Shows / Unlocked
Unlocked
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…
Episodes
UnlockedXbox Game Pass Starts 2022 With a Bang
Happy New Year! Xbox Game Pass gets 2022 started in a big way - by dropping the entirety of Mass Effect: Legendary Edition onto Game Pass. We discuss the…
UnlockedIGN Avengers Assemble! Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo - Who Had the Strongest Year?
The hosts of IGN's four major podcasts (Game Scoop, Unlocked, Beyond, and NVC) unite, Avengers-style, to discuss 2021's biggest games on each platform, as well…
UnlockedHalo Infinite Campaign Spoilercast
Now that Halo Infinite's campaign has been out for a little while, it's time to go into full spoiler mode and discuss our thoughts on the story! Find out what…
UnlockedHalo Infinite Review Discussion (No Spoilers!)
This week's episode is all about Halo Infinite. We can FINALLY talk about it now that the review embargo has lifted. We discuss everything we did and didn't…
UnlockedA Mass Effect TV Series? Here’s What We’d Want
Happy holidays! As we push into the final (huge) month of the Xbox year, we discuss Amazon's rumored Mass Effect TV show. Can it work? Who should it focus on?…
UnlockedHalo Infinite Multiplayer Arrives Early!
Our second episode this week tackles the biggest topic in the Xbox world right now: Halo Infinite. From the surprise early release of the free-to-play…
UnlockedXbox Creator Seamus Blackley Talks 20 Years of Xbox
Xbox creator Seamus Blackley joins us for a special episode commemorating the 20th anniversary of Xbox. He shares stories from the early days of building the…
UnlockedForza Horizon Finally Gets its Due
Our Xbox crew spends a ton of time digging into the just-released masterpiece that is Forza Horizon 5, including why we love it, and we feel like it's finally…
UnlockedIs a Quake Reboot Bethesda’s Next Big Xbox-Exclusive FPS?
Is id Software moving onto Quake after Doom? Job postings suggest that might be the case, and we discuss what we'd like to see out of what would be Xbox's next…
UnlockedHalo Infinite: Reacting to the New Campaign Footage
With six minutes of new Halo Infinite campaign footage to chew on, we spend a lot of time in this episode reacting to the footage we've all been waiting over a…
UnlockedNew Avowed Details Emerge as Xbox Celebrates 20 Years - Podcast Unlocked 516
A plethora of new details about Avowed emerged this last week from Windows Central's Jez Corden who reports that it's deep into development and will feature…
UnlockedSurprising No One, Forza Horizon 5 Is Awesome
It's the busy fall games season and we've got a LOT to talk about, from Forza Horizon 5 preview impressions (spoiler: it's absurdly good) to Back 4 Blood first…
UnlockedXbox in Japan: Why We’re Optimistic
Xbox boss Phil Spencer reaffirms his commitment to supporting the Japanese game market and Japanese-developed games. We discuss what needs to happen and what…
UnlockedHalo Infinite's Multiplayer Is Glorious (So Far)
Two big topics dominate this week's episode. First and foremost is our recap and analysis of the first weekend of the second Halo Infinite multiplayer test…
UnlockedThis Fall Is FPS Heaven
Battlefield 2042's short delay has set up a heck of a Fall/holiday season for first-person shooter fans. We discuss each of the five major FPS games out…
UnlockedStar Wars: KOTOR Is Back...but Not on Xbox
Beloved original Xbox classic Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (aka KOTOR) is back as...a timed PlayStation 5 exclusive? We discuss the strange…
UnlockedAlan Wake Is Back!
Alan Wake is back and we are incredibly excited. Will this lead to the long-awaited sequel? We discuss... Plus: it's time to give Psychonauts 2 its flowers…
UnlockedAnalyzing Halo Infinite’s Release Date and Hardware Surprises
Halo Infinite finally has a release date, and it's not what any of us would've guessed. We analyze what the December date may or may not mean, celebrate both…
UnlockedReacting to Xbox's Gamescom Showcase
We recorded this episode live immediately following the Xbox Showcase at Gamescom. We discuss why we thought this was a poor overall showing for Xbox due to…
UnlockedGTA Remaster Rumor: Why We’re Excited
A credible rumor suggests that Rockstar is preparing to release an Unreal Engine remaster of the Grand Theft Auto 3/Vice City/San Andreas trilogy. We discuss…
UnlockedBuckle Up for Xbox’s Big Gamescom Show
Xbox announces its big Gamescom event. We make our predictions for what we think we're going to see, along with what we think we might not see at this…
UnlockedXbox's Great Weekend with Halo Infinite's Impressive Tech Preview and the Ascent
It was a big weekend for Xbox. In this episode we break down the different modes and experiences we tried in the Halo Infinite tech preview, share thoughts on…
UnlockedDead Space Remake: Is EA Back in Gamers' Good Graces?
