Destin Legarie Podcast | Save State Plus

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced brings Edward Kenway’s pirate adventure back in a way that reminds you why this game became one of Ubisoft’s most beloved entries.

Microsoft’s Xbox reset is getting clearer, and the biggest news may be that Fallout is finally coming back.

This week @Sarthetv and @RapidReacts join me to react to the big changes at Xbox and PlayStation this last week. Xbox and PlayStation are both making big moves across their studios, and not all of them make sense. This week on Game Chat, we talk through the latest layoffs, studio cuts, restructuring, and what these decisions say about the future of Xbox, PlayStation, and the games industry as a wh...

Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is almost here, and Ubisoft’s remake of the 2013 fan favorite is looking a lot more ambitious than a basic remaster. The game launches July 9, 2026 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, with rebuilt visuals, updated gameplay, new content, improved naval systems, and a full tech overhaul in the Anvil engine. Get High on Life 2 on Steam for 33% off here https://store...

Xbox’s massive restructuring is now clearer: thousands of jobs are being cut, multiple studios are leaving Xbox, and teams like Double Fine and Compulsion are set to become independent again. Let’s break down what changed, what still isn’t clear, and what this means for the future of Xbox Game Studios.

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma sent an internal email announcing what she called the most significant restructure in Xbox history. The plan includes approximately 3,200 job cuts throughout FY27, 1,600 role eliminations today, and four studios leaving Xbox for new management.

Former Xbox veteran Laura Fryer recently shared her thoughts on why Xbox studios keep struggling, arguing that “creative freedom” can become a trap when there isn’t enough structure, accountability, or clear leadership behind it. Laura's Video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BZBoBAZGsc

A major leadership change has happened at Arkane Lyon, the Xbox studio behind Marvel’s Blade. According to VGC, MachineGames co-founder and studio director Jerk Gustafsson has taken over leadership of Arkane, while former president Leonard Bendel has resigned. This comes amid ongoing reports about Xbox layoffs, possible studio closures, and uncertainty around the future of Blade.

Xbox is reportedly testing a disc-to-digital feature that could let players convert parts of their physical Xbox game collections into digital entitlements.

Xbox layoffs are still looming and though The Game Business reported Obsidian is on that list, that has been refuted After reports that Microsoft was preparing more layoffs and that multiple Xbox studios could be affected, new details and clarifications are starting to come in. The Game Business reported that Xbox is divided internally over its future, with pressure around costs, Game Pass, hardwa...

PlayStation just announced that physical disc production for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will end starting January 2028. Sony says new games after that point will be available through PlayStation Store and retailers in digital formats only, while games already released or planned before January 2028 in disc format are not impacted. Sony also announced major PlayStation Store change...

Samsung, SK Hynix, and Micron have reportedly been hit with a class-action lawsuit accusing them of restricting DRAM supply and fixing prices. DRAM is used across PCs, phones, servers, and game consoles, which makes this a bigger gaming story than it may sound at first. The allegation is that consumer memory supply was reduced while companies focused more heavily on expensive HBM memory for AI dat...

Xbox layoffs are no longer just rumors. The Xbox News today is that layoffs are happening right now, and it's across almost every department. CWA-represented workers at Microsoft spoke publicly today and confirmed that they expect layoffs across the Xbox division. During a press call, CWA District 9 vice president Frank Arce said multiple reports indicate Microsoft may initiate layoffs across...

Sony Interactive Entertainment just discussed its next-generation PlayStation strategy in a new investor Q&A, including hardware pricing, profitability, PC competition, cloud gaming, and how PlayStation is thinking about the future beyond PS5.The biggest takeaway? Sony says it is “not realistic” to absorb all component cost increases and that, as a principle, it does not intend to sell hardwar...

Xbox is talking about a much bigger future: more games, more ways to play, FanFest, Hollywood adaptations, and major franchises like Minecraft, Fallout, Gears of War, Call of Duty, Halo, Blade, and The Elder Scrolls. But that future is coming at a very difficult time. Hardware sales are struggling, console prices are rising, studios are reportedly bracing for layoffs or restructuring, and Xbox lea...

PlayStation is once again talking about its live service strategy, but the funny part is how much of this sounds like the same plan Sony has been pushing for years. In a new Famitsu interview, PlayStation CEO Hideaki Nishino talked about Sony’s continued interest in live service games, how the company views PS5 versus PC releases, and why single-player first-party games still appear to be PlayStat...

I sat down with That’s No Moon to talk about their upcoming single-player reimagining of Crossfire, and what stood out most is how seriously the team is taking combat, cover, and story. This is not being pitched as a traditional cover shooter where you snap to waist-high walls and trade bullets until your health comes back. The team is building what they call adaptive cover, where your character r...

Xbox has announced another console price increase, with new worldwide pricing taking effect on August 1, 2026. According to Xbox, 512GB models are going up by $100, 1TB models are going up by $150, and the 2TB model is being sunset. Microsoft says rising storage and memory costs are driving the change, after Xbox already raised U.S. console prices last October.

Bungie is facing another brutal round of layoffs, with Sony confirming cuts across the studio, including most of the Destiny team and some Marathon developers. Bungie says Destiny 2 fell short of expectations in recent years, and after its final content update, the studio could no longer operate at its previous size. The biggest question now is whether Bungie co-founder Jason Jones may be affected...

Xbox’s rumored studio cuts may already be hitting Compulsion Games, the Microsoft-owned team behind South of Midnight. After earlier reports claimed Compulsion was at risk of closure or being spun off, multiple employees have now appeared to mark themselves #OpenToWork, fueling concern that layoffs may already be underway. Microsoft has not officially confirmed the reported closure, and Compulsion...

Rockstar has officially announced that GTA 6 Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders begin June 25, 2026, with the game launching November 19, 2026 on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S for $79.99. There’s also a $99.99 Ultimate Edition, pre-order bonuses, a Vintage Vice City Pack, GTA+ benefits for digital pre-orders, and one very interesting detail: the physical version includes a download code in the box instead o...

Xbox is in one of the strangest positions it has ever been in. Microsoft keeps pushing the idea of playing anywhere, but the traditional Xbox console identity feels less clear than ever. Today on Game Chat, we’re talking about what’s happening to Xbox, why fans are questioning the direction of the brand, and what Valve’s Steam Machine could mean for the future of living room gaming. Valve’s new St...

Valve finally revealed the Steam Machine price, and reservations are now open. The new SteamOS-powered living room PC starts at $1,049 for the 512GB model, with the 2TB version coming in at $1,349. Bundles with the Steam Controller cost even more. In this video, I break down the Steam Machine preorder/reservation system, the different price points, how Valve is handling the queue, and whether this...

A former Epic Games employee went on X and argued that players, media, and influencers helped create the current crisis in the video game industry by rejecting DLC, microtransactions, loot boxes, higher prices, and other monetization models. Some of the cost structure argument is fair. Games are too expensive to make, studios overhired, and the business model clearly needs a reset. But blaming pla...

I sat down with the Obsidian team to talk about Grounded 2 coming to PlayStation 5, why the game made sense for Xbox’s multiplatform strategy, crossplay and cross-progression, the Into the Abyss update, and what the future of Grounded could look like. They also talked about what PlayStation players can expect on day one, why cooking might be one of the most slept-on systems in the game, and even f...