Cleo joins me for a lot of exciting queer game news and a heaping pile of drama! On the news side: Zorkie Studios, the developer duo behind Quality Dreams, Reasonably Priced, has a brand new game announcement, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds and Warframe have Nintendo Switch 2 updates, Pokémon Legends Z-A’s DLC is dropping very soon, and some weird and maybe disappointing updates on Mass Effect 5 and Fallout New Vegas 2. On the drama side: tons of layoffs, and a massive update on GTA 6 that is meant to distract us all from Rockstar’s alleged attempt at union busting.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:19 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:25:35 - News 01:08:00 - Segment   This episode was recorded on November 9 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Cleo: https://www.instagram.com/cleostrophobia/   Sources: https://store.steampowered.com/app/4047160/Im_Making_a_Monster/ https://blog.bioware.com/2025/11/07/n7-day-2025/ https://www.pcgamer.com/games/rpg/mass-effect-boss-mike-gamble-slips-a-hidden-message-into-his-n7-day-update-asks-fans-to-stop-yelling-at-him-for-not-sharing-more-info-about-the-new-game/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WC-0DOg4z9A https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/11/warframes-switch-2-version-is-officially-launching-in-2026 https://www.gamesradar.com/games/fallout/obsidian-knows-that-everyone-on-the-internet-keeps-asking-for-fallout-new-vegas-2-but-its-devs-are-currently-happy-working-on-their-own-ip-and-xbox-has-been-pretty-supportive-too/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMve2vXAQGQ https://x.com/serebiinet/status/1986443665120579796?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/another-netease-games-studio-is-shutting-down/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/yet-another-netease-studio-has-closed-this-time-watch-dogs-devs-bad-brain/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/neteases-closed-studio-t-minus-zero-entertainment-is-back-from-the-dead/ https://www.rockman-corner.com/2025/11/capcom-taiwans-game-development.html https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/square-enix-announces-more-layoffs-as-part-of-us-and-europe-restructuring/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/square-enix-says-it-wants-generative-ai-to-be-doing-70-of-its-qa-and-debugging-by-the-end-of-2027/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/11/the-legend-of-zelda-movie-is-now-in-production-in-new-zealand https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-31/-grand-theft-auto-studio-accused-of-union-busting-after-firings https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1ol535e/jason_schreier_grand_theft_auto_studio_accused_of/?share_id=jD4aca9IotIqoUFjuB4D9&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1opjkg4/jason_schreier_rockstar_games_said_that_the/?share_id=jdo6UO90RAZ74PX1UTr_k&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-11-05/-grand-theft-auto-studio-says-fired-employees-were-leaking-information?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc2MjM4NDU1NSwiZXhwIjoxNzYyOTg5MzU1LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUNUEwS0JHUFdDTDgwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.PipR6t4x9M3EqRs9jXeXrZNn3d-RZBZhXyh8pTYZhFs&leadSource=uverify%20wall https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2mkgbhbhqvappkkorf2bzyrp/post/3m4wbmgq46k23 https://iwgb.org.uk/en/post/staff-at-rockstar-fired-en-masse/ https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/ak3ak31a49a221/grand-thef

For the news segment, it’s just me: Zoey. It’s a lighter news week (ish). Metal Gear Solid Delta remake got a free update, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has some exciting news related to the Nintendo Switch 2 and… Lego(?!), Queer– I mean, Fear Effect 2 is getting a remaster like the first game, and Amazon has laid off tons of staff and canceled 2 MMOs. Also, two strange pieces of news regarding Kojima and a certain sitting US president… In the second half, Zoe Straw is back to talk about her time playing Borderlands 4! We discuss the story, the performance, and the Randy Pitchford drama of it all. Plus, at the end, we talk about, well, the end (of the game)!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:38 - News 00:25:31 - Borderlands 4 01:05:00 - Borderlands 4 Spoiler Talk   SPOILER WARNING: Borderlands 4 ending spoilers at the 1 hour and 5 minute mark until the end of the podcast.   The news was recorded on November 2 2025, and the Borderlands 4 segment was recorded on October 28 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Zoe Straw: https://bsky.app/profile/zoeleet.bsky.social   Sources: https://youtu.be/QK5Ow9zHA4U?t=1180 https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252431/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/animal-crossing-new-horizons-is-getting-a-nintendo-switch-2-edition-and-a-free-update/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/animal-crossing-new-horizons-free-update-will-add-lego-furniture-and-playable-nes-and-game-boy-games/ https://www.reddit.com/r/StopKillingGames/s/ZH3NoRfnMu https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-the-concert-woes-continue-as-at-least-17-us-dates-cancelled-and-webpage-offline/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/amazon-making-significant-cuts-to-games-business-moving-away-from-mmos/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/new-world-is-officially-ending-development-following-huge-amazon-layoffs/ https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/amazon-have-reportedly-cancelled-their-lord-of-the-rings-mmo-again https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-10-31/-grand-theft-auto-studio-accused-of-union-busting-after-firings https://www.reddit.com/r/GamingLeaksAndRumours/comments/1ol535e/jason_schreier_grand_theft_auto_studio_accused_of/?share_id=jD4aca9IotIqoUFjuB4D9&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 https://x.com/gamestop/status/1982213786221109263 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1982587953676247375 https://x.com/gamestop/status/1982619455797821810 https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/gamestop-stock-jumps-after-white-house-reposts-console-wars-declaration-4310262 https://youtu.be/c46xM5-wScg https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/fox-hunt-the-online-multiplayer-mode-for-metal-gear-sold-delta-snake-eater-is-available-now/ https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/10/no-one-ever-told-me-such-a-conversation-had-taken-place-kojima-wasnt-aware-of-the-wachowskis-matrix-game-offer

