Kinda Funny Games Daily – "Marathon Finally Has a Release Date"

Date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: Blessing Adeoye Jr. (A), Andy Cortez (B)
Episode Theme:
This episode dives into the major gaming news of January 19, 2026, with a focus on the long-awaited release date for Bungie’s Marathon, ongoing reactions to genre-defining shooters, a reported new Resident Evil remake, a minor explosion at Rockstar North, and a roundtable of lighter gaming and industry commentary. As always, Blessing and Andy bring an energetic, candid, and sometimes chaotic tone, with detours into personal gaming experiences, community banter, and behind-the-scenes industry quirks.

Main News Highlights

1. Marathon’s Release Date & Details ([08:12]-[11:05])

• Bungie confirms Marathon will release on March 5, 2026 for Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Preorders available.
• Latest gameplay trailer showcases narrative and world-building, introducing the character Gantry and the Mida Faction.
• Marathon centers on contract completion for one of six distinct factions, unlocking lore, audio/text logs, and discoverable content.
• Voice cast includes: Samantha Béart, Roger Clark, Jennifer English, Dave Fennoy, Erica Lindbeck, Neil Newbon, Ben Starr, Elias Toufexis, among others.
• Price: $39.99 for the standard edition; preorder bonuses include cosmetics and Destiny 2 crossover gear.

Hosts' Reactions:

• Andy: “That’s what I think we were all kind of assuming… that seems like kind of the standard for PlayStation multiplayer thing. But then also extraction shooter, I feel like that is kind of that sweet spot.” ([10:52])
• Discussion of the “extraction shooter” genre, influence of Arc Raiders' popularity, and whether Marathon can achieve long-term player retention:
  • Andy: “It’s a game that I will play for maybe a week or two, and then I will likely fall off, much like what happened with Arc Raiders…” ([11:43]-[13:00])
  • Blessing: “There’s something about hopping into this world… like, maybe we can make friends with them… it kind of invokes a little bit of battle royale to me, but even in battle royale, it’s like that’s PvP at the end of the day…” ([14:28])

Notable Quotes:

• “I want Marathon to be so successful that they pull a Titanfall… I just want a single player, like, game in this universe. This set, in this world.” – Andy ([25:45])
• “Bungie always has to stumble a little bit at launch and then get their shit together through updates… I think that’s going to happen with Marathon.” – Blessing ([24:02])

Key Segment Timestamps:

• [08:12] – Roper Report: Marathon release announcement & details
• [11:05-20:32] – Deep discussion on the game's genre, expected competition with Arc Raiders, and the outlook for Marathon’s player base and post-launch support

2. Resident Evil: Code Veronica Remake Rumored ([32:58]-[39:11])

• Code Veronica is reportedly slated for a formal reveal later in 2026, with a release targeted for Q1 2027 (IGN/Tom Phillips).
• Well-known leaker Dusk Golem suggests this is the next main Resident Evil remake, not RE5.

Hosts' Reactions:

• Andy: “I know so little about Code Veronica… it feels like it’s always on the lower list of priority in terms of what Resident Evil fans want or talk about.” ([37:55])
• Blessing: “Resident Evil remakes have become such a staple; whenever they run out of them, I’m going to be very sad. It’s like Pokémon remakes—you just have to keep remaking.” ([38:44])
• Discussion on how the remake series has revitalized interest in Resident Evil and become a mainline staple.

3. Rockstar North Boiler Room Explosion ([43:52]-[47:04])

• Incident at Rockstar North (Edinburgh): A minor explosion in the studio’s boiler room overnight, seven fire vehicles dispatched, no injuries, minimal structural damage.
• Rockstar’s statement: “Everyone is well and our studio remains open and operational.”
• Blessing reflects on similar personal experiences with random accidents: “As humans, we just keep going.” ([45:33])
• Andy: “That’s a scary thing that something just randomly like that… could just happen.” ([45:23])

Other Major Points & Memorable Banter

Extraction Shooter Genre’s New Chapter ([11:05]-[24:02])

• Arc Raiders cited as a turning point for genre acceptance; “Exctraction shooter” is no longer a dirty word.
• Comparison to battle royal trends, with optimism that Marathon can fill a similar “Apex Legends” space to Arc Raiders’ “PUBG.”
• Community superchats agree: “A rising tide lifts all ships” in the genre.

