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Last Stand Media & Studio71

Defining Duke is a weekly podcast dedicated to all things Xbox co-hosted by beloved YouTuber MrMattyPlays and Lord Cognito. Whether you're a fan and player of Xbox Series X|S, still hanging around on Xbox One, or have fond memories of Xbox 360 and the original Xbox, our show is for you. We go over the news, talk about the games we're playing, scour rumors and speculation, and much more. We publish each and every Sunday, and you can get the show three days early and ad-free by supporting us on Patreon at patreon.com/laststandmedia
We wanna make the podcast even better, help us learn how we can: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4 
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Defining Duke: An Xbox Podcast

It's officially showcase season! As tradition dictates, Rand Al Thor 19 of Xbox Two joins the Dukes for a smorgasbord of predictions! This year, we approach things a touch differently. Yes, we get into every (!) first party studio under the Xbox folder as per usual. However, 2026 marks the first Asha Sharma led summer showcase. With many business decisions up in the air ranging from exclusivity to hardware, this feels like a great time for Xbox's new lead to truly put her mark on the brand. With the "This is an Xbox" slogan out the window, will Xbox dare to don the logos of other platforms on their own stage? What of Project Helix? Much of Asha's rallying cry has been around "Return to XBOX." So, is it too early to show what Helix is truly made of during the 25th anniversary year of the brand? Will the shortage on consumer electronics plague what could be a massive announcement for the brand? Indeed, this showcase is a central point for a lot of business decisions that Asha could make in front of a crowd. Given this is her first showcase, the trio discusses what her "Hail Mary" moment can be. Is it time for a new Elder Scrolls VI trailer? Hi Fi Rush 2? Persona 6 or Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3? A sequel to Fallout: New Vegas? There are many avenues for Xbox's new lead to take! Join us as we debate the appearance of over 30 first party studios, dig into third party partnerships, and stew over what could be a monumental showcase for the brand!

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:11:18 - Exclusivity0:43:01 - Hardware1:06:13 - Activision1:17:28 - Arkane1:25:33 - Bethesda Game Studios1:35:38 - Coalition1:41:07 - Compulsion1:42:44 - Double Fine1:45:13 - Halo Studios1:59:38 - iD Software2:03:45 - InXile2:18:42 - MachineGames2:27:09 - Mojang2:29:05 - Ninja Theory2:32:13 - Obsidian Entertainment2:38:00 - Playground2:48:14 - Rare2:53:22 - Turn 102:54:11 - Undead Labs2:59:27 - World's Edge3:02:08 - Xbox Game Studios Publishing
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#282 | Our Xbox Games Showcase 2026 Predictions...

The Belgium Beauty joins once more as the Dukes combine to tackle our favorite topic: EXCLUSIVITY! Yes, PlayStation appears dead set on reverting to the ways of old as news has come in via Bloomberg. Moving forward, all PlayStation single player games will be exclusive to the console. With the launch of Xbox Player Voice, fans are louder than ever about exclusivity on the other side and as we approach the June showcase season, the topic has reached a fever pitch. Through a combination of our brains and your write ins, we leave no stone unturned. Is this good for gaming? Are Xbox and PlayStation doing all this to remove any semblance of power from Steam? Can Xbox ever untether themselves from Steam? We dig through it all and much more!

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:03:34 - Health Is Wealth0:50:02 - Comment boys0:55:58 - Quick summer showcase wishlist1:03:08 - Tough decisions in September1:18:30 - Xbox is now XBOX1:24:43 - Forza Horizon 6 surpasses 1 million players in early access1:27:42 - Warhorse is making a Lord Of The Rings RPG1:49:40 - The Colin Moriarty PlayStation Hack2:10:30 - PlayStation is returning to exclusivity2:54:39 - We almost got Star Wars: The New Republic3:14:58 - What We’re Playing
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#281 | The Great Xbox-PlayStation Exclusivity Debate

