Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

11h ago

As Lord Cognito long predicted, the AI conversation reached a breaking point online when people saw one of the industry's golden children announced that they'll be using generative AI for their game's development. That team is Larian Studios who is responsible for the Divinity franchise alongside the incredible Baldur's Gate 3. The CEO of Larian, Swen Vincke, said that it will be used for mostly pre-production stuff along the lines of whiteboxing or even company e-mails. However, he also let it slip that concept art ideation will be part of that process as an optional tool. Well, social media did not like this at all. It has turned into one of the most split topics to round out 2025. So, where do the Dukes stand? Matty, a longtime critic of AI's usage in development beyond a tool, happens to be a massive Larian fan. Does he bend the knee? What of Lord Cognito who always expected this? Does he blink at such a revelation? Perhaps, it's all overblown. There is a reality where we're years down the line and Larian is on a long list of developers who are all doing the same thing. Time shall tell, but let's chat about what we know for now. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:06:25 - Health Is Wealth 0:26:41 - The Xbox Bowl 0:30:12 - Backlog games we want to play in 2026 0:35:09 - Games we missed during The Game Awards 0:38:23 - It’s actually Mega Man 12 0:43:23 - Clearing up some Warhammer nonsense 0:47:26 - Katsuhiro Harada leaves Bandai 0:55:58 - Elder Scrolls VI update 1:12:30 - John Romero’s Xbox game survived cancellation 1:14:55 - New Call Of Duty sub series inbound? 1:23:30 - Exodus gets new leadership 1:33:34 - Expedition 33 gets a new update 1:35:37 - Marathon gets a March 2026 release window 1:44:30 - Phantom Blade 0 is a timed PS5 exclusive 1:45:16 - Dead Island 3 is a long, long ways away 1:46:00 - Star Wars: Fate Of The Old Republic arrives before 2030 1:59:58 - Mega Man Star Force Collections arrives early 2026 2:00:41 - Resident Evil is about to be stacked for a few years 2:01:47 - Updates on Persona 6 2:06:24 - What We’re Playing 2:27:04 - Larian Studios is using generative AI 3:19:35 - Forza Motorsport is done 3:23:10 - Xbox teases Developer Direct Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 14

Star Wars: Fate Of The Old Republic. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:01:35 - Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic 0:15:50 - Pragmata Release Date 0:17:26 - New Divinity Game 0:23:50 - Coven of the Chicken Foot 0:25:26 - Ontos 0:27:00 - 4:LOOP 0:29:23 - Order Of The Sinking Star 0:30:52 - South of Midnight gets PS5 and Switch 2 reveal 0:33:50 - Exodus 0:39:34 - Control Resonant 0:41:42 - Lego Batman: Legacy Of The Dark Knight 0:43:48 - Tomb Raider 0:47:37 - Saros Delayed 0:49:42 - Star Wars: Galactic Racer 0:52:04 - Award winners 1:08:25 - Resident Evil Requiem 1:12:03 - Gang of Dragon 1:20:02 - Invincible VS Release Date 1:22:17 - Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred 1:23:59 - Total War: Warhammer 40,000 1:27:37 - Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve 1:32:31 - Phantom Blade Zero Release Date 1:35:41 - Mega Man Dual Override 1:42:48 - Highguard 1:56:29 - Wrap Up Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dec 7

Despite any gripes with Xbox this year, there's no denying that 2026 presents a fun challenge for them. Fable, Forza Horizon 6, Halo, and Gears Of War E-Day are all slated to drop next year. However, a new wrinkle has been introduced in the ambitious RPG, Clockwork Revolution, which hails from inXile Entertainment. After a seven minute trailer from this summer's showcase, we felt this thing had to be ready to go soon. Sadly, the RPG titan tempered our expectations when the trailer ended with the familiar statement from its initial reveal: "Coming in due time." Well, if a LinkedIn profile is to be believed, Clockwork Revolution may join the fray of a busy year for the "biggest publisher in gaming." Naturally, we hone in on GTA 6 which creates a splash radius so large that every publisher will be avoiding them for the fall. How Xbox navigates this will be interesting as we have yet to consider overdue titles like State Of Decay 3 and third party deals. Buckle up, friends! It's going to be a wild ride. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:06:49 - Health Is Wealth 0:11:42 - Birthday video games 0:24:49 - Holiday gaming plans 0:30:43 - Our reveal predictions for The Game Awards 0:37:07 - What is that Game Awards statue? 0:41:43 - Avowed roadmap updated 0:50:38 - Microsoft might want to add AI to Game Pass 1:00:04 - Xbox Game Pass is done for the year 1:05:04 - CD Projekt Red wants the new Witcher trilogy done in 6 years 1:28:49 - Make or Break moment for Yacht Club Games 1:38:21 - The art controversy with Marathon has been settled 1:43:00 - There will be a Hitman 4 1:45:49 - Ubisoft cuts plans for Assassin’s Creed Shadows DLC 1:51:10 - Splinter Cell director returns 1:54:35 - Bloodlines 2 sales flop 1:58:23 - Is Shadow The Hedgehog getting his own movie? 2:01:41 - What’s next for Metal Gear Solid? 2:08:11 - Control 2 reveal at The Game Awards? 2:09:19 - Some sales updates 2:10:42 - What We’re Playing 3:01:50 - Xbox’s 2026 release rumors Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 30