Internal Industry Humor: Sonic’s Foot vs. Mario’s ([52:10]-[55:21])

• Fun anecdote: During Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games development, Nintendo insisted Sega change promo art because Sonic’s foot was shown in front of Mario’s. “Or there will be no deal.”
• Andy: “Reminds me of The Rock having in his contract that he can’t lose a fight… it’s always a stalemate.” ([53:25])
• Blessing: “As much as I love Sonic, Sega, you shouldn’t be putting Sonic’s foot in front of Mario. You should know.” ([55:04])

Gaming Experiences, Personal Takes, and Inside Jokes

Blessing & Andy’s Weekend Games

• Nier Automata: Andy recently finished Ending B—“I experienced quite the explosion of emotions... I am so enamored with this video game.” ([02:37])
• Final Fantasy X: Blessing’s journey, love for the game, and hatred for Blitzball, the in-game minigame.
  • “People are going to get mad because genuinely, I fucking hate Blitzball… Did I read the tutorial? The answer is no.” ([05:46])
  • Notable running debate on Pico Park group play and “who counts” for delaying group content ([04:28]-[05:03])

Community Interaction

• Birthday “taxes” (superchats from listeners on their birthdays)
• Controller design roast/battle ideas (“ugliest controllers”)
• Andy and Blessing’s imagined video game industry sitcom based on Sega and Nintendo rivalry ([54:09])

Timestamps:

• [00:43]-[02:37]: Personal experiences with real-life explosions; Nier Automata and Control impressions
• [04:09]-[06:58]: Final Fantasy X playthrough, especially the Blitzball minigame rant
• [08:12]-[20:32]: Marathon announcement, discussion, and broader extraction shooter community impacts
• [21:07]: Superchat on Arc Raiders and Marathon genre influence
• [32:58]-[39:11]: Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake rumor, franchise remake philosophy
• [43:52]-[47:04]: Rockstar North explosion incident
• [52:10]-[55:21]: Nintendo vs. Sega: the saga of the Olympic Games cover art foot placement
• [56:23]-[62:02]: “WE News Channel” rapid-fire gaming headlines (Star Wars Jedi 3, Medieval Battle Food Truck, Far Cry patches, etc), and community/fun topics

Notable Quotes

• “A rising tide lifts all ships.” – Clawmaster (listener superchat) ([21:24])
• “I want Marathon to be so successful that they pull a titanfall… I just want a single player, like, game in this universe.” – Andy ([25:45])
• “Bungie always has to stumble a little bit at launch and then get their shit together through updates… I think that’s going to happen with Marathon.” – Blessing ([24:02])
• “As much as I love Sonic, Sega, you shouldn’t be putting Sonic’s foot in front of Mario. You should know.” – Blessing ([55:04])
• “People are going to get mad because genuinely, I fucking hate Blitzball.” – Blessing ([05:46])

Secondary Headlines (“WE News Channel”) ([56:23]-[59:33]):

• Star Wars Jedi 3 rumored for reveal and release this year, per Twitch/YouTube rumors
• Medieval Battle Food Truck announced: “a roguelike cooking game where burger flipping can be more important than swinging swords.”
• Far Cry 3, Blood Dragon, and Primal patching to 60 FPS on current-gen
• Tides of Tomorrow delayed to April 22

Conclusion & Episode Tone

The Kinda Funny crew keeps up their trademark high-energy and irreverent style, drawing from inside jokes, candid rants, and a dynamic, conversational approach. They offer earnest analysis of news and trends (especially around Marathon and extraction shooters), while blending in industry trivia, personal anecdotes, and audience banter.

Useful for listeners who missed it:

• Covers the full Marathon announcement & discussion
• Resident Evil remake context and speculation
• Key industry goings-on (Rockstar, quirky Nintendo/Sega rivalry)
• Playful community engagement and gaming culture bits

Memorable Moment Recap:

• Blessing’s raucous Blitzball rant ([05:46]):
  • “Did I read the tutorial? The answer is no.”
• Marathon genre optimism—with a clear-eyed look at Bungie’s history and expectations for longevity
• The Sega/Nintendo cover art saga, likened to contractually controlled Hollywood fights

Ad/Outro, promotional, and unrelated chatter omitted.