Podcast
Unlocked
Hosted by IGN & Geek Media · EN
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.
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Forza Horizon 6 Rocks! – Unlocked 741
2w ago01:02:41Tap to summarizeOur friend Mark Medina makes his long-awaited return to Unlocked to join our discussion on Forza Horizon 6, the latest open-world driving game masterpiece from Playground Games. We give our thoughts on what we've played so far and where we think Horizon might go next. Plus: new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is reportedly thinking carefully about exclusivity for Xbox moving forward, and big surprise: we've got thoughts! All that and more on this week's Podcast Unlocked! 00:00:00 - Intro & Forza Horizon 6 Impressions 00:26:30 - Where Does Forza Horizon Go Next? 00:35:17 - Xbox's Huge Exclusivity Shift & Outro Join the IGN Discord today: https://discord.gg/mx62v5pgq #forzahorizon6 #xbox #gaming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →New Xbox CEO Kills Copilot AI – Unlocked 740
3w ago01:02:21Tap to summarizeIt's another busy week of Xbox news as new Xbox CEO Asha Sharma continues to make moves, shaking up the Xbox leadership team and killing Xbox's Copilot AI program in the process. Plus: we geek out over Yakuza developer RGG Studio's new showcase – presented by Microsoft – for its new game Stranger Than Heaven. Plus: Mixtape is a 10 out of 10 and on Game Pass right now, the rest of what's hitting Game Pass over the next week, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro & Stranger Than Heaven Showcase 00:16:17 - Mixtape Review Discussion 00:18:44 - New On Game Pass (Outbound, Wuchang, Mixtape & More) 00:23:08 - Xbox's Copilot AI program is Dead 00:38:36 - Xbox Game Dev Update & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →New Xbox Logo and Attitude: Is Xbox Back to Being Green and Mean? – Unlocked 739
4w ago01:32:37Tap to summarizeAfter Michael tells us about the fun time he had at this year's Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival, we spend the rest of the episode discussing Xbox's logo refresh and its new "We Are Xbox" mission statement. There's a LOT to get into here, from affordability to exclusivity to mergers and acquisitions and a whole lot more. Enjoy! #xbox #gaming #unlocked Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Xbox Game Pass Gets a Price…Decrease! – Unlocked 738
Apr 2301:07:55Tap to summarizeMicrosoft has walked back its wild 50% Xbox Game Pass Ultimate price increase from six months ago...mostly. We discuss the bold change and what it means moving forward. Plus: our favorite games from this week's ID@Xbox Showcase, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro & Game Pass Price Decrease 00:18:19 - PC Game Pass & The Future of Game Pass Exclusives 00:42:53 - ID@Xbox 2026 ( Tears of Metal & Crashout Crew) 00:46:56 - RV There Yet? & Escape Academy 2 00:49:49 - Vampire Crawlers & Echo Generations 2 00:52:15 - Deep Dish Dungeon & inKONBINI 00:57:12 - Beastro & LOFSONG & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Replaced Director Shares Insights, Origins, and What's Next After Xbox Debut – Unlocked 737
Apr 1601:10:52Tap to summarizeReplaced game director Yura Zhdanovich joins us to discuss his just-released Xbox exclusive. He shares insights into the project's origin, getting offered an exclusivity deal from Microsoft, what's next for Sad Cat Studios, and much more! Plus: Pragmata impressions amidst a huge week of awesome new game releases! 00:00:00 - Intro & Replaced Director Interview 00:57:13 - Pragmata Review Discussion #xbox #replaced #pragmata #gaming Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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State of Decay 3 Is Back from the (Un)Dead – Unlocked 736
Apr 901:16:30Tap to summarizeAfter we brought it up on last week's podcast, State of Decay 3 has awoken from its slumber and announced an upcoming community playtest! We talk all about what we want from the upcoming zombie survival/RPG. Plus: our hands-on impressions of the preview version of Forza Horizon 6, Xbox Achievements are getting some welcome improvements, Game Pass has a ton to offer in April, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro & Forza Horizon 6 Talk 00:14:24 - Kiln Beta this weekend 00:16:02 - Starfield DLC + Free Lanes Update is out 00:20:58 - State of Decay 3 is alive 00:40:10 - Xbox Achievements are getting a nice update! 00:50:08 - April Game Pass, Wave 1 00:57:40 - Brian Raffel retires & Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →What Xbox’s Showcase Announcement Tells Us About its 2026 Lineup – Unlocked 735
