

Unlocked
IGN & Geek Media
These days, practically everything is an Xbox, and Xbox fans deserve to celebrate their passion for Xbox everywhere. Unlocked is the definitive Xbox podcast, hosted by Ryan McCaffrey alongside a panel of expert guests. Each week, they dive deep into breaking Xbox news, exclusive game reveals, and heated debates on the future of Xbox—covering everything from consoles and PC to Game Pass and cloud gaming. Whether you're a longtime Xbox fan or just jumping in, Unlocked is your go-to source for all things Xbox.Unlocked is a part of Geek Media Podcast Network, an IGN Entertainment Brand.Visit Geek.com for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 10, 2024 • 60min
The Future of Halo Is Unreal – Unlocked 663
Our resident Xbox crew (including Miranda!) reacts to and analyzes the huge Halo news of all future projects being moved to Unreal Engine 5 as well as the studio rebranding from 343 Industries to Halo Studios. We predict what the next mainline Halo game is, what we might get before that, how it ties into a possible PlayStation debut for the franchise, and much more!Download the Opera GX: IGN Edition browser at http://Opera.com/gx/ign Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 3, 2024 • 1h 24min
The STALKER 2 Documentary Is a Must-Watch – Unlocked 662
Our Xbox crew discusses the new STALKER 2 making-of documentary, and how it's a must-watch even if you aren't interested in the game. Plus: Ubisoft admits that Star Wars Outlaws has underperformed its sales expectations, leading us to suggest where the company should go from here in the bigger picture. We also talk about Tango Gameworks's new owner Krafton's plans for Hi-Fi Rush 2, Obsidian's possible expansion of Pillars of Eternity into a new genre, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 26, 2024 • 1h 22min
Crazy Blizzard Stories With Jason Schreier – Unlocked 661
Jason Schreier, a Bloomberg video game industry reporter and author of *Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment*, shares captivating stories about Blizzard amidst corporate changes. He delves into the challenges of unionization in gaming, shedding light on Blizzard's tumultuous history and evolving culture. Their conversation touches on the quirky dynamics within the company, the potential future of iconic titles like *Starcraft*, and Ubisoft's recent game delays, painting a vivid picture of the industry's landscape.

Sep 19, 2024 • 59min
How Can Battlefield Get its Mojo Back? – Unlocked 660
We open this week's Xbox podcast at IGN by giving our hands-on impressions of Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Then we discuss another EA game, Battlefield. We've got new details about the next game in the venerable first-person shooter series, and we talk about what we want out of it and what we think it needs to do in order to get back on top. Plus: more Microsoft layoffs, some good news on the Skate reboot, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 12, 2024 • 55min
What the PS5 Pro Means for Xbox’s Present and Future – Unlocked 659
We open this week's Xbox podcast by marking Destiny's 10th anniversary and then discussing the present and future for both the long-running shooter and Bungie itself, as well as what's riding on Bungie's next big project in Marathon. Then we give our thoughts on the Minecraft movie teaser before moving into our main topic: the PS5 Pro's widely panned unveiling and what it means for Xbox in both the present and the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 5, 2024 • 55min
The Xbox Exclusives We Almost Got – Unlocked 658
This week's Xbox show delves into two notable games that Xbox boss Phil Spencer discussed having the chance to sign but didn't – plus one crucial one he did. Plus: Black Myth Wukong's Xbox absence is explained, Enotria: The Last Song's developers publicly call out Team Xbox for a lack of support, Stellas impressions of Call of Duty Black Ops 6, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 29, 2024 • 1h 21min
Our Thoughts on Star Wars Outlaws (So Far) – Unlocked 657
Star Wars Outlaws, arguably the first big game to hit Xbox this Fall season, has arrived, and we've got thoughts on what we've played so far. Plus: we discuss some of the biggest announcements to come out of Gamescom (Mafia: The Old Country, Borderlands 4, and others), which games we're most excited about playing for the remainder of this year, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 23, 2024 • 1h 21min
We’ve Seen Indiana Jones and Avowed & Both Look AWESOME – Unlocked 656
Ryan and Destin are joined by Spawn on Me's Kahlief Adams to discuss our extended new looks at two of Xbox's biggest upcoming games: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, which both Ryan and Kahlief got a lengthy behind-closed-doors look at; and Avowed, which Destin and Kahlief both got to play. We are super excited for both and we want to tell you all about them. Plus: it turns out Indy is a timed exclusive, so we discuss how Xbox fans are feeling and what it signals for the future of the platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 22, 2024 • 1h 12min
8 Spectacular Games We Checked Out At gamescom 2024 - Podcast Unlocked
What’s happening, friends? It is a special gamescom edition of Podcast Unlocked. This week, we've constructed for you a very unique gamescom-specific audio episode this week. Our awesome team at gamescom have put together a number of Xbox developer interviews that we’re going to share with you back to back. Coming up, we have interviews with the developers of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Avowed, Monster Hunter Wilds, Diablo IV, Marvel Rivals, Fragpunk, Civilization VII, and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.Look for another regular episode of Podcast Unlocked, where we will dig into all sorts of stuff, including my behind-closed-doors demo of Indiana Jones, which I am unbelievably thrilled about. We’ll talk about all that and more, but for now, enjoy these developer interviews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 15, 2024 • 56min
We Love Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster (So Far) – Unlocked 655
We've played a bunch of the upcoming Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster and we want to tell you all about why we love what we've played so far. Plus: one of our most anticipated games gets delayed to 2025 but we're happy it'll get the time it needs AND avoid the Fall games rush, Hi-Fi Rush developer Tango Gameworks gets saved by PUBG publisher Krafton and we're pretty sure we know what game they'll make next, we daydream about Batman games on Xbox now that WB is open to licensing its IPs to other game developers, and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices