Best Blizzard Watch Podcasts (2025)

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Goodbye Warcraft Rumble 1:08:20

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4d ago1:08:20

1:08:20

Ghosts of K'aresh and its newly announced release date were the first topic in this week's Blizzard Watch Podcast, which is likely to be the final patch for this expansion. Story spoilers weren't shared, but we are excited to find out where we're going next. Our guest host Cory joined us since he's one of our resident Warcraft Rumble experts, and u…

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The Depressing Aftermath of Xbox’s Huge Layoffs – Unlocked 699 1:25:23

6d ago1:25:23

1:25:23

We sort through the aftermath of Xbox's devastating layoffs from last week, including updates on the status of where Perfect Dark was, what's left of the Turn 10 team, how Microsoft's AI investments may have played a part in all of this, and much more. 00:00:00 - Intro00:03:42 - Perfect Dark 00:16:40 - The Future for Halo 00:26:05 - Elder Scrolls O…

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Fragments of worlds and world souls 59:20

6d ago59:20

59:20

Two listener questions form bookends to an overarching concept this week on the Lore Watch Podcast. First, what is happening to Outland as it is now, 20 years after we visited? Is it still crumbling as it was, and what is becoming of the people and creatures still living there? Then, continuing on the theme, the next question asks, what if Azeroth'…

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Too much transmog, too little time 1:12:22

11d ago1:12:22

1:12:22

This week's Blizzard Watch Podcast begins with a discussion of several of the raccoons currently in the WoW trenchcoat -- Mists of Pandaria Classic is imminent, and there's a whole bunch of new stuff coming to retail WoW, from the Trading Post seasonal turnover to the Greedy Emissary event. And the best news is, almost all of it involves adding to …

1
Zion's Joe Dumars Era Begins 1:04:09

12d ago1:04:09

1:04:09

We're back and a lot of Pelicans aren't! Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver have made their mark all over the roster in short order. We catch up on the Pelicans' draft, the Derik Queen trade, the Jordan Poole trade and give initial thoughts on the beginning of the Joe Dumars Era. Presented by Crescent Canna, New Orleans #1 cannabis company and the maker of…

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Assessing Xbox’s Layoffs, Game Cancellations, and Studio Closures – Unlocked 698 1:21:43

13d ago1:21:43

1:21:43

As expected, layoffs at Microsoft and Xbox did happen this week, and they were unbelievably brutal. Approximately 9,000 people reportedly got laid off, multiple games were canceled, and entire studios were shut down. We sort through the wreckage on this week's Unlocked. 00:00 - Intro 00:11:12 - Assessing Xbox’s Layoffs00:24:33 - ZeniMax Online’s Ne…

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From class fantasy to (redacted) fantasy, we answer your gaming questions 1:01:25

13d ago1:01:25

1:01:25

This week's episode covers a lot of ground, because we're answering your burning listener questions (but you should still see a doctor). One involves modding and romance options in games like Fallout 4 or Cyberpunk 2077. The next question is all about class fantasy in WoW, and which our hosts think is defined the best. The final question is about t…

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Ghosts of K'aresh, from Tazavesh to Manaforge Omega 58:12

18d ago58:12

58:12

Ghosts of K'aresh, the upcoming content update for World of Warcraft, is the lead news for the show this week, because it was announced with a ton of detail the day after the podcast was recorded last week. Led by this week's host Joe, our crew discussed all things patch 11.2, from Tazavesh to Manaforge Omega, and where the story might lead us next…

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Xbox's 2026 Looks STACKED – Unlocked 697 1:34:43

20d ago1:34:43

1:34:43

This year's Xbox Showcase was very good, but next year's Showcase should be absolutely jam-packed with Xbox's A-listers, from Halo to Gears of War to Fable and Forza Horizon. And not just that, Fall 2026 should be one of the biggest quarter of releases in Xbox history. Plus: Xbox's curious collab with Meta Quest, our bigger-picture perspective on r…

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Who are the Lorewalkers (and why do they know so much)? 56:05

20d ago56:05

56:05

With the new Lorewalking feature, it has some of us curious about the Lorewalkers. What is their history in the game, and why exactly do they know so much? A listener asked us just that -- somewhat suspiciously. As Matt and Joe discuss the Lorewalkers, it is evident that many are not your average NPC, empowered with longevity, or great memory. The …

