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[WRITE-IN] Firelink Episode #74 (Patreon)

Published:
2025-07-03 19:52:47
Imported:
2026-06

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Xbox made more layoffs, cancellations and is also doing better than ever... apparently. Lot's to discuss tonight.

Send in your thoughts, questions, or topics you'd be interested in us discussing! We won't have time to read and discuss everything, and please keep posts topical, safe for work and not huge walls of text.Submissions close at 6 PM CT on Thursday, July 3rd.

Files

What Does the Future of Xbox Look Like? | Firelink Podcast

This week on Firelink, KC and Nick chat about the massive layoffs at Xbox, including game cancellations and studio closures. Keep up to date on the standings of our Firelink Fantasy Critic Draft -- https://www.fantasycritic.games/league/6093c943-c06e-4f44-8206-157e410d7914/2025 If you dig the podcast, considering supporting us over at Patreon -- https://www.patreon.com/SecondWindGroup Check out our excellent selection of merch over at our DFTBA store -- https://store.dftba.com/collections/second-wind Snag yourself an Adventure is Nigh! plushie over at Shark Robot -- https://sharkrobot.com/collections/second-wind

Comments

LookItsChefEric

Do we think that the collapse of AAA or an industry wide change is more likely to happen? Is AAA too big to fail? I think so and rather than a collapse we'll see AAA becoming locked into their for sure money makers and any original IP will be forced to work within the framework live we've seen with movies and TV, the age of the sneaky IP innovation is hopefully coming

Far Too Many Frogs

After SSVB, I've been doing QA for other indies, and i feel weird staring down the barrel of potentially losing disability. On the one hand, i get to do something i enjoy if i get my certs. On the other, it feels like I'm being tossed out of the frying pan, and into the fire of the volatile games industry.

Jason Ferro

Is Phil Spencer just the Roger Goodell of gaming? Just gets paid to take flak for the odd moves the rest of leadership makes.

Steady Goblin Wood

SkillUp recently voiced concerns that gamepass, while providing tons of AAA experiences at launch, is inherently devaluing big titles and game ownership. Do you guys share this sentiment or have your own thoughts on the subject? Also, as a lifelong Sony pony, I'm very excited for Gears of War to finally be available to me.

ImmenseCookie

So gutted to lose Everwild. I hope Rare can pivot into a smaller game that reaches release for their next title while keeping afloat through Sea of Thieves earnings.

A Winged Potato

Condolences to Nick (loss of Viva Pinata’s Gregg Mayles from Rare) and KC (Perfect Dark) on their losses. Why does Phil Spencer have a job and is Xbox desperately aping Netflix with Game Pass a sustainable way to run a business?

A Winged Potato

The David Zaslav argument. Either way, they are overpaid figureheads.

Jakob Hjorth Hansen

Are there any alternatives to Nintendo and the Switch for family gaming?

Inverse Skies

I’m curious as to how far perfect dark was along before it was cancelled. Whilst the cancellation of essentially complete games isn’t unheard of (see Starfox 2) in modern AAA development with their obscene budgets one wonders if there has to be a sunk cost fallacy with these titles.

David C

Sadly, I am personally included in the big Xbox layoffs as one of the affected this round. My work with them was on the moderation and online safety side of the platform. No specific question from me, but I do want all of you at Second Wind to know that your podcasts - all of Firelink, Dev Heads, Windbreakers, and the Rewind - have been my main listening content during my workdays. I'll do my best to bounce back. I do want to keep supporting your content to the best of my ability; it has been both insightful and entertaining to me.

David C

Also, I'll make sure to send some game codes in the near future. I got way too many unused and I'd rather they get use from my favorite content creators and reviewers.

Gilac88

Do you think that gamepass is going to go the way that Netflix (streaming) did where it is a short term gain for consumers while being unprofitable therefore less games and more layoffs, no matter how successful it is.

TooManySpreadsheets

With so many layoffs across the industry for several years in a row now, is there any data on how many developers and game professionals are just leaving the industry entirely? I know there's also a pinch in the tech job market in general (and we might be in the early stage of a recession, but let's not zoom out too much before I cry).

Mrticketron

I hope the silver lining to this is that shorter development on smaller projects with a smaller reveal to release window becomes more popular. Both these projects have been in development for 6 to 7 plus years with not much if anything to show for it.

AnewArtist

Hoping all the best for the skilled and passionate employees, that they can find better places to do what they love and create even better creations. Sucks for them to lose this security and opportunity cause your bosses wanted to own Call of Duty and Overwatch!

Tommy Salty

Oh, I missed it again...;)