Destin Legarie Podcast | Save State Plus

Huge Xbox news today from Xbox CEO Asha Sharma. Platinum Trophies! Xbox is rolling out several long-requested console improvements, including party and game chat audio in captures, better achievement sorting, cloud-save restoration, and larger wishlists. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma also teased a new achievement reward similar to PlayStation’s Platinum Trophy for later this year.Meanwhile, reports claim Microsoft’s next Xbox could support games across all five generations, although that backward-compatibility detail remains unconfirmed. Xbox also surprised players with Quake: Dawn of the Machine, a free new episode created by MachineGames and released for existing Quake owners.After year...

Beast of Reincarnation is finally here, and Game Freak’s new action RPG is unlike anything the Pokémon developer has made before. After spending time exploring its post-apocalyptic Japan, fighting alongside Koo, and learning its parry-focused combat system, I’m sharing my early review thoughts with Sarthe.The game combines fast katana combat with command-based abilities from your canine companion, creating something that feels inspired by games like Sekiro, NieR: Automata, and Stellar Blade while still trying to establish an identity of its own.Here’s what I think works, what still concerns me, and whether Beast of Reincar...

Xbox is developing a new Disc-to-Digital program designed to let players use physical Xbox One and Xbox Series game discs across the wider Xbox ecosystem, including devices without disc drives.

According to information sent to ID@Xbox publishers, players insert an eligible disc into an Xbox One or Xbox Series X console with an optical drive. Xbox then grants a digital license connected to both the player’s account and the physical disc. That game can subsequently follow the player to other supported Xbox devices.

Xbox is testing a new ad-supported way to play games through Xbox Cloud Gaming without paying for a Game Pass subscription. I tried the experience with Gears of War to see how the ads work, how well the game performs through the cloud, and whether this could become a legitimate alternative to buying an Xbox console.The current Xbox Insider test allows players to stream select games they already own in one-hour sessions. Ads appear before the session rather than interrupting gameplay, but the actual experience still depends heavily on streaming quality, latency, image clarity, and your internet connection...

Xbox and PlayStation outages are offering an unsettling look at gaming’s increasingly all-digital future. During a recent Xbox network outage, some players reported being unable to launch digital games and even certain disc-based games. Microsoft says physical games should not have been affected and blamed a licensing issue that failed to recognize locally stored entitlements. A permanent fix is reportedly being developed. That incident came shortly after a PlayStation Network outage disrupted access to PSN and the Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls open beta. Meanwhile, Sony is moving forward with plans to stop producing physical discs for new Pla...

Xbox has revealed its plans for Gamescom 2026, including 25 games across 140 demo stations, two live broadcasts, and major appearances from Gears of War: E-Day, Fable, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, Forza Horizon 6, Alien: Isolation 2, Halo: Campaign Evolved and more. It should be an exciting moment for Xbox, but while talking about the company’s history and its 25th anniversary, I discovered that my original Xbox 360 may finally be broken. That console represents an important period of my life and career, and the realization hit me harder than expected. Xbox’s Gamescom broadcasts are scheduled for August 26 and August 27 at 7 a.m. P...

SPOILER FREE Spider-Man: Brand New Day is finally here, bringing Tom Holland back as Peter Parker for his fourth solo Spider-Man movie. In this spoiler-free review, I discuss the story, action, performances, new characters, and whether Brand New Day delivers the fresh start promised after Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has revealed the company’s new plan following major layoffs, falling gaming revenue, studio changes, and what Microsoft has described as a reset for the business.

Xbox now says it will return to player and revenue growth by the end of fiscal year 2027, improve profitability, strengthen its console platform, turn its games into larger global franchises, expand Minecraft as a creator platform, and bring its biggest properties into film, television, merchandise, sponsorships, and live experiences.

Windows Central has raised an excellent question about Xbox Project Helix: Can Microsoft build an affordable next-generation Xbox that also gives players access to PC games and competing storefronts like Steam?

Traditional consoles can be sold at lower prices because platform holders make money when players purchase games through their stores. But if Xbox Helix owners immediately move over to Steam, Microsoft could lose the software revenue that normally helps subsidize the hardware. That could leave Microsoft with an extremely expensive Xbox, a restricted version of Windows, or some kind of compromise between the two. I love...

God of War Laufey at SDCC Revealed some cool new details. Like the release date! God of War Laufey officially releases on February 16, 2027, but that date puts Sony’s next major PS5 exclusive directly into one of the most crowded release windows we’ve seen.

Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, Persona 4 Revival, Fable, Metro 2039, and now God of War Laufey are all targeting February 2027. Somebody is eventually going to move, right?

Marvel’s Wolverine just had its biggest reveal yet at San Diego Comic-Con 2026. Insomniac Games debuted a new story trailer featuring Logan, Jean Grey, Sabretooth, Mystique, Team X, Bolivar Trask, Deathstrike and The Hand.

Halo Campaign Evolved modernizes the original Halo with completely rebuilt visuals, redesigned environments, new missions, additional weapons, and major quality-of-life improvements.

