Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

Round 2 of the Xbox Reset has arrived thanks to none of other than the Green Reaper. Joining us is Gene Park to discuss the fallout of these events. Halo is now officially run by Activision as Xbox finally chopped down 343 aka Halo Studios. It has been a long time coming as 343 managed the franchise for 15 years. Their tenure brought us Halo Anniversary Edition, Halo 4, Halo 5 Guardians, Halo Infinite, Halo Wars 2, and Halo Campaign Evolved. Almost all of these were disasters in their own way and as Asha Sharma's team cleans house, this felt inevitable in the wake of poor sales for the latest Halo remake. So, how can Activision rebuild the franchise? What direction do they take things in? Is it time to rebuild from scratch and ignore literally anything done before? Are sprint, ADS, and mantling returning features? How long will all of this take? It is a seismic undertaking and one thing is clear: another 343 led Halo game that sucks would sting, but another new beginning that results in disaster would drive us all to the point of insanity. Xbox must nail this, but that goes for a number of their IP they're now looking to nurture. Obsidian has joined forces with Bethesda and it's no doubt that these two will be at the hip for a very long time as Fallout continues to peak in popularity. What is Obsidian's creative future? Are they forever attached to Fallout or are more experiments on the way? Plus, will InXile join the fold at Bethesda eventually as the Xbox Game Studios family has become incredibly lean. It's our largest episode ever, so do get comfortable, settle into the conversation, and enjoy!

