Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast

Gears of War was released exclusively on PC and Xbox Series X|S, but its performance signals trouble for any future true Xbox exclusives. Plus, we have even more new details on Grand Theft Auto 6 just weeks before its release.

Welcome to Episode 83 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw.

Also in this week's episode:

• Ubisoft on Assassin's Creed's future. Will there be more remakes?

• Mass Effect died so Star Wars could live?

• Our favorite horror/spooky games to play

• Good news of the week

All this and more, so tune in, like, and subscribe!

Just two months after the sale of Electronic Arts (EA) to the group led by Saudi Arabia PIF was completed, the first casualty of the deal has come. BioWare, the legendary Edmonton-based studio, has been shut down.

What's more, the next Mass Effect game has been cancelled, and we even got a leaked trailer showing where it was heading.

But it's not just BioWare; roughly 400 people are losing their jobs throughout the company, and it's just the beginning. What's next for EA after this?

The GTA 6 leaks are coming to an end. At least, that's what the leaker says. Plus, AI is taking over Epic Games and CEO Tim Sweeney wants you to know about it.

Welcome to Insider Gaming Weekly, Episode 80 with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, and Grant Taylor-Hill.

Other topics this week include:

• Arc Raiders' rebound
• GTA 6 PC Release
• GTA 6 Reviews
• Good news of the week

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After a bit of quiet time, the Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) leaks are back in a big way. But have we gotten to the point where the leaks are truly starting to ruin the game?

Welcome to Insider Gaming Weekly, Episode 79 with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

Other topics this week include:

• Insider Gaming's 28 Games Later Showcase
• Xbox "family of devices", XP, Mythic achievements
• Google Playground and the future of AI game creation

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Xbox just keeps doing it: put out some good news followed by a major change at the company, usually involving layoffs. This time, they put Activision in charge of Halo, moved World's Edge and Rare under Activision, and put Obsidian under Bethesda.

Welcome to Insider Gaming Weekly, Episode 78 with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

Also in this episode, Grant is back from Tokyo Game Show and fills us in on his experience; there's a GTA 6 "Collection" that doesn't include the game...so you can't call it a "Collector's Edition", and there was almost a Legend of Zelda game from Ubisoft starring...Ganondorf.

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There is another round of Grand Theft Auto (GTA) leaks, and its nearly 200GB worth of data.

Welcome to Episode 77 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, and Albert Perkins.

Join us this week to talk the latest GTA leaks, the Wardogs controversy surrounding crunch in video game development, and Marathon's latest update being delayed until after GTA 6 releases. Plus there's the good and interesting news of the week!

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A major Steam leak saw dozens of games' achievement lists leaked online, along with plenty of big spoilers.

Welcome to Episode 76 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

Join us this week to talk about the Steam leak, Hideo Kojima leaving PlayStation for Xbox, the disappointing Nintendo Direct, Wardogs' impressive launch, and the recent Fairgame$ footage. Plus, there's always the good news of the week.

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That PlayStation State of Play was something, wasn't it? Was what was shown worth a full showcase, or could the event just have been an email?

Welcome to Episode 75 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, and Albert Perkins.

Join us this week to talk the State of Play, the Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) reveal, our thoughts on Gamescom 2026, and even Xbox's decision to add stricter limits on cloud gaming. There have also been some major stories this week that we need to discuss.

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The first major deep dive into Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) is finally coming, and it's airing...on Netflix?

Welcome to Episode 73 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw, Grant Taylor-Hill and Albert Perkins.

Join us this week for a jam-packed episode talking GTA 6, whether reveals on Netflix are the future of games media, the Take-Two Earnings report and everything out of the call, and Electronic Arts (EA) officially becoming a private company after its $55 billion sale was finalized on Tuesday.

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Xbox went down again for over 15 hours, leaving players frustrated with the company once again. Plus, the latest Microsoft earnings report is out, and it continues to paint a mixed picture for Xbox as a whole.

It's Episode 72 of Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast with Mike Straw, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

Also in this episode:

• The PlayStation "Boycott"
• A new Far Cry game is in development
• Fable is "uncomfortably" over budget
• The EA sale to the PIF is close.