What's this?! The esteemed 'Belgium Beauty' as part of the Dukes in 2026?! Indeed, it's Lock and Matty here to sprinkle some extra fun in the world of Xbox where the news never stops moving! This week, we have two types of leaks: A fun release window... and an actual game ahead of its launch. Starting with the fun stuff, Gears Of War: E-Day is looking to take a slot in what will, no doubt, be an extremely busy September. How it leaked is the fun part! In the not so fun stuff, Xbox themselves leaked Forza Horizon 6 via Steam. Fortunately, it is very close to the game's launch, but there is more to this story. How did this go down and should there be any panic? Let's dive in!Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:03:42 - Health Is Wealth0:08:37 - The Xbox-Discord partnership is official0:21:22 - Forza Horizon 6 leaks online ahead of launch0:28:22 - Ken Levine on why Judas took a decade to make0:47:07 - eBay rejects Gamestop’s offer0:55:40 - Lies Of P sequel in full production1:10:19 - PlayStation first party is diving into the world of AI tools1:31:10 - SEGA cancels Super Game1:38:02 - The Bungie acquisition gets uglier1:48:57 - 007 First Light claps back at FPS jokes2:00:38 - Switch 2 price hike is here2:06:12 - Game sales update2:09:47 - What We’re Playing2:57:03 - Gears Of War E-Day appears set for September3:06:45 - Wrap up
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#280 | Gears Of War: E-Day's Release Just Leaked...

It appears that Xbox got sick of the whole weekly negative news cycle schtick and has decided to go in the other direction. Is this week's news truly all that positive? I sincerely depends on how you look at it and nobody will actually know until much later. Asha Sharma has made new additions to her leadership team. Sarah Bond's former team has been replaced by alumni of Meta, Instacart, and CoreAI which all happen to be people that worked with Asha at the same time she led those respective companies. Is this the invasion of AI into Xbox as we initially feared? We get into that, but there's almost zero doubt that Xbox anticipated this because they pulled out quite the plot twist. Copilot for console and mobile is stopped, effective immediately. So, while there is more AI focused leadership than ever in Xbox, they also just axed one of the worst things the brand started rolling out last year. How do the Dukes feel about all of this? Well, that's why you're here, no? Pull up a chair, relax, and let's talk about Xbox some more before Brad returns and ruins it all.Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:09:13 - Health Is Wealth0:16:28 - Halo 2 & 3 reportedly being remade0:38:22 - New Xbox boot up screen for the first time in 6 years0:42:12 - Jez Corden’s latest Xbox exclusivity scoop1:10:20 - GameStop is trying to acquire eBay1:17:06 - Steam Machine pre orders soon?1:21:17 - PS4 and XB1 may finally be on the way out1:27:54 - Bank Of America wants higher priced games1:33:03 - NBA: The Run revealed and arrives June 20261:38:00 - Are content creators heavily influencing the conversation?1:56:15 - Marathon has story plans for the next few years1:59:00 - Looking ahead at May 2026 game releases2:27:17 - What We’re Playing3:10:04 - Xbox is giving up Copilot and bringing in a new leadership group
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#279 | Xbox Overhauls The System... - New Leadership + Copilot Is GONE!

The Dukes are finally reunited and what a week to do that! In a massive writeup on the Xbox Wire, we are seeing Asha Sharma and Matt Booty practically walk back on everything that the old regime stood for. Exclusivity is back under consideration, the "Microsoft Gaming" label is being ditched, and Xbox is focusing on their console. Just like old times! Perhaps most surprising with this blog post is the clear addressing of pain points for this brand: High prices, lacking PC presence, poor discovery tools, and most notably, disenchanted, frustrated players. The focus now for Xbox is daily active players. What does all of this mean and is this enough word salad to buy into? The globetrotting Dukes have you fine folks covered, so let's dig in.

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:42:20 - Xbox Game Pass “Starter Edition” leaks0:49:16 - Asha Sharma on Xbox Helix timing and pricing0:54:41 - PS5 DRM drama1:07:15 - Valve drops updates on Steam Machine, Controller, and Deck 21:12:56 - Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced officially revealed1:22:51 - Far Cry show director says the worst things imaginable1:27:23 - Assassin’s Creed Hexe loses a ton of key staff1:32:56 - RPG developer Spiders is shutting down1:41:30 - New information on Blood Of Dawnwalker1:50:26 - Alien Isolation 2 teaser1:51:46 - What We’re Playing2:30:29 - Xbox shares massive update on the future of the brand
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#278 | Xbox Is Wavering On Exclusivity Again... - Will They Do It?

