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This week, Zak and Aaron return to the burgeoning phenomena of old video games being resurrected and expanded through the lens of World of Warcraft: Forever. Much like The Witcher 3 with Songs of the Past, Blizzard has gone back to basics with its legendary MMO, and is essentially building on the blueprint laid down by WoW: Classic with new content and fresh mechanics. It's a fascinating move for one of the industries longest-running and most influential success stories - and it might just catch the industry's attention if it pays off. Please, enjoy. Sources: World of Warcraft: Forever - What's Next Panel - BlizzCon 2026 World of Warcraft: Forever Overview - New Features, Zones, Raids - Wowhead Blizzard is scrambling to meet World of Warcraft Forever's unexpected popularity - Polygon Blizzard Finally Made WoW For Regular People - Bellular Warcraft So, what is WoW Forever? - Bellular Warcraft Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron are back to talk about Sony walking into a PR landmine... again. This time, they seem to have unexpectedly dumped legendary developer Hideo Kojima and Physint, his spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid. In the wake of the title being scooped up ravenously by XBOX, all that's left is to discuss why... and poke some more fun at PlayStation's legendary streak of misfortune. Please, enjoy. Sources: Why PlayStation Ditched Hideo Kojima's Physint - Jason Schreier PlayStation Are So Scared, They Dumped Kojima - Bellular News Bill Skarsgard to Star in Hideo Kojima’s ‘Physint’ Video Game From Xbox - Variety Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron draw a throughline connecting numerous recent episodes, and discuss the state of the games industry in general. Namely, the fact that many of its woes can be tied to the idea that games are now a mature market rather than a growing one. But that has no bearing on investors' insatiable need to see the all-important line go up - whatever the cost. Please, enjoy. Sources: The Death Of Physical Games Is A Sign Of What's Coming - Jason Schreier The Video Game Industry Is Collapsing - Adam Conover PRESENTATION: The State of Video Gaming in 2025 - Matthew Ball Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron return to the ever-growing trash heap that is Sony's failed foray into live service gaming to talk about its latest addition: Guerilla's Monster Hunter-like Horizon Hunters Gathering. Following less-than-ideal feedback from playtests spread across the year, the studio reportedly now has just a handful of months to impress executives as a more traditional co-op title, lest itn receive the axe like so many before it. This raises the question: money aside, what was the real cost of Sony's blunder? And what does it mean for the future of its studios? Please, enjoy. Sources: Announcing Horizon Hunters Gathering, Guerrilla’s new co-op action game - Guerilla Games PlayStation's Live-Service Initiative Could Not Have Gone Worse - Jason Schreier Sony reportedly reverses course on live service co-op Horizon game after 'negative player feedback' - PCGamer The opportunity cost of Sony's live service pivot is enormous | Opinion - GamesIndustry.biz Sony Says Ghost of Yotei 'Exceeded' the Sales of Ghost of Tsushima in the Same Period of Time and 'Significantly' Contributed to Its Financial Results - IGN Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron take a moment to discuss Sony's recent decision to discontinue the release of physical games in 2028, and what it means for the future of ownership in general. Just a heads up, its looking pretty grim out there. Sources: The World Is Turning On PlayStation - Bellular News The Death Of PlayStation Discs Was Decades In The Making - Jason Schreier Why PlayStation Is Killing Discs (Despite The Fan Revolt) - Jason Schreier Sony Killed Destiny 2, Now It's Killing Physical Game Discs  - Paul Tassi Nintendo Says Physical Games Still Account for 38.5% of Its Software Sales, Following Sony's Decision to Kill PS5 Discs - IGN Circana Data via BlueSky - Matt Piscatella PlayStation ending physical games is "like Apple removing the CD Drive from its laptops," says analyst: "Not a single person is complaining about it today" - GamesRadar+ Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron take a beat to address the thousands of layoffs that wracked many XBOX studios in recent weeks, and how that culling relates to Bethesda's newest move: just announcing or re-announcing every single thing they're working on all at once.  