The improved lighting and visual direction make confusing levels like The Library much easier to navigate, while 42 hidden Skulls and 13 Terminals add plenty of replayability. However, technical issues, crashes, and controversial changes to Master Chief and Cortana keep the remake from being perfect.

Xbox just launched Backward Compatibility on PC, bringing four original Xbox classics to Windows PCs and handhelds for the first time. But after speaking with Xbox ahead of today's announcement, it sounds like these four games are only the beginning.

Former Burnout and Need for Speed developers are building Wreckreation 2, an arcade racing game focused on speed, destruction, aggressive driving, and the kind of chaotic gameplay AAA publishers have largely abandoned.

Bethesda has revealed a massive roadmap for the future of Fallout, The Elder Scrolls and Starfield. The Elder Scrolls VI is now Bethesda Game Studios’ primary focus. Fallout 5 has entered pre-production, and Obsidian is officially returning to the Fallout universe with a new project. Bethesda also confirmed plans for Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remakes, continued Starfield support and a new version of its technology called Creation Engine 3.

Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has generated plenty of conversation surrounding its casting, sound mix and decision to adapt the classic story again. After seeing the film, I think most of that controversy distracts from what actually makes it special.

Xbox and PlayStation have both experienced major layoffs, studio closures and restructuring, but the way those stories are covered often feels very different.When Xbox cuts jobs, it is frequently presented as evidence that the entire brand is collapsing. When PlayStation closes studios, cuts staff or restructures Bungie, the coverage often moves on much faster or treats each story as an isolated problem.

Bethesda Game Studios has revealed its long-term roadmap for Fallout, The Elder Scrolls and Starfield. The biggest announcements include confirmation that Fallout 3 and Fallout: New Vegas remasters are in development, Obsidian Entertainment is partnering with Bethesda on a new Fallout project, and The Elder Scrolls VI is now the studio’s primary development focus.

Path of Exile 1 is getting another major expansion, and I sat down with game director Mark Roberts and designer Octavian Morosan to talk about the future of the game.
We discuss Grinding Gear Games’ surprisingly small and efficient development team, major changes designed to help new players, systems being brought over from Path of Exile 2, how the studio reuses assets across both games, its proprietary engine, secret content, datamining bait and why developers keep hiding bananas throughout Path of Exile.
We also talk about the possibility of a Path of Exile movie or card game, favorite bosses, le...

Xbox’s latest round of layoffs has resulted in a major leadership shakeup at ZeniMax Online Studios, the developer of The Elder Scrolls Online.According to Game File, studio head Joe Burba is departing alongside ESO executive producer Susan Kath, studio game director Rich Lambert and production director Ala Diaz. Their positions were included among 379 ZeniMax jobs eliminated in Maryland, with more than 200 cuts reportedly hitting ZeniMax Online Studios alone.

The console market could be heading for a massive decline. New estimates from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan predict global console shipments will fall 19.5% in 2026, dropping from 42.1 million units to just 33.9 million. Shipments could fall even further in 2027 as the RAM and storage crisis pushes hardware prices higher. The forecast estimates Nintendo will ship 17.1 million Switch 2 consoles in 2026, while Sony ships 13.2 million PS5s and Microsoft ships only 2.5 million Xbox Series X|S consoles.Analysts also believe PS6 and the next Xbox may launch at prices between $600 and $800 if component costs do not improve. So even with GTA 6...

I played nearly two hours of Beast of Reincarnation, Game Freak’s ambitious new action RPG, and came away feeling like I had only scratched the surface.
Beast of Reincarnation combines fast, demanding real-time combat with a more traditional command-based RPG system. You control Emma directly while issuing abilities to her canine companion, Koo, allowing you to attack, apply buffs, weaken enemies and change the pace of battle without completely stopping the action.In this hands-on preview, I break down the combat, progression, world, story setup and what surprised me most about Game Freak’s major departure from Poké...

Xbox has teased that a major delayed console update should finally reach Insiders next week, and speculation is growing that it could be the reveal of Microsoft’s rumored disc-to-digital program.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced brings Edward Kenway’s pirate adventure back in a way that reminds you why this game became one of Ubisoft’s most beloved entries.

Microsoft’s Xbox reset is getting clearer, and the biggest news may be that Fallout is finally coming back.

This week @Sarthetv and @RapidReacts join me to react to the big changes at Xbox and PlayStation this last week.

Xbox and PlayStation are both making big moves across their studios, and not all of them make sense. This week on Game Chat, we talk through the latest layoffs, studio cuts, restructuring, and what these decisions say about the future of Xbox, PlayStation, and the games industry as a whole.

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is almost here, and Ubisoft’s remake of the 2013 fan favorite is looking a lot more ambitious than a basic remaster. The game launches July 9, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with rebuilt visuals, updated gameplay, new content, improved naval systems, and a full tech overhaul in the Anvil engine.

Get High on Life 2 on Steam for 33% off here

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On S...