Thanks to the likes of OpenAI, hardware manufacturers are scrambling to adjust prices amidst a shortage of RAM. As a result, things are about to become more expensive again! Unlike companies like Lenovo or PlayStation who seemingly bought stock in advance to help avoid price shock, Xbox appears to be ready to pass this one onto the consumer. Naturally, the "Xbox refugees" have turned their attention toward the Steam Machine which could fill a void in our gamer hearts. However, the Dukes find it hard to imagine a hero in this stock shortage story. Just how much will the Steam Machine be after Valve admits they will not be subsidizing and are just looking to make the device competitive? Will it look good beside a PlayStation 6 or next gen Xbox? We have a lot of questions, little answers, and even less money. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:04:41 - Health Is Wealth 0:14:29 - Let’s chat some more about Charlie ‘4 Hours’ Cox 0:22:50 - Xbox’s November 2025 update 0:31:40 - Default Game Profiles come to the Xbox Ally 0:35:06 - The Xcrocs are (sadly) real 0:41:13 - Battlefield 6 versus Black Ops 7 1:04:07 - Destiny 3 is in the works? 1:09:10 - A crazy week in the world of Ubisoft 1:31:50 - TMNT is getting the Sonic treatment 1:43:28 - Leaked messages of what got Rockstar employees fired 1:46:03 - Intergalatic: The Heretic Prophet is years away 1:50:00 - Stellar Blade 2 will be multiplatform 1:50:59 - Death Stranding 2 coming to PC soon? 1:52:57 - Exodus trailer confirmed for The Game Awards 1:56:57 - Cyberpunk’s sequel is ramping up 1:59:42 - SEGA admits their definitive versions could hurt sales 2:13:12 - What We’re Playing 2:44:17 - Valve talks Steam Machine value as Xbox is expected to jump their prices again Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 23

As was originally reported, Xbox brought out a Partner Preview in November. It was chockful of everything strange like a co-op alien shop simulator or a thuggish rabbit beating up baddies to more traditional first person horror titles. The catch was that every game we saw throughout was a Play Anywhere title, a program that many of Xbox's players still yearn for the platform to leverage more. All in all, the Dukes enjoyed the show, especially given it dropped ahead of the biggest show of the year in the Game Awards where announcements are typically prioritized. Beyond that, we dive deep into the Valve rumor mill. Half Life 3 is everywhere! Is it finally happening and are the Dukes believers? We get into that plus updated thoughts on the Steam Machine now that we've had some time to digest the triple-whammy Valve hit us with last week. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at https://www.shopify.com/duke Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:13:32 - Discussing The Game Awards nominees 0:31:43 - The myriad of Half Life 3 rumors 0:36:54 - Valve’s focus for the Steam Machine 0:51:16 - Xbox Ally is exceeding expectations 0:55:09 - Xbox releases game publishing documentation to the public 0:59:26 - Obsidian has yet to use generative AI 1:03:17 - Activision caught using AI generated assets in Black Ops 7 1:12:01 - Bethesda responds to Fallout 4’s anniversary issues 1:28:04 - Krafton is now the publisher of Hi Fi Rush, but there’s a catch 1:31:37 - New comments by Sarah Bond on Xbox’s future 1:37:18 - PlayStation was indifferent to market shrinking in Japan 1:46:07 - Where is Yoko Taro? 1:48:58 - A new Ratchet & Clank game got revealed 1:56:42 - Don’t call it a Concord comeback 2:00:35 - Silent Hill Townfall’s release date leaked 2:02:15 - Ubisoft canceled Splinter Cell for xDefiant 2:10:02 - Red Dead Redemption 1 gets next gen update 2:10:56 - Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 reaches 4 million sales figure 2:13:38 - First look at Zelda movie 2:14:27 - Death Stranding is getting an original anime on Disney+ 2:17:16 - Coming soon to Xbox Game Pass 2:19:42 - What We’ve Been Playing 3:11:50 - Xbox Partner Preview Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 16

