John and Ryan are back at it with a jam-packed episode of gaming goodness and industry buzz. Things kick off with their latest gaming-related pickups and what’s currently stealing time from their backlogs. Then it’s onto the mystical halls of Strixhaven, as John leads a recap of their ongoing D&D campaign discussing enchanted puzzles, morally murky professors, and all the magical mayhem you'd hope for from an academic arcane adventure. After the fantasy fades, the duo dives into real-world drama—first tackling Ubisoft’s eyebrow-raising comments on microtransactions from its recent financial report and recent layoffs by Candy Crush makers King Games. Finally, the hosts wax nostalgic with a review of Kelly Slater’s Pro Surfer on the Nintendo GameCube, revisiting wave mechanics, extreme sports culture, and whether this sleeper hit deserves a second ride. Articles covered: https://www.eteknix.com/ubisoft-says-microtransactions-make-games-more-fun/  https://www.thegamer.com/microsoft-king-layoffs-replaced-by-ai-they-trained/     Want more Game Deflators content? Find us at www.thegamedeflators.com     Find us on Social Media Twitter @GameDeflators Instagram @TheGameDeflators Facebook @TheGameDeflators YouTube @The Game Deflators   Permission for intro and outro music provided by Matthew Huffaker http://www.youtube.com/user/teknoaxe 2_25_18