Xbox’s massive restructuring is now clearer: thousands of jobs are being cut, multiple studios are leaving Xbox, and teams like Double Fine and Compulsion are set to become independent again. Let’s break down what changed, what still isn’t clear, and what this means for the future of Xbox Game Studios.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma sent an internal email announcing what she called the most significant restructure in Xbox history. The plan includes approximately 3,200 job cuts throughout FY27, 1,600 role eliminations today, and four studios leaving Xbox for new management.

Former Xbox veteran Laura Fryer recently shared her thoughts on why Xbox studios keep struggling, arguing that “creative freedom” can become a trap when there isn’t enough structure, accountability, or clear leadership behind it.

Laura's Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BZBoBAZGsc

A major leadership change has happened at Arkane Lyon, the Xbox studio behind Marvel’s Blade. According to VGC, MachineGames co-founder and studio director Jerk Gustafsson has taken over leadership of Arkane, while former president Leonard Bendel has resigned. This comes amid ongoing reports about Xbox layoffs, possible studio closures, and uncertainty around the future of Blade.

Xbox is reportedly testing a disc-to-digital feature that could let players convert parts of their physical Xbox game collections into digital entitlements.

Xbox layoffs are still looming and though The Game Business reported Obsidian is on that list, that has been refuted

After reports that Microsoft was preparing more layoffs and that multiple Xbox studios could be affected, new details and clarifications are starting to come in. The Game Business reported that Xbox is divided internally over its future, with pressure around costs, Game Pass, hardware, and the company’s shift toward bigger franchises.

PlayStation just announced that physical disc production for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will end starting January 2028. Sony says new games after that point will be available through PlayStation Store and retailers in digital formats only, while games already released or planned before January 2028 in disc format are not impacted.Sony also announced major PlayStation Store changes for PS3 and PS Vita, with PS3 store closures beginning in select markets this year and global PS3 and PS Vita closures planned for July 2027. Previously purchased content will still be downloadable “for the foreseeable future.”So today we’re talking about...

Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have reportedly been hit with a class-action lawsuit accusing them of restricting DRAM supply and fixing prices. DRAM is used across PCs, phones, servers, and game consoles, which makes this a bigger gaming story than it may sound at first. The allegation is that consumer memory supply was reduced while companies focused more heavily on expensive HBM memory for AI data centers, contributing to rising RAM costs. These are still allegations, but if memory prices remain high, that could put even more pressure on console hardware pricing heading into PS6, the next Xbox, and...

Xbox layoffs are no longer just rumors. The Xbox News today is that layoffs are happening right now, and it's across almost every department.CWA-represented workers at Microsoft spoke publicly today and confirmed that they expect layoffs across the Xbox division. During a press call, CWA District 9 vice president Frank Arce said multiple reports indicate Microsoft may initiate layoffs across Xbox in the days ahead, and the union is warning that workers should not be treated as disposable.GamesBeat reports that Microsoft is preparing to take action in early July, shortly after the close of its financial quarter, with...

Sony Interactive Entertainment just discussed its next-generation PlayStation strategy in a new investor Q&A, including hardware pricing, profitability, PC competition, cloud gaming, and how PlayStation is thinking about the future beyond PS5.The biggest takeaway? Sony says it is “not realistic” to absorb all component cost increases and that, as a principle, it does not intend to sell hardware at significant losses. That doesn’t confirm a PS6 price, but it does give us a pretty clear look at PlayStation’s philosophy heading into the next generation. Sony also says the next PlayStation is meant to deliver value unique t...

Xbox is talking about a much bigger future: more games, more ways to play, FanFest, Hollywood adaptations, and major franchises like Minecraft, Fallout, Gears of War, Call of Duty, Halo, Blade, and The Elder Scrolls.But that future is coming at a very difficult time. Hardware sales are struggling, console prices are rising, studios are reportedly bracing for layoffs or restructuring, and Xbox leadership has already warned that sacrifices may be coming.So I wanted to look at the recent Entertainment Weekly Xbox at 25 piece with fresh eyes and talk about where Xbox says it wants to go, what...

PlayStation is once again talking about its live service strategy, but the funny part is how much of this sounds like the same plan Sony has been pushing for years. In a new Famitsu interview, PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino talked about Sony’s continued interest in live service games, how the company views PS5 versus PC releases, and why single-player first-party games still appear to be PlayStation-first while live service games are more likely to launch across PS5 and PC.The bigger question is whether Sony has actually learned from what happened with Bungie, Concord, and the wider live se...

I sat down with That’s No Moon to talk about their upcoming single-player reimagining of Crossfire, and what stood out most is how seriously the team is taking combat, cover, and story.This is not being pitched as a traditional cover shooter where you snap to waist-high walls and trade bullets until your health comes back. The team is building what they call adaptive cover, where your character reacts to enemy sightlines, organic geometry, and the environment around you. The goal is to make combat feel more lethal, more tactical, and more cerebral.We also talk about why th...