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Lorewalking and Timewalking and Delves, oh my! 1:04:19

25d ago1:04:19

1:04:19

We had two special guests this week: Phil Ulrich and Nick Marino were on hand to discuss the launch of patch 11.1.7. From Lorewalking to Timewalking to Overcharged Delves to the new one-button feature, there is a ton of stuff to discuss in patch 11.1.7. But of course, WoW isn't the only game with a ton of stuff going on. Overwatch 2 just put out a …

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Dissecting Xbox’s Next-Gen Announcement – Unlocked 696 1:19:31

27d ago1:19:31

1:19:31

We kick off by talking about the games we got to play behind closed doors after the Xbox Showcase: The Outer Worlds 2, Gears of War Reloaded, and Ninja Gaiden 4. And then we dig into our main topic: Xbox's next-gen hardware announcement. We analyze what it means, what it doesn't, and discuss where Xbox is going. ****** 00:00 - Intro 03:00 - Outer W…

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Faerin Lothar and the Arathi legacy 1:01:27

27d ago1:01:27

1:01:27

This week Lore Watch takes a deep dive into the character of Faerin Lothar, based on the recent short story "Faith and Flame," as well as the release of patch 11.1.7, which sends us questing back into the Arathi Highlands. Faerin's story is inextricably tied to the Arathi race as a whole, but also unique to her -- noble or no, not many seven year o…

1
Our Summer Game Fest faves 1:05:56

1M ago1:05:56

1:05:56

While we did want to discuss some Blizzard news this week -- including the frankly hilarious Dastardly Duos shirt bug -- the biggest news of the week was the reams of announcements and trailers that came out of Summer Game Fest. From The Outer Worlds 2 to Failbetter's next offering, the farm sim Mandrake, to Relooted, a hate letter to the British M…

1
Our Lorewalking wish list 1:02:29

1M ago1:02:29

1:02:29

The new Lorewalking feature in World of Warcraft is one we can use to explore more moments from the game we haven't seen, or explore the ones we have seen more in-depth. A listener wrote in and asked Matt and Joe which other points of lore they'd like to see show up in Lorewalking later, so of course, the entire hour is devoted to answering that qu…

1
Inside the Tony Hawk 3 + 4 Remake, The Outer Worlds 2 , & FBC: Firebreak - Unlocked | IGN Live 2025 38:31

1M ago38:31

38:31

In this jam-packed IGN Live 2025 special, we’re diving into three games revealed in the Xbox Games Showcase 2025. First, Daemon Hatfield joins Obsidian Entertainment for a deep dive into The Outer Worlds 2, then Remedy stops by to talk FBC: Firebreak. Finally, Tom Jorgenson sits down with Iron Galaxy to break down the long-awaited Tony Hawk’s Pro S…

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The Best Announcements from the Xbox Games Showcase 2025 - Unlocked 695 48:51

1M ago48:51

48:51

The Xbox Games Showcase delivered big reveals and we’ve got thoughts. In this episode, we break down the biggest surprises and top takeaways from the show, including the ROG Ally Xbox handheld, Clockwork Revolution, Call of Duty Black Ops 7, the return of Persona 4, and Final Fantasy’s Xbox debut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f…

1
Pride month kicks off and Heroes of the Storm turns 10 1:10:14

1M ago1:10:14

1:10:14

This week our writer Nick Marino joined the lineup to talk about WoW Classic -- several iterations of it. Joyous Journeys is coming back to Cata Classic, Mists Classic is launching soon, and Season of Discovery servers will keep on truckin', even if all the Discoveries have already been Discovered. Plus, Heroes of the Storm turns 10 and there's a w…

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Lorewalking: what to expect from this upcoming feature 1:09:53

1M ago1:09:53

1:09:53

Who would have thought that the hosts of the Lore Watch Podcast would be excited to talk about the new Lorewalking feature coming to World of Warcraft? The episode goes through the scenarios in detail, so if you'd prefer to have your Lorewalking experience as unspoiled as your own recollection of past events, note that they discuss everything about…

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Mists of Pandaria Classic brings one more Classic into the WoW trenchcoat 1:00:41