Please forgive the audio quality this week! There was an issue with the recording service we use that created a very challenging sync error. To help with a bandage, the service gave me a lower quality cloud backup to use (while they try to fix the issue… much too slowly, unfortunately). But this week Cleo joins me to talk about the news and a horror game that’s steeped in sapphic vibes! For the news: Sims players are planning a boycott, EA has a weird commitment to AI, Kirby Air Riders is surprisingly accessible (for a Nintendo game), more layoffs, and 5 different queer games got release date updates… plus a whole lot more! In the second half, Cleo and I are diving into our discussion on 2024’s Fear the Spotlight, a PS1 style horror game that plays like Resident Evil but with lesbians! It’s not a game that advertises its queerness, but this game is so scary and beautiful and well designed, it almost caught us off-guard.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:07:31 - News 00:50:13 - Fear the Spotlight   SPOILER WARNING: In explaining how Fear the Spotlight is similar to Life is Strange in some aspects, we inadvertently spoil a major twist in the original Life is Strange game.   This episode was recorded on October 25 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Cleo: https://www.instagram.com/cleostrophobia/   Sources: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/final-fantasy-14-director-yoshi-p-says-hell-keep-working-on-the-game-for-at-least-a-good-while/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZHYjYHHiBM https://gaymingmag.com/2025/10/ive-lost-my-safe-space-lgbtqia-the-sims-players-boycott-game-over-potential-conservative-acquisition/ https://www.tweaktown.com/news/108403/report-eas-internal-ai-is-causing-issues-with-games-development/index.html https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/10/ea-is-diving-headfirst-into-generative-ai-with-new-partnership https://www.outsports.com/2025/10/14/24119785/lgbtq-sports-execs-coaches-athletes-outsports-power-100/ https://www.ign.com/articles/mortal-kombat-2-release-date-changes-once-again-but-this-time-its-good-news https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/rovio-is-laying-off-36-staff-says-angry-birds-dream-blast-has-not-been-performing-as-expected/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/thegamer-website-suffers-widespread-editorial-layoffs/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ubisoft-is-asking-staff-at-the-division-studio-massive-entertainment-to-volunteer-to-be-laid-off/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/10/elden-ring-delayed-on-switch-2-to-allow-time-for-performance-adjustments https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/assassins-creed-shadows-has-finally-been-officially-confirmed-for-nintendo-switch-2/ https://bethesda.net/en/article/N00XVTawnzBBH7HNwv0hN/fallout-4-anniversary-edition-announced https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRpy9SYCxuk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57Dj9vrW20g https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/after-numerous-delays-sonic-rumble-finally-has-a-release-date/ https://bsky.app/profile/blacktabbygames.com/post/3m3uuxpdzf22p https://store.steampowered.com/app/1609230/Scarlet_Hollow/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/were-seeing-people-evolve-way-past-that-xboxs-sarah-bond-says-the-idea-of-exclusives-is-outdated/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/confirmed-halo-is-coming-to-ps5/

This week, it’s just me – Zoey – for the news. Headlines include the Horizon movie getting a possible release date, the PS6 and Xbox 720/Two/Series Y&T (whatever they're calling it) getting a possible release date, and Nintendo reassures us they didn’t get hacked and your user data was not stolen. Additionally, there were no layoffs this week and the industry has even started to fight back on two fronts, which gives me some cautious optimism. In the second half, some familiar guests are back: Amy-Lynn, Juno, and Nicole! And we’re talking all about the new Pokémon game: Legends Zed to Eh. Zee, Ay. Zeyay. Anyway, it turns out the game is actually surprisingly quite queer, but as is tradition, Game Freak may be a few steps short of perfect queer representation.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:42 - News 00:28:04 - Pokémon Legends Z-A Discussion   Spoiler warning for Pokémon Legends Z-A: we talk about everything up to the first Vinnie battle, and we spoil one unrevealed Mega Evolution from later in the game (a Pokémon with a silly design that has gone viral – you’ve probably already seen it).   This episode was recorded on October 19 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Amy-Lynn: https://www.instagram.com/amethystlylac Juno: https://twitter.com/ThatTransNPC Nicole: https://www.instagram.com/nicoletyngs/   Sources: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ps6-and-next-xbox-console-are-both-aiming-for-2027-release-separate-reports-claim/ https://thegamepost.com/sony-horizon-zero-dawn-movie-filming-release/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/mindseye-studio-build-a-rocket-boy-is-being-sued-by-union-members-over-alleged-mishandling-of-layoffs/ https://www.pcgamer.com/gaming-industry/saudi-arabias-acquisition-of-electronic-arts-faces-pushback-from-game-developers-petition-calls-on-ftc-to-scrutinize-this-deal-closely/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/quantic-dreams-first-multiplayer-game-is-spellcasters-chronicles-a-3v3-strategy-action-game/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/10/nintendo-responds-to-reported-crimson-collective-hack-with-official-statement https://x.com/pinapberi/status/1979116389941043478 https://x.com/Keisaraynja_/status/1979228043580207106

