Unlocked

The hosts discuss the first GTA6 trailer, including the technical marvels, Bonnie-and-Clyde-like main characters, and integration with GTA Online. They also talk about the leaked trailer, the current state of GTA Online, transferring progress to GTA6, issues with GTA 4's online infrastructure, preferences between GTA and RDR2, and anticipation and confidence in GTA 6.

As The Game Awards season creeps up on us in December, Stella and Destin speculate with Kahlief Adams on what we could possibly see from Xbox in the coming weeks. We also dive into Baldur's Gate 3's upcoming Xbox release, yet another one of it's HUGE patches, and the incredible physical Deluxe Edition that's up on preorder! Finally, Bethesda responded to several negative reviews of Starfield on Steam and we've got some thoughts on it. What are yours now that you've had a lot more time with it since its release?If you want to get in on a couple giveaways happening right now, head on over to ign.com/rewards! We've got an Alienware Gaming Bundle from Remnant II up for grabs (ends 12/2/23) as well as a custom Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Xbox Series X (ends 12/15/23). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hosts discuss Xbox's 22nd birthday, share their experiences with the console and favorite games. They debate whether the Resident Evil 4 remake should be included in the game of the year list. They anticipate Baldur's Gate 3, compare it to Alan Wake, and discuss the controversy surrounding Starfield's absence from Game Awards nominations. They discuss why Starfield didn't make the nominations, compare it to other highly rated games, and praise Baldur's Gate 3. They also talk about the nominations of High Fire Rush and express excitement about the game's music and mechanics.

Discussion on the three-year anniversary of Xbox Series X and S consoles and their progress; Analysis of the new Mass Effect 5 teaser and speculation about its storyline and characters; Anticipation for a possible Grand Theft Auto 6 announcement at The Game Awards.

The greatest Xbox podcast crossover ever happens now! IGN's Podcast Unlocked and Kinda Funny's Xcast have joined forces for an Xbox podcast tour-de-force. First we discuss the brilliance of Alan Wake 2 and the Max Payne 1+2 Remakes that Remedy is about to go into full production on before discussing Gears of War creator Cliff Bleszinski's recent comments about Gears needing a reboot. And then the main event: our Xbox first-party studio fantasy draft! Now that Microsoft's Activision-Blizzard acquisition has happened, we thought it'd be a fun time to each draft three studios who we're most excited about for the next five years. Who will get chosen? Who will get left out? Join us, and don't forget to go to humblebundle.com and pick up the IGN Editor's Choice Bundle, the proceeds of which benefit the Extra Life children's charity! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We did the podcast live this week immediately following Xbox's Partner Preview livestream, and we spent the entire episode being pleasantly surprised by both the things Microsoft promised would be there (like Alan Wake 2, Ark: Survival Ascended, and Dungeons of Hinterberg), and the things that were surprises (like Metal Gear solid Delta, Still Wakes the Deep, and The Finals). Plus, we give some constructive criticism on Xbox's latest presentation format. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Microsoft's acquisition of Activision-Blizzard is complete. They discuss games from the back catalog they want to see refreshed. They talk about reviving Transformers and their desires for future games. They discuss the implications of the Activision deal and Bobby Kodak's future prospects. There's speculation on potential acquirers for Codex and they reflect on Pete Hines' retirement.

Forza Motorsport vs. Gran Turismo 7 talk, new Season 5 content for Halo Infinite, Xbox Game Pass leveling up in 2024 with Activision-Blizzard games, recent layoffs at Telltale

First we give our initial impressions of Forza Motorsport and Assassin's Creed Mirage now that the review embargoes on them have lifted, and then we spend the bulk of the episode giving our top-5 rankings of Xbox's internal game studios (including Bethesda/Zenimax) while also contemplating Phil Spencer's Xbox legacy to date as PlayStation boss Jim Ryan finalizes his ahead of his retirement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We open this week's busy episode of Unlocked by discussing two big new games we just played a bunch of: Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty and Alan Wake 2. After that we discuss Phil Spencer's wish to bring back MechAssault and have a fantasy draft for which Xbox developer should make it -- along with our own picks (complete with preferred developers) for other dormant Xbox franchises we'd like to see return. Plus: we get lost wondering how the heck we're going to play all of the games in this historically busy stretch of major game releases that we're in right now, and more!   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices