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.
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.
Aren't video games awesome? We've certainly been spoiled this week, with a whole heap of awesome titles available to play, including another new studio with their debut title reaping all the rewards. This week, we're joined by Kahlief Adams from Spawn On Me, and get to talk the industry, content creation and lovely video games in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 260!
There's lots to talk about this week, from the surprise of Oblivion from Bethesda and Virtuos, and the amazing reception of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has wowed critics and players all over the world, becoming the highest rated game in 2025 and a shoe in for Game of the Year.
We also chat about Marathon and Bungie's future ambitions, my poor health (reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated!) and dive into some other titles we've been playing, from Fatal Fury: City of Wolves, La Quimera and Bionic Bay.
Beyond that, we dive into the news, and of particular note is the Xbox Community banding together to throw their own watch party for the Xbox Games Showcase in LA this year. We also tackle all the community questions from our incredible Patreon community. We also get a new look at Nick's new gaming/podcasting space! All of this and more in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 260!
As always, XboxEra is wholly supported by our incredible Patreon community, so if you love the content we create, from our reviews, previews and news coverage, consider supporting us directly on Patreon - just head to patreon.com/xboxera.
The Podcast crew gather once more to discuss all the goings-on in the gaming industry this week. Leaks, remasters, marketing and more - it's the XboxEra Podcast Episode 259!
Nick is out this week, redecorating and fussing over his new gaming space, so myself and Jesse are joined by the one and only K.Asante this week to break down the week. It's been an odd-one, that's for sure!
The biggest news of the week has undoubtedly been the leak of Oblivion Remastered, with tonnes of in-game screenshots, comparisons and marketing information shared from one of the developers own websites. Elsewhere, we held the XboxEra Spring Subathon, focused on raising funds to cover travel expenses like flights and hotels so that we can bring you more of the best of what we do. Big thank you to everyone that donated!
We also covered Towerborne, with a gameplay-filled 45 minute interview for you to check out ahead of the game arriving into Xbox Game Pass on April 29th. That's not the only thing coming to Game Pass of course, with Microsoft announcing a meaty drop of 10 games for the second wave this month.
There's plenty to play, and we talk games, in addition to celebrating our amazing community, all in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 259!
As always, the best way to support XboxEra is to do so directly by joining the Patreon, where you get cool stuff and we get to keep doing what we do. Head to patreon.com/xboxera to learn more.
Another interesting week in the gaming industry has passed us by, and once again the podcast crew got together to discuss a little bit of everything in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 258!
Myself, Nick and Jesse have plenty to talk about this week. Blue Prince released as the highest rated game of the year (on Game Pass no less!), and I can finally talk a little about how obsessive I've been with the game.
South of Midnight is now out for everyone on Xbox Game Pass, and what a treat it is too. For Xbox though, the year continues, and they've now announced the Xbox Games Showcase for 2025, a digital only event occurring during Summer Games Fest follow by a deep dive into The Outer Worlds 2! Bungie also lift the lid on Marathon, coming September 2025 on Xbox, PS5 and PC.
Lastly, Console Wars The Card Game is finally arriving into backers hands, as all copies have shipped out from the UK to folks in Europe and well, everywhere except for the USA, Canada and Mexico. That group of folks haven't got long to wait, with the game arriving starting next week with any luck.
As always, XboxEra is made possible by you, our community. If you'd like to support us directly, head over to patreon.com/xboxera and pledge your support!
What a week! There's more gaming news than you can shake a stick at. From the reveal and subsequent carnage of the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal to the release of South of Midnight, the XboxEra crew are here to break it all down in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 257!
Nick, Jesse and myself sit down this week to talk through what has been a pretty crazy time in gaming. DOOM: The Dark Ages kicked things off, with our preview and extended gameplay going live on Monday. We sent the lovely Gyózó Baki out to Germany to go hands-on, and he came back with all sorts of lovely footage and impressions for us to share.
Jesse reviewed the lovely South of Midnight from Compulsion Games, which is out now in Early Access and coming to Game Pass on Day One come April 8th. Predrag worked his magic on the presentation, so you should go check things out and have a read.
Lastly, Nintendo revealed the long-awaited Switch 2, and then shocked consumers with a high ticket price, not just for the console, but also raising the price for their games to an eye-watering level. We talk through the reveal, the games and really, that Nintendo enjoys a position few other platforms have, in that the nostalgia wins out, and they'll just get away with it. ASUS have teased a new handheld partnered with Xbox, perhaps we'll get to see more in the coming weeks.