2M ago1:00:41

1:00:41

During this week's Blizzard Watch Podcast, the conversation started off with WoW, specifically the upcoming Mists of Pandaria Classic, and just how many Classics there are now. Cory was our guest host, so of course they had to talk Heroes of the Storm for a little while. It's like a rule of the internet, like how you are legally obligated to repost…

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The War Within: The story so far 1:00:02

2M ago1:00:02

1:00:02

If in between hauling Brann's sorry carcass through another delve and racing around in your car in Undermine you haven't been paying close attention to the story of The War Within, we've got your back. Starting from the pre-patch and the radiant song, Matt and Joe recap the events of the expansion so far. There will be spoilers up through the end o…

1
Horrific Re-Visions and (another) player housing preview 1:06:33

2M ago1:06:33

1:06:33

This week's Blizzard Watch Podcast kicks off with the new hotness -- or maybe old hotness. Horrific Visions return this week in World of Warcraft. There are head enchants to collect, but no keys, which is great news for people who did these back in the day. The new player housing preview from a smattering of other content creators with an emphasis …

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What Xbox Era Would You Like to Relive? – Unlocked 694 1:30:34

2M ago1:30:34

1:30:34

IGN Live is nearly here and we have a limited number of complimentary tickets for it! Head here and use the code "UNLOCKEDGUEST" to get a complimentary GA ticket for Saturday or Sunday: ⁠www.ign.com/liveWe kick off by discussing the specific Xbox eras we'd most like to go back in time to and relive – from Halo 2 to Rock Band, among others – before …

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How we'd make Azeroth into a D&D campaign 1:02:22

2M ago1:02:22

1:02:22

This week's Lore Watch is based on a listener question, which mashes together two of Joe and Matt's favorite topics: Azeroth and Dungeons and Dragons. Specifically, this episode goes through doing just that: how they would play their way through a World of Warcraft-themed D&D campaign. They discuss their picks for the best tabletop system to play t…

1
Legion Remix and more wild speculation 1:05:58

2M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

In this week's podcast we talked about the reveals from the WoW team that came out of PAX East. Legion Remix has us particularly excited, but nothing is as exciting as the wild speculation we can do about those upcoming quote-unquote "experimental modes." Plus, Clair Obscur's wild success -- and the wild? success that was Heroes of the Storm. And s…

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Doom: The Dark Ages and Elden Ring Nightreign Reactions – Unlocked 693 1:15:17

2M ago1:15:17

1:15:17

IGN's Doom: The Dark Ages reviewer (and Doom superfan) Mitchell Saltzman joins fellow Doom superfan Ryan McCaffrey to discuss id software's just-released prequel: how it compares to Doom Eternal, why we love it, where the series goes from here, and more. Plus: Mitchell talks about his visit to From Software to play a ton of Elden Ring Nightreign as…

1
The evolution of Dragons (and other fantasy creatures) 1:01:46

2M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

On this week's Lore Watch Podcast, Joe and Matt are joined again by our writer Eric O'Dea, and they continue to explore how the telling and re-telling of stories about creatures in folklore has evolved into the creatures we now know in some of our favorite media. This week they start the discussions with dragons and all their forms -- sapient, verb…

1
The calculus of Diablo's seasons 1:01:49

2M ago1:01:49

1:01:49

The Infinite Pirate Dragon is, of course, the top story this week on the Blizzard Watch Podcast. It comes in patch 11.1.7 as a part of Turbulent Timeways, and while we're unsure that it has anything to do with the Arathi narratively, that's what headcanon is for. Our resident Diablo expert Liz Patt joined our regular hosts Matt, Liz, and Joe to exp…

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Xbox’s Price Hikes Are Maddening – Unlocked 692 1:40:26

2M ago1:40:26

1:40:26

In a huge week of Xbox news, we're discussing Xbox's massive, demoralizing, and unprecedented price increases five years into the console generation. Plus: we gush over the new GTA 6 trailer, celebrate the return of Gears of War 1 via a new remaster, discuss the just-leaked images of ROG's officially licensed Xbox handheld PC, and more!00:00:00 - I…

1
Kobolds and the real life origins of in-game creatures 56:17

2M ago56:17

56:17

While they are unassuming little creatures, their presence in fantasy lore ranges all the way from traditional folklore all the way into modern day Dungeons and Dragons and World of Warcraft. With the help of staff writer Eric O'Dea, Joe and Matt delve deep to discuss the history of these little critters, from their origins as sprites or brownies o…