Beyond the evident smoke and mirrors, can the studio actually deliver for modern audiences? And exactly how much Fallout is too much Fallout? Please, enjoy. Sources: Why Did Bethesda Just Announce... Everything? - Bellular News Xbox layoffs: Jobs lost at Obsidian, Bethesda, Id and Zenimax Online Studios - GamesIndustry.biz Xbox announces plans to lay off 3,200 staff and divest five studios - GamesIndustry.biz Bethesda pivots to "franchise-centric" planning model amid Xbox restructure - GamesIndustry.biz  Bethesda reveals plans for Fallout 5, The Elder Scrolls 6, and more - GamesIndustry.biz  The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Has Sold 65 Million Copies Since Going on Sale in 2011 - IGN Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron are back to talk about the biggest event in the history of the games industry, and why it could still be considered a failure in the eyes of investors. That's right, Grand Theft Auto VI, the game to end all games and save manufacturers from languishing console sails, could absolutely flop. If its hotly anticipated online component doesn't just meet, but exceed the astronomical financial figures posted by GTA V since its launch in 2013, the future of Rockstar and its 5,000-plus employees may be a lot less stable than previously imagined. Sources: I Cant Believe You've Done This - PWee28 Take-Two’s real GTA 6 jackpot may not be the game itself - The Street GTA 5 Statistics 2026 - Axis Intelligence Research GTA Online Leak Reveals $5 Billion In Revenue, Shocking Spending Habits - RockstarIntel GTA 6 is a 'singleplayer experience', leaving me to question what's going on with GTA Online - PC Gamer GTA 6 Doesn't Mean The End Of GTA Online, Says Take-Two CEO - Kotaku GTA 6 Has the Highest Break-Even Threshold in Entertainment History - GTABoom Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron are back at it with something potentially positive, for a change! Namely, that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is receiving a 12-years-after-the-fact expansion entitled Songs of the Past, bucking industry trends and further solidifying the base game as one of the most important RPGs of the last 20 years. Never content to simply enjoy good news when it comes, Zak and Aaron instead find themselves consumed by several questions upon which they will pontificate into your ears for roughly the next hour. Please, enjoy. Sources: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past - NEW Details You May Not Know - GamingBolt The Witcher 3 sold another 5 million copies over the last year: 'This cements its place among the best-selling videogames in history' - PC Gamer  It's Official: The Witcher 3 Songs of the Past Expansion Is Real and It's Coming Next Year - IGN Games – Fool's Theory SteamDB - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron are back to talk about Bungie again, but not exclusively because of Marathon this time. It would seem that the bell has finally tolled for the long-beleaguered Destiny 2, as its studio is releasing one final content update before transitioning the title to maintenance mode. Perhaps more damning are the recent reports that a Destiny 3 has yet to be greenlit by Sony, and that Bungie is expected to be hit by a substantial round of layoffs in the near future. With all resources now going towards rescuing the struggling Marathon, what does the future look like? Can Bungie turn the game around, or will it continue to flounder? And if it flounders, what does that mean for the storied studio's long-term prospects? Please, enjoy. Sources: Reality Check: The Fate Of Destiny 3, Marathon And Bungie - Paul Tassi Bungie Announces The Final Death Of Destiny 2 - The Expected, Sad, Maddening End Of An Era - Paul Tassi PlayStation Finally Realized Bungie Played Them - Bellular News With ‘Destiny 2’ Gone, No ‘Destiny 3’ Is Coming - Forbes Destiny 2's End Reportedly Portends 'Significant' Layoffs At Bungie - Kotaku ‘Marathon’ Is Pulling The PvE Trigger In Season 2, A Sign Of Things To Come - Forbes (20) Marathon on X: "Launch, Learnings, and What’s Next" - Bungie Blog Post Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron are back at it, talking about indie mega-hit Slay The Spire 2 and its evidently divided player base. You see, while the game has earned rave reviews almost across the board and attracted hundreds of thousands of players, it's also been the target of three separate review bombing campaigns, the largest of which earned the game more than 70 thousand negative reviews on Steam... predominantly in the Chinese language. Why such anger from one specific area of the world? And what's up with those other two review bombs, anyway? Please, enjoy. Check Out Bobo Bay on Steam! Sources: We Know Why They Did It - Bellular News I Read Chinese Reviews to Understand Slay the Spire 2’s Backlash - Wayshush Slay the Spire 2 is Being Review-Bombed Yet Again - Gamerant Slay The Spire 2 Is Fantastic, So Why Is It Being Review-Bombed? - GameSpot  Slay The Spire 2 Getting Review-Bombed Again After Latest Update - Kotaku Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron revisit a topic from earlier this season: the Stop Killing Games Movement! It's been a big couple of months for Ross Scott and the crew which has now grown into an official Non-Governmental Organization in Europe, presented its case in front of Parliament, and even thrown its weight behind proposed legislation in California. What does all of this mean for the movement at large? Only time will tell for sure... but we've got some thoughts right now.  