All this and more of course, so jump in! It's always worth mentioning that XboxEra is a publication supported by you, so if you want to support us directly, head to patreon.com/xboxera.
Another week passes us by, with more games released and more shows detailed. As per usual the crew are on hand to break it all down for you in three hours of conversational banter in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 256!
Nick, Jesse and I return to chat through all the latest in gaming for this week. Nintendo had a Direct ahead of the imminent Switch 2 reveal, and a MARVEL Cosmic Invasion, new side-scrolling beat 'em up made Nick very happy. Metroid Prime 4 footage helped too.
The whole crew have been playing South of Midnight, but we can't really talk about it until next week, but you can check out our review when it premieres right here. Myself and Jesse have been playing upcoming Game Pass release Blue Prince, and while I want to talk about it VERY MUCH INDEED, you'll have to wait until the week after next for my verdict. I also wrote a lenghty op-ed about the recent discussion regarding playing PlayStation Games on the new Xbox via Steam, which the community was debating online - you can read/watch that here.
We also chat through all sorts of news topics, from Switch 2 launch plans from Insider Gaming, Xbox releases dominating the PlayStation store worldwide and new release The First Bezerker: Khazan, which Jesse described as one of the most difficult game he's ever played.
All this and more, so jump in!
What a week in video games! GDC 2025 has wrapped up, several big games have hit and the team are here to dig into it all in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 255!
This week, Nick and Jesse are joined by the lovely ModernVintageGamer for the start of the show as they dig into all the week's gaming news. From Atomfall to Assassin's Creed, Steam UI, Xbox and PlayStation, there's plenty to dive into and discuss.
As the lovely MVG jumps out, I dive in, sharing my perspective on GDC, being stuck in America for the weekend due to the carnage at Heathrow and just how great Towerborne is (and it's finally coming to Xbox in April).
We also dive into all of our wonderful community questions from our amazing Patreon supporters, who make all of this possible. If you want to join the Patreon, consider supporting us directly via patreon.com/xboxera.
Another weekend hits, another chance for the crew to get together and talk video games, the industry and a whole host of things. Settle in and get comfortable for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 254!
I'm out heading to GDC this week in (Sunny?) San Francisco, so the lovely Aarsaal jumps in to help host the show with Nick and Jesse. The crew chat through what they've been playing, from Pillars of Eternity 2 to the crazy world of Mullet Madjack. Nick of course, wants to talk about... Fortnite (We're all sorry about this).
Talk turns to the industry as always, from handhelds, Xbox and everything else. The crew also chat about Moon Studios going fully independent for their latest title, No Rest For The Wicked and celebrate the Ori franchise selling 15 Million Copies. Death Stranding 2 got a release trailer, PlayStation are experimenting with AI interactions and Battlefield 6 had a whole heap of cool looking gameplay leak from it's closed Alpha test.
All this and more of course, and it's all made possible by the support we get directly from our community. If you what to help power what we do, consider supporting us directly on Patreon - just head to patreon.com/xboxera.
Jump in!
Another week passes by, and of course another gathering for the XboxEra Podcast crew to get together and talk all things video games for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 253!
This week, Jon, Nick and Jesse are reeling from a whole host of video game news. Split Fiction is out in the wild, earning a 'masterpiece, 10 out of 10 rating' from Jon in his review. Jesse previewed Atomfall, reviewed WWE 2K25 and Nick...
Despite the busy week, we've all been playing Assassin's Creed: Shadows, but we can't talk about it yet, so you folks will have to make do with Jesse's preview, which you can find here.
In addition to all our own content, we dive into the news of the week, from the return of legendary publisher Acclaim, to the reveal of Tony Hawks Pro Skater 3+4 and a little bit of FragPunk on PC, as the console launch was delayed.
All this and more, so jump in! If you enjoy the XboxEra Podcast, the best way to support us is to do so directly, by heading to Patreon.com/xboxera and helping to keep us independent!
Another week in gaming, another chance for the podcast crew to get round the mic for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 252!
This week sees the triumphant return of both Jon, Nick and Jesse following a short break last week due to personal commitments. As always, the industry hasn't stopped moving along, and there's plenty of news and video game things, good and bad to discuss!