The first 60 Days of Asha Sharma's tenure has been MORE than eventful! News of an Xbox Game Pass price drop and removal of Day One Call Of Duty from the service has reverberated throughout the games industry. What does this unprecedented price drop mean for Game Pass, future tier integrations, and COD moving forward? Cog enlists the unique perspective of Ebontis to break down all these ramifications. Beyond that, a fun Asha Sharma vs Shawn Layden interaction "debate", bold statements from Jason Ronald on Project Helix, and a huge week of Xbox news!

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:05:18 - Health Is Wealth0:15:56 - warmups0:21:38 - Jason Ronald shuts down 3rd-party Helix console rumors0:30:37 - Starfield’s PS5 numbers are in0:42:54 - Asha Sharma wants to chat with Shawn Layden0:58:19 - Does Major Nelson want to go back to Xbox?1:03:23 - Shuhei Yoshida reveals that Jim Ryan fired him1:16:15 - Metro 2039 revealed1:20:19 - Mass Effect showrunner denies rewrite reports1:29:38 - Pragmata sells 1 million copies in 2 days1:34:22 - Gears Of War movie update1:39:05 - Former Halo executive and Xbox Film/TV lead has left Microsoft1:42:38 - Elden Ring movie gets release window and casting details1:45:55 - Xbox Unveils Forza Horizon 6 Controller And Headset1:49:39 - What We’re Playing2:46:40 - Xbox drops Game Pass price and Day 1 Call Of Duty from the service3:19:41 - Halo Studios reportedly abandons battle royale?
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#277 | Xbox Game Pass: The Price is Right?

As the Asha Sharma regime begins to take shape, rumors of ending Day One Call Of Duty On Xbox Game Pass are heating up! In addition to Game Pass price drops, are exclusive Xbox games also back on the table? Thanks to recent discussions on The Xbox Two Podcast regarding these topics, Cog enlists Jez Corden and Rand Al Thor 19 to break these down further. Beyond that, another busy week of more Xbox Game Showcases, more Halo Studio drama, and how the release year of Xbox in 2026 is taking shape!

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:05:12 - Warmup Up Questions0:24:59 - Matt Booty Official Xbox Podcast Interview0:35:51 - Xbox First Look: Metro 2039: New show format0:55:19 - Halo Studios drama continues1:23:13 - Playground Confirms Fable Delay Rumor Is False1:35:50 - Diablo 4 Could Be Coming to Switch 21:43:51 - WUCHANG: Fallen Feathers Dev Team Dissolved1:50:32 - What We’re Playing2:26:31 - Xbox Having 'Very Big Discussions' About Exclusivity3:18:11 - Xbox Considering Ending Day One Call of Duty on Game Pass & Lowering Price

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#276 | Is Xbox Now Reevaluating EVERYTHING?

Remember the 2020 trailer for State Of Decay 3? Turns out, that trailer was greenlit when the game was just a Microsoft Word document. Indeed, the team was barely above a handful of people and yet it got a full on trailer! That's only the start of today's story which leads us into the start of a private alpha playtest for the game. Indeed, it appears that this game truly began its work sometime in 2023 at best. The Dukes have thoughts, but much of it leans into the 'glass half full mentality' thanks to an interview by Sunny Games. In this, we learn about State Of Decay 3's direction for its co-op mode, combat, base building, choice and consequence, and plenty more. Beyond that, it was a busy week for Xbox as we finally are seeing movement on the achievements from. Naturally, there's also Halo drama to get into because when isn't that a thing?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:20:31 - Game Pass refunds are dead?0:21:41 - Xbox theme parks0:25:12 - Halo Campaign Evolved release date leaks0:41:20 - Xbox is finally updating achievements0:56:29 - Mass Effect show being made for non-gamers1:12:36 - Xbox continues to tinker with back compat1:17:12 - Steam Deck 2 release date news1:23:44 - What We’re Playing2:19:49 - State Of Decay 3 has a pulse2:55:35 - Halo Studios has more drama
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#275 | State Of Decay 3 Has A PULSE... (there's a catch)

