Phil Spencer retires after nearly 40 years at Microsoft. Sarah Bond exits Xbox leadership. Asha Sharma, an AI executive, takes over Microsoft Gaming.

In this episode, we break down the leadership shakeup, Spencer’s legacy, Bond’s sudden departure, and what an AI-driven executive signals for Xbox’s future. We examine the “Return of Xbox” messaging, monetization concerns, exclusives in 2026, Game Pass strategy, and the broader direction of console hardware.

Is this a recommitment to Xbox… or a corporate pivot?

We discuss:

• Phil Spencer’s legacy (backward compatibility, Game Pass, major acquisitions)

• Why Sarah Bond’s departure is more surprising than it appears

• What an AI-driven executive signals about Xbox’s future

• “The Future of Play” and new business models

• Monetization concerns and development costs

• The Steam Machine conversation and the future of console hardware

• Whether exclusives still matter in 2026

👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise. 🎧 Join us live Saturdays on YouTube 💬 Share your thoughts — we read them all.

Luke Lohr sits down with Circana’s Executive Director and video game industry analyst Mat Piscatella for a data-driven look at the state of gaming in 2026.

Despite U.S. video game spending approaching $61 billion, the industry feels unsettled. Piscatella explains why record revenue can coexist with market instability, why player growth has plateaued, and how attention is increasingly concentrated in a handful of live-service “black hole” titles.

The conversation explores:

• The impact of component and RAM shortages on console pricing and availability • Why subscription growth is now focused on revenue per user rather than user growth • Xbox hardware performance and Game Pass strategy • The growing divide between affluent and price-sensitive players • Why Grand Theft Auto VI could be critical to console momentum • Discoverability challenges and storefront power • Why CCU charts don’t tell the full story

👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise. 🎧 Join us live Saturdays on YouTube 📅 Timestamps available on YouTube 💬 Share your thoughts — we read them all.

Support XEP: Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/XboxExpansionPass

This week on Xbox Expansion Pass, Luke Lohr (InsipidGhost) and co-host Captain Logun break down major shifts in the gaming industry, from the continued collapse of live service games to why PlayStation’s latest State of Play generated so much momentum.

The episode examines Overwatch’s platform reset, sustainability challenges facing games as a service, and how third-party marketing can make multiplatform releases feel exclusive. The discussion also looks at Xbox’s evolving strategy, the role of optics in platform perception, and what these trends mean for players across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC.

Additional conversations cover early reactions to upcoming titles, Remedy’s Control universe, the risks and rewards of remasters and experimentation, and growing concerns around game preservation and long-term access to digital libraries.

👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise. 🎧 Join us live Saturdays on YouTube 📅 Timestamps available on YouTube 💬 Share your thoughts — we read them all.

Support XEP: Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/XboxExpansionPass

This week on Xbox Expansion Pass, the conversation centers on how quickly the gaming industry is shifting — and what that means for hardware, platforms, and players.

A Nintendo Direct packed with Xbox-adjacent announcements signals just how normalized multi-platform publishing has become. At the same time, new data shows hardware sales continuing to slide across the industry, even as engagement and monthly active users remain strong.

The discussion also digs into the Epic Games Store’s record year, what multiple storefronts could mean for future Xbox hardware, and why competition — not exclusivity — may be the defining force of the next generation.

Additional topics include:

• Xbox titles becoming expected on Nintendo platforms

• Why engagement now matters more than boxes sold

• The risks and rewards of pricing games at $70+

• Live-service optics vs actual game quality

• What a Windows-based future could mean for consoles

👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise. 🔊 iTunes: apple.co/2OL6SSV | Spotify: spoti.fi/33gSiXa 🎧 Join us live Saturdays on YouTube 💬 Share your thoughts — we read them all.

Support XEP: Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/XboxExpansionPass

Follow & Contact: BlueSky (Luke): @InsipidGhost BlueSky (Logun): @CaptLogun Contact: https://captlogun.podbean.com

Review the show: If you enjoy XEP, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify — it’s one of the best ways to support the show. Thank you!

Hardware sales are down across the gaming industry, developers are pushing back on generative AI, and we take a clear-eyed look at Highguard’s launch — from its strong debut to its rapid drop-off.

On this episode of Xbox Expansion Pass, we break down what a late-generation slowdown actually means for consoles, why Xbox is increasingly judged by ecosystem reach rather than boxes sold, how tools like Project Genie are reshaping (and worrying) developers, and whether Highguard launched too early after its big-stage reveal.

We also share what we’ve been playing, including Dead by Daylight’s Stranger Things crossover.

👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise. 🔊 iTunes: apple.co/2OL6SSV | Spotify: spoti.fi/33gSiXa 🎧 Join us live Saturdays on YouTube 💬 Share your thoughts — we read them all.