Before any of that, the team are joined by Patrick of Zockrates Laboratories, developers of the incredible looking Ruffy and The Riverside, a nostalgic looking 3D Platformer with a unique gameplay twist. You can check out our thoughts on the demo available as part of Steam Next Fest here.
In news, the team dig into Fable's delay to 2026, the absolute sh*t-show at Warner Bros., and of course the massive success of Monster Hunter: Wilds.
All this and more, so jump in!
XboxEra is supported by an amazing community of Patrons - if you love what we do, consider supporting us directly on Patreon. Just head to Patreon.com/XboxEra.
Alright, lets get back to normal. A nice normal show with the usual crew...Well, we would do that, but I'm off and so is Nick, so instead the lovely Aarsaal and K.Asante step in with Jesse for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 251!
Aarsaal, K and Jesse chat about what they've been playing, generally chit chat and then dive into the latest news. Microsoft announced MUSE, a new AI model and a new type of quantum computing too. They also dive into Microsoft's ecosystem future, a new Tony Hawk tease and NetEase pulling an Embracer as they reportedly seek to shed studios.
All this and more, so jump in! The best way to support XboxEra is of course to join our community on Patreon via patreon.com/xboxera. If you love what we do, please think about it! You'd make all the difference in the world!
Another week passes by, but this milestone is nothing to sneeze at as the XboxEra Podcast crew celebrate one hell of a milestone in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 250!
Jon is back from DICE 2025 in Las Vegas, Nick is recovering from a night of partying and Jesse is raising his head from playing a tonne of Avowed, but none of that will stand in the way of celebrating our 250th episode in style as Xbox CEO Phil Spencer stops by to mark the occasion for the community.
As well as talking about a few things that happened this week, the focus is on our time with Phil. We chat about a variety of things, from the Xbox Developer Direct, Microsoft’s new multiplatform approach and what Phil thinks when the community expresses concerns about Xbox becoming the next Sega. We also discover exactly what Phil got his for his birthday and just how good a game show host he could be if wanted to try a career change!
As always, XboxEra is completely supported by our incredible Patreon Community, and they are the ones that make doing reviews, previews and all our custom content possible. If you love what we do, please consider supporting us directly via Patreon.
A big thank you to you all for joining us on the journey - here's to another 250!
Another week passes us by, another chance for the podcast crew to chat video games, industry news and make a special announcement - it's the XboxEra Podcast Episode 249!
This week, Nick is having a little rest with his family, so Jon and Jesse are joined by the lovely Aarsaal to chat video games. Aarsaal has been enjoyingKingdom ComeDeliverance II andCitizen Sleeper 2 and managed to hit the embargoes for both, which is always nice. Jon has been playingSouth of Midnight for the preview next week, and Jesse has prepped hisAvowed review for you all to watch come embargo time.
We also chat about the PSN outage and the absolute mess that Warner Bros' Game division finds itself in. The Console Wars launch is imminent and Jon is heading to Vegas for DICE 2025.
And of course, to finally share a little surprise - Phil Spencer is joining the crew to celebrate episode 250 of the XboxEra Podcast next week!
As always, if you love what we do - consider supporting XboxEra directly viaPatreon.
Another week of utter gaming industry carnage, another coveted Xbox Exclusive jumps ship to PlayStation 5. Join Jon, Nick and Jesse in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 248!
This week, we talk through the big news - Forza Horizon 5 is heading to PlayStation 5, and the community just don't feel right about it. Add to this the recent Microsoft financials, where hardware is on a continuing steep decline, and it's clear Xbox fans are pretty divided on this new era for Microsoft. We discuss this at length, taking questions from the audience and our wonderful Patreon community.
In lighter new, there's been plenty of great games with Eternal Strands, Sniper Elite: Resistance and Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap and Citizen Sleeper 2 all releasing into your Xbox Game Pass subscription, and plenty of other reviews for you to enjoy including Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter.
We break it all down either way, so jump in! If you love what we do, please consider supporting us directly on Patreon. We're worth a coffee a month, right?
What a week! Xbox kicked off 2025 with one hell of a bang, and Jon, Nick, Jesse and special guest Parris Lily are here to break it all down in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 247!