It’s that time of the season, and Steam Next Fest has returned! Ekamy, Cleo, Lloyd and I played 7 gayme demos (and it was hard to pick, there were so many amazing queer games)!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:27 - Steam Next Fest - October 2025   This episode was recorded on October 16 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Ekamy: https://www.twitch.tv/ekamy Cleo: https://www.instagram.com/cleostrophobia/ Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Games: Steel Century Groove: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1858950/Steel_Century_Groove/ Laugh Track: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3765430/Laugh_Track/ Killer Chat - Original Edition: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3476730/Killer_Chat__Original_Edition/ Winter Burrow: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008740/Winter_Burrow/ Lap of the Gods: A Visual Novel: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3138230/Lap_of_the_Gods_A_Visual_Novel/ Messy Hearts: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3892820/Messy_Hearts/ Dead Pets Unleashed: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1851720/Dead_Pets_Unleashed/

This week it’s just me for the first half: I talk about what I’ve been playing (Three Days to Chicago, a visual novel by Chris Schroyer, as well as the news! Headlines include a character from the Fallout TV series coming to Fallout 76, A Minecraft Movie is getting a sequel, there were more layoffs, and Fortnite has officially skipped its Pride event this year. For the second half, remember the game I mentioned I played this week? Three Days to Chicago? Well Chris Schroyer, the game’s creator, joins me for an interview! Chris has had a long and exciting career working at Telltale and other studios, and his gameography includes The Wolf Among Us, Tales from the Borderlands, and more! He discusses his time at Telltale and his approach to what he calls “attainable fantasy” in Three Days to Chicago.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:37 - What I’ve Been Playing 00:21:29 - News 00:36:08 - Interview with Chris Schroyer   Note: I mentioned Super Mario Galaxy might run at 120fps on Switch 2, but a quick search after recording indicates   This first half was recorded on October 11 2025. The interview was recorded on October 10 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Chris Schroyer: https://bsky.app/profile/schroyer.bsky.social   Three Days to Chicago: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2495380/Three_Days_to_Chicago/   Sources: https://www.gamespot.com/articles/fortnite-skipped-pride-this-year/1100-6535186/ https://deadline.com/2025/10/minecraft-2-release-date-1236574896/ https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1o2ckvv/minecraft_sequel_announced_official_teaser_poster/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/we-are-all-hurting-metal-hellsinger-studio-closed-as-part-of-funcom-cuts/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/development-ends-on-hyper-light-breaker-as-studio-heart-machine-says-its-making-layoffs/ https://www.ign.com/articles/world-of-warcrafts-long-awaited-housing-releases-in-december https://x.com/discussingfilm/status/1973388284895072318?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://bethesda.net/it/article/2nqh2JMnLeJnjpxwUUi5n6/inside-the-vault-burning-springs-public-test-server-release-notes https://gaymingmag.com/2023/08/three-days-to-chicago-is-midboss-first-third-party-game/

For the first half of the show, Cleo and Lloyd are back to discuss yet another piece of hot gossip: EA has been purchased by Jared Kushner and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund for $55 billion, which is the second largest video game company purchase of all time. What does this mean for the queer games at EA, namely Mass Effect, Dragon Age, and The Sims? Of course, we also talk about what we’ve been playing along with a bunch of other headlines (Kojima has cast a trans woman as a lead in his new PT-inspired horror game, and we’re pretty excited)! Plus lots of other queer game news, including indies and AAAs. In the second half, it’s me and a new guest: Juno! Juno and I have played the first chunk of Ghost of Yotei, which features genderfluid actor Erika Ishii as the player character Atsu. We discuss minor spoilers for the early sections of the game and our experiences with it.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:04:01 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:25:35 - News 00:59:00 - EA Gaymes in Danger? 01:13:55 - Ghost of Yotei Discussion   ***Minor spoilers for early section of Ghost of Yotei***   The news segment was recorded on Oct 3 2025, and the Ghost of Yotei segment was recorded on Oct 5 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Cleo: https://www.instagram.com/cleostrophobia/ Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHCqxLtwy5g https://www.ign.com/articles/hideo-kojima-reveals-debut-poster-for-playstation-exclusive-physint-first-cast-announcement https://insider-gaming.com/konami-asked-fans-which-metal-gear-remade/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/09/classic-mech-anime-and-tactical-card-combat-collide-in-battle-chef-brigade-devs-new-rpg https://battlesuitaces.com/ https://bsky.app/profile/tanatb.housefuckinggame.com/post/3m2aub7jc6s27 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/days-before-release-borderlands-4-is-indefinitely-delayed-on-switch-2/ https://www.theverge.com/games/784264/pokemon-legends-z-a-hands-on-fashion-nintendo-switch-2 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/avalanche-is-closing-its-liverpool-studio-following-contrabands-cancellation/ https://www.ign.com/articles/just-one-month-after-xboxs-contraband-cancelation-developer-avalanche-announces-layoffs-and-uk-studio-closure-plans https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/starbreeze-has-cancelled-its-dungeons-dragons-game-and-is-laying-off-44-staff-as-it-focuses-on-payday/ https://www.gamesindustry.biz/dune-awakening-developer-funcom-announces-redundancies https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/xbox-game-pass-is-increasing-in-price-by-50/ https://x.com/lbabinz/status/1973394895017845236?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://x.com/lbabinz/status/1973395627183935628?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/9/24195312/microsoft-xbox-game-pass-ultimate-price-increase-standard-subscription https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ea-confirms-that-it-will-be-acquired-for-55-billion-by-investors-including-saudi-arabias-pif/ https://www.pcgamer.com/hardware/eas-new-owners-are-leaning-heavily-on-ai-to-make-some-money-and-its-huge-debt-go-away-which-seems-like-one-helluva-gamble-to-me/ https://insider-gaming.com/bioware-staff-worried-about-studios-future/ https://www.reddit.com/r/gaymers/comments/1nuzffk/are_we_screwed_for_the_simsbioware_games/?share_id=_1xwZ04x__KFgmQKnGdzj&utm_content=1&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_source=share&utm_term=1 Petition: https://www.change.org/p/protect-the-sims-from-censorship-and-political-control

