Droppedframes

Do you remember the 21st night of September? Because we do on this very packed episode! Unfortunately the state of the world is encroaching on everything and everyone and that includes video games as payment processors have changed their guidelines to vaguely singling out adult content on Steam and other storefronts. Counter-Strike 2 found a way to get passed gambling laws, and Valve apologizes to an indie dev studio. We love Borderlands 4 despite itself. Our thoughts on Dying Light 2, Megabonk, No, I am Not Human, and a spoiler review of Cronos!   0:00 - Intro1:00 - 21st of September9:00 - Convergence19:00 - Let's Build a Dungeon26:00 - Payment processors attack on video games37:00 - Counter-Strike 2 circumvents gambling laws43:00 - Steam apologizes to a dev studio50:00 - Borderlands 41:15:00 - Easy mode?1:22:20 - XBOX raises prices again1:30:40 - Krafton vs Subnautica update1:32:40 - Paradox changes Bloodlines 2 DLC1:35:20 - Dying Light 2: The Beast1:54:20 - Megabonk2:08:20 - Jump Space2:10:10 - Valve

Cohh is out this week so we bring on Bruce Greene and Anthony Kongphan to talk about the horrors of Ditto. JP's unnatural love of karaoke, our disdain for Nintendo gameplay patents, the difficulty of Silksong. Then we get into our time with Borderlands 4. Is it too much of the same thing?    0:00 - Intro1:20 - Mr. Brightside3:10 - Karaoke8:30 - Beards13:00 - Physical media17:25 - Nintendo Direct30:00 - Ditto40:20 - Nintendo US patent.48:50 - Is Silksong hard?1:00:20 - Hades 2 1.01:09:40 - Silent Hill f1:17:00 - Battlefield 61:27:00 - Borderlands 42:14:40 - 2XKO closed beta2:35:20 - Waterpark Simulator2:39:00 - Cronos2:43:40 - The Lightkeeper2:50:40 - Casebook 18992:52:50 - Gloomy eyes3:00:00 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're joined by recent Vtuber convert Dodger this week to get into the nitty gritty of vtubing debuts and the tech and work that goes into setting it all up. Then we get into the megaton game of 2025: Hollow Knight: Silksong and Cohh's speedrun! We explore the darkness of Hell is Us, why Deadlock might be okay for beginners. How to start Path of Exile 2, our thoughts on Cronos and more!    0:00 - Intro1:00 - Controversy8:00 - Homework13:10 - Vtuber debut17:00 - The tech30:00 - Dodger's vtuber model inspiration54:00 - Hollow Knight: Silksong1:27:10 - Hell is Us1:45:40 - Deadlock1:59:20 - Path of Exile 22:19:50 - Cronos: The New Dawn2:38:50 - Daemon x Machina: Titanic Scion2:47:15 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're joined by FGC legend Justin Wong this week to chat about competing at EVO, upcoming fighting games, and becoming Him. We check our Silksong hype, Path of Exile 2 returns in a huge way, Shinobi is a home for fighting game players and the surprisingly hype Geoguesser World Championship. 0:00 - Intro1:00 - Football season6:00 - Smack talk11:30 - Sub sandwiches & fast food16:30 - Oh yeah, Justin Wong is here31:00 - Marvel Tokon/2XKO/Invincible VS58:30 - Are hiding inputs useful?1:05:10 - Sony sells EVO1:09:20 - EVO prestige 1:20:30 - Is it better to be good at a game or good at reading players?1:24:30 - EVO Moment 371:32:00 - Street Fighter 61:36:30 - Lucy in Guilty Gear Strive1:38:00 - Shinobi: Art of Vengeance1:42:30 - Silksong hype check1:49:10 - Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict2:21:40 - Geoguesser World Championship2:40:30 - VOID/BREAKER2:42:40 - TheHunter - Call of the Wild3:00:00 - Shoutouts    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We remove the clown shoes after 7 years of waiting: Silksong has a release date! Just in time for 20% of Twitch's viewership poofs out of existence as Twitch has finally started combating viewbotting! How will this affect streams and sponsors in the future on the streaming platform? Tariffs hit Playstation 5 in the US. Vampire the Masquerade: The Ship of Theseus. Pete Parsons leaves Bungie in his very cool car after firing numerous employees.Path of Exile 2 returns in a big way, ERPers turn on Final Fantasy XIV and much more!   0:00 - Intro1:00 - Condensed3:00 - Viewbotters16:45 - Silksong finally has a release date28:30 - The PlayStation 5 price increases31:15 - Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines 247:00 - Helldivers 2 x Halo ODST48:10 - Pete Parsons leaves Bungie50:00 - Path of Exile 2 The Third Edict1:10:20 - Final Fantasy XIV bans mods1:18:00 - World of Warcraft Midnight1:23:40 - Deadlock gets a big update1:30:00 - Hosting1:38:30 - Whispers From The Star1:52:00 - Loving an AI2:06:30 - VOID/BREAKER2:14

