The Nextlander Podcast

Brad's on the mend this week, so Giant Bomb's in-house counsel Jeff Bakalar is filling the rotating chair this week as we discuss PAX East, recent video game releases, and the gambling industry's ongoing contribution to the degeneration of society.
CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) | NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:10) | Intro
(00:01:29) | Welcome back Jeff Bakalar
(00:09:54) | What a fun PAX East this year
(00:15:13) | Oh, you want to buy some dice? They've got dice.
(00:20:55) | Slay the Spire (The board game)
(00:22:10) | Slay the Spire | [PC (Microsoft Windows), Linux, Mac] | Jan 23, 2019
(00:31:41) | Jocks and nerds living together. It can happen.
(00:34:13) | First Break
(00:36:40) | Screamer | [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S] | Mar 26, 2026
(00:43:08) | Raccoin: Coin Pusher Roguelike | [PC (Microsoft Windows)] | Mar 31, 2026
(00:50:10) | Bakalar and Alex are (still) not happy with sports betting
(01:08:04) | Marvel MaXimum Collection | [Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S] | Mar 27, 2026
(01:13:31) | Resident Evil Requiem | [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2] | Feb 27, 2026
(01:17:45) | Second Break
(01:17:50) | PlayStation price increases
(01:27:20) | Nintendo confirms price differences between digital and physical releases
(01:29:14) | Time for Star Fox to shine
(01:36:49) | Does Disney want to own Epic Games?
(01:48:21) | Shinji Mikami's new(ish) studio is bought
(01:50:38) | Eidos-Montreal has more layoffs
(01:51:49) | Konami increases salaries for employees
(01:53:28) | MindsEye continues to be a concern
(02:00:17) | Some game announcements
(02:00:34) | Hunter: The Reckoning - Deathwish | [PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows)] | Q3 2027
(02:00:49) | Hades II | [Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5] | Apr 14, 2026
(02:00:56) | The Eternal Life of Goldman | [Nintendo Switch, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S] | 2026
(02:01:27) | Boxroom (Early Access) | [PC (Microsoft Windows)] | Q2 2026
(02:03:11) | Emails
(02:22:17) | Wrapping up and thanks
(02:25:53) | Mysterious Benefactor Shoutouts
(02:27:13) | See ya!

Start Menu's Lex Luddy drops by to chop it up with us about Pokemon Pokopia, the "joy" of reviewing Crimson Desert, the actual joy of RE Requiem with unlimited ammo, the state of Marathon's Cryo Archives and late game, some more unfortunate industry-downturn news, another installment in the great FMV game debate, and more!
CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:10) Intro
(00:00:41) Welcome back Lex!
(00:03:23) Pokémon Pokopia  |  [Nintendo Switch 2]  |  Mar 05, 2026
(00:27:21) First Break
(00:27:26) Crimson Desert  |  [PlayStation 5, Mac, PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox Series X|S]  |  Mar 19, 2026
(00:53:37) Marathon  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S]  |  Mar 05, 2026
(01:11:22) Resident Evil Requiem  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2]  |  Feb 27, 2026
(01:23:40) Dirt 3  |  [PlayStation 3, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360]  |  May 24, 2011
(01:26:39) Second Break
(01:26:44) Epic Games lays off over 1,000 people
(01:42:00) Nintendo Switch 2 production to slow down
(01:48:10) Sony closes Dark Outlaw Games
(01:50:55) Marathon sales numbers
(01:57:24) UK game development
(02:08:13) Let's all just live in Minecraft World
(02:16:41) Email
(02:27:07) Wrapping up and thanks
(02:31:04) Mysterious Benefactor Shoutouts
(02:32:36) Thanks again to Lex Luddy!
(02:33:59) See ya!

