just-announced Dead Rising 1 remaster, why we doubt that Beyond Good & Evil 2 will ever be released despite Ubisoft's statements to the contrary, and more!

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We Just Saw the Best Xbox Showcase Ever – Unlocked 648 Jun 13, 2024

Because the Xbox Showcase was SO GOOD this year, our 30-minute live reaction show from Sunday just wasn't enough. So we regrouped and talked for upwards of two more hours about all the big games, from Doom: The Dark Ages to Gears of War: E-Day to Fable to Perfect Dark to Black Ops 6 and so, so many more. Then we lay out how phenomenal the next year and a half of Xbox exclusives and Xbox Game Pass launches is looking before telling you a bit about a few other games we got to see and play at the event last week, including Xbox exclusives STALKER 2 and Replaced!

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Stig Asmussen Talks Star Wars, Leaving Respawn, and New Studio Giant Skull | IGN Live 2024 Jun 10, 2024

After directing two fantastic Star Wars Jedi games at Respawn, Stig Asmussen has embarked on a new adventure: Starting AAA studio Giant Skull. IGN's Ryan McCaffrey sits down with Stig to talk about why he left Respawn, what to expect from his next project, and his goals for creating a healthy work culture at Giant Skull amidst a turbulent time in the video game industry.

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Exclusive Interview: Phil Spencer Unveils Xbox's Future and New Horizons in Gaming - IGN Live Jun 10, 2024

Join us for an exclusive live interview at IGN Live with Xbox's Phil Spencer and a panel of top game developers. In this deep-dive session, we explore the latest Xbox strategies, the impact of recent studio acquisitions, and what the future holds for Xbox and its fans. From discussing major titles like 'Halo Infinite' to addressing community concerns and revealing insights into upcoming Xbox projects, this is a conversation any gaming enthusiast won't want to miss. Tune in to hear directly from the leaders shaping the future of gaming.

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The Best Announcements from the Xbox Summer Showcase Are… - Unlocked | IGN Live 2024 Jun 09, 2024

In this very special IGN Live analysis of the summer Xbox Showcase, we break down each announcement, from blockbuster game releases to unexpected surprises, and discuss their impact on the gaming landscape. The Podcast Unlocked crew, including Ryan McCaffrey, Miranda Sanchez, Stella Chung, and Destin Legarie, discuss key moments from the showcase, offering insights and reactions that you won't find anywhere else. Whether you're catching up or want to relive the excitement, this is your definitive guide to understanding what's next for Xbox.

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Unlock-Block Trivia Special II - Podcast Unlocked Jun 02, 2024

Today we’re diving into the best of Unlock-Block trivia. Join us as we relive some of the most memorable moments from past shows.

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Hellblade 2 Is Finally Here! A Spoiler-Free Discussion – Unlocked 646 May 23, 2024

The first officially announced Xbox Series game ever, Hellblade 2, has finally arrived, and we've played it! Join us for a spoiler-free discussion of Ninja Theory's stunning new Senua adventure. Plus: Activision opens a new AAA development studio with a narrative-driven focus, this year's Call of Duty looks set to drop straight onto Xbox Game Pass, Grand Theft Auto 6 gets a narrowed-in release window, and much more!