Game Mess Mornings

We've got TurboShawn joining Grubb today for the news. We're talking Wolverine reviews, Sony trying to cancel Physint and Kojima finding a new publishing partner, a "Customer Appreciation Sale" at Nintendo, Matt Berry is in a Skyrim mod, and many more! 0:00 - Intro 3:15 - Wolverine reviews 18:20 - Sony tried to cancel PHYSINT, and Xbox is now publishing it 33:33 - BREAK 33:50 - Nearly 1,900 Blizzard employees get a major union contract — including AI rules 38:40 - Nintendo announces a ‘Customer Appreciation Sale’ in America, says its tariff refunds made it possible 43:40 - Steam now requires Australian users to have a credit card to purchase R18+ games, and no, a simple bank debit card won't work 48:40 - Ikea has released a Skyrim mod where players are accompanied by a Kallax shelving unit voiced by Matt Berry 51:50 - SNK’s NeoGeo AES re-release delayed by nearly a year due to components shortage 53:00 - HEY WHAT IN ALL THE HELLS IS THIS DLSS 5 BULLSHIT?! 57:50 - Nintendo Adding VRR Support

We've got Taylor Cocke joining Grubb today to chat about virtually EVERYTHING from today's Nintendo Direct and we're getting ports, a new Kirby, AND A NEW METROID GAME! We also chat about the massive Steam leaks, EA using generative AI, and more for your Wednesday morning. 0:00 - INTRO 4:00 - Nintendo Direct 29:30 - Break 29:40 - Steam may have just suffered one of the biggest videogame leaks in years 35:20 - Xbox disc-to-digital: reports of publishers "opting out" were premature 39:10 - EA is reportedly using generative AI for NHL 27 commentary 45:35 - Riot is considering making normal, premium videogames 48:10 - PowerWash Simulator studio FuturLab reportedly laid people off without telling their managers 51:10 - GameStop is becoming a collectibles company that happens to sell videogames 53:50 - GOG is letting you print your own old PC big boxes 55:55 - This week

Jeff Grubb and Chuck Zimmerheld are ending the week with video game news! We're talking about Nintendo dropping two Directs on us next week, Sony's State of Play getting bombarded with negative comments, Xbox capping cloud gaming sessions, and more! 00:00 - Intro 5:00 - Nintendo just announced TWO Directs for next week 19:50 - Sony's State of Play got hijacked by “NO DISC NO BUY” and “DESTINY 3” 24:30 - Xbox is capping cloud gaming to 15 hours and charging for extra playtime 34:30 - break 34:45 - The physical edition of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation needs to download extra game data on all formats 38:40 - UK PS5 and Xbox sales jumped by a third following GTA 6’s Netflix reveal 41:35 - Something is happening with StarCraft 44:50 - Saber is now explicitly promising no generative AI in its big licensed games 47:00 - Konami had a surprisingly substantial showcase

Jeff Grubb and TurboShawn roll right into news and recap all of the highlights (and lowlights) of both State of Plays that happened today! We also get into a new Disney game, skings heading to Battlefield 6, Rhythm Heaven doing well in Japan, and more for your Thursday! 00:00 - Intro 5:15 - STATES OF PLAY RECAP 32:20 - BREAK 32:50 - Sony Is Making 59% More Revenue Per PlayStation User Since PS4 Generation, Says Analyst 40:20 - FRONTIER ANNOUNCES DISNEY AGREEMENT FOR A NEW GAME 43:00 - BATTLEFIELD 6 MAY ALREADY BE BREAKING ITS "GROUNDED SKINS" PROMISE 46:10 - Rhythm Heaven is still huge in Japan 50:15 - The Witcher Remake is on hold while its studio works on The Witcher 3’s expansion 51:00 - Sonic is allowed to fire guns in Fortnite because he’s an android, not the real one, Sonic Team boss says 53:30 - Konami Show! 54:00 - This Week