Xbox's big bet for bringing PCs to the living room has officially been undercut. This week, Valve announced three (!) different pieces of hardware. First, there is the Steam Machine, which serves as the strongest competitor to consoles. While still very much a PC, the Steam Machine packs a lot of punch for a small device and could be a force if priced well. Second, a brand new VR headset in the Steam Frame. Despite Meta having massive first-party support, Valve has decided to challenge a space that many of us thought was finished growing. Third, and finally, is a Steam Controller. It's horrendous looking and makes the Duke look ergonomic. How does Valve's aggressive hardware plans disrupt Xbox and does any lingering appeal for the PC in the living room by Xbox remain? The Dukes unite and dive straight in. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:08:49 - The Hair Crisis 0:13:57 - Halo Infinite support is ending 0:21:59 - Former Nintendo President opens up on Xbox and Switch 2 0:31:59 - State Of Play Japan reactions 0:47:15 Arc Raiders is a smash hit 0:57:04 - GTA 6 has been delayed 1:09:02 - Take Two proves great narrative games sell well 1:13:02 - Borderlands 4 sales are soft 1:18:58 - Dispatch sells over 1 million copies 1:20:47 - Ghost Of Yotei sells over 3 million copies 1:23:00 - BioWare and EA recommit to Mass Effect 1:42:28 - Marvel 1943: Rise Of Hydra has been delayed 1:44:35 - Silent Hill 2’s Xbox release date leaks 1:48:42 - Nintendo first party are using game key cards 1:51:07 - Square Enix undergoes layoffs and drops new roadmap 2:03:02 - Trails In The Sky Remake 2 confirmed for 2026 2:05:54 - What We’re Playing 3:00:07 - Valve announces Steam Machine, Frame, and Controller 3:28:55 - Todd Howard interview 3:42:30 - Avowed 2 is in the cards, but not Outer Worlds 3? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 9

It's been quite the year for Obsidian Entertainment. Following three major releases in one year with Avowed, Grounded 2 (Early Access), and The Outer Worlds 2. Obsidian finds itself discussing their future and relevance in a world where "Microsoft Gaming" exists. Cog and Hoeg discuss the significance of revisiting the Pillars of Eternity universe with their latest turn based announcement. What does the future also hold for this studio? In addition to all the latest news in the world of Xbox! Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:02:50 - Health Is Wealth 0:05:01 - Does Cog Really Hate Exclusives? 0:17:14 - Xbox Hybrid Future? 0:33:59 - Cancelling Game Pass Ultimate? 0:40:32 - Destiny 2 New Renegades expansion 0:49:39 - Nintendo’s Patent in Palworld Dispute is Being Re-examined 1:03:54 - Devs believe Steam has a monopoly on PC games? 1:14:03 - Consumers spend more on remakes than remasters 1:22:42 - Battlefield 6 Has Reportedly Sold Over 10 Million Copies 1:31:21 - Arc Raiders early success & roadmap 1:40:33 - Black Ops 7 ROG Xbox Ally X Support 1:44:22 - Expedition 33 & Final Fantasy VII Remake event 1:52:52 - What We Are Playing 2:11:36 - Obsidian announces Pillars of Eternity Turn-Based Mode & talks future 2:42:41 - Xbox Q1 hardware sales down 2:54:20 - Xbox - Ex-Boxer commercial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 2

Following months of swirling rumors, Halo Combat Evolved has its remake. It's called Halo Campaign Evolved and you can play it next year on Xbox, PC, and yes, even PlayStation! It has everything from sprinting to aiming down sights, but more surprising is the new content found within. Cutscenes have been entirely reshot, new prequel missions are being added to the game, new weapons are getting thrown in there, and even the warthog saw an expansion to it. Cog and Gene had the opportunity to go hands-on with a demo of this remake and the takeaways are what you'd expect from a Halo Studios led project. Indeed, it's the familiar cocktail of optimism for what's in front of you and lingering skepticism from the thing you just got. Go to https://www.quince.com/duke for free shipping and 365-day returns Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:02:53 - Sarah Bond says exclusive games are antiquated 0:16:09 - Matt Booty says Xbox’s competition is TikTok and movies 0:29:43 - Phil Spencer says Forza Motorsport isn’t dead 0:38:25 - Phil Spencer on Xbox’s AI push 0:45:09 - Xbox has a Partner Preview coming in November 0:52:55 - Fallout Day 2025 was terrible 1:18:40 - ID@Xbox showcase reveals 12 indie Game Pass titles 1:20:43 - Canceled multiplayer God of War game leaks 1:24:12 - Ghost of Yotei sales analysis 1:31:00 - Loulan: The Cursed Sands revealed 1:33:23 - Masters of Albion will be Peter Molyneux’s final game 1:41:31 - Mouse: P.I. for Hire releases on March 19th, 2026 1:42:45 - Battlefield REDSEC shadow dropped by EA 1:45:07 - FemShep wants to go back to Mass Effect 1:46:40 - Crash Bandicoot is getting a Netflix series 1:47:51 - What We’re Playing (Xbox Ally X) 2:26:55 - Halo Campaign Evolved discussion 3:01:40 - Cog's thoughts on Ninja Gaiden 4 3:09:11 - Outer Worlds 2 3:35:17 - Massive details on the next Xbox 3:59:25 - Xbox’s 30% profit margin to blame for price hikes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices