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Last Stand Media & Studio71

Defining Duke is a weekly podcast dedicated to all things Xbox co-hosted by beloved YouTuber MrMattyPlays and Lord Cognito. Whether you're a fan and player of Xbox Series X|S, still hanging around on Xbox One, or have fond memories of Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, our show is for you. We go over the news, talk about the games we're playing, scour rumors and speculation, and much more. We publish each and every Sunday, and you can get the show three days early and ad-free by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/laststandmedia
We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 
For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com   
Privacy Policy: https://www.studio71.com/us/terms-and-conditions-use/#Privacy%20Policy

Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

Following such erratic changes to Game Pass and a ton of wild weekend rumors, many are wondering if Xbox will be out of the console business altogether by 2027. Despite marketing for the next generation being expected to begin next year, some insiders are suggesting this is now up in the air for Team Green. Joining us to discuss the current state of Xbox is the man with a million, Rand Al Thor 19. While Xbox addressed the uncertainty surrounding their hardware and have a public agreement with AMD, many continue to doubt this is the path forward. The truth is that Xbox hardware has seen a steep decline in sales for almost two years. Now, major retailers are pulling their stock. Like much of you have written in about this subject, we are left with the same question: Can we even believe Xbox at this point? If you can't then can we continue to build our digital libraries on Xbox with the way Xbox is trending? Is the path truly to become a third party publisher? If so, should Xbox rip off the bandaid and go all in now? It's a jam packed episode and we sift through every layer of it to try and get to the root of it all.

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

03:08 - The future of the Dukes0:21:28 - Cog’s trip to Japan0:35:50 - Where is Phil Spencer?1:00:32 - Outer Worlds 2 caught in the crossfire again1:15:57 - Can Xbox and PlayStation team up now?1:20:09 - What even is Xbox Play Anywhere?1:30:07 - What is going on with Keeper?1:40:18 - Lina Khan’s victory lap1:47:58 - Xbox’s response to the Game Pass price hike1:56:24 - Game Pass DLC discounts are done2:02:17 - Halo Combat Evolved Remake rumors2:16:46 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass2:20:29 - What We’re Playing2:59:26 - Is Xbox hardware coming to an end?3:35:43 - The reason Game Pass hiked its prices3:56:22 - Xbox is reportedly adding a free tier for Cloud Gaming
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#249 | Is Xbox Pulling Out Of The Console Business?

Xbox happened.

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:03:14 - Health Is Wealth0:10:02 - Are we still Xbox fans?0:26:22 - What’s happening with Forza Horizon 6?0:36:23 - Xbox Ally preorders are live0:48:50 - EA is going private in a $55 Billion deal1:05:47 - Ken Levine interview recap1:19:18 - Fallout 76 Burning Springs update1:20:14 - Prototype is coming back?1:27:07 - Ubisoft forms Vantage Studios1:30:23 - AAA Lord Of The Rings game in development1:38:49 - What We’re Playing2:25:25 - Xbox Game Pass gets a major price hike3:14:00 - Do we keep doing Game Pass Pick Of The Week?
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#248 | Xbox Is Lost - MASSIVE Game Pass Price Hike...

Forza bros, rejoice! After plenty of speculation, rumors, and eventual leaks, Forza Horizon 6 has finally been announced at Tokyo Game Show 2025. Joining me is honorary Duke, Sir Bradley Ellis, to discuss all things Forza and more in the world of gaming! It has been long anticipated that Playground would take the franchise to Japan and now that it's finally happening, we have a lot to go over. Landing in 2026, this will be hitting Xbox and PC first, which already lands a little out of the realm of our expectations. When is the inevitable PlayStation port? We dive into just that. Moreover, Playground may end up being the 2026 darling for Xbox if Fable and Forza hit in the same year. Matty and Brad dig into their expectations for 2026 where no doubt there will be a double feature including these two. Beyond that, we dive into the recent State Of Play, the new OD gameplay, more leaked details on Perfect Dark's episodic format, and 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 - Intro0:09:03 - Health Is Wealth0:23:29 - Danganronpa theories0:29:14 - Hideo Kojima shows off OD0:41:49 - 2025 is Xbox’s biggest investment in Game Pass0:49:23 - More leaked details on Perfect Dark1:01:42 - Black Ops 7 multiplayer reveal on September 30th1:08:15 - Xbox’s handheld UI is out now1:14:23 - Borderlands 4 has reached 2.5 million players1:17:36 - Cyberpunk 2077 sequel to include multiplayer1:20:39 - Aspyr removes AI replicated voice from Tomb Raider1:24:29 - What We’re Playing2:09:34 - New price increases for Xbox2:23:33 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week2:25:20 - Xbox TGS 2025 Showcase2:48:58 - State Of Play
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#247 | Forza Horizon 6 Is FINALLY Happening...