We've got Lexi Luddy on the show today to join Grubb to discuss Mario Kart 8 Deluxe getting new DLC, Pikmin 3 getting a surprise upgrade, Sony making assumptions on what consumers believe, Double Fine having a lofty goal with their Kickstarter, and more! 00:00 - Intro 5:00 - Nintendo just updated Mario Kart – no, the other Mario Kart 10:15 - Pikmin 3 Deluxe also gets a surprise Switch 2 upgrade 17:05 - Nintendo Switch Online Nintendo Classics gets a new drop of old games 23:00 - Nintendo Direct rumors 28:40 - Mini Grubb Guesser 31:50 - Break 32:05 - Sony says ‘reasonable consumers’ know they don’t own the digital games they buy Grand Theft Auto 6 Footage Got More Views Than Anything Else on Netflix Last Week 39:40 - Minecraft's Minecoin wallet is becoming less cross-platform on Nintendo hardware 42:15 - Double Fine says it'll make Brütal Legend 2 if its Kickstarter reaches $100 million 45:20 - NVIDIA DLSS 5 launches tomorrow

Jeff Grubb is joined by Jan Ochoa to jumpstart your week with news! We chat about multiple State of Play showcases planned for September 3rd, rumblings that Sony may be reconsidering ending disc production, an Onimusha review roundup, and more for your Monday! 0:00 - Intro 4:50 - States of Play on Thursday 15:04 - Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review Roundup 23:50 - BREAK 24:00 - Word out of Gamescom is that Sony might postpone its all-digital future, but nothing is official 34:20 - Just Dance accidentally leaks a Nintendo Direct? 39:15 - “Aggressively” Selling PS5s Isn’t Needed, As Sony Focuses On Making More From Existing Owners 45:33 - A 12TB Steam “teraleak” spills more than a decade of lost PC gaming history 49:50 - Take-Two says its investigation into the GTA 6 leaker is ‘rapidly evolving’ as it requests another Discord subpoena 52:54 - Fable’s main quest will take ‘around 15-20 hours’ to beat, Xbox says 54:25 - EA confirms leaked Iron Man game footage is real 56:10 - Multiple developers report equipment stolen from their Gamescom booths 1:00:00 - Rovio Copenhagen to close after Sonic Blitz cancellation

It's a Fanelli Friday everybody! Jason Fanelli joins Grubb to end the week with news about the White House and more tariffs on semiconductors, DLSS 5 coming out for everyone, Metal Gear Solid 4 players, and a whole slew of GTA VI news! 0:00 - Intro 4:40 - The White House is considering another semiconductor tariff plan 12:30 - Looks like you can try DLSS 5 out today yourself 21:00 - BREAK 22:20 - Grand Theft Auto 6 details 39:41 - Cyberleek's GTA 6 leak flood looks to have ended in the most unsurprising way possible: a $250,000 crypto grift 43:15 - Elden Ring on Switch 2 launches today 45:42 - 92% of new Metal Gear Solid 4 players immediately destroyed a statues dick This episode is brought to you by Video Game Town, a truly indie website that is constantly striving to employ and pay some of your favorite writers to build a new community for smart and fun gaming coverage. Check them out at videogame.town for daily pieces! You can directly support them on Patreon at patreon.com/videogametown for exclusive articles and podcasts.

Jon Martin joins us today to chat about more updates on GTA VI before their big gameplay reveal today, physical Switch 2 games getting progressively worse, Konami wanting to release more Silent Hill Games, Metal Gear Solid 4 finally escaping the PS3, Panic and the Playdate actually giving people refunds from tariffs, and more! 00:00 - Intro 7:13 - GTA 6 Netflix Trailer’s Beefy Runtime Revealed, Footage Captured On PS5 12:10 - GTA VI gets a ton of new official details before today’s big gameplay reveal 19:50 - Physical games on Switch 2 somehow keep getting worse 30:00 - BREAK 31:06 - Konami wants annual Silent Hill games and is working on “many” unannounced projects 36:25 - 18 minutes of Fable gameplay 40:10 - Panic is actually refunding the tariffs people paid on Playdates 43:40 - Metal Gear Solid 4 escapes the PS3 today 47:02 - Kingdom Hearts 4 information will have to wait after ‘a bit of a gap’ 51:50 - This week ____________________ This episode is brought to you by Video Game Town, a truly indie website that is constantly striving to employ and pay some of your favorite writers to build a new community for smart and fun gaming coverage. Check them out at videogame.town for daily pieces! You can directly support them on Patreon at patreon.com/videogametown for exclusive articles and podcasts.