We're all in on Battlefield 6 this week as the first beta weekend launched. Is Battlefield back? Titan Quest 2 gaining traction, Diablo 4 lead Rod Fergusson leaves Blizzard, Bungie losing independence, Square Enix MMOs on the downtrend. Zeke suffers through Mind's Eye, watching the EVO finals and we learn new zoomer slang and baseball!  0:00 - Intro1:00 - Up all night3:25 - Start diggin' in yo butt twin6:00 - Baseball16:00 - Titan Quest 2 sold 300k in 72 hours16:50 - Rod Fergusson leaves Blizzard/Microsoft24:10 - Bungie dissolving into Sony30:00 - Battlefield 61:20:10 - Square Enix MMO division1:34:10 - EVO 20251:45:40 - Mind's Eye2:01:10 - Mafia: The Old Country2:23:10 - Abiotic Factor2:38:00 - THE RPG2:43:50 - Shoutouts  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're joined by Washington Post's game journalist Gene Park this week to chat about the state of games journalism in 2025 and how Mind's Eye is the experience of the year.  We also go over the surprise THQ showcase that revealed Darksiders 4 and shadowdropped the early access of Titan Quest 2. Then we get into our time with Grounded 2, Abiotic Factor 1.0, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound and... Shenmue?   0:00 - Intro1:00 - Hair Bleach7:00 - Gene Park is here18:00 - Journalism in 202537:20 - Gene's favorite interview1:05:00 - What is clickbait?1:07:00 - Going to gaming events1:11:00 - Maintaining integrity1:20:50 - Gene has platinumed Mind's Eye1:53:50 - Visa/Mastercard/Porn2:05:00 - Music2:08:50 - Nintendo sales2:10:20 - Bioshock 4 dead?2:12:30 - Top people working at WB2:17:40 - THQ showcase - Titan Quest 2/Darksider 42:29:50 - Grounded 22:35:00 - Abiotic Factor2:40:00 - Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound2:42:30 - Shinobi Demo2:44:50 - Shenmue2:49:45 - The Drifter2:52:45 - Lucy joins Guilty Gear Strive/EVO 20252:58:3

This week we talk about finishing games as a streamer, why it's better for the streamer and the viewer to not force themselves to complete games. The numerous faux pas we dislike in games. Our thoughts on Donkey Kong Banaza, FFXIV Dawntrail, the Mafia series, Neon Abyss 2 (and more) before getting into the news with Krafton v Subnautica heating up, Roblox dating, being replaced by AI and more!   0:00 - Intro1:00 - The worst show7:25 - Cohh quits Kojima28:00 - Finishing games47:00 - Gaming faux pas54:50 - Claptrap will have a volume slider in Borderlands 458:30 - Grounded is the best survival game1:10:00 - Mafia 31:27:00 - Donkey Kong Bananza1:56:50 - Ghost of Yotei Showcase2:02:50 - Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail2:12:50 - Zeke's Games2:16:40 - Neon Abyss 22:18:50 - Krafton vs Subnautica2:21:50 - Valve removes sex games2:33:00 - Microtransactions create fun!2:35:15 - Roblox dating2:45:00 - Lay-offs at King (Microsoft) replaced by AI2:46:40 - Destiny 2 Edge of Fate CCV way down2:51:00 - ShoutoutsSee omnystud