1
Truly, transmog is the endgame of all things 58:11

2M ago58:11

58:11

Our hosts Liz and Joe were joined by our writer Eric O'Dea to discuss all the wacky hijinks they got into this year, as they drag an orphan into havoc and harm. That's right, it's Childrens' Week in World of Warcraft! And of course the reason we'd willingly interact with children is the fact that there's transmog on the line. Transmog is also on th…

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Did Borderlands 4 Just Give Us a GTA 6 Release Hint? – Unlocked 691 1:54:23

3M ago1:54:23

1:54:23

On this week's Xbox show, we discuss how Borderlands 4's release date just moved up, and whether or not it means it's getting out of GTA 6...possibly in October? But maybe there's another game it's avoiding... Plus: Assassin's Creed Shadows' strong sales debut, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 gets a hilarious new playable Operator, Clair Obscur: Expediti…

1
Gallywix is only mostly dead, and other listener questions 1:01:42

3M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

This week, Joe and Matt take to the mailbag to answer your questions, which are as varied as you are. First, since WoW has a tendency to bring back characters from the dead, and we just quote-unquote "killed" Gallywix, do we think he's actually dead, or will he be back? Then, in harkening back to a past episode, the connection between the Arathi an…

1
Elder Scrolls Oblivion is just one game we wish would make a comeback 58:19

3M ago58:19

58:19

Cory Taylor joins our usual hosts for this week's cotillion of a podcast, and the first thing on the agenda is to remind people to get their Noblegarden ducky costume! Transmog and costuming is very important to us. But, then we get into the usual topic du jour when Cory joins the crew: how Heroes of the Storm is primed for a comeback. Cory, as usu…

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The Oblivion Remaster Is Even Better Than We’d Hoped – Unlocked 690 1:21:53

3M ago1:21:53

1:21:53

It's raining RPGs on Xbox Game Pass this week as the long-rumored/leaked Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered finally got released – and it's even better than we'd hoped. We discuss why it's fantastic and what it means for other Bethesda remasters (Fallout 3, anyone?) and The Elder Scrolls VI. Plus: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has also arrived and…

1
Noblegarden: taking several years to become the cutest baby ducky 1:03:28

3M ago1:03:28

1:03:28

Puzzling Cartel Chips and the mystery of them leads off the Blizzard Watch Podcast this week. We're not exactly sure what the deal with them is -- hence the whole "mystery" thing -- but we're looking forward to figuring it out. Noblegarden is coming up so it's time to collect some new ducks in a six year long process, and no we're not kidding. We h…

1
CHRISTIAN CLARK RETURNS!! 1:02:59

3M ago1:02:59

1:02:59

Long overdue return of Christian to the pod! The guys reminisce about the conclusion of the regular season and review the flurry of changes that happened midseason in Dallas and then turn their sights to the dismissal of David Griffin and appointment of Joe Dumars in New Orleans. Presented by Crescent Canna, New Orleans #1 cannabis company and the …

1
The Oblivion Remaster Keeps Leaking – Unlocked 689 1:05:05

3M ago1:05:05

1:05:05

Bethesda's "secret" remaster of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion keeps leaking. We'll talk about what we learned from this week's leak, when you can play it (hint: VERY SOON), how it'll hit for a generation of Elder Scrolls fans that have only ever known Skyrim, and more. Plus: our Mount Rushmore of RPGs, Xbox Game Pass's incredible second wave in Ap…

1
Xal'atath, the Void, and the dawn of Azeroth's creation 54:17

3M ago54:17

54:17

This week's episode was inspired by a question from a listener, about where the story is going from here as we make our way toward the next expansion of World of Warcraft, Midnight. We veer right into Tinfoil Hat territory pretty quickly. After all, it's tough when a lot of the sources we have are either written by unreliable narrators, or were wri…

1
WoW Classic goes from #SomeChanges to a whole new raid 1:06:27

3M ago1:06:27

1:06:27

Patch 11.1.5 for World of Warcraft was just announced as coming out April 22, so that leads the podcast this week — even if it may seem fast to some of our hosts. Our writer Nick Marino joined us this week because he’s our go-to staffer for WoW Classic news, and Season of Discovery phase 8 kicked off today with a whole lot of brand new content. See…