Support XEP: Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/XboxExpansionPass

Follow & Contact: BlueSky (Luke): @InsipidGhost BlueSky (Logun): @CaptLogun Contact: https://captlogun.podbean.com

Review the show: If you enjoy XEP, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify — it’s one of the best ways to support the show. Thank you!

In this episode of Xbox Expansion Pass, Luke Lohr (Insipid Ghost) sits down with Ian Proulx, CEO and co-founder of 1047 Games, for a candid discussion about Splitgate’s past year, the Summer Game Fest moment, and the lessons learned along the way.

Ian reflects on the challenges of building a sequel versus a new IP, why Splitgate 2 missed expectations for some players, and the difficult decision to reset and relaunch the game as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. From there, the conversation shifts into gameplay philosophy, retention metrics, portal accessibility, monetization, and what “stabilizing” the game actually means heading into 2026.

This is a thoughtful, direct conversation about course correction, leadership, and rebuilding trust — without framing anyone as a villain or a victim.

• The Summer Game Fest moment and how it reshaped the Splitgate conversation

• Lessons learned from that period and what Ian would do differently

• Why building a sequel is different than building a new IP

• Where Splitgate 2 missed player expectations

• The decision to pull the game back and reset

• Arena Reloaded’s refocus on classic arena gameplay

• Arena Royale explained

• Retention, requeue rate, and how 1047 measures success

• Portal balance and accessibility tools

• Monetization philosophy and rebuilding player trust

• Performance, polish, and the quality bar moving forward

👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise.

Support XEP: Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/XboxExpansionPass

Follow & Contact: BlueSky (Luke): @InsipidGhost BlueSky (Logun): @CaptLogun Contact: https://captlogun.podbean.com

Review the show: If you enjoy XEP, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify — it’s one of the best ways to support the show. Thank you!

This week on Xbox Expansion Pass, we break down the Xbox Developer Direct 2026 and what it tells us about Xbox’s near-term future. We dig into Forza Horizon 6’s Japan setting, release date, and controversial $120 Premium Edition pricing, and then pivot to a deep dive on the Fable reboot — combat, morality systems, NPC simulation, and why this could finally be the RPG Xbox fans have waited two generations for.

We also react to Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation, Double Fine’s clay-brawler Kiln, and the wider 2026 slate including Halo: Campaign Evolved, Gears of War: E-Day, State of Decay 3, and Clockwork Revolution. Along the way we talk Game Pass value with big third-party adds like Death Stranding Director’s Cut and Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2, plus how Xbox is handling $70+ pricing in a rough economy.

In the back half of the show we answer a community question about which cancelled game we’d resurrect and who we’d want making it (yes, Scalebound and StarCraft: Ghost show up), touch on Arc Raiders’ surprise success, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade coming to Xbox with a limited Play Anywhere bonus, and share a few thoughts on Riot’s 2XKO, cross-media crossovers like Stranger Things in Dead by Daylight, and the future of Xbox on PC and handhelds.

Clear takes. No console-war noise. Xbox-forward discussion hosted by Luke Lohr (Insipid Ghost) and Captain Logun.

Support XEP: Support the show on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/XboxExpansionPass

Follow & Contact: BlueSky (Luke): @InsipidGhost BlueSky (Logun): @CaptLogun Contact: https://captlogun.podbean.com

Review the show: If you enjoy XEP, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify — it’s one of the best ways to support the show. Thank you!

• Xbox Developer Direct 2026 recap • Fable’s huge showing and new release window • Forza Horizon 6’s pricing, editions, and Japan setting • Game Freak’s Beast of Reincarnation • Double Fine’s Kiln • Death Stranding and Space Marine 2 on Game Pass • State of Decay 3 development updates • Clockwork Revolution ambitions • Gears and Halo release window speculation • High Guard, Arc Raiders, FF7 Intergrade • 2XKO, Riot’s expanding lineup • Community questions and more

Support XEP: https://www.patreon.com/XboxExpansionPass

BlueSky (Luke): @InsipidGhost

Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com

BlueSky (Logun): @CaptLogun

Check out Keelhauled: A Sea of Thieves Podcast for more Sea of Thieves content.

If you enjoy the show, please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify - it's one of the best way to support the show. Thank you!

In this episode, Luke speaks with GUNNAR Optiks CEO Joe Croft about the company’s two decades in gaming, their collaborations with top studios, and how gaming eyewear is evolving. Joe shares insight into their upcoming Fallout: New Vegas “Lucky 38” collaboration, the brand-new Visor uni-lens shield arriving in 2026, and which major IPs GUNNAR is already in talks with — including Halo, Gears, Doom, DC, and Marvel.

We also discuss how gaming partnerships actually happen, the surprising role 50 Cent played in connecting GUNNAR to Infinity Ward, and why eyewear matters more than most players realize.

BlueSky: @InsipidGhost BlueSky: @CaptLogun

Keelhauled: A Sea of Thieves Podcast

Please consider leaving a review on a review on iTunes or Spotify — it’s the best way to support the show. Thank you!