EA's just-announced Dead Space remake leads us to discuss whether or not EA has turned the corner and started to re-earn gamers' trust. Plus: our impressions…
UnlockedWe Need to Talk About Tom Clancy’s XDefiant
Reactions to Ubisoft's new Tom Clancy-universe-blending first-person shooter XDefiant have been polarizing, to say the least. We spend the bulk of the show…
UnlockedFPS Games to Level Up...in the Cloud?
With word from Battlefield 2042 developer DICE that cloud computing will soon level up the capabilities of first-person shooters, we discuss what we'd like to…
UnlockedXbox Goes '90s
In this episode of Unlocked, the crew joined by Taylor Lyles discusses Microsoft's team up with All-4-One for a neat "I Swear" Xbox All Access remix, revisits…
UnlockedPhil Spencer Interview: 20 Years of Xbox
We celebrate the 500th episode of IGN's long-running Xbox podcast in the best way we can think of: by hanging out with the Head of Xbox himself, Phil Spencer…
UnlockedE3 2021 Was Xbox’s Best E3 Ever
This episode was recorded live immediately after the Xbox Extended Showcase, hosted by Gamertag Radio's Parris Lilly. Parris joins us for this episode to…
Unlocked12 Xbox E3 Predictions
As E3 2021 looms, it's time for our annual E3 predictions episode! We make a dozen total predictions about what we think we're going to see at Xbox's E3 press…
UnlockedThe Holiday 2021 Xbox Calendar Starts to Fill in
As E3 2021 looms, the big games are starting to show their hand. We discuss the recent gameplay reveals for Far Cry 6 and Dying Light 2 – both of which also…
UnlockedOuter Worlds' Xbox Future Just Got a Bit Clearer
Microsoft takes full control over Obsidian's Outer Worlds franchise from Private Division, so we discuss what that means for the future. Plus: Starfield's…
UnlockedWhy We Love Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
Mass Effect: Legendary Edition is out and we spend most of the show discussing it, from whether or not it was worth the wait (hint: it was), to what we think…
UnlockedGears and Fable's Next-Gen Tech Revealed
As Fable and Gears of War's next-gen tech is revealed, we discuss what their new engines mean for the future of those franchises - and the franchises around…
UnlockedHalo Infinite's Tempting PC Features
Halo Infinite details its impressive PC features and options, leading some of the Unlocked crew to ponder whether to stick with it on Xbox or move to PC. Plus…
UnlockedXbox Series X Goes Big on 120fps
The Xbox compatibility team delivers again by boosting a ton of fairly recent EA games -- including Battlefield V and Titanfall 2 -- up to 120fps on Xbox…
UnlockedxCloud's Apple Launch Is Key to Xbox's Master Plan
Another big week for Xbox! We talk about why we think xCloud's long-awaited Apple/iOS rollout is key for the future of the Xbox platform, Discord turning down…
UnlockedWhat if the Kojima-Xbox Rumor Is True?
The gaming community is buzzing about a hot rumor that Microsoft is in talks with legendary game developer Hideo Kojima to develop his next game for Xbox. We…
UnlockedXbox Game Pass Is Getting Sony Exclusives Now
Xbox Game Pass is on such a roll that it's landing first-party Sony games now! MLB The Show 21 is a huge get for Game Pass. We discuss MLB's smart…
UnlockedShould Call of Duty Go Back to WWII AGAIN?
With Sledgehammer reportedly back in the Call of Duty business and prepping a World War II-set video game for this year's entry in the series, we discuss…
UnlockedWhat Gotham Knights' Delay Might Mean for Rocksteady's Suicide Squad
One of 2021's big releases, Gotham Knights, just got pushed to 2022. We discuss what it means not just for that game, but for Rocksteady's Suicide Squad: Kill…
UnlockedBethesda Makes it Rain on Xbox Game Pass
Bethesda held a fantastic roundtable discussion with Phil Spencer and some of the Xbox leadership team, and we discussed our impressions of the first big…
UnlockedMicrosoft OFFICIALLY Acquires Bethesda. Now What?