Did you know there’s an entire conference focused entirely on queer games? Neither did I! So I took the train to Montreal to check it out for myself… and IT WAS SO COOL! The Queerness and Games Conference (QGCon) is an annual 3-day conference for queer developers and queer gamers, featuring all types of games! They had board games, card games, TTRPGs… but of course, I went for the video games. Not only did I attend a bunch of the panels, but I met a lot of amazing queer video game devs and played tons of demos for recently released and upcoming games! Some of them we’ve even talked about on the podcast before…! Oh, and did I mention I even did some on-the-fly interviews at the conference, too? You can see (or hear) all about it in this very special episode of True Avatars!   00:00:00 - Intro + QGCon Primer 00:12:04 - Day 1 - Friday Sept 26 00:12:51 - Yurivania series 00:17:04 - Three Days to Chicago 00:20:15 - Redjackets 00:25:41 - Day 2 - Sat Sept 27 00:31:10 - Rocket Adrift 00:33:16 - A Night for Flesh and Roses (+Interview) 00:53:47 - Love in the Time of Spellphage (+Interview) 01:06:09 - Neov*gina Dilation Simulator 01:07:35 - Queen Boat (+Interview) 01:16:15 - Fundamental and Incontrovertible Reality (+Interview) 01:23:51 - Banned Together 01:34:05 - Physical Queer Games 01:36:27 - Overall Thoughts + Montreal Experience   CONTENT WARNING: Suicide mentioned during the Queen Boat segment.   The interviews were recorded on September 27 2025 and the main episode was recorded on September 28 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Elliot Rex White: https://necropocene.itch.io/ Kylie Szymesko: https://bsky.app/profile/kymira.ca Ahmed Khalifa: https://amidos2006.itch.io/ Chelsea Brtis: https://bakiara.itch.io/   Games: Yurivania series: https://mxashlynn.itch.io/yurivania-3 Three Days to Chicago: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2495380/Three_Days_to_Chicago/ Redjackets: https://annacwebs.itch.io/redjackets Psychroma: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1879950/Psychroma/ Dead Finger Dice: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3512300/Dead_Finger_Dice/ A Night for Flesh and Roses: https://necropocene.itch.io/a-night-for-flesh-and-roses Love in the Time of Spellphage: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3825300/Love_in_the_Time_of_Spellphage/ Neov*gina Dilation Simulator: https://gamedevbrook.itch.io/dilation-simulation Queen Boat: https://amidos2006.itch.io/queen-boat Fundamental and Incontrovertible Reality (not available online): https://bakiara.itch.io/ Banned Together: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3551960/Banned_Together/ Slasher U: An 18+ Horror Movie Dating Sim: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2655620/Slasher_U_An_18_Horror_Movie_Dating_Sim_Act_1/ Lucah: Born of a Dream: https://store.steampowered.com/app/896460/Lucah_Born_of_a_Dream/   Sources: https://www.qgcon.org/ https://www.qgcon.org/2025/arcade https://annacwebster.com/

It has been exactly one year since the first episode of this podcast launched, and this episode is the biggest one we’ve ever recorded! For the first third of the show, it’s just me, Zoey, your host and producer! I talk about the podcast’s birthday, what I’ve been playing, and the news! In terms of news, there were a lot of gay happenings in the gayming space: Witcher season 4 has a release date and one of the trailers of all time, Randy Pitchford *really* doesn’t want to fix Borderlands 4 on PC, a queer indie game has been brought back from the dead, Mass Effect’s tv show had a casting leak, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment has a little bonus for you! For the main segment, Ekamy and Lloyd are back! And we are ranking the biggest queer games based on how gay they are! S tier is “unquestionably gay,” and D tier is “basically a headcanon.” Are we right? Are we wrong? Get those torches and pitchforks ready, True Avatars, because we ranked a whopping 75 gaymes!! To wrap up this massive episode, Ekamy brings a new Queer Game of the Week!   00:00:00 - Intro and Anniversary Chat 00:18:20 - What I’ve Been Playing 00:25:37 - News 00:46:11 - Tier List: How gay are the gayest gaymes? 02:18:45 - Queer Game of the Week: Cross the Moon   This episode was recorded on September 20 2025.   Follow True Avatars: Official website: https://trueavatarspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TrueAvatars Bsky: https://bsky.app/profile/trueavatars.bsky.social Twitter: https://x.com/TrueAvatars Threads: https://www.threads.com/@trueavatars/ Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@true.avatars Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trueavatars/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569951551559   Guests: Ekamy: https://www.twitch.tv/ekamy Lloyd: https://www.twitch.tv/lloyd_lloydster   Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQGshAJmdBU https://www.eurogamer.net/netflixs-splinter-cell-animated-series-arrives-next-month-but-theres-no-sign-of-a-new-game https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1343626-why-was-the-witcher-recast-from-henry-cavill-to-liam-hemsworth https://movieweb.com/the-witcher-season-4-vesemir-recast-peter-mullan/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/09/borderlands-4-goes-down-well-with-critics-as-gearbox-acknowledges-fov-issue https://www.eurogamer.net/randy-pitchford-advises-borderlands-4-players-to-get-a-refund-if-theyre-not-happy-with-it-as-social-media-tirade-defending-pc-performance-continues   https://www.eurogamer.net/mass-effect-tv-series-casting-calls-leak-sparking-speculation-male-shepard-is-canon https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/hardware-network/console/may-2025-pricing-updates https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/tariffs-bite-xbox-fans-even-harder-as-microsoft-once-again-increases-xbox-series-x-s-prices https://gaymingmag.com/2025/09/exclusive-akupara-games-brings-dead-pets-unleashed-back-to-life/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNLN3VBSTzs https://store.steampowered.com/app/1851720/Dead_Pets_Unleashed/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/disco-elysium-spin-off-studio-renames-game-and-pivots-away-from-isometric-gameplay/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/that-claim-is-startling-tencent-fires-back-at-sonys-lawsuit-accusing-it-of-cloning-horizon-with-light-of-motiram/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/09/hyrule-warriors-age-of-imprisonment-gets-new-trailer-revealing-some-save-data-surprises