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The Outer Worlds 2 Looks Awesome – Unlocked 688 1:16:53

3M ago1:16:53

1:16:53

We covered a ton of ground this week, from The Outer Worlds 2 looking awesome so far after we got to visit Obsidian for our exclusive IGN First coverage, to Doom: The Dark Ages being fantastic but very different from Doom Eternal based on our four hours of hands-on time with it, to the Minecraft movie's big opening weekend and what other Xbox prope…

1
Cyberpunk Edgerunners explores a crumbling dystopia 1:16:12

3M ago1:16:12

1:16:12

The Netflix animated show Cyberpunk Edgerunners is a great entry in the Cyberpunk universe, and one we felt worth exploring in-depth. Joe and Matt give us a spoiler-filled tour of Night City and how all the details of life in that universe lead to a dystopia packed with despair. This is an episode from the archives, so it's one we felt we should br…

1
The Final Word on South of Midnight - Unlocked 687 1:29:02

3M ago1:29:02

1:29:02

This week on Unlocked, Michael and Miranda are joined by GameSpot's Jordan Ramée to talk all about the latest Xbox exclusive, South of Midnight, now that we have reviewed it and we explore our own connections to American South. We also touch on previews for Doom: The Dark Ages and the ongoing saga of where Hollow Knight Silksong is. And we find a w…

1
Warcraft Rumble is cute, and other April Fools' Day pranks 1:03:15

3M ago1:03:15

1:03:15

After a short apology for his scratchy voice, Matt leads the cohosts in discussion on a number of topics. Since Cory was the guest host this week, adorable mobile game Warcraft Rumble and its expensive Arthas bundle was a big part of the conversation. So was the April Fools' Day jokes we were treated to on that day -- some of our cast are quite ant…

1
Crucial Source Material 43:13

4M ago43:13

43:13

While we do enjoy going off on wild tangents or thinking about "what if," sometimes it's important to just go back to the crucial source material. The specific writing in-game can not only work to create a vibrant world, but with careful study, can inform the overall trajectory of what you can expect to come. WoW is no different, so today we're tak…

1
We Demand a Translucent Xbox - Unlocked 686 1:00:43

4M ago1:00:43

1:00:43

This week on Unlocked, Miranda and Michael go over the biggest reveals for Minecraft Live 2025 (new mobs!), discuss the Backbone One Xbox Edition and how they hope Xbox's latest neat peripheral designs influence their next major device releases, and round out the show by discussing two games coming to Xbox shown during the Nintendo Direct. Learn mo…

1
Diving into the Emerald Dream (in Hearthstone, don't get your hopes up) 1:04:56

4M ago1:04:56

1:04:56

Hearthstone's new expansion Into the Emerald Dream was our lead story this week, as the two sides don't seem all that well balanced between good and morally gray, let's say. The team also discusses the morality of the character restores coming to OnlyFangs and other WoW Classic Hardcore players after a DDOS KOed their dreams of glory. Plus, Slay th…

1
Can you play Hearthstone in the Emerald Dream, and other questions 1:01:09

4M ago1:01:09

1:01:09

This week's Lore Watch Podcast is Q&A style, so the topics veer all over the place -- more so than usual. We start off with a question about the Emerald Dream and whether it was designed as a prison -- timely, given Hearthstone's latest expansion releasing yesterday. Speaking of Hearthstone, the next question concerns in-game board games, and what …

1
Racing to World First in the Undermine 58:10

4M ago58:10

58:10

It probably isn't a huge surprise that our hottest topic this week was the World of Warcraft player housing preview. We also discussed how the Race to World First played out, and how this Race differed from past races. Plus, WoW Classic is getting its own new content in the form of the Scarlet Enclave, which seems cool -- if a little outside the sc…

1
The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remake Appears to Be Imminent – Unlocked 685 1:17:13

4M ago1:17:13

1:17:13

This week, Michael and Ryan give first impressions of this week's big new game release, Assassin's Creed Shadows. And then we delve into our main topic: MORE rumors about the remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and how close to release it apparently is (hint: it's really close!). Plus: Split Fiction's continued success, reassurances from Saber…