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Sacred Symbols, Episode 435: The Thread (Patreon)

Published:
2026-10-28 19:00:05
Imported:
2026-10

Content

Hi!

Submit your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas for this week's episode of Sacred Symbols in this thread.

As always, please keep your inquiries well-written and pithy. Novels, poorly-written posts, etc. are politely ignored.

You have until Thursday, October 29th at noon ET to submit.

Talk to you soon!

Comments

Raisin

With the news that Sucker Punch has laid off around 26 devs, I was wondering what y'all's take is on this? Personally, I'm conflicted. Ghost of Yotei was my 2025 GOTY. Yotei is, objectively speaking, a success. Despite what grifters who lack the gift of being romantically touched say, Yotei sold over 5 million copies and generated over $400 million in revenue. Juxtapose that with its rumored $60 million budget and an 86 on Metacritic, and the game is firmly a critical and commercial success. Perhaps these layoffs indicate that they're in the very early stages of a new IP. I'd imagine that if they were going into a third Ghost game, you'd probably want to keep veteran talent. Lastly, what do y'all want to see next from Sucker Punch?

Steve Carley

Good afternoon kings, I'm not one to wonder about dev issues just because a game has been in development for a while.....but what's going on with Cloud Chamber's Bioshock game? the way you've talked about it on this show for years now you'd think we'd have seen it by now, but so far absolutely nothing. Judas is also MIA so we can't even use that as a sort of "this works for now" scenario! have you been expecting to see it by now or is this really not a big deal? Off topic side note: now that Witchbrook is finally has a date and confirmed to be on PS5, do any of you plan on picking it up? Keep on doing unspeakable acts to those chickens. I love you. Steve Carley

Tan The Man

This one is for Colin. Last week, you and Dustin asked each other if you were having sex, and you talked about a woman who found out she was having triplets during an ultrasound. You brought up the thought, “Imagine having one or two kids and then having triplets.” Well, that very situation happened to my older brother, my younger brother, and me (all of whom listen to the show). My mom gave birth to triplets a few years after my younger brother was born, doubling her kid count from three to six in a single birth. One of those triplets is our only sister, Allie, whom I always think of whenever Colin’s sister is mentioned on the show. I was too young at the time to really understand the difficulties of taking care of three infants simultaneously. Today, my wife and I are raising our one-year-old son, and I can only imagine how insane that must have been for my mother to handle triplets. Just know, Colin, that Last Stand Media’s connection to triplets is closer than you think. May this connection rub off on your loins and bless you with much fertility. Cheers!

KB

Hey Gents, As we rapidly approach 2027, all eyes, from core PlayStation fans to onlookers and skeptics, are going to be on Intergalactic. You guys have repeatedly said that Naughty Dog has “nothing to gain” by showing the game off. However, in a post-The Last of Us Part II world, Naughty Dog’s reputation, fairly or not, has taken a hit. Neil has also said Intergalactic is Naughty Dog’s most expensive game to date, and with frustration growing from the core over the studio going the entire PS5 generation without a new release, I think there’s real upside in showing it. If it looks great, it could start turning skeptics into believers and reset the conversation around the studio. My question is this: if you were in charge of Intergalactic's marketing cycle, what exactly would you show off, what venue would you show it at, and how would you facilitate the review process? Much like how Rockstar makes individual reviewers sign NDAs, would you take a similarly guarded approach with Intergalactic?

ZW

C-Men and the Big D, With Konami going through what seems like a resurgence, I was wondering if you thought it was likely that the company will acquire the developers it has been working with to develop their recent games. Or do you think it’s more likely that they will remain an IP farm for the foreseeable future? Thanks, Zach

SukOnMiCoochie Genetics

Hey CDC, When did “preserving gaming history” become synonymous with never allowing a franchise to come to an end? I’m not trying to defend EA but I think this Save Mass Effect petition is entitled and weird. The trilogy is amazing and will always exist, so if you’re a Mass Effect fan why not just play those awesome games? Just because you love something, doesn’t mean you deserve to be serviced an endless supply of that thing.

Juan_Jitsu

Good day Sacred Boys, Colin, your statement last week on the fact that the PlayStation user base is against every year and that younger players are choosing to interact with the medium in other ways got me thinking. I, as a father of four kids ranging in ages from 20 to 8 and can attest to this. My kids all mainly play Roblox (to my chagrin), Minecraft, or Fortnite. As much as I’ve tried, I have been unsuccessful in getting them to play and enjoy other games be it older or newer. They are perfectly happy playing Roblox on the PC or phones. The Xbox Series X we have in the living room is a glorified Roblox and Minecraft machine to them even while Symphony of the Night is installed and playable on there. My question to you all is, what can PlayStation do to captivate the young audience like they did us? Is this a losing battle for them? Thanks, and Chris, you’ll be missed.