Mass layoffs hit XBOX again and it's most definitely not the end with over 9000 employees and multiple projects canceled. Are we cooked? More Death Stranding 2 talk and look foward to what Kojima has in store. A new Planetside-like being developed? The Alters dev respond to usage of AI, Stop Killing Games reaches 1 million signatures for UK. A look at Uma Musume and gacha gaming, PEAK and more! 0:00 - Intro1:20 - Climate 2:40 - Death Stranding 228:25 - Lord of the Rings Online32:15 - A new Planetside? Reaper Actual39:50 - The Alters AI59:30 - Stop Killing Games reaches 1 million signatures in UK1:06:00 - Helldivers 2 hits XBOX1:07:40 - Microsoft massive layoffs and cancelations1:33:00 - EA expects 100 million players for Battlefield1:40:00 - Krafton replaces Subnautica co-founders1:55:00 - Uma Musume: Pretty Derby2:04:00 - Gacha games2:24:00 - PEAK2:32:10 - 7 Days to Die2:35:30 - VTuber Q2:50:10 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The use of GenAI continues to grow in game dev, viewbotting is increasing on Twitch, is streaming video games dying? Our thoughts on Stop Killing Games, Dune Awakening's end game, Death Stranding 2, Lies of P and of course the Horse Girl game. 0:00 - Intro1:20 - The Thon ends4:00 - Dune Awakening endgame29:00 - GenAI in The Alters57:00 - Viewbots1:21:30 - Is game streaming dead?1:29:00 - Stop Killing Games1:33:10 - Death Stranding 22:15:00 - Lies of P: Overture2:28:00 - Peak2:45:00 - Ruffy and the Riverside2:49:00 - Ume Musume: Pretty Derby3:01:00 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're joined by Dan this week to give us the lowdown on The Alters and the tips/tricks for dating everything in the house in the new dating sim: Date Everything! But first Borderlands 4 had their deep dive reveal during their fanfest and for the first time we're actually excited to play it! Nexusmods gets sold, should we be worried (yes!) Splitgate 2 devs face layoffs after poor  launch, Marathon gets delayed indefinitely, Mr. Beast's AI thumbnails, Kojima doesn't want you to feel good after playing Death's Stranding 2, 32 race Mario Kart World and more! 0:00 - Intro4:00 - The Blood of Dawnwalker16:00 - Borderlands 432:35 - Borderlands 4 is now a $70 game49:25 - Donkey Kong Bonanza55:45 - Lies of P: Overture1:03:45 - Stellar Blade1:05:00 - Splitgate devs facing layoffs1:08:00 - Nexusmods gets sold1:12:20 - Hades 2 update1:15:20 - AI thumbnails1:20:40 - Marathon delayed indefinitely1:25:00 - Jukeboxes1:31:30 - Fantasy Life I gets a roguelike mode1:34:30 - SEGA leaks their sales info1:36:00 - FBC Firebreak

This week we share our final thoughts on Summer Game Fest and check our post-SGF hype levels. We wonder if Marathon is still releasing this year. Sony quietly removing region-lock on their PC ports. GameStop removing the Game from Stop. Obsidian leads wonder about the industry. MindsEye... Dune: Awakening addiction and plenty of Steam NEXT Fest demos including Rue Valley, Baby Steps and Dispatch!   0:00 - Intro1:00 - Father's Day4:00 - Post-SGF10:00 - Arc Raiders21:00 - Marathon37:20 - Sony removing regional restrictions on Steam43:30 - Stellar Blade peaks CCU on Steam49:40 - Gamestop moving away from games54:00 - Obsidian on $80 games and the industry1:02:40 - Switch 2 sells over 3 mil in a day1:16:25 - MindsEye and Cohh1:34:00 - Dragon Age dev hell1:47:00 - Dune: Awakening2:24:00 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound     2:26:30 - Baby Steps2:34:50 - Rue Valley2:37:00 - Dispatch2:49:00 - Zeke's favorite NEXT Fest demos3:03:40 - Path of Exile3:05:10 - Nancy Drew3:11:15 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/li