We chat with Parris as to how he got started in the industry, and how his work with Danny Peña and the folks at Gamertag Radio and KindaFunny changed his life. They interviewed Xbox Boss Phil Spencer this week, and there was plenty of interesting tidbits to enjoy. You can watch the full interview with Phil here.
Xbox held their now traditional Developer_Direct this week, and it was quite the show! We witnessed the return of Team Ninja and PlatinumGames with the announcement of Ninja Gaiden 4! Then they went a step further and shadow-dropped Ninja Gaiden 2: Black for us all to play.
We got deep, gameplay filled looks at South of Midnight, as dived into Hazel's magical world. Expedition 33 looked bloody amazing, and fans of Turn-Based RPGs are sure to be well served by this one. Lastly, DOOM: The Dark Ages wrapped the show with a thrilling look at the next iteration in the venerable franchise. Check out our preview if you want to know a little more.
Even better, everything bar Ninja Gaiden 4 is releasing before Summer, begging the question - what the hell are Xbox giving us come that wonderful June showcase?!
If you've regularly enjoyed our content, please consider supporting XboxEra on Patreon. Your support means more reviews, previews and exclusive shows - just for you.
It's not every often new hardware gets revealed, but 2025 has started off with a bang! Nintendo have finally unveiled the Nintendo Switch 2, so there's plenty to talk about in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 246!
This week, Jon, Nick and Jesse are joined by the lovely Destin Legarie, who recently struck out on his own and started his new Patreon supported venture, SaveStatePlus!
The team break down the Switch 2 reveal and just how big it may or may not be. We also dig into Xbox and the new trajectory, the state of PlayStation 1st party and the industry overall. There's plenty to discuss in this lengthy show, so jump in!
If you enjoy the content XboxEra provides, consider supporting us directly on Patreon. With tonnes of exclusive content, perks and lovely merch, there's never been a better time to support independent games coverage.
Start your hype engines! Team green have announced their latest Xbox Developer_Direct for 2025 and we've got a whole slate of new games coming for us all to enjoy this year. The team break down all the possibilities in the XboxEra Podcast Episode 245! Aside from some brief discussion on games like Eternal Strands, Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 and Assassin's Creed: Shadows, the majority of the show is discussing the vast possibilities available to us for the Xbox Developer_Direct 2025. South of Midnight, Doom: The Dark Ages and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are all on the docket, with a 4th mystery game on the way.
Even better, it's a 'brand new' and 'unannounced' game, and the community is buzzing with all the possibilities. What do you think it could be? We also break down all of the subsequent rumours from Jez Corden and NatetheHate, with more first party Xbox titles going multiplatform in 2025.
Lastly, we celebrate our Patrons, without whom our continued existence would not be possible. This year, we're bringing even more value and content to an XboxEra Patreon subscription, and if you love what we do, we wholeheartedly recommend signing up and supporting us directly via Patreon yourself.
A new year brings new beginnings, and the same is true for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 244! The year ahead looks chock full of amazing video games, and like you, we can't wait to play them!
In this weeks episode, Jon, Nick and Jesse talk through a little bit of news, from crossovers that never happened to getting the star of UK darts on the XboxEra Podcast at some point in the future. The big discussion of course revolves around the fabled 'Year of Xbox'. There are so many games, so many possibilities and we are so excited to get stuck in. South of Midnight, Doom: The Dark Ages, Fable, Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2 and so much more - and that's just Xbox first party.
We talk through it all with our amazing community having their say in the chat, and Nick and Jon do battle once again in What Year, M'Dear and The Annual Friends Quiz, with Jesse overseeing it all with his usual production skills.
XboxEra had an amazing 2024 thank to you, and we know that tackling 2025 with our community in tow is going to be even better. Supporting independent publications is more important than ever, so please consider supporting us via Patreon.
It's the last podcast of year, so deep from within Santa's sack, a wonderful Jeff Grubb appears to join Nick for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 243!
Jon has been forced into exile for the week (and is sick with the Flu!) and Jesse is the voice of God - why? Because every year, Nick and Jeff get together to talk video games in an episode officially known as Grubbsmas.
They talk through Jeff's Christmas Train derail, Indiana Jones, Marvel Rivals and Prince of Persia and a whole host of topics. What will Xbox do in 2025? The Switch 2 is inbound and not to forget the community questions from our wonderful Patreon community.
So get comfortable and settle in for the XboxEra Podcast Episode 243! Jump in!