Please, enjoy. Sources: Stop Killing Games Just Revealed Its Real Power: Ubisoft's In Trouble - Bellular News Stop Killing Games Just Won Over Europe - Bellular News SKG plans coming to fruition / Ubisoft sued by consumer watchdog - Accursed Farms Stop Killing Games movement celebrates as The Crew 2 sees further offline mode support - Eurogamer Stop Killing Games backs California law that will force devs to preserve games after shut down - Dexerto Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron take a moment to discuss an online conflict that rears its ugly head with disappointing regularity — the divide between critic and audience review scores when it comes to games and movies. Specifically, our intrepid hosts delve into the cacophonous world of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, which is earning rapturous praise from casual viewers and drawing ample derision from critics.  With such a disparity of opinions on display, who are you supposed to trust? And what is the role of a critic in the modern media landscape, anyway? Please, enjoy. Sources: Mario Galaxy Movie Drama is Crazy - Moist Critical ‘Super Mario Galaxy Movie’ Divides Fans And Critics On Rotten Tomatoes - Forbes Why the Super Mario Galaxy movie is majorly dividing audiences and critics - ScreenRant The Purpose Of Critics Is Grossly Misunderstood - Giant Freakin Robot Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron are back to check in on Marathon, the latest title from Bungie and the latest shot by Sony to make a splash in the wildly oversaturated live service market. Rather than being an unmitigated disaster on the level of Concord or even Highguard, or a runaway success like Arc Raiders, Marathon is something of an in-bounds outlier - performance is perfectly middle-of-the-road. It's reviewing well, but player numbers are certainly soft for a game that was meant to finally make good on both Sony's $3.7 billion purchase of Bungie and  its wider live-service ambitions. So, what comes next? Please, enjoy. Sources: Marathon has sold 1.2M copies across Steam, PS5, and Xbox - Alinea Insights Marathon Was Bungie's Last Hope - Bellular News 'Things Are Looking Lukewarm Right Now' — Marathon Has Reportedly Sold Just 1.2 Million So Far, With Steam Making Up 70% of the Player Base - IGN Sony Has Completed Its $3.7 Billion Deal to Acquire Bungie and Welcome It Into the PlayStation Family - IGN Sony Says Bungie Hasn’t Brought in as Much Money as It Thought It Would When It Bought the Developer, as Destiny 2 Falls Off a Cliff - IGN Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to discuss some pretty massive changes over at Xbox, namely the retirement of long-time CEO Phil Spencer and the quiet disappearance of his heir apparent, Sarah Bond. In their place, we find Asha Sharma, a seasoned executive who most recently led Microsoft's CoreAI team. The why of it all is a bit murky at the moment, but that leaves plenty of room for speculation, with one big question at the heart of everything: what's next for Xbox as the brand navigates its new, Phil-free future? Please, enjoy. Sources: Asha Sharma named EVP and CEO, Microsoft Gaming - The Official MicrosoftBlog The Xbox Situation Is Worse Than Microsoft Are Letting On - Bellular News New Xbox CEO Responds To ‘Real Gamer,’ AI Tweet Accusations - Forbes Billions of dollars later and still nobody knows what an Xbox is - The Verge Call Of Duty Lost $300 Million In Sales Due To Game Pass - Report - GameSpot Black Ops 7 Had Call Of Duty's Worst Sales Year Ranking In The US Since 2008 - GameSpot Xbox Sales Are Down 70% Year-Over-Year With PS5 Down 40% - Forbes Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram

This week, Zak and Aaron sit down to chat with Ashley Ruhl, the Narrative Director at Broadsword Online Games, currently in charge of Star Wars: The Old Republic! She was kind enough to tell us a little bit about her role working on SWTOR before moving on to the... ahem, meat of the conversation: romance! Specifically, romance in video games, how it can be approached thoughtfully, and where we'd like to see it go in the future. Please, enjoy. Check out Ashley's recommended reading! Digital Love: Romance and Sexuality in Games - Heidi McDonald Passion and Play: A Guide to Designing Sexual Content in Games - Michelle Clough Listen to Beach Girl on Spotify Check Out MosscatMarket on Instagram