Our main topic this week is going over our Summer Game Fest coverage plans. Be sure to watch with us this Friday, June 6 5PM ET! We also go through all the TwitchCon news including increased streaming resolutions (but not the bitrate,) Twitch live rewind... That's behind a paywall, and more! We then discuss our time with Elden Ring: Nightreign a weirdly addicting game, Tainted Grail and round it all out with Zeke's indie recommendations! 0:00 - Intro1:40 - Nicknames5:10 - Twitch bitrate6.40 - Twitch rewind17:00 - The rest of Twitch Con EU news25:00 - Expedition 33 sells 3.3 million in 33 days26:40 - EA closes Cliffhanger Studios30:00 - COD ads34:40 - Elden Ring: Nightreign1:15:00 - Switch 21:31:10 - Summer Game Fest plans1:59:00 - Tainted Grail2:30:00 - The Last Golfer2:40:30 - Zeke's indie recommendations2:56:20 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is Marathon getting delayed? All signs point to yes with the latest Playstation rumors, meanwhile an Arc Raiders announcement seems imminent! We share our very official casting for the recently announced Elden Ring movie by A24 and Alex Garland. We have a battle over which game is better, we can't afford $80 and then we watch the OTK game showcase.   0:00 - Intro3:25 - Marathon delayed?16:50 - Lies of P Expansion preview21:40 - Arc Raiders ARG?25:15 - Elden Ring the movie38:55 - Warhammer52:25 - Games Workshop doing well53:30 - Witcher 3 celebrates 10 years1:01:10 - Star Wars Battlefront 2 returns1:10:00 - Pokémon1:12:30 - Carey Patel joins Night School1:19:00 - Can you afford $80?1:36:20 - TMNT1:45:10 - Tainted Grail1:46:15 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're joined by Dan this week to into DOOM: The Dark Ages before we tear into Bungie for plagiarizing assets off an artist in their upcoming game Marathon. AI Darth Vader is a menace in Fortnite, Stellar Blade banned in 130 countries on PC, World of Tanks introduces tiered loot boxes, more ways to pay for Star Citizen and much more this week! 0:00 - Intro0:55 - Summer Game Fest is soon3:50 - Is DOOM: The Dark Ages not as good as the others?45:20 - Art plagiarism on Marathon1:04:40 - Darth Vader in Fortnite1:32:40 - Apple denies Fortnite on App Store1:33:50 - Nintendo patents gliding1:35:10 - Ubisoft down1:37:00 - Sony considering to increase prices1:38:00 - Stellar Blade banned in 130 countries1:43:50 - Star Citizen sells more stuff before game release1:47:00 - Tiered loot boxes1:52:50 - Call of Duty Warzone Mobile shutting down1:55:00 - Bandai Namco execs2:03:50 - Dragon's Dogma Online2:06:10 - Cash Cleaner Simulator2:15:45 - Quarantine Zone2:18:55 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 332:31:15 - The Precinct2:43:00 -

Sandfall Interactive co-founder and Game Director: Guillaume Broche joins us this week to talk about the crazy journey it's been getting their first game: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 out the door. In the back half we share our enthusiasm for new extraction shooter Arc Raiders, surprised by the glowing previews of Death Stranding 2, breathe a sigh of relief at GTA6's delay and much more!    0:00 - Intro2:30 - Guillaume Broche from Sandfall Interactive is here!4:30 - Clair Obscur crushed all their expectations11:00 - The path to creating Expedition 3330:00 - Expedition 33's soundtrack33:00 - How the combat came to be1:00:00 - Rapid fire questions1:11:30 - Will there be DLC?1:26:30 - Arc Raiders Play Test1:43:20 - Death's Stranding 2 previews1:49:40 - GTA6 delayed to May 20261:53:20 - Tariffs and games2:00:00 - Borderlands 4 might be $80?2:04:20 - Diablo 4 x Berserk2:06:00 - Magic the Gathering x Final Fantasy2:12:40 - Ben Starr is everywhere2:22:45 - The Midnight Walk2:31:00 - Revenge of the Savage Pl

