We’re back from Gamescom 2026! After a week in Cologne, we’re talking through the best games we played and saw at the show, including Fable, The Blood of Dawnwalker, The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, Castlevania and Gears of War.

We also go through the biggest announcements from Gamescom Opening Night Live, before getting into GTA VI and whether Rockstar’s latest showing has made us any more excited for what is probably going to be the biggest game ever.

Plus, we look ahead to a ridiculously busy September, pick out the games worth keeping an eye on and share some of our favourite stories from Gamescom.

And somewhere along the way, Ed squirts a pickle.

Timestamps

00:00 - Cold Open 00:28 - Intro 01:04 - We’re back from Gamescom! 23:34 - The games we played at Gamescom 25:08 - Fable 30:02 - The Witcher 3 36:04 - The Blood of Dawnwalker 01:01:15 - Gamescom Opening Night Live 01:37:50 - GTA VI 01:41:10 - September’s biggest games

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#Gamescom2026 #Fable #GTA6 #TheBloodOfDawnwalker #TheWitcher3 #GamingPodcast

The Duskbloods finally had its network test - and Ed has spent the weekend finding out exactly what FromSoftware's strange new Switch 2 exclusive actually is.

Part Bloodborne, part Nightreign, part PvP game... and somehow part Mario Party. Ed breaks down how The Duskbloods works, why its combat and performance left him disappointed.

Ben has started Kingdom Hearts for the first time, fallen even more in love with Splatoon Raiders, and Ed has some controversial thoughts about both Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Plus, we answer your question of the week about the games you deliberately stopped playing and look ahead to Gamescom Opening Night Live, including The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Tides of Annihilation, Warlock, Fable and more.

And, most importantly, we investigate whether a vampire chicken can actually suck blood.

Timestamps

00:00 Vampire chickens?! 00:20 Intro 04:12 Gamescom plans 14:46 What we've been playing 20:57 The Duskbloods impressions 49:17 Question of the Week 53:50 Why Ed quit Silksong 55:09 Final Fantasy XIII-2 is atrocious 01:03:37 Gamescom 2026 preview 01:20:32 Outro

▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼ ● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com

▼ Ben's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social ● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus ● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus

▼ Ed's links ▼ ● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights ● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

This week Ben's been hands-on with Star Wars Galactic Racer, the new high-speed racer from Fuse Games and Secret Mode. We chat about its Burnout DNA, roguelike structure, spectacular crashes and whether Star Wars and arcade racing might be a perfect combination.

We also look to the future of Final Fantasy and ask what we actually want from Final Fantasy XVII. Fantasy or sci-fi? Turn-based or action? Open world or linear? And does anyone actually know what a Final Fantasy game is supposed to be anymore?

Also, we chat about the games we'd love to see remade - and the ones that should absolutely be left alone - old Star Wars games, fast travel, and plenty more.

Plus, somehow we end up talking about bread for far longer than anyone intended.

Timestamps

00:00 Cold Open

00:12 Intro

09:30 Studio Ghibli

11:56 Star Wars Galactic Racer

30:41 What We've Been Playing

48:00 Our Perfect Final Fantasy XVII

01:19:34 Kingdom Hearts

01:25:23 Games That Shouldn't Be Remade

01:31:00 Outro

#StarWarsGalacticRacer #FinalFantasyXVII #StarWars

▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼

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▼ Ben's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus

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▼ Ed's links ▼

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This week we're looking at what happens when Game Freak steps outside the world of Pokémon with Beast of Reincarnation, before getting hands-on with Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls.

Ed has also dug out his PS3 to revisit Final Fantasy XIII. Has one of the series' most divisive entries aged better than its reputation suggests? We discuss its linearity, battle system, soundtrack and why some parts hold up considerably better than others.

Elsewhere, we chat about Sonic Dream Team and Sonic Frontiers, the new Pokémon Pokopia DLC, Final Fantasy XIV on Switch 2, Star Wars Galactic Racer, what actually makes a great "summer game", and GTA VI's unusual Netflix reveal.

Plus, Ben makes a rather embarrassing discovery about Horsea.

Timestamps

00:00 Cold Open

00:19 Intro

03:42 Taskmaster Charity Special

10:43 Beast of Reincarnation

17:32 Sonic Dream Team & Sonic Frontiers

19:22 Star Wars Galactic Racer

20:49 Pokémon Pokopia DLC

30:41 Final Fantasy XIII Revisited

48:03 Final Fantasy XIV on Switch 2

54:10 What Makes a Summer Game?

01:01:41 Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls

01:06:15 GTA VI's Netflix Reveal

01:11:40 Outro

▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼

● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com

▼ Ben's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus

● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social

● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus

● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus

▼ Ed's links ▼

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● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

We weren't expecting Splatoon Raiders to become one of our favourite games of the summer, but Nintendo surprised us. We also dive into 007 First Light, discussing why IO Interactive might have nailed the James Bond formula while still making something very different to Hitman.

Elsewhere we chat about our recent trips to Barcelona and Copenhagen, cinema arguments (what's new?), the other games we're currently playing, and answer your comments on you've been enjoying recently.

Timestamps

00:00:00 Intro

00:12:43 007 First Light review

00:36:48 Splatoon Raiders impressions

00:59:20 Nintendo's future for Splatoon

01:00:30 What we've been playing recently

01:21:50 Your comments: What are you playing?

01:24:27 The biggest releases in August

#SplatoonRaiders #007FirstLight #NintendoSwitch2

▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼

● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com

▼ Ben's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus

● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social

● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus

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▼ Ed's links ▼

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We've both been hooked by how incredible Forza Horizon 6 is. Ed, a non-racing game fan, and Ben who does dabble in them are loving this latest installment. Plus, we've both watched the latest Kylie doc and have mixed views.

We also chat about games we're still playing 10 years later and ones we really ought to go back and finish.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:17:00 - Kylie Minogue documentary

00:27:20 - Forza Horizon 6

00:52:05 - SAROS

00:56:12 - What games we ought to go back and finish

01:12:20 - Are you still playing the same type of games now?

01:15:40 - Outro

#ForzaHorizon6

▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼

● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com

▼ Ben's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus

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● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus

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▼ Ed's links ▼

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In between challenging SAROS runs, Ed's played and completed Mixtape in one sitting and he's got a lot to say about it (and all the topics surrounding it). He's also get very strong opinions about the new Star Fox designs and Ben's been in a Satisfactory shaped hole that's swallowed every second of his time.

We also chat about game difficulty and which games respect your time.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:04:29 - Mixtape

00:32:13 - Satisfactory

00:46:47 - Star Fox

00:56:12 - Game difficulty Q of the Week

01:15:40 - Outro

▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼

● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com

▼ Ben's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus

● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social

● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus

● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus

▼ Ed's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights

● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social

There's only one game we've been playing this week and it's a good one - SAROS. Ed's even had a chance encounter with Rahul Kohli himself and has obviously whizzed past Ben in the game.

We also chat about games where the sequels are better than the original, as well as looking ahead at games coming out this May.

Your weekly dose of gaming news, views and inane chatter.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:13:41 - SAROS

00:42:55 - Sequels better than the original

00:57:29 - Games coming out this month

01:04:14 - Outro

▼ Swapping Joysticks ▼

● All previous episodes available at http://swappingjoysticks.com

▼ Ben's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/biggusbennus

● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/biggusbennus.bsky.social

● Follow on Instagram - http://instagram.com/biggusbennus

● Join the Discord - http://discord.gg/biggusbennus

▼ Ed's links ▼

● Follow on Twitch - http://twitch.tv/ed_nights

● Follow on Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/ednights.bsky.social