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The PlayStation Network went down on Friday, leading to another discourse surrounding a digital-only future and always-online connectivity.

Plus, Marathon's PvE mode has boosted its player count, Sony has implemented strict social media guidelines for employees, and not only is Xbox bringing backwards compatibility to PC, but it's introducing a free ad-supported streaming offering.

It's episode 71 of Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

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Xbox has announced layoffs of 3,200 employees, with 1,600 of them already shown the door. What happens now, and where does Xbox go from here?

Sony has effectively killed Physical games, and Xbox doesn't appear to be far behind. What does this mean for the state of the games industry, and have we hit the "you'll own nothing, and like it" stage of the medium?

It's Episode 68 of Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

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With pre-orders open, we have brand new Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) details such as pricing and possible features. Also, gaming has gotten even more expensive with the Steam Machine costing over $1,000 and Xbox console prices going up yet again. When will things get better?

And Bungie just laid off around half of the studio, including most of the team behind Destiny and some on Marathon. What's next for the beleaguered studio, and is there any chance of a comeback?

It's episode 6 7 (!!!) of Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) preorders are finally set to begin, but we still don't know how much the game will cost. We give our final predictions ahead of June 25.

Plus, a nightmare few weeks are coming for Xbox and its studios. Just how much trouble are they in?

It's Episode 66 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

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Ubisoft is shutting more studios, laying off staff, and games like Ghost Recon (Project OVR) are in trouble. But it doesn't end there; Xbox is also gearing up for massive layoffs after a bunch of what feels like cheap wins. There's also a new report that Microsoft could be looking to spin off Xbox.

So the question begs: what are they doing?

It's Episode 65 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

Other topics include: - Summer Game Fest Reactions - Our favorite games of the show

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Call of Duty is back in a big way with Modern Warfare 4, and we have all of the details you need to know about. Plus, with news that Valve is raising the Steam Deck price by nearly $300, gaming has become more unaffordable than ever, and is quickly becoming a rich man's hobby.

It's episode 64 of Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, and Grant Taylor-Hill.

Other topics in this episode include:

• Fable delayed to 2027
• The Insider Gaming Showcase
• Xbox Games Showcase Predictions
• Summer Game Fest Predictions
• PlayStation State of Play Predictions

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A new leak suggests that Grand Theft Auto 6 (GTA 6) pre-orders are getting ready to start soon. But are they really?

Plus, PlayStation is telling you how many people are playing games, EA was "raided" by angry gamers, Subnautica 2 and Forza Horizon 6 are hits, and shooters are making desperate changes.

It's Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast Episode 62 with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

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Four years after being purchased by PlayStation, is it time to admit that the Bungie acquisition was a failure? Plus, an update on PlayStation 5 sales, the PS6 release, and more.

Also, the Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a price increase and Xbox is dumping co-pilot.

It's episode 61 of Insider Gaming Weekly with Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins.

Topics this week include:

• Nintendo Switch 2 price increase
• PlayStation Earnings update, PS5 sales, and a lot of AI talk
• Bungie's value to Sony has plummeted
• Call of Duty is ditching last-gen consoles (PS4, Xbox One)
• Assassin's Creed Invictus playtests get poor reviews
• Xbox is ending co-pilot development on mobile and console, including Project Helix.

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Xbox is seemingly pushing forward with a new era dedicated to its games, hardware, and services. And Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced is officially here, and we break it all down for you.

Plus Fairgame$ (Fairgames) is struggling during playtests, but what does that mean for its success potential?

It's episode 60 of Insider Gaming Weekly: A Video Game Podcast. Join Mike Straw, Tom Henderson, Grant Taylor-Hill, and Albert Perkins this week as they talk through gaming's biggest stories of the week.

Topics this week include:

➤ Major Changes for Xbox — Game Pass price cut, Call of Duty removed, Exclusives possibly returning, a new Game Pass Tier, and more)

➤ Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced revealed — What's new with the game, and will it be worth your $60?

➤ Fairgame$ is struggling to "find the fun."

➤ The Mindseye "espionage" mission is finally coming

➤ A Battlefield Movie is in the works with Michael B. Jordan attached to it.

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