I know I write this into every episode description, but this week’s episode is not-hyperbolically jam packed full of news and content! First up, Amy-Lynn and I discuss the headlines and the surprisingly long Nintendo Direct, which had new trailers for lots of queer games! In the second half, Ekamy, Lloyd, and I are joined by Endellion, one half of the Zorkie Studios dev team who is back to talk about the release of Quality Dreams, Reasonably Priced. Known as QDRP for short, the adorable yet grim visual novel is about Jin, a psychline whose job it is to approve life-changing body modifications. Jin also has to make money to save their dying rabbit Nibbles, but will you be able to make enough money while also making the right choices for who should be approved for their body mods? Endellion was previously a guest on True Avatars back in Ep. 28, so I recommend going back to listen to that episode as well!   NOTE: At one point, Endellion mentions that a 2-4 hours visual novel has a typical word count of 400K-800K words, but they actually meant 40K-80K words.   SPOILER WARNING: The discussion is spoiler-free until the very end of the episode (please see the timecodes below).   00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:00 - News 00:10:06 - Nintendo Direct 00:56:43 - Quality Dreams, Reasonably Priced Discussion feat. Endellion 01:44:48 - Quality Dreams, Reasonably Priced SPOILERS   CONTENT WARNING: Some ableist language was muted throughout the episode.   The Nintendo Direct discussion was recorded on September 12 2025. The conversation with Endellion was recorded on September 4 2025.   Quality Dreams, Reasonably Priced: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3164710/Quality_Dreams_Reasonably_Priced/   Sources: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sonic-racing-crossworlds-is-getting-a-single-player-demo-next-week/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/elden-ring-nightreign-gets-a-free-high-difficulty-mode-called-deep-of-night/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/bafta-games-in-concert/ https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/borderlands-4-launches-to-mostly-negative-reviews-on-steam-thanks-to-widespread-performance-problems-and-crashes/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/09/warframe-devs-on-switch-2-version-thanks-to-our-friends-at-nintendo-we-are-on-it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWIEv_aksvo https://x.com/finalfantasyvii/status/1966514225117118813?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22oUOztp-88 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/pokemon-legends-z-as-mega-chesnaught-mega-delphox-and-mega-greninja-can-only-be-obtained-via-online-ranked-battles/

Zorkie Studios has generously supplied the podcast with a review copy of this exciting visual novel! We have previously discussed QDRP (for short) at length on the podcast, so come hear my thoughts on the final product! Spoiler alert: the game is incredible.

Amy-Lynn and Cleo are back on this week to discuss the small but mighty headlines this week! The Life is Strange TV show is finally moving forward (at Amazon of all places), Evo (the esports event) has a brand new owner, Final Fantasy XIV might be getting some changes, there were more layoffs, and Amy-Lynn gives us her thoughts on the payment processor scandal. And now that Hollow Knight: Silksong is out (Cleo played some of it in disbelief), we debate the video games industry many pricing issues in this cost of living crisis. Silksong is priced very low for such a high profile game, and other indies might be negatively affected. The major publishers are also increasing their AAA prices this year, so who is really to blame? We also talk about other games we’ve been playing and Cleo brings another Queer Game of the Week!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:03:09 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:18:11 - News 01:02:10 - The video games industry has a pricing problem 01:25:03 - Queer Game of the Week: Chicory: A Colorful Tale   This episode was recorded on Sept 6 2025.   Sources: https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/life-is-strange-tv-series-amazon-charlie-covell-luckychap-1236509181/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/final-fantasy-14-director-yoshi-p-says-the-game-needs-a-major-change-in-content-hierarchy/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/saudi-firm-acquires-co-ownership-of-evo-fighting-game-tournaments/ https://esportsadvocate.net/2025/09/sonicfox-vows-to-champion-lgbtq-rights-at-future-evo-events/ https://x.com/SonicFox/status/1962980285458636887 https://observer.co.uk/news/business/article/saudi-takeover-of-gaming-industry-leaves-little-room-for-dissent https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-09-02/-perfect-dark-developer-lays-off-staff-after-funding-deal-falls-through?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc1NjgzNDY3OSwiZXhwIjoxNzU3NDM5NDc5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUMVoyQTRHUTdMRlEwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.iGoAomXADlAaCsr4KgsTEy8oHTbv4k9XTSl7NVtRZXo&leadSource=uverify+wall https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/09/i-cant-afford-to-give-it-away-for-free-silksongs-low-price-is-causing-devs-to-re-evaluate-their-own-games https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ps5-digital-edition-consoles-are-reportedly-getting-a-quiet-storage-downgrade/ https://www.vice.com/en/article/gen-z-is-cutting-back-on-video-game-purchases-like-really-cutting-back/