Big Xbox news this week as European and American regulators sign off on Microsoft's acquisition of Zenimax and Bethesda, making the acquisition official. What…
UnlockedAnthem Died So That Mass Effect and Dragon Age Might Live
Lots of BioWare news to discuss this week, from Anthem's cancellation to Henry Cavill (aka Superman aka Geralt)'s Mass Effect project to Dragon Age 4 no longer…
UnlockedFPS Boost Continues Xbox's Back-Compat Mastery
The Xbox backwards compatibility team flexes their muscles again with FPS Boost, an unexpected and awesome new improvement to back-catalog games. We celebrate…
UnlockedEx-Bungie Devs’ New (Old) FPS Is Controversial
We discuss the return of Six Days in Fallujah, a resurrection of a canceled 2009 game based on real-world events, including its A-list team of ex-Bungie…
Unlocked343's New Halo Project? We Want a Horror Game
With a job posting suggesting that 343 Industries is spinning up a new Halo game besides Halo Infinite, we speculate on what it might be – and decide we want a…
UnlockedWhat We Think After Seeing Mass Effect: Legendary Edition
To quote a line from Halo 2 in describing Mass Effect: Legendary Edition: "There are those who said this day would never come. What are they to say now?" Yes…
UnlockedMaking Sense of Microsoft's Averted Xbox Live Gold Disaster
What a week! There's so much to discuss on this episode, from Microsoft shockingly doubling the price of Xbox Live Gold only to just-as-shockingly walk it back…
UnlockedWhere Will Ubisoft Take Star Wars?
The new Lucasfilm Games publishing umbrella once again dominates our conversation this week, as the first new non-EA Star Wars game in a decade gets announced…
UnlockedWill Bethesda's Indiana Jones Game Be an Xbox Exclusive?
Will the just-announced Indiana Jones game from Bethesda, Machinegames, and Todd Howard be an Xbox exclusive? We discuss this fascinating announcement. Plus…
UnlockedDiscussing 10 Xbox Exclusives for 2021
Happy New Year! On our first Unlocked episode of 2021, we look ahead to the (long) list of Xbox exclusives coming this year. Plus: Gears 5: Hivebusters rocks…
Unlocked1-on-1 With Double Fine's Tim Schafer: Psychonauts 2, Being Acquired by Microsoft, and More!
Our final episode of 2020 is a special one! Ryan welcomes Tim Schafer, the head of Double Fine (aka one of the newest Xbox Game Studios), for a 40-minute…
UnlockedCyberpunk 2077's Current-Gen Nightmare + Perfect Dark Reboot Is Finally Real
Our penultimate show in 2020 is a big one! We spend the first half of the show discussing the nightmare scenario that is Cyberpunk 2077 on the current-gen…
UnlockedAnalyzing BioWare's Big Shakeup
Digital Foundry's John Linneman and Gamertag Radio's Danny Peña join us to talk about all sorts of Xbox stuff this week! Topics include: the future of BioWare…
UnlockedWhat Will Cyberpunk 2077 Multiplayer Be Like?
What will Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer be like? Special guests Ray Apollo from Twitch and Cam Hawkins from DualShockers join Ryan and Brandin for an extra-fun…
UnlockedHitman Devs' James Bond Could Be the Best 007 Game Ever
The developer of Hitman has a new James Bond game in the works. We discuss why it could be the best Bond ever. Plus: Phil Spencer says an Xbox smart TV app is…
UnlockedAnalyzing the Xbox Series X|S's Fast Start
Next-gen is now officially current-gen! The Xbox Series X and S are out, and we talk about our first week of living with them. Plus: we analyze Microsoft's big…
UnlockedMass Effect's Future Just Got Brighter
It's the week you've been waiting for: the next-generation of Xbox has officially arrived with the Series X and Series S. We discuss the launches of…
UnlockedXbox Series X Final Impressions and Audience AMA
Welcome to a special two-hour episode of Unlocked that was recorded live with all of you, along with special guest panelist Parris Lilly from Gamertag Radio!…
UnlockedThe Winners and Losers of Cyberpunk 2077's New Delay
Cyberpunk 2077's last-minute delay affects everyone, from developers to gamers to media outlets alike. We sort through the fallout of this major news. Plus: a…