Game Scoop! Episode 854: The Call of Duty Catch
April 24, 2026 | Host: Damon Hatfield | Guests: Nick Limone, Sam Claiborne, Martin Medina | IGN & Geek Media
Episode Overview
This week, veteran IGN host Damon Hatfield and the Game Scoop! crew tackle one of the biggest recent headlines—Xbox’s surprising price drop on Game Pass Ultimate—analyzing what it means for gamers and the industry, with a particular focus on the “Call of Duty catch.” The panel discuss shifting subscription strategies, leadership shakeups at Xbox, and speculate about the future of AAA game access. The crew also share hands-on impressions of hot new releases like Saros, Pragmata, and Vampire Crawlers, followed by their trademark deep dives into game design, trivia, and what they're watching and playing outside gaming.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Price Drop & The "Call of Duty Catch"
Timestamps: 02:20–18:21
- Breaking News: Xbox has reduced Game Pass Ultimate from $30/month to $23, an unusual, "virtually unprecedented" move in subscription history (02:20).
- Damon: “You guys realize how absolutely virtually unprecedented this is for a subscription service to lower its price?” (03:04)
- The Catch: Call of Duty is no longer included day-one with Game Pass—its price is unchanged for those players.
- Martin: “Let’s not just throw a parade. If you buy Call of Duty, it’s the same price.” (03:24)
- Math Breakdown: $7/month off = $84/year, roughly equivalent to the price of buying CoD at launch with extras (03:41).
- Bethesda/Elder Scrolls Speculation: Is this precedent for other big franchises being removed?
- Nick: “If an Elder Scrolls game comes down, wouldn’t that be… not on the same level as Call of Duty monetarily, but maybe it might be.” (04:13)
- Changing Expectations of Subscription Libraries:
- Sam: “The expectation that you have day one free triple A Xbox games that they own is already insane. Nobody else does that... It’s just like, give me games to play so I don’t have to buy a bunch of $70 games.” (04:32)
- Future Tiering & A la Carte Add-ons: Discussion about “tiers” and possible a la carte options for online play, AAA games, etc.
- Nick: “It kind of feels like… this might be a testing ground for that. And I just wonder what that means for the state of things going forward.” (06:45)
- Historical Comparison: Only Hulu’s price drop in 2019 and MoviePass’ infamous drop are comparable (17:06).
- Damon: “I can only find two examples of this ever happening. …If anyone remembers Movie Pass, I do.” (17:30)
- Leadership Shakeup:
- Phil Spencer’s Departure: Team reacts to how abruptly this Xbox icon left, lacking the usual roadmap or goodbye (10:13).
- Sam: “He didn’t announce he was leaving... He’s been addressing Xbox fans directly for years… but he’s not going to like share the news that he’s leaving. I don’t know.” (10:57)
- Company Culture Shift: Microsoft refocuses on "Xbox hardware first", reversing Phil Spencer’s broader gaming direction (11:27).
- Martin: “We’re going to reverse everything that he ever did for the past 10 years. …We’re focusing on consoles and lowering the price of Game Pass.” (11:54)
2. The “Call of Duty” Debate & Shooter Landscape
Timestamps: 12:51–16:55
- Cod’s Star is Fading?
- Damon: “I think Call of Duty is past its prime. …It was the best selling game of the year, we just took it for granted. …Last year Call of Duty was not the best selling game of the year, it wasn’t the second, it wasn’t the third—it was fourth or fifth.” (14:24)
- Genre Speculation: The next CoD may go back to WWII to recover lost momentum, or attempt an extraction shooter to chase current trends (15:31).
- Nick: “I would be very surprised if the next time we see Call of Duty it isn’t set somewhere in the past, a la World War II.” (15:31)
- Multiplayer’s King Remains?:
- Martin: “Call of Duty multiplayer is kind of unique in the fact that they’re kind of the only ones that still…” (16:55)
- Sam: “Steam Counter-Strike’s the biggest one, so it’s just like… I don’t see [anything competing on the console side].” (17:01)
3. Game Impressions & Reviews
A. Saros
Timestamps: 18:27–25:53
- Martin’s Take: 7/10 from IGN, “If you liked Returnal, you’ll like Saros. If you didn’t like Returnal, you might love Saros because it is very different…” (19:11)
- Progression: More straightforward roguelike progression, “You just get stronger and stronger.” (20:31)
- Story: Clear, readable plot—corporate exploitation, “profit above all” (20:50)
- Easier Gameplay: Shield and power-up mechanics make it more accessible than Returnal (21:51)
- Mystery Remains: “Each of the cast members is slowly going insane, I don’t know why. So there’s still a lot of mystery there.” (24:03)
- Returnal’s Story Spoiled (for those curious—skip to 25:12): “You have to beat the game twice… it’s all kind of like an allegory for her [Selene] crashing off a bridge, killing her daughter in an accident…” (24:29, Nick)
B. Pragmata
Timestamps: 29:07–37:44
- Nick: “Pragmata is fantastic… it feels like a PS2 game in the best possible way in 2026. …Super charming. The relationship between Hugh and Diana is very wholesome…a nice subversion of the sad dad trope.” (29:34)