It’s September, which means we’re on the cusp of an avalanche of new releases… but that also means an avalanche of new queer games! There’s basically one every week until the end of November! That’s wild right? I wonder what all those games are! What if there was a podcast that discussed all of these games in one convenient place? Oh wait! For the first half of the episode, it’s just me, and I also cover a bunch of headlines: Microsoft and The First Descendent are doing some scummy things with AI, PlayStation and Xbox have improved their offerings for once, Stardew Valley is getting yet another content update (does Concerned Ape sleep?), and a classic queer game got shadowdropped on modern platforms. Oh, and yes, there is more troublesome news on the payment processor/censorship front, because our descent into fascism hasn’t progressed far enough. In the second half, Bettie returns from episode 26 with her partner to compare and contrast the new Metal Gear Solid Delta remake with the original – and we also talk about exactly how gay everyone is! Also, there’s news on the future of the podcast! ;)   00:00:00 - Intro and Podcast Update 00:09:14 - Queer Games Releasing this Fall 00:29:30 - News 00:44:20 - Payment Processor Update 00:53:24 - Metal Gear Solid Delta Discussion   This episode was recorded on August 31 2025.   Queer Games Mentioned: Sept 8 - Quality Dreams, Reasonably Priced Sept 18 - Ratatan Sept 19 - Wander Stars Sept 25 - Sonic Racing CrossWorlds Oct 2 - Ghost of Yotei Oct 10 - Nomia Oct 16 - Pokémon Legends Z-A Oct 29 - Outer Worlds 2 Nov 6 - UNBEATABLE Nov 6 - Syberia Remastered Nov 13 - Love at the Milky Way Diner Nov 19 - Demonschool Nov TBA - Heartspell: Horizon Academy TBA 2025 - Frame of Mind: A game of thoughts TBA 2025 - Building Relationships TBA 2025 - Coffee Talk Tokyo TBA 2025 - Usual June TBA 2025 - Winter Burrow TBA 2025 - Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment   Sources: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/08/demonschool-gets-last-minute-delay-to-avoid-silksong https://store.steampowered.com/app/3608900/NOMIA/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2113350/Heartspell_Horizon_Academy/ https://necrosoftgames.com/demonschool/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/1575810/Wander_Stars/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3660220/Syberia__Remastered/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3008740/Winter_Burrow/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2702430/Usual_June/ https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2025/08/25/ps-store-game-refunds-made-easier-by-sony/ https://www.theverge.com/news/766762/microsoft-xbox-cloud-gaming-game-pass-core-standard-pc-games https://mobilegamer.biz/inside-king-layoff-lawsuits-toxic-leaders-toothless-ethics-teams-low-morale-and-mandatory-ai-use/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/they-stole-my-face-streamer-claims-the-first-descendant-ads-used-ai-to-make-it-look-like-hes-promoting-it/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/08/surprise-ps1-cult-classic-fear-effect-just-shadow-dropped-on-switch https://store.steampowered.com/app/3504570/Fear_Effect/ https://x.com/concernedape/status/1961864959484412104?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/steam-adult-game-programmer-has-account-frozen-by-paypal-80000-in-earnings-withheld/ https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/1mzsj8l/i_owe_a_massive_corporation_tax_bill_to_hmrc_and/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/steam-now-requires-age-verification-in-the-uk-for-mature-game-pages/

This week is a bit of a shorter episode, True Avatars (I may or may not have speedran the news…), but it’s still a great one! This week I had the chance to interview the lovely Kelly Gilkes, the Lead Artist behind the 9 amazing romanceable NPCs in the enjoyable queer indie, Matchmaker: Dungeon Heart! She and I discussed body positivity, gaining many perspectives to create honest, relatable characters, and even the voice acting! In the first half, of course there’s the headlines. For this, it’s just me this week. Gamescom Opening Night Live had a bunch of queer and queer-adjacent announcements, two queer games are doing a collab, The Last of Us Online may live on in a different form, Kirby Air Riders and Hollow Knight Silksong both finally have release dates, Games Done Quick is getting a little queer, and so much more! And thankfully, no scary developments on the payment processor/game censorship front!   00:00:00 - Intro and What We’ve Been Playing 00:02:42 - News 00:21:47 - Interview with Kelly Gilkes (Matchmaker: Dungeon Heart)   This episode was recorded on August 24 2025. The interview was recorded on August 20 2025.   Sources: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74oh7zD_jxI&ab_channel=thegameawards https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/08/psa-sonic-racing-crossworlds-open-network-test-for-switch-announced https://asia.sega.com/SonicRacingCrossWorlds/en/news/open-network-test.html https://store.steampowered.com/app/2863680/ZERO_PARADES/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/2058730/The_Darkest_Files/ https://www.ign.com/articles/cronos-the-new-dawn-stars-you-as-a-soul-collecting-time-traveler https://www.ign.com/articles/kingdom-come-deliverance-2-legacy-of-the-forge-dlc-trailer-reveals-september-release-date-and-henrys-new-home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XGeJwsUP9c https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2025-08-21/why-silksong-team-cherry-s-sequel-to-hollow-knight-took-so-long-to-make?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc1NTc4NjYzOSwiZXhwIjoxNzU2MzkxNDM5LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUMUNMTUpHUFdDUFcwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.oTN8q1m9pNWFv7oW-n3vzq-hRWAxrDx9B7iF80RdTzk&leadSource=uverify%20wall https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/yoshi-p-reveals-positive-discussions-over-nintendo-switch-2-final-fantasy-14-port/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/director-of-scrapped-the-last-of-us-online-says-his-new-us-japan-studio-is-making-a-cinematic-multiplayer-title/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-20/take-two-guts-bioshock-studio-after-a-decade-of-development?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc1NTcxNDU0NSwiZXhwIjoxNzU2MzE5MzQ1LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUMUIxVEZHUFFRN1cwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJCMUVBQkI5NjQ2QUM0REZFQTJBRkI4MjI1MzgyQTJFQSJ9.zVepbosqQPRpkHaMvUcaBAlKk73_0IkMGOvNKaKU6mE&leadSource=uverify%20wall https://www.instagram.com/p/DNjJspJsFh5/?igsh=MXQ1aDB1ZmtycjV5dA%3D%3D https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/dragon-age-and-gears-of-war-headline-xbox-game-pass-august-line-up/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/playstation-is-officially-getting-halo-content-in-the-form-of-helldivers-collab/ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/08/its-almost-showtime-for-overwatch-2s-new-persona-collab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtkHiB7WKf4