Apr 201:20:52Tap to summarizeAfter talking about our favorite games from PAX East, we discuss Microsoft's Xbox Showcase announcement – which included news that Gears of War: E-Day will get the coveted "Direct" slot immediately following the event. We dig deep into what that means for the Gears prequel, why Fable might end up being the game that gets bumped to 2027 out of Xbox's stacked 2026 lineup, which studios we might and might not hear from at the Xbox Showcase, and more! 00:00:00 - Intro & What We Played At PAX (Kiln and 4 Penny Coffins 00:02:34 - Rain98 00:05:30 - Lunarium & Cat Secretary 00:10:07 - Xbox Games Showcase & Gears of War: E-Day 00:22:34 - Too Many Xbox Games? 00:24:19 - Will Fable be at the showcase? 00:36:44 - Double Fine: Kiln 00:38:51 - Halo Studios: Campaign Evolved 00:39:31 - inXile: Clockwork Revolution 00:42:27 - Mojang & Ninja Theory 00:46:49 - Playground Games & Rare 00:52:30 - Undead Labs & State of Decay 3 00:58:45 - Arkane, Marvel's Blade, & Blizzard 01:04:09 - This is An Xbox & Outro #gaming #xbox #gearsofwar Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Xbox Showcase Goes Crazy and We Find Hidden Gems Live at PAX East 2026 – Unlocked 734
Mar 2800:52:34Tap to summarizeIn episode 734 of Podcast Unlocked, the crew takes the stage to react to the incredibly packed Xbox Partner Showcase. We discuss the biggest reveals, including the new STALKER 2: Cost of Hope DLC, Hades 2 dropping next month, Wuthering Waves finally coming to Xbox, the Yakuza-inspired Stranger than Heaven, and the surprise drop of Super Meat Boy 3D! Plus, we share our favorite hidden indie gems that we went hands-on with on the PAX East show floor, and wrap things up with a live audience AMA discussing what we all want to see from the next-generation Xbox console. Terms & Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to legal residents of the 50 US & DC, 18+ yrs of age. Ends 4/26/26. Void where prohibited. See Official Rules at https://www.ign.com/rewards/enter-to-win-a-rog-xbox-ally-handheld-gaming-device for full details. https://www.Trolli.com/xbox #Xbox #PAXEast2026 #XboxShowcase Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Our Favorite New Games You Might Not Have Heard of Yet – Unlocked 733
Mar 1901:16:46Tap to summarizeWe all played cool games at the Game Developers' Conference last week, and we'd like to tell you about them! Plus: Michael gushes about all the fun he's been having with Marathon before talking to us about his trip to Bethesda to see Starfield's new expansion and interview Todd Howard, LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight gets a new release date, April and May are unbelievably jam-packed full of games we're excited about, and more! #xbox #gaming #gdc2026 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:49 - Delphinium 00:06:36 - Dosa Divas 00:10:34 - Nomori 00:15:17 - Mongil: Star Dive 00:18:16 - At Fate's End 00:31:25 - Marathon Update with Michael 00:39:35 - Starfield updates from Michael 00:44:14 - Project Helix thoughts from Miranda and Michael 00:59:23 - Lego Batman's release date changed again? 01:01:02 - April and May Games (Samson: A Tyndalston Story, Replaced, Mouse PI for Hire, Diablo 4 Lord of Hatred) 01:03:13 - Kiln, Mixtape, Saros, 007: First Light, Paralives, Crimson Desert, Yoshi and The Mysterious Book 01:06:32 - Where to Find Us & Outro This episode of Unlocked is hosted by Ryan McCaffrey and produced by Tayo Oyekan. Technical production is by Marhyan Franzen and Amir Rakib. Technical direction and editing are handled by Nick Maillet. Graphic design is by Justin Vachon. Unlocked is an IGN production and part of the Geek Media network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Transcribe →Project Helix Reactions: Name Ideas, Messaging Musts, and More – Unlocked 732
Mar 1201:12:59Tap to summarizeMicrosoft has confirmed the rumor that its next-gen console will play PC games. The machine is codenamed Project Helix, and we discuss potential names for the device, how Microsoft must get its messaging right, the advantages it might have over the competition, and much more! 00:00:00 - Intro & Welcome Nugg and MC Fixer 00:04:24 - Project Helix Announcement Reactions & Potential Names 00:24:45 - Sony Returns to Console Exclusivity & 00:31:18 - Project Helix Potential Advantages over PlayStation 00:51:22- Microsoft's GDC 2026 Keynote 01:05:09 - Outro & Where to Find Us Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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