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:07:02 - Addressing the nuclear Brad strike0:14:02 - Health Is Wealth0:17:02 - Is Trails 2 Remake worth it if you already played the original?0:19:59 - The next chapter for Bungie0:48:49 - Gene Park’s interview with Hideo Kojima1:27:31 - Xbox’s platinum equivalent is here1:37:46 - Why Fable was given a decade1:47:36 - Undead Labs has gone independent1:52:44 - Starcraft won’t be Xbox exclusive1:58:55 - Blood Of Dawnwalker cost just $40 million2:12:44 - Final Fantasy 7’s difficulty controversy2:37:01 - Valor Mortis makes admirable price move2:44:11 - What We’re Playing3:20:16 - Round 2 of the Xbox Reset commences
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XBOX's continued investment in an avalanche of tentpole IP's came full circle at BlizzCon 2026! The Dukes enlist "The Reaper" of Overwatch and all things BLIZZARD to break down the latest ramifications! From World Of Warcraft's roadmap/controller future, Diablo 5, and StarCraft announcements to how far out some of these releases are! We also discuss a plethora of XBOX news, the Kojima and XBOX partnership aftermath, Asha Sharma handling your customer support tickets and more!Timestamps: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 Wealth0:12:09 - Warm Up Questions0:27:14 - Inside report on Kojima and PlayStation’s split0:54:02 - Are Day 1 Game Pass Games done in 2027?1:13:32 - Apparently, Asha Sharma is helping Xbox support herself1:22:02 - The PlayStation Blackout failed1:28:10 - Wonders Of O trademarked by Neowiz1:33:34 - Major updates for Bungie & Marathon1:46:07 - FF7 Remake team is handling Kingdom Hearts 41:57:05 - Injustice 3 inbound?2:00:29 - SEGA is going all in on adaptations2:10:04 - GenAI use is crushing Level 52:12:24 - Capcom Announcements from TGS 20262:16:36 - Sea of Thieves Signs Of Life2:21:36 - What We’re Playing2:49:05 - The Big Blizzcon Blowout
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In the wee hours of the night, an absolute stunner landed. Prolific and beloved game director, Hideo Kojima, has killed off his partnership with PlayStation for his upcoming action-espionage title, PHYSINT, and signed on with Xbox. According to the man himself, PlayStation was ready to cancel his game this June! After three months of searching, he found his partner in XBOX. It's a partnership where Kojima claims that they "share a common vision for the future" which says more than just about anything else within this next. Those who recall the PHYSINT announcement in 2024 will also remember that this was TV/movie deal as well. According to the XBOX Wire, they've got that too! So, what gives? Is this just a money play? Has Sony lost touch with optical wins when it was only last generation that they reaped the massive benefits of saving Kojima from Konami? What is XBOX's end goal in all of this? There is much to discuss! Beyond that, we talk about the Cloud Gaming snafu, the diabolical Steam achievement leak, and so much more!Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro (Gamescom and Pax West Debriefing)00:34:17 - Health Is Wealth00:46:26 - Will Metaphor: ReFantazio get a definitive edition?00:49:43 - Cog’s thoughts on GTA 6 gameplay00:55:41 - Nintendo Direct recap01:04:04 - Ocarina Of Time Remake impressions01:30:30 - Developers opt out of Xbox’s disc to digital program?01:37:55 - Every NPC in Fable is handcrafted01:41:42 - Hideki Kamiya once again requests to make Scalebound01:48:31 - Rumors suggest Forza Horizon 6 isn’t coming to PS5 in 202601:50:43 - Blood Of Dawnwalker sequel in the works01:55:54 - More Final Fantasy 7 beyond the remakes01:59:20 - Capcom is focusing on reactivating IP02:02:31 - Witcher 1 Remake is on hold02:05:45 - PlayStation is looking to bring back Killzone02:12:05 - Venom game is still in development02:13:38 - Game Releases for September 202602:21:55 - What We’re Playing03:04:45 - Hideo Kojima jumps ship to Xbox03:54:14 - The catastrophic Steam achievement leak03:18:37 - Xbox’s Cloud Gaming Snafu
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Ladies and gentlemen, it is time for a rare one! Indeed, it is I, Matty, and I shall be tickling your ears across the airwaves in a solo venture here from Paris. Today, I dive into the post-Gamescom fallout in what has been an eventful trip for Xbox. For starters, BBC News briefly spoke with Asha Sharma and managed to snag a few answers from her on everything from Helix's "family of devices" to Halo getting some more focus over time. Most interestingly to me was her approach to physical games versus Sony's recent statement on how "reasonable consumers" know they don't own their digital games. Naturally as a game collector, I'm very interested to see where Xbox's disc-to-digital program goes. If this is the starting point, or "step one" as they've put it, then I can imagine great things arriving down the stretch. The question is: what does this mean for physical releases? Is it possible that Xbox pulls out limited runs of their games following the launch? I discuss that, plus Asha's thoughts on Xbox's approach to exclusivity which say more than I think most are considering! Beyond that, we dive into Fable's story length, Xbox's ambitious movie deal, my experience with State Of Decay 3, and (somehow) a whole lot more. Enjoy!

Sign up with code DEFININGDUKE at DraftKings! Spend $5 to get $200 in rewards within 21 days Timestamps:Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:13:58 - State Of Decay 3 release plans0:30:11 - Double Fine's Game Jam Kickstarter0:41:00 - Xbox's Ambitious Movie Deal0:51:59 - DOOM's DLC Crunch Story0:59:11 - Thoughts on GTA 6's Gameplay Reveal1:09:43 - Star Wars: Zero Company Devs Furloughed Ahead Of Launch1:15:39 - A Motive's Iron Man Game Confirmed1:54:05 - What I'm Playing2:17:25 - Asha Sharma's comments on Helix, Physical Media, and Halo
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IN PERSON DUKE ALERT! The Dukes have united in Germany for Gamescom 2026. This marks a first for the duo! Join us as we recollect on our adventures across Europe from jetlag to McDonalds and, yes, even Fable! Much has been said about the game following its delays, but now we have a clear look at combat. What about it is strong and are the comments about the enemy reactivity overplayed? We dive in. Plus more on State Of Decay 3 from graphics to feel. How is this shaping up as it hails from a former Xbox First Party studio? Naturally, we dive into that, plus all the other things we've seen and played while out here. It's a bit of a structureless conversation, so we appreciate you bearing with us and enjoy what is a rare type of episode for all of us. Due to the episode being in person, there are no timestamps.
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