Thanks to Ghost Moth, True Avatars has received a review code for this Match-3/Dating Sim/RPG mashup. Come hear Zoey’s thoughts on this addictive queer game!   Note: I forgot to mention that the voice acting is also wonderful!   Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=238zmGuqZm4

It was a slower news week – speculation about Sony leaving the console business (maybe??), Dragon Age is probably not getting any remasters in the near future, there were layoffs because why wouldn’t there be, and Ratatan (the Patapon spiritual successor) has a new release date. What wasn’t slower was all the news about the payment processors censoring video games. Hint: it’s escalating exactly as we expect. But this week I’m joined by Zoe Straw who brings along her colleague Betty to discuss everything! Betty and Zoe also give insights on the game they recently helped release into early access (Aloft), including the user experience and user interface side of things (Betty is a UI/UX designer!), advice for aspiring UI/UX designers, and what “juice” means in the games industry.   CONTENT WARNING: at the 20:35 mark there is a brief mention of suicide, and the payment processor discussion includes darker topics such as sexual assault and child abuse. We also discuss gender reassignment surgery briefly at the beginning of the show (non-explicit).   00:00:00 - Intro and What We’ve Been Playing 00:15:51 - News 00:35:49 - Payment Processor Censorship Update 01:05:10 - Queer Coworkers and Their Insights 01:34:27 - Queer Game of the Week: Disco Elysium   This episode was recorded on August 16 2025.   Sources:  https://x.com/genki_jpn/status/1953483758667170146 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Pd9OG3HmN0&ab_channel=MrMattyPlays https://bsky.app/profile/mikebithell.bsky.social/post/3lvvmqk6r7c2b https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/patapons-delayed-spiritual-successor-ratatan-gets-a-new-early-access-release-date/ https://theintercept.com/2024/08/16/project-2025-russ-vought-porn-ban/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Steam/comments/1mkha72/russ_vought_is_behind_the_latest_push_threatening/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0noIS9lmR0Y https://transnews.network/p/i-feel-violated-queer-creators-lose-livelihoods-in-itch-io-bans https://krispycat.itch.io/ https://thisweekinvideogames.com/news/zoom-platform-games-payment-processor-rules-could-lead-to-further-delistings/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c7vl57n74pqo https://blog.youtube/news-and-events/extending-our-built-in-protections-to-more-teens-on-youtube/ https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-formally-asked-overturn-landmark-same-sex/story?id=124465302

Cleo is back from episode 43 and this week we’re talking about something this podcast has sorely neglected: Soulslikes! I’m certain it’s just an oversight and not because the podcast hostess has a deep seated fear of difficult games… We talk about Bloodborne, the recently released Elden Ring: Nightreign, Nintendo’s new Fromsoft exclusive (The Duskbloods), and why queer people play Soulslike games. We also catch up on a bunch of headlines, including 2 Nintendo Directs, 2 indie gaming events, queer game updates for the Nintendo Switch 2, and an important update regarding the payment processor censorship scandal (we will probably do a weekly check-in going forward).   00:00:00 - Intro 00:05:22 - News 00:59:48 - Soulslikes Discussion   This episode was recorded on August 8 2025.   Queer indies discussed: Bits & Bops: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1929290/Bits__Bops/ Dead Finger Dice: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3512300/Dead_Finger_Dice/ I Write Games Not Tragedies: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3396670/I_Write_Games_Not_Tragedies/ Demonschool: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1900250/Demonschool   Sources:  https://bitsummit.org/en/ https://store.steampowered.com/sale/bitsummit2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZoLrfLcIVg https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/08/tactical-rpg-demonschool-finally-gets-a-launch-date-and-its-real-soon https://herdling.game/ https://www.ballxpit.com/ https://www.rpgsite.net/news/18109-neverway-nintendo-switch-pc-release-2026-indie-world-trailer https://necrosoftgames.com/demonschool/#game-details https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/call-of-duty-workers-at-raven-secure-first-union-contract-with-microsoft/ https://x.com/borderlands/status/1947705151093084488?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/07/assassins-creed-shadows-switch-2-rating-spotted-online https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/08/guilty-gear-switch-edition-update-and-dlc-arriving-fall-2025 https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/08/apex-legends-switch-2-performance-and-resolution-upgrade-detailed https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/deltarune-topped-switch-2-digital-charts-in-june-while-mario-kart-world-dominated-in-active-players/ https://www.virtuosgames.com/news/adapting-for-the-future-of-game-development/ https://x.com/SuperMGames/status/1947650822768132211 https://www.ign.com/articles/splitgate-2-will-go-back-to-beta-to-undergo-a-massive-rework-amid-more-layoffs-and-splitgate-1-shutdown https://www.windowscentral.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-concedes-that-the-outer-worlds-2-retail-price-was-too-high https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/07/28/xbox-gamescom-2025/ https://www.ign.com/articles/sony-is-suing-tencent-over-shameless-horizon-knock-off-game-light-of-motiram https://automaton-media.com/en/news/nier-creator-speaks-out-against-payment-processors-pressuring-japanese-adult-content-platforms/ https://bsky.app/profile/ebihimes.bsky.social/post/3luoe7z2zps2d https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/itchio-are-seeking-out-new-payment-processors-who-are-more-comfortable-with-adult-material https://itch.io/updates/update-on-nsfw-content#addendum-faq https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/itch-io-is-relisting-free-nsfw-content-today-but-paid-content-remains-delisted-for-now/