We're out this week, so the Nextlander Podcast will return in its normal slot next week, but for now we bring you another NBABP classic, in which Jeff Bakalar and Austin Walker join us to talk about the funny pages, technology running amok, and electronic drum kits?
CHAPTERS

(00:01:07) Intro
(00:02:31) Sah-caucus vs Sea-caucus
(00:03:21) All the good podcast memories are Beastcast related
(00:05:56) The internal politics of carving out studio spaces
(00:08:14) "I'm a human and I don't work there anymore"
(00:23:56) First Break
(00:24:05) Do we live in Cyberpunk Version 3.0?
(00:27:14) Why do giant tech companies always seem evil?
(00:31:46) The Coleco Chameleon and the Intellivision Amico
(00:32:36) Tommy Tallarico
(00:34:39) The last 10 years of the internet have been good
(00:39:01) Don't mess with whatever hope people have of a retirement
(00:41:50) Masterful transition into the funny pages
(00:47:22) Second Break
(00:47:35) How is Gary Larson?
(00:52:50) Getting deep into Heathcliff
(01:01:43) Bakalar had a comic strip?
(01:07:15) And he bought an electronic drum kit?!
(01:21:51) Wrapping up and thanks!
(01:22:14) See ya!

It's a very full show this week, with discussion of Marathon, late-game Resident Evil Requiem, WWE 2K26, and Esoteric Ebb, plus chatter in the news about Microsoft's Project Helix, PlayStation surge pricing, Nagoshi Studio's loss of funding for Gang of Dragon, and the final round of Mario Galaxy movie casting, plus another stack of FMV emails and more!
CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:10) Intro
(00:02:35) Resident Evil Requiem  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2]  |  Feb 27, 2026
(00:02:53) [SPOILER WARNING] Some open and spoiler-ish RE9 talk ensues!
(00:05:35) We get a little deeper into actual spoiler territory
(00:43:07) First Break
(00:43:11) Marathon  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S]  |  Mar 05, 2026
(01:00:11) WWE 2K26  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S]  |  Mar 13, 2026
(01:18:13) Esoteric Ebb  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows)]  |  Mar 03, 2026
(01:19:36) Second Break
(01:27:01) Welcome to Project Helix
(01:37:14) Valve still plans to keep to its 2026 hardware date
(01:50:01) Sony's stab at dynamic pricing?
(01:56:53) NetEase to stop funding Gang of Dragon
(02:05:44) Make way for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
(02:16:31) Emails
(02:32:21) Wrapping up and thanks
(02:35:12) Mysterious Benefactor Shoutouts
(02:38:43) Nextlander content updates
(02:39:44) See ya!

This week we discuss the hottest Resident Evil releases, like Outbreak and 6 (and also Requiem), Reanimal, Steam Next Fest demos like Vampire Crawlers, Awaysis, and Forbidden Solitaire, Sony's reported decision to stop porting its first-party games to PC, the Bloodborne remaster that almost was, RedOctane's new guitar game, the God of War live action show, and a bunch of other stuff!
CHAPTERS
(00:00:10) Intro
(00:02:20) No power, (almost) no problem!
(00:12:50) Resident Evil Requiem  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2]  |  Feb 27, 2026
(00:56:37) First Break
(00:59:12) Reanimal  |  [Nintendo Switch 2, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S]  |  Feb 13, 2026
(01:02:43) Steam Next Fest Demos
(01:03:34) Vampire Crawlers: The Turbo Wildcard from Vampire Survivors  |  [Xbox Series X|S, Android, iOS, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5]  |  2026
(01:11:45) Replaced  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S]  |  Apr 14, 2026
(01:14:00) Awaysis  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S]  |  TBD
(01:16:19) Titanium Court  |  [Mac, PC (Microsoft Windows)]  |  TBD
(01:21:09) The Ratline  |  [Mac, PC (Microsoft Windows)]  |  Mar 17, 2026
(01:23:09) Forbidden Solitaire  |  [PC (Microsoft Windows)]  |  Q1 2026
(01:29:51) Second Break
(01:29:55) The news
(01:30:35) Sony wants you to buy console games, not PC games
(01:47:54) Almost everyone wanted a Bloodborne remake!
(01:56:48) Stage Tour is the newest plastic instrument game!
(02:07:10) Highguard is officially going offline
(02:20:23) Breaking Build a Rocket Boy news
(02:21:25) First look at the live-action God of War
(02:31:59) Emails
(02:37:39) Wrapping up and thanks
(02:39:46) Mysterious Benefactor Shoutouts
(02:42:47) Nextlander content updates
(02:43:58) See ya!