Cronos: The New Dawn, Hell Is Us, Hollow Knight Silksong, Borderlands 4, Silent Hill F, Trails In The Sky Remake, and the list goes on. It's an overload of games right now and the Dukes are doing their best to keep up!

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:05:29 - Health Is Wealth0:45:32 - Dragon Quest 7 info0:50:36 - Is RE5 remake different from what we thought?0:55:30 - Does Bethesda still have it?1:16:25 - Nintendo Direct reaction1:35:26 - Randy Pitchford’s Borderlands 4 meltdown1:50:40 - The Initiative studio head breaks his silence2:05:07 - The Scalebound Saga continues on2:14:03 - Zenimax Online Studios wants to make new stuff2:20:18 - Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Part 3 is going multi-plat2:33:04 - The Series S helped Battlefield 62:39:22 - GTA 6 is getting delayed… again?2:45:22 - Nintendo’s dangerous new patent2:55:58 - Black Flag Remake might be more RPG-heavy3:00:50 - State Of Play next week3:10:34 - Far Cry is leaning into multiplayer3:15:22 - What We’re Playing3:36:48 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass…3:39:23 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week
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#246 | Video Games As Far As The Eye Can See...

Much of the conversation surrounding Game Pass and its sustainability has been about whether or not it can turn a profit. The Dukes themselves have pondered on this very subject for dozens of episodes. At this point, Game Pass is here to stay. The conversation has evolved from how much money the service makes to whether or not it dramatically impacts how games are made. At first, PlayStation alumni Shawn Layden brought attention to this subject. While well respected and incredibly knowledgable, many believed that Shawn bled a bit too much blue for their taste and that his points may be biased. That's fair to say, but what happens when many of Xbox's own start to say the same? Much of our conversation is about what Pete Hines, the former SVP of Communication and Marketing at Bethesda, had to say on Xbox's premier service. However, it's really about the fallout from it. Shannon Loftis, a Xbox lifer who spent 20+ years at the company, sang a similar tune to that of Pete and Shawn. Even MachineGames currnet studio head had thoughts on how Game Pass players dip very quickly. Even recently, Larian's own Swen Vincke had his concerns about Game Pass. Raphael Colantonio, formerly of Arkane and now at WolfEye, shared a similar sentiment. While indie and even AA have found a pocket from which they very much benefit from Game Pass, AAA is speaking out. The question remains: Are players willing to listen in the face of such value?

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:17:57 - Health Is Wealth0:22:02 - Bethesda finally teases Starfield DLC0:30:16 - Wolfenstein lives on0:38:37 - Hollow Knight Silksong breaks records0:51:10 - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth due out on Xbox in 20260:53:27 - Physical games live on for another generation?1:05:37 - Dead Island 3 on the way1:12:19 - Helldivers 3 basically confirmed1:16:05 - Resident Evil 5 Remake isn’t happening1:22:44 - Old KOTOR Remake concept art leaks1:24:35 - Metal Gear Delta sells 1 million copies in 2 days1:25:22 - 2K is making a “college basketball experience” while EA bails1:34:37 - Batman Arkham Shadow is getting a sequel1:39:35 - IO Interactive finally talks about Mindseye launch1:44:20 - What We’re Playing2:23:54 - Pete Hines opens up on Xbox & Bethesda3:12:04 - Xbox’s Tokyo Game Show plans3:20:02 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week
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#245 | Getting REAL About Xbox Game Pass...

Today in news that we wish we never knew about: Xbox's reboot of Perfect Dark was nearly saved! Their dance partner? Take Two Interactive who serves as publisher of Rockstar. Yes, indeed, a recent report states that these two were working out a deal similar to Xbox selling off Tango Gameworks alongside the Hi Fi Rush IP to Krafton in order to help the company. Unfortunately, a falling out between both sides occurred over an IP ownership dispute. Now, Perfect Dark is doomed to sit in "IP Jail" with many of Xbox's other abandoned properties. At least Banjo has some company now.