This week I have a less conventional interview — a spoilercast — with the lead developer of Misc. A Tiny Tale: Michael Pearce! Misc. A Tiny Tale is the recently released 3D platformer-collectathon inspired by games like Chibi Robo and Super Mario Sunshine, and Michael is joining me to discuss everything we can fit into 90 minutes. We chat about the “miscellaneous” character design, the narrator, game mechanics, music, speedrunning, the ending, and bringing his dream to life! Plus maybe some hints at more tiny tales in the future…   00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:24 - Spoilercast with Michael Pearce   This episode was recorded on July 9 2025.   ***Also contains spoilers for the ending of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom   Misc. A Tiny Tale: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1308940/Misc_A_Tiny_Tale/

This week I took a break from news (I’m moving!) and interviewed betalars, the lead dev behind Frame of Mind: A game of thoughts. This is a point-and-click cosy game about processing one’s own thoughts with a unique “mind board” style of gameplay. Neurodivergence, accessibility, and queerness are all very important elements in the design, too. betalars has a lot of amazing insights, including what it’s like to develop games as a neurodivergent person, building a scene around music and ambience, and changing the gameplay to suit players’ needs. There is also a very interesting gameplay mechanic that manifests as you progress through the story!   00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:07 - Interview with betalars   This episode was recorded on July 20 2025.   Frame of Mind: A game of thoughts: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2515480/Frame_of_Mind__A_game_of_thoughts/

This week, Steam was forced to removed a bunch of overly explicit games at the behest of Visa and Mastercard, the two most important payment processors that allow Steam to make money. The games that were removed were not queer (they were of the much more “aggressive” variety) — but where is the line drawn? How long before queer games are equated in the same breath as games that are actually explicit? Will Visa and Mastercard force Steam to purge games with the LGBTQ+ tag? This subject matter is heavy and this episode contains a content warning before the discussion. In the first half of the episode, we discuss what we’ve been playing (including Donkey Kong Bananza!) and the news. Headlines include: a release year for The Last of Us Season 3, Donkey Kong is getting his own movie, Nintendo has found their Link and Zelda for the live action Legend of Zelda movie, Cyberpunk 2077 got a surprise content update, some disappointing AI news, and much more! Joining me for all of this is Lloyd_Lloydster and newcomer Cleo, who also brings our Queer Game of the Week.   00:00:00 - Intro 00:06:08 - What We’ve Been Playing 00:28:00 - News 00:57:22 - Is this our last chance to play queer games on Steam? 01:43:19 - Queer Game of the Week: Tell Me Why   This episode was recorded on July 19 2025.   ***SPOILERS for Unpacking (from 01:27:45 to 01:28:56)   Sources: https://game8.co/games/Donkey-Kong-Bananza/archives/537239 https://publicrecords.copyright.gov/detailed-record/rmm_voyager_V01503556900000 https://deadline.com/2025/01/shrek-5-minions-3-release-dates-1236254122/ https://x.com/nintendo/status/1945433161124688335?s=46&t=sVUrhNeL5EXDMRDpzdemfQ https://www.ign.com/articles/the-last-of-us-season-3-planned-for-2027-and-could-be-the-series-end-hbo-boss-says https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/assassins-creed-live-action-series-netflix-1236463572/ https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/steam-games-disclosing-generative-ai-use-are-up-800-this-year/ https://mobilegamer.biz/laid-off-king-staff-set-to-be-replaced-by-the-ai-tools-they-helped-build-say-sources/ https://x.com/NintendoAmerica/status/1945287268748361864 https://www.youtube.com/live/aFLKoZaHak8 https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/7-months-after-cyberpunks-last-update-yet-more-new-content-has-been-revealed/ https://www.reddit.com/r/GirlGamers/s/1iP8uKRjrc https://partner.steamgames.com/doc/gettingstarted/onboarding https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/07/valve-gets-pressured-by-payment-processors-with-a-new-rule-for-game-devs-and-various-adult-games-removed/ https://www.newsweek.com/why-visa-mastercard-being-blamed-onlyfans-banning-explicit-content-pornography-1621570 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-whistleblower-says-mastercard-visa-failed-stop-payments-child-sex-abuse-2025-01-24/ https://19thnews.org/2024/08/project-2025-anti-trans-policies-impact-families/ https://www.vu.edu.au/about-vu/news-events/news/whats-happening-with-us-book-bans-under-trump https://publishyourpurpose.com/blog/why-book-banning-bad/ https://hmd.org.uk/resource/6-may-1933-looting-of-the-institute-of-sexology/ https://www.them.us/story/stonewall-bisexuals