Jeff Grubb is joined by Jan Ochoa to jump start your Wednesday with news! We talk about our early impressions and a review round up of Star Wars: Zero Company, Rockstar addressing the GTA VI leaks, recapping Opening Night Live, and more! #gmm #gamemessmornings #giantbomb 0:00 - Intro 8:50 - Star Wars: Zero Company Reviews 17:17 - Rockstar Games addresses Grand Theft Auto VI gameplay leaks 25:00 - 26:40 - Xbox Reveals Plan To Save Fans’ Physical Game Collections In A Digital Future 30:50 - Persona 6 will have PS5 Physical Release 35:30 - Opening Night Live happened 45:10 - Ubisoft Charges Steam Players $10 For ’90s Classic Heroes Of Might And Magic 3 And Forgets To Actually Give Them The Game 47:30 - You’ll Be Able to Get a Persona 6 PS5 Physical Copy at Retail Stores 49:53 - Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement delayed to 2027 53:00 - Companies Back Off Multiplatform Messaging As Xbox Pulls PS5 Mentions And Sony Doubles Down On Console Exclusivity 58:30 - PlayStation Plus Monthly Games for September 2026 Revealed 59:06 - This Week ______________________ This episode is brought to you by Video Game Town, a truly indie website that is constantly striving to employ and pay some of your favorite writers to build a new community for smart and fun gaming coverage. Check them out at videogame.town for daily pieces! You can directly support them on Patreon at patreon.com/videogametown for exclusive articles and podcasts.

Grubb is joined by Chuck Zimmerheld to jump start your week with video game news! We're talking about the mystery game at Gamescom MAYBE being a new Ori, Sony reminding users that they do not own their digital games, Nintendo going after emulators, Call of Duty on the Switch 2, and more! 00:00 - Intro 4:25 - The mystery Xbox sequel was apparently Ori — but Ori’s creator says the rumor is “nonsense” 12:12 - Sony sends PlayStation users a reminder they don't own their digital games just as a fan boycott over ending discs kicks off 20:40 - break 22:20 - Blood of Dawnwalker console footage confirms no 60fps mode at launch 28:50 - Nintendo Wipes Out Hundreds Of Switch Emulator Repositories 36:44 - People have played Call of Duty on Switch 2 42:00 - Game Freak suggests Pokémon Champions was built partly so it could change battles in future games 49:50 - Nvidia is reportedly warning major customers of 15%+ AI-server price hikes #gmm #gamemessmornings #giantbomb ________________ This episode is brought to you by Video Game Town, a truly indie website that is constantly striving to employ and pay some of your favorite writers to build a new community for smart and fun gaming coverage. Check them out at videogame.town for daily pieces! You can directly support them on Patreon at patreon.com/videogametown for exclusive articles and podcasts.

Jeff Grubb is joined by Josh Coulson from TheGamer to chat about Riot ending active development for fighting game 2XKO, Take-Two issuing subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord over GTA VI leaks, FromSoftware's network test for The Duskbloods ending early, and more! 00:00 - Intro 04:20 - FromSoftware Gives Up On Today’s The Duskbloods Network Test After Two Hours Of Failed Logins 13:00 - Riot is effectively putting 2XKO into maintenance mode 19:40 - Take-Two Subpoenas Trove Of Records From Microsoft And Discord As It Hunts For GTA 6 Leaker 29:30 - Break 29:50 - Microsoft has stopped giving Circana its actual digital game-sales data 38:00 - Compulsion Games pulls off management buyout and separates from Xbox 41:00 - Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls sold fewer than 3,000 units in Japan in its first week 46:30 - Bungie reportedly had "5 or 6 games" in development, including Marathon and Destiny 2 – but most fell apart after Sony's $3.6 billion acquisition 51:50 - Xbox Leak Claims Limited Edition Anniversary Series X Will Cost A Whopping $900

Jeff Grubb is joined by Mat Piscatella on the show today to chat about July's Circana Report and how the market is doing overall! We also get into a new Sony patent that makes AI play games for you, low physical sales on the Xbox, Duskbloods previews, and more! Follow Mat Piscatella on Bluesky at https://bsky.app/profile/matpiscatella.bsky.social 00:00 - Intro 5:55 - July 2026 U.S. Video Game Market Highlights 20:30 - Nobody’s Buying New Physical Games On Xbox In The U.S. 31:26 - Break 31:40 - New Sony Patent Discusses The Possibility Of AI That Grinds Games For You 35:10 - The First Big GTA 6 Debate Is Here: Cars Needing Gas 41:40 - The Duskbloods previews are out 47:20 - Pokemon Krispy Kreme Boxes Are Being Listed For Ridiculous Sums Of Money 48:50 - This week 50:16 - Pollllll

