The Expansion Pass

Mathieu Côté of Behaviour Interactive returns for his third conversation with The Expansion Pass to discuss the future of Dead by Daylight.

Mathieu shares new details on the 2027 overhaul, including how long it has been in active development, how Behaviour is balancing the current live game against the rebuild, and what the update could mean for legacy licensed characters like Michael Myers.

He also responds to the recent Terrifier / Art the Clown criticism, discusses why Art may be the most intense killer Behaviour has ever created, and explains whether characters that have left Dead by Daylight could eventually return.

Additional topics include the Dead by Daylight movie with Blumhouse and Atomic Monster, Jason Voorhees, Halloween and the growing asymmetrical horror genre, Behaviour’s work with The Coalition on Gears of War: E-Day, The Division 2 crossover, UGC tools, Stephen King, Pennywise, Scooby-Doo, Goosebumps and more.

Chapters:
0:00 Mathieu Côté Returns
0:59 Dead by Daylight’s 2027 Overhaul
10:01 Licensed Characters and Legacy Updates
16:27 Rebuilding DBD While Supporting the Live Game
23:14 Behaviour’s Gears of War: E-Day Connection
26:31 Skins, Chapters and the Future of DBD Content
33:56 New Players and the Asymmetrical Horror Genre
36:34 Dead by Daylight Movie, Blumhouse & Atomic Monster
42:16 The Division 2, Fortnite and DBD in Other Games
47:14 Halloween, SAW: Genesis and Asymmetrical Horror
50:50 Scooby-Doo, Goosebumps and Terrifier
54:37 Stephen King, Pennywise and Dream Licenses
57:19 Maps, Bots and UGC Tools
1:01:43 Cult Horror and Religion in DBD
1:05:14 What’s Next for Dead by Daylight
1:06:25 Art the Clown: DBD’s Most Intense Killer
1:08:09 Could Michael Myers Return?

The Coalition joins The Expansion Pass for a launch-day conversation about Gears of War: E-Day.

Nicole Fawcette, Aryan Hanbeck, and Matt Searcy discuss making the Locust frightening again, building and destroying Kalona, and developing Marcus and Dom before they became the iconic brothers fans know.

We also dig into how the team approaches changes to established Gears lore, why the franchise has such a powerful connection with the Hispanic and Mexican communities, and how much freedom Horde Siege has to bring characters from across Gears history into the fight.

Plus, the team reflects on E-Day’s reception and what it means to have Gears back at the center of the gaming conversation.

CHAPTERS
00:00 — Welcome The Coalition
00:39 — Why Gears Resonates With the Hispanic Community
03:59 — Building and Destroying Kalona
08:49 — Making the Locust Terrifying Again
14:27 — Marcus & Dom Before the Brotherhood
18:13 — Changing Gears Lore Without Breaking It
21:32 — Horde Siege, Canon & Returning Characters
24:39 — E-Day’s Reception and the Xbox Conversation
27:59 — The Coalition’s Message to Gears Fans

Gears of War: E-Day takes center stage as Captain Logun is joined by Jesse Norris from Day One and Joseph Moran from The Trophy Room: A PlayStation Podcast.

Jesse breaks down his review of E-Day, including the campaign, multiplayer, Horde Siege, visuals, and why The Coalition’s latest is landing so strongly with longtime Gears fans.

The conversation also covers Xbox’s new Mythic Achievements, reports addressing whether Xbox is actually for sale, God of War: Laufey pre-orders, PlayStation’s apparent retreat from traditional Collector’s Editions, physical vs. digital games, accessibility and game design, and the rising cost of AAA development.

A wide-ranging discussion on Gears, Xbox, PlayStation, and where the industry may be heading next.

Former Chairman of PlayStation Studios and former CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment America Shawn Layden joins The Expansion Pass for an extensive conversation about PlayStation, Xbox, and a games industry undergoing major change.

Layden discusses the strategic bets platform holders make, the future of physical games, subscription services like Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, the changing purpose of console exclusives, and how PlayStation’s approach to PC fits into the larger evolution of the platform.

We also look back at his years with PlayStation, including the importance of first-party studios, Sony’s acquisition of Insomniac Games, the balance between single-player experiences and live-service ambitions, and an era when PlayStation communicated with players very differently.

It’s a conversation about where PlayStation has been, where the console business appears to be going, and what may be lost—or gained—as the traditional boundaries between platforms continue to change.

Topics include:
Shawn Layden • PlayStation • Xbox • Physical Games • Digital Games • Game Pass • PlayStation Plus • Console Exclusives • PC Gaming • Insomniac Games • First-Party Studios • Live-Service Games • Single-Player Games • The Future of Consoles

Halo is moving to Activision as Microsoft reshapes Xbox Game Studios.

Luke and Captain Logun examine what the restructuring means for Halo, Ninja Theory, Obsidian and Bethesda, Rare, Turn 10 and Playground Games—and whether putting Xbox’s biggest franchises under fewer publishing organizations can actually get them moving again.

Plus, we discuss Project Helix and physical games, Xbox’s broader strategy, Mythic Achievements, Wolverine, Control Resonant, and Gears of War: E-Day.

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00:00 Intro, Gears E-Day & What We're Playing
18:23 Xbox Layoffs & Halo Moves to Activision
21:37 Activision, Rare & Xbox Studio Management
30:29 Ninja Theory & the Future of Halo
38:08 Obsidian Joins Bethesda + Fallout
44:05 Turn 10 & Playground Games Merge
48:24 Wolverine & Control Resonant Impressions
1:00:13 Project Helix & the Future of Physical Games
1:07:11 Xbox Market Share, Game Pass & PC Strategy
1:21:10 Mythic Achievements, Upcoming Games & Wrap