- Arcadey Combat & Puzzles: “The puzzle combat combined with the… strategy, rock-paper-scissors approach… is really fun.” (30:32)
- Optional Challenge Levels: “They are not optional. You need to do those. …The rewards are worth it.” (31:38)
- Visuals & References:
- Mega Man nods, Capcom references, “the hideouts just look like Mega Man’s helmet,” etc. (33:50)
- “Moon as a setting… it just looks really cool.” (32:56)
- Design Praise: “All of [the tools] feel useful…I love it when a game gives you an excuse to use all your verbs and it really forces you to.” (34:54, Nick)
- Trophy/Platinum: Notoriously hard “ludicrous mode” required after main quest (36:54)
C. Vampire Crawlers
Timestamps: 44:53–47:15
- Damon: “Really, really good. …When you start the game, it starts looking exactly like Vampire Survivors, but then the camera zooms in…” (45:06)
- Roguelike dungeon crawler, reminiscent of Wizardry or Etrian Odyssey; each run is rewarding and “so hard to stop playing.” (45:34–46:05)
- Sam excited to try: “I can’t wait.” (45:06)
4. TV, Movies, & “Extracurricular Activities”
Timestamps: 49:42–58:59
- Mario Galaxy Movie: On a second watch, more fun than the first Mario movie, “It’s just really fun to watch… the montages are really fun.” (49:52, Damon/Nick)
- Mario Movie Easter Eggs: “They bring in a lot of pixel art… you see Mr. Game & Watch pop up every now and then… that’s the dragon from Odyssey, right?” (51:09, Nick/Damon)
- Mario 3/Koopalings: Fans want to see more deep references and wonder how much is left for future movies. (52:02)
- Speculation: Zelda live-action may be next; some doubts about its style and sword design (53:18–54:13)
- Star Wars: Maul Animated Series (aka “Mall: Shadow Lord”): Noted for a fresher art style than Clone Wars and a solid revenge-driven premise (54:32)
- For All Mankind (Apple TV): “Great show, but I think it’s getting worse, which is unfortunate, but I’ll keep watching it.” (58:20, Martin)
- Miscellaneous: Bloodsport as Street Fighter 2 inspiration, recent movies like The Substance get recommendations (59:13–59:46)
5. Video Game 20 Questions
Timestamps: 60:15–67:43
- Game: Halo 2 (Xbox, 2004)
- The panel quickly zeroes in on the PS2/Xbox era, exclusivity, shooter focus, and multiplayer features, with the clincher being dual wielding. (65:17–66:31)
- Notable Moment: “We’ve never had any LEGO game for 20 questions!” (67:25, Damon; 67:28, Nick)
- Listener submission: “It’s so good. Nothing feels quite like getting a headshot in Halo 2 with a sniper rifle.” (67:43, Nick)
Notable Quotes
- Damon: “Xbox did it. They lowered the price of Game Pass… It’s virtually unprecedented for a subscription service to lower its price.” (02:20, 03:04)
- Sam: “The expectation that you have day one free triple A Xbox games… is already insane.” (04:32)
- Martin: “If you liked Returnal, you’ll like Saros. If you didn’t like Returnal, you might love Saros.” (19:11)
- Nick: “Pragmata…feels like a PS2 game in the best possible way in 2026.” (29:34)
Memorable Moments
- “The Call of Duty Catch”: Panel celebrates the Game Pass price drop, then deflates at CoD’s removal, joking: “Let’s not just throw a parade…” (03:24)
- Company Shakeups: Surreal talk about Phil Spencer’s abrupt exit—“Phil’s just gone… now this town hall is like, we’re going to reverse everything he ever did…” (11:27)
- Pragmata’s Mega Man Theories: Nick and Martin dive deep into possible references, joking about Nick being the only player of Mega Man Legends (34:16)
- Returnal Spoiler: Nick summarizes the ending, “It’s all kind of like an allegory for her crashing off a bridge, killing her daughter in an accident…Jacob’s Ladder to some extent.” (24:29)
- Mario Movie Impressions: “I'd rather watch this [second] movie again than the first movie... I'd rather watch a movie with more shiny objects that makes me clap like a seal.” (50:06, Nick)
Important Timestamps
- Game Pass Price Drop & Discussion: 02:20–18:21
- Saros Review: 18:27–25:53
- Pragmata Impressions: 29:07–37:44
- Vampire Crawlers: 44:53–47:15
- Mario Galaxy Movie Chat: 49:42–53:53
- Maul Animated Series, For All Mankind, TV/Film Roundup: 54:24–58:59
- 20 Questions Game: 60:15–67:43
Overall Tone
Casual, fun, and fast-paced, with lots of friendly ribbing, deep gaming knowledge, and a balance of big news, deep dives on new releases, and off-the-wall trivia and references. Expect the lively, informed banter that’s made Game Scoop! a mainstay for two decades.
Summary
Game Scoop! 854 delivers expert dissection of the surprise Xbox Game Pass price drop (and its fine print), speculates on the subscription future of AAA franchises, and assesses Xbox’s shifting corporate priorities in the wake of leadership changes. The team shares hands-on praise for fresh releases Saros, Pragmata, and Vampire Crawlers, debates the legacy and future of Call of Duty, and rounds things out with entertainment recommendations and video game trivia, serving up signature IGN camaraderie and insight every step of the way.
For listeners wanting to catch up on all gaming news, reviews, and inside baseball—with a side of deep-dive trivia and pop culture—this episode is essential listening.