Jeff Grubb is joined by Jan Ochoa to chat about PlayStation going back to the drawing board with Horizon Hunters Gathering, Xbox announcing a new game at Gamescom, Control Resonant not getting a physical release until October, and more news for hump day! 00:00 - Intro 04:30 - PlayStation co-op spin-off Horizon Hunters Gathering is reportedly being overhauled after poor testing feedback 23:30 - Surprise Xbox Game To Be Announced At Gamescom, Insider Says 26:37 - break 26:45 - GTA 6 has already generated an estimated $395 million in preorders 30:19 - Notice that Control Resonant isn’t getting a physical version until October 15 31:25 - Sands of Time gets a substantial GOG preservation update 35:33 - Shuhei Yoshida says he told Clair Obscur studio not to call it a turn-based RPG, because it would put people off 39:29 - Dishonored’s Harvey Smith launches new studio with former Arkane staff to make immersive sims 44:40 - EA workers trapped in a maelstrom of cynicism and doubt after Saudi buyout

It's MONDAY! We've got Mike Minotti joining Grubb today to talk about a grip of news coming out of D23 like Kingdom Hearts IV finally resurfacing and aiming for a 2027 release date, Mortal Shell II, online outrage at Marvel's Wolverine, and more to start your week! 00:00 - Intro 5:50 - Kingdom Hearts IV finally resurfaces: late 2027, Coco, and Square says it absolutely won't slip 10:40 - Saber CEO Apologizes To Rideshare Writer Involved In AI Controversy 16:10 - PlayStation 6 release date still hasn’t been decided, Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki says 23:00 - break - 24:30 - Mortal Shell II reviews 28:05 - Marvel’s Wolverine Is Another Victim Of The Internet’s Endless Gaming Negativity 35:20 - Disney Is Bringing Fortnite Into Its Real-World Star Wars Rides 38:50 - Fortnite officially reveals Sora, Crash, Spyro, Mega Man, Persona and other gaming crossovers for its next season 45:00 - Indie developer of popular stock market game says Sony is blocking a PS5 release and delisting its previous games 47:50 - The Simpsons: Hit & Run Revival? Series Creator Offers Biggest Hint Yet 51:50 - Restful trails to Hayden Panettiere 52:00 - This week!

Jeff Grubb is joined by Rhiannon Bevan to end the week with a whole slew of news! Wolverine previews are in and we take a look at what the general temperature is with Insomniac's new game, Netflix continues to close studios, Pokémon Pokopia is still making noise with sales, and more news stories to end the week. 00:00 - Intro 3:30 - Wolverine previews are out 11:10 - Netflix is closing the Oxenfree studio 20: 30 - 2K unveils ‘ambitious’ new sports studio stuffed with EA Sports FIFA talent 26:50 - break 27:00 - Extended Look At GTA 6 To Span Multiple Episodes According To Removed Screenshot 38:30 - Every 1 in 5 Switch 2 owner has purchased Pokemon Pokopia 43:30 - Pokémon Bank finally has an execution date 46:50 - Darksiders 4 and a new Kingdom Come are planned by the end of March 2028, Embracer says

Grubb is joined by Jan Ochoa to celebrate Boy Salad Summer as we talk about Streamers' content being used to train generative AI at Twitch, the CEO of Saber lashing out against a former writer, Mario Kart World competing with 8 still, and more for your Thursday morning news needs! 00:00 - Intro 04:40 - Twitch is using streamers’ content to train generative AI by default 16:16 - Saber CEO Would Have Been “Happy to Replace” Former Writer With AI, In Retrospect 26:20 - BREAK 26:40 - Physical games are selling like crazy on Switch 2 33:40 - Mario Kart World may be competing with the greatest enemy imaginable: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 37:50 - Sean Murray's new marketing philosophy for Light No Fire: maybe don't market it 40:40 - Dawn of War 4 gets bumped three months 42:53 - PlayStation Plus Extra/Premium Games For August 2026 Includes Helldivers 2 45:30 - Super Mario Sunshine hits NSO today