Joining us for the LAST STREAM ever (in April 2025) is first-timer Criken to chat about his streaming journey that started almost 2 decades ago and gives us some sage advice on how to not burn out after so long. Then we get into a surprisingly banger week in video game releases starting with the Oblivion remaster, Clair Obscura: Expedition 33 and our continued adventures in Blue Prince. 0:00 - Intro1:00 - Criken is here4:00 - Horse girl6:00 - Are centaurs furries?5:50 - Marcus in VRChat15:00 - Streaming since Justin.tv37:30 - Japan40:00 - Avoiding burn out53:40 - The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered1:31:50 - Horse armor1:33:00 - Larian finds DLC boring1:38:00 - Runescape Dragonwilds1:43:00 - Dune: Awakening2:06:00 - Revenge of the Savage Planet2:15:30 - Blue Prince continues2:30:20 - Clair Obscura: Expedition 332:45:00 - Switch 2 Preorders2:49:40 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blue Prince has got us falling through layer after layer of puzzles and notes still. Luckily Rami Ismail is here to update us on the health of the games industry in 2025! Nintendo finally locks down it's Tariff induced pricing for the Switch 2 in the US. The worst kept secret: TES: Oblivion is dropping soon and  lots of Star Wars news plus much more! 0:00 - Intro1:00 - 4/203:40 - Lost in Blue Prince9:00 - Elder Scrolls: Oblivion remaster incoming13:25  - Dwarf Fortress sells over 1 million copies13:45 - The Switch 2 console will remain the same price (but not accessories)18:00 - The Marathon CBT will not be under NDA27:00 - Rami is here!32:30 - The state of the industry1:23:00 - Roblox did it first1:44:00 - The Last of Us season 21:50:00 - Star Wars: A New Hope1:56:20 - Star Wars Zero Company2:06:10 - Marvel Rivals adds chroma MTX2:11:00 - The EU on MTX2:24:10 - Overwatch 2 Season 162:25:50 -  Marvel Rivals swimsuits2:30:10 - Blades of Fire2:47:40 - Lost Skies2:55:40 - Shoutouts  See omnys

We're joined by Path of Exile 2's Co-Founder and Game Director: Jonathan Rogers to talk about the last week of the new update, what's being addressed in the near and far future, and the future of the game. But first we get into the news of the week including the Marathon reveal and some of the games we've been playing this week including surprise GOTY contender Blue Prince!   0:00 - Intro0:50 - Taxes5:30 - Blue Prince25:25 - Marathon reveal59:00 - Sabrina Carpenter1:01:35 - Baldur's Gate 3 update 81:12:40 - Into the Dead: Our Darkest Days1:26:05 - Path of Exile 2's Jonathan Rogers joins us2:50:00 - The next week of POE222:58:15 - ShoutoutsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gothalion joins usthis week to break down the Nintendo Switch 2 reveal, all the games shown, the hardware, the... Price and how the current political climate will be affecting the video game industry as a whole. Monster Hunter Wilds tops 10 million sold as a new content update breaths more life into Capcom's new game. Bungie is doing an ARG for Marathon to build hype for their new extraction shooter. Emma Frost joins Marvel Rivals. Path of Exile 2 launches a new update to much discourse and much more this week!   0:00 - Intro1:25 - Disney Theme Parks7:30 - Segues7:50 - Nintendo Switch 2 debuts1:00:30 - Duskblood1:11:30 - Games & Tariffs1:30:50 - Monster Hunter Wilds tops 10 million sold1:34:10 - Atomfall1:39:00 - The Marathon ARG1:45:00 - Emma Frost and Ultron join Marvel Rivals1:46:50 - Path of Exile 22:08:00 - South of Midnight2:18:40 - Schedule 12:26:00 - The First Berserker: Khazan2:46:30 - The Isle2:50:00 - LA Noire2:55:30 - Shoutouts  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.