Once more, Xbox's summer showcase finds itself on the Sunday of Summer Games Fest weekend! It's there that they'll pull the lid off their 25th anniversary celebration with a deep dive on Gears Of War: E-Day alongside what will no doubt feature the likes of Fable, Halo, and plenty of other games. The Dukes find themselves mighty curious what Coalition has planned for Gears Of War this time around. Much like Halo, Gears Of War is known for its suite of modes that made it so dominant during the 360 days. Seeing how Halo Infinite struggled to ship with campaign, forge, and multiplayer attached, can Gears have a similar issue with its campaign, horde more, and multiplayer? Speaking of multiplayer, will this latest rendition appeal to the wall bouncers or the casuals? Furthermore, how far will the gameplay be taken from an innovation standpoint when this is the youngest we've ever seen Marcus and Dom? The questions are many, but the outcome is tantalizing as Developer Directs during the summer have established themselves as games where there is far more than usual to be shown off. All of our answers arrive on June 7th, but why not listen to the Dukes gab about this and much more until then, right?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:11:17 - A new segment?0:13:52 - Leak culture in video games0:23:45 - Xbox Partner Preview recap0:35:43 - Why Xbox killed their “This Is An Xbox” campaign0:38:43 - Updates and rumors on Halo Campaign Evolved0:49:54 - Bethesda shuts down Elder Scrolls Blades0:54:50 - Crystal Dynamics is making a Lord Of The Rings game1:07:31 - Eidos Montreal layoffs1:19:15 - Disney interested in buying Epic Games1:26:07 - Shift Up acquires Shinji Mikami’s studio1:33:42 - Nintendo's 2026 schedule leaks1:45:53 - What We're Playing2:17:53 - Xbox Summer Showcase revealed
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#274 | Xbox's Summer Showcase REVEALED - Here's What To Expect...

As tradition dictates, we recorded a roughly four hour show during a relatively light news week. Turns out that there was much to be said about those select topics. The Dukes revisit the hotly debated DLSS 5 topic with fresh information from a new interview with Nvidia as well as comments from their own CEO. The AI rabbithole admittedly runs deep this week as we also get into the closure of Sora as well as Capcom's plans for generative AI. From one hot button topic to another, we discuss the recent layoffs happening at Epic Games. When an industry's top selling game in Battlefield and most popular live service in Fortnite can't avoid layoffs, who can? The dynamic duo dive into the sustainability of game development and why indie just seems like the place to be now. Top of the Dukes' list is the recent report on Xbox CEO, Asha Sharma. It is said that she is assessing how to make Game Pass more attractive and is considering a price reduction. She is also investigating package deals, such as one with Netflix, as a way to bolster the service. Can this be enough to help the service grow? Is it even worth chasing when the 100 million subscriber dream is dead? As the episode's length suggests, we have plenty to say, so stop reading and get to listening!

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:14:53 - What games are we looking forward to?0:24:42 - How can Copilot For Gaming navigate paying creators?0:33:29 - Marathon sales update0:52:49 - DLSS 5 updates1:24:15 - OpenAI shuts down Sora1:32:34 - Capcom on how they plan to use AI1:44:06 - Epic Games layoffs1:59:18 - Forza Horizon 6 PC requirements2:02:19 - Minecraft Dungeons is getting a sequel2:03:58 - Is Final Fantasy for old heads?2:15:51 - Sony shuts down another studio2:19:30 - Nintendo’s interesting digital pricing changes2:22:49 - Dragon’s Dogma 2 DLC inbound?2:36:40 - Sonic Frontiers Definitive Edition leaks2:41:14 - What We’re Playing3:20:51 - Xbox Game Pass price cuts incoming?3:37:52 - Chris Charla interview on Xbox Helix SKUs
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#280 | Gears Of War: E-Day's Release Just Leaked...

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