September is about to hit real hard with new games, but before we get to big new releases, Colette and Matt catch up on joint health, Big Walk, and why the broken, jank-ass tactics RPG "Zero Company" might be the best Star Wars game in a long time.

Items discussed in this episode:

https://www.gamefile.news/p/star-wars-zero-company-bit-reactor-furloughs-lawsuit

https://www.ign.com/articles/star-wars-zero-company-was-originally-pitched-as-a-titanfall-universe-game

The Invisible Layers Holding Games Back (by Laura Fryer): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5qKN2Yxaok

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This week we clock the all the game announcements that caught our attention at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026.

Also, why Alien games are too spoopy for Colette, and Matt gets a package from Amazon dot com.

https://www.eurogamer.net/everything-announced-at-gamescom-opening-night-live-2026

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This week we discuss the changing nature of game dev employment during Late Stage Capitalism — complicated, of course, by the rise of generative AI.

But first: The enduring cultural impact of Skibidi Toilet.

Items discussed in this week's episode:

https://www.gamefile.news/p/saber-genai-rideshare-stimulator

https://www.gamefile.news/p/netflix-closes-night-school-moonloot

https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-text-watermark

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If PvP Splatoon is too sweaty for you, but you DO love Monster Hunter, Diablo, and Vampire Survivors, don't sleep on Splatoon Raiders. Matt explains how Nintendo's latest gets its hooks in from the word "go."

Colette returns to the incredibly popular farming indie "Fields of Mistria" as it nears a 1.0 release, and lays out the reasons she's cautiously optimistic for the upcoming Resident Evil movie, despite it taking blatant liberties with the game's lore.

Also: Have ya'll heard of "Dune?"

https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/splatoon-raiders-switch-2/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2142790/Fields_of_Mistria/

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In February, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the traitor-in-chief's batshit tariffs are illegal. So the extra hard-earned money we all spent on phones, computers, and game consoles should come back to us, right? RIGHT?!

Nintendo says "no," and would like to keep your money instead, citing the long-established legal precedent, "suck it, losers." And we expect most corporations to follow suit.

Time will tell what class action lawsuits, court decisions, and the Federal Government decide to do with our cash.

Plus: GameStop no longer cares about selling games, and your Steam Wishlist just got a major upgrade.

Items discussed in this episode:

https://www.gamefile.news/p/nintendo-tariff-lawsuit-response

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/07/nintendo-customers-have-no-legal-right-to-tariff-refunds-company-tells-judge/

https://insider-gaming.com/gamestop-ceo-says-games-irrelevant/

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/593110/view/710028372767410959

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The Chat returns, now in exclusive audio form!

Colette shares her personal/professional update, and we conveniently ignore all bad news to focus on: Video Games!

(and Magic cards that feature video games)

Items discussed in this episode:

https://magic.wizards.com/en/news/announcements/secret-lair-superdrop-of-the-moonlight-jellies

https://store.steampowered.com/app/4246860/Security_51/

https://store.steampowered.com/app/3105440/Heroes_of_Might_and_Magic_Olden_Era/

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The Steam Machine pricing is live, and it's not pretty. But as every single device that plays games suddenly gets more expensive, the value proposition gets far more complex.

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This week we invent a new game genre and copyright it so that we can become future billionaires.

Colette breaks down the demo of the Twin Peaks-infused detective game Silver Pines, and we share our newfound love for Spirit Crossing, which combines the best parts of Animal Crossing, Journey, Breath of the Wild, and Pokemon into the coziest MMO on the market today.

Plus: Your most anticipated games from the slew of summer announcements.

Silver Pines: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2333000/Silver_Pines/

Spirit Crossing: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2321960/Spirit_Crossing/

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