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:02:40 - Health Is Wealth0:23:57 - Our preview philosophy0:35:17 - Is The Outer Worlds 2 hate overblown?0:50:30 - What games should you play soon?0:54:23 - Call Of Duty is entering the movie business1:00:49 - Gears Of War Reloaded numbers are in1:12:16 - Helldivers 2 is the #1 paid game on the Xbox store1:23:23 - Grounded 2 seems to be doing very well1:28:52 - 007 First Light impressions1:36:14 - PlayStation 6 will be a handheld?1:48:20 - Epic responds to Unreal Engine 5 concerns2:02:20 - Ubisoft’s 2026 and 2027 games2:10:54 - What's going on with Cyberpunk 2077?2:14:25 - Kojima event may show off OD2:17:05 - What We’re Playing3:10:24 - Perfect Dark was nearly revived3:28:05 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass3:40:56 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week
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#244 | It was almost SAVED... - The Truth On Perfect Dark

It's been a bit of a rough go for Obsidian as of late. Compared to their usual RPG triumphs, Avowed felt quite a bit less than that. However, not all of it was entirely their fault. At one point, Xbox chose to make this the $80 game that would lead the charge in a new era of high prices. After considerable pushback, they chose to drop the price to $70. While a welcome sight, some have debated if even that is a fair price point for what appears to be a AA RPG. Now, marketing has kicked the hornet's nest with the latest companion trailer. So, here we are. Cog and Matty played the prologue section of the game and our thoughts are mixed. There certainly wasn't a "sound the alarm" moment, but it read to the Dukes like a less confident showing. Much of what makes an Obsidian RPG great is here. However, after the preview failed to show how that would be executed, both Dukes were left feeling like there is more that could've been done. Now, the tough decision falls to Xbox. Do you risk another preview and overexpose the game to try and correct things? Do you ride into launch and hope for the best? Time will tell, but we only have to wait until October to learn just how worth it Outer Worlds 2 will be.

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:15:07 - Write Ins0:37:33 - Pete Parsons is leaving Bungie0:51:25 - Tim Schafer on Double Fine’s future games0:55:32 - Hollow Knight Silksong finally has a release date1:11:32 - Xbox Ally preorder date leaks1:12:39 - The reason that Switch 2 ports of Xbox games are delayed?1:23:00 - Xbox Cloud Gaming is coming to Game Pass subscribers1:29:48 - New Starfield updates detailed1:35:13 - High On Life 2 will include 5 playable games1:37:14 - Replaced is set to release Spring 20261:38:59 - Activision responds to Call of Duty concerns1:50:34 - More Clair Obscur is on the way2:04:51 - Atari has acquired 5 Ubisoft games2:09:26 - Ken Levine opens up on Judas2:16:53 - Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2’s Wild DLC situation2:23:20 - Naoki Yoshida says there’s no need for new consoles2:26:52 - Herman Hulst on Concord’s failure2:31:46 - Skate enters early access on September 16th2:40:02 - What We’re Playing3:48:09 - Forza Horizon 6 will be set in Japan3:59:05 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass4:00:22 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week
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#243 | We played The Outer Worlds 2 EARLY and...

Gamescom took place this week! On top of Opening Night Live which was home to many reveals, Xbox held their own show the day after. It's there that we finally got information on the Xbox Ally. Everything from its official release date to features, specs, capabilities, and so on. With the rumored price tag floating at $549.99 and $899.99 respectively, is this handheld doing enough to justify its enthusiast status? Despite everything being an Xbox, it seems like the Xbox Ally will only function as such if a title supports "Play Anywhere." While not a concern for future games as we've seen many releases support the future, what this means for your established Xbox library isn't great news. We parse through it all... and a lot of Lego Batman.

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:07:28 - Health Is Wealth0:31:52 - Xbox is safe from Tyson... for now0:33:26 - Grounded 2 is outpacing the first0:38:08 - Ex-PlayStation Exec Shawn Layden on Game Pass0:57:15 - Details on the Helldivers x ODST collab1:01:21 - Rod Fergusson is the new Head of the BioShock Franchise1:08:28 - High On Life 2 is releasing February 13th, 20261:11:31 - Triangle Strategy shadow drops on Xbox1:15:35 - Mafia: The Old Country sales thus far1:17:34 - Shenmue 3 Enhanced Edition announced by ININ1:36:41 - What We’re Playing2:02:23 - Gamescom recap2:45:29 - Updates on Xbox Ally3:01:30 - PlayStation hikes console price3:08:56 - Leaving Xbox Game Pass3:10:21 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week
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#242 | The TRUTH About The Xbox Ally Is Here...