Jeff Grubb and TurboShawn run you through the biggest news stories of the day, including Asha Sharma's hints about The Elder Scrolls VI, an analysis of Halo: Campaign Evolved's underwhelming sales, more info on Phantom Blade Zero, and more! Support us directly and get new episodes ad-free by signing up for Giant Bomb Premium at https://www.giantbomb.com/join Timestamps ( note, timestamps on this free version may vary greatly depending on how many ads you receive ): 00:00 Intro 04:27 More jangling keys – Xbox CEO ignored a giant rat to talk up Elder Scrolls VI 12:47 Halo: Campaign Evolved’s Biggest Competition Might Be Halo 20:10 Meccha Chameleon has now sold 20 MILLION copies 25:41 A Switch 2 port of Crimson Desert is being planned for the first half of 2027 32:02 Phantom Blade Zero pre-orders now available, 11-minute trailer; dedicated State of Play set for August 17 38:18 Images of a 40th Anniversary Legend of Zelda Switch 2 and Pro Controller have reportedly leaked 43:54 2011 action RPG The Lord of the Rings: War in the North gets a new Legacy Edition, with ‘more classic releases’ coming 48:16 Ghost Of Yotei Expansion, Roguelike Survival Mode, And Complete Edition Announced 51:59 Disney Confirms D23 Kingdom Hearts Panel Details 54:44 Polls & outro

Lex Luddy joins Jeff Grubb to talk about Blizzard reportedly being Xbox's "Top-Performing" studio thanks to Overwatch and Diablo, Valve hardware customers being hit by a shipping-partner data breach, and more. Support us directly and get new episodes ad-free by signing up for Giant Bomb Premium at https://www.giantbomb.com/join Timestamps ( note, timestamps on this free version may vary greatly depending on how many ads you receive ): 00:00 Intro 05:26 Valve hardware customers hit by shipping-partner data breach 13:58 Blizzard Reportedly Leads Xbox as 'Top-Performing' Studio Thanks to Overwatch and Diablo 25:14 Doom developer slams Xbox after layoffs hit id Software 34:45 THQ Nordic says it has 12 unannounced games in development 41:00 Cancelled Quake 4 expansion gets surprise GitHub release after former XCOM 2 developer discovers it on an old hard drive 44:21 Dragon Age was always "too niche, too backwards, too old-school" in EA's eyes, former BioWare lead argues 48:13 After 10 years, players have discovered less than 1% of the planets in No Man’s Sky 51:52 SanDisk is the third company to release Xbox Series X/S Expansion Cards, with 2TB storage costing $340 53:16 This week 54:24 Outro

We've got a Fanelli Friday today! Jason Fanelli joins Jeff Grubb to end the week to chat about Marvel Tōkon launching with "Mixed" Steam reviews, Quake's 30th Anniversary, a whole block of Take-Two and GTA VI news, and more to end your week! 0:00 - Intro 4:10 - Marvel Tōkon Launches To Abysmal 44% Rating On Steam 17:39 - MachineGames and id Software celebrate Quake’s 30th Anniversary with a brand-new episode 22:35 - Break 22:40 - Devolver Digital Wants To Go Private Again Following A 95 Percent Collapse In Its Share Price 32:55 - The Legend Of Zelda Live-Action Movie May Have Found Its Ganondorf 36:30 - Sam Neil Filmed ‘Legend Of Zelda’ Role Prior To Death 39:50 - Take-Two sticks to annual bookings outlook, says on track for 'GTA VI' November launch Take-Two Defends GTA 6’s $80 Price, Calls It “Phenomenal Value” 49:10 - Take-Two CEO Predicts That We’ll All Be Streaming Our Games In Three Years 55:30 - Poll & Bomb12

Jeff Grubb is joined by Chuck Zimmerheld to give you the news! We're talking about GTA VI and Netflix's special preview event, Tomodachi Life hitting BIG, Switch 2 is still Nintendo's fastest selling system, Diablo 4 and FF XIV on the Switch 2, and more! 0:00 - Intro 4:40 - GTA VI’s next presentation is a Netflix timed exclusive 11:10 - Switch 2 remains Nintendo’s fastest-selling system 22:40 - Tomodachi Life is officially a megahit 26:40 - Space Ace Updates 27:00 - Break 27:50 - Sony is reportedly putting warning labels on PS5s about decision to ditch discs 36:53 - Capcom says the move to an all-digital future won’t have a ‘significant impact’ on its sales 43:00 - Sony is making PSSR 2.0 the default on PS5 Pro 47:00 - The long awaited Switch 2 version of Diablo 4 is reportedly coming in September 48:45 - Final Fantasy 14 team says it's working on Switch 2 port's 'unacceptable' load times