Contraband was announced back in 2021. Since then, we've seen just about nothing from the game. No messaging beats, no trailers, and even the Xbox executives didn't yap about this one! After four years of development, this collaboration between Xbox and Avalanche has come to a close. Adding it to the list of canceled Xbox titles, this one feels different to Dependable Cog and Choco Matty. Part of it is apathy, but it's also a new angle from the previous shutdowns where we really don't know much about what was lost. It's a valuable lesson in why Xbox shouldn't announce things early. Beyond our headline, we get into Xbox's president offering her talents to Tyson Foods (?!), Halo coming to PlayStation, a legend leaving Xbox, and diving deep into Matty's recent interview with ex-BioWare vet, Mark Darrah.

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:10:29 - Cog wears diapers & Matty goes viral for cleaning0:40:34 - Health Is Wealth0:48:38 - Mafia: The Old Country "Controversy"0:58:16 - Are games giving what the fans want?1:04:19 - Ex BioWare dev on Dragon Age remasters1:25:35 - PlayStation is moving away from hardware?1:43:25 - Rod Ferguson is leaving Blizzard1:51:15 - Sarah Bond joins… Tyson Foods2:00:50 - An update on the future of Forza2:05:48 - The release date for the Xbox Ally has leaked2:07:58 - Heretic + Hexen re-release shadowdropped2:12:09 - A Halo game is coming to PlayStation2:17:13 - Halo ODST is coming to Helldivers 22:21:52 - Bungie’s leash tightens with Marathon2:28:48 - S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is getting a massive roadmap2:34:14 - LEGO Batman is getting the Skywalker Saga treatment?2:44:11 - Crimson Desert has been delayed to Q1 20262:45:40 - What We’re Playing3:25:42 - Contraband has been canceled3:33:39 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week
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#241 | ANOTHER Canceled Game Hits Xbox... - What's Next?

The year of the Ninja rages on! Fresh off Ninja Gaiden 2 Black and Ninja Gaiden Ragebound, we have more ninjas to talk about thanks to the new Shinobi demo alongside Ninja Gaiden 4. In a seemingly impossible move, Xbox brought together two legendary Japanese developers to reactivate a franchise that had laid dormant since 2012. There were still question marks even after a strong showing at this years Developer Direct. At the top of everyone's list following a ton of layoffs was simply: Does PlatinumGames still have it? Well, it appears that despite the winds of change blowing through the studio, the new wave of talent at Platinum is more than up to the task.

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:07:28 - Health Is Wealth0:20:25 - Starfield’s PS5 port and Expansion 2 won’t be out until 20260:42:12 - Xbox financials update0:50:54 - Pouring one out for BioShock fans1:03:17 - Battlefield 6 multiplayer reveal reactions1:16:12 - Nintendo Direct announces new Xbox games1:23:55 - THQ Nordic 2025 showcase breakdown1:31:25 - Kojima on OD when speaking to SSense about his career1:34:15 - EA is working on more games with Disney1:40:31 - So, uh, Ubisoft threatened to sue Edward Kenway’s actor?1:45:37 - Ninja Gaiden 4 / What We’re Playing2:39:34 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass2:44:01 - Game Pass Pick Of The Week
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#240 | We Played Ninja Gaiden 4 Early...

It's been a busy week in gaming. Between Square Enix, WB Games, and Ubisoft, the acquisition conversation has never been hotter and now with a move by Embracer yet another piece has been removed from the chess board. Bringing this Embracer Group to a staggering 14,000 employees and 200+ games in development, this move to acquire Square Enix's western division has put the industry on watch. Matty and Cog discuss the future of Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, other abandoned Square Enix IP, as well as the future of both Square and Embracer. More important to the Xbox fandom is the newly announced Summer Showcase for 2022. Xbox and Bethesda are teaming up again on June 12th for what is a show that must be a statement. This has to be where a new era of Xbox begins in earnest.
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The Xbox & Bethesda 2022 Games Showcase Cannot Fail

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