Piyush Pant

Hey guys Control resonant spoilercast? Thanks

BMJ614

Hello Weilders Of The Sacred Symbols I want to talk about Video Game Appetizers... Have y'all played games that are kinda small after/before a rather bigger game? They may be a little more advanced than "Trophy Slop" games like an little Indie game that lasts 15 hours or may take only a weekend to beat as opposed to a grooling 100 hour RPG. Let me and your loyal followers know y'alls experience into games that ease the tension of playing games that take a massive chunk of your time and patience Your Friendly Neighborhood Gamer and take care My Skillful Chicken Chasers 🐔🏃‍♂️

Kurt AKA Big Juicy

Greetings. One quick question. With Christopher leaving, will we get the Dustin hosted Sacred Lig before Chris leaves? Thanks

Nicholai

Please get Laura Fryer on Sacred+. She actually cited you in her video "HR Needs to Stay in their Lane!". Her videos about the game industry have been a breath of fresh air.

Mike Carley

Top of this morning gents, If reviewers have GTA in hand, why are they not leaking PS5 Pro support (through “insiders” of course) or why is Playstation so hush hush on it still?

trephiroth

Hello, boys, Please, join me in donning a tin foil hat for this one. Am I crazy in thinking that one of the call ins on sacred streaming sounded suspiciously like Mystic Ryan? Not only did the caller have a lot of great, commentator worthy incite into the topic he brought up, he also ended his call by saying he hopes Mystic Ryan will fill the 3rd chair. How is no one mentioning this in the comments?! Have I solved the case of the 3rd chair or am I just insane? Also, they’re turning the frogs gay!

Justin DeSimone

Hey CDC, With the conversation around PS6 revolving around price, do you guys think the handheld SKU will be significantly cheaper than the console SKU? If it is, how likely is it that it will outsell the console SKU? It’s interesting to think about console gaming heading towards a reality where handhelds are the predominant devices that gamers play on. -Justin

Sebastian velez

What If GTA 6 Is TOO Good? Hey Last Stand crew! I’m incredibly excited for GTA 6, and while it’s important to keep expectations in check, I wanted to ask: What if GTA 6 actually exceeds them? What if Rockstar delivers something so groundbreaking that other games feel underwhelming for years afterward? Could it raise expectations to unrealistic levels that most developers simply can’t meet? What impact would that have on the gaming industry, especially when even great games might seem disappointing by comparison? And finally, what game could realistically match or surpass GTA 6 in terms of hype, ambition, and cultural impact? Would we have to wait until GTA 7? Thanks

Rocinante

I just finished Yotei a couple of days ago, DLC dropped while I was playing so I upgraded to get it, if you haven’t played it, it is excellent and builds on the game beautifully, has sort of a “Saboteur” like mechanic where you bring beauty back to this desolate creepy region they added. I think it’s the best PS5 exclusive of the generation by quite a bit of margin. Fantastic game.

Rocket Man

Good day Sacred Simples, This one is directed to Colin. After hearing Chris talk about the salary he earned at Last Stand I started wondering if you plan on sharing (or maybe you already do share) the financial side of the company. Mainly how our money (that is, all of us patreons' money) is spent, and how much goes where. I thought this could be nice to know for us investors/stakeholders or whatever we may be under the eye of the law. Is this something you would consider doing? I'm sure many of us would find it interesting/reassuring, to be able to know where everything goes and in what percentage. Salutations, Rocket Man

Tyler T

Hey Sacred Crew, While news of Sucker Punch layoffs is a bummer, it’s exciting to think about the development of a new project from the team. In my opinion, they really elevated into the top tier of first party studios with Yotei. Where would you like to see the team go? Give me your best boardroom pitch. Cheers!

Smega Man

Sacred fellas, After hearing you guys discuss Dustin’s beef with Easy Allies on Sacred Streaming this week, I decided to relive the past a little. I went back and listened to that episode where that was originally discussed, it was Episode 277 “Is the Skinsuit Complete”. I think you guys might get a kick outta this: In that very same episode, no less than 30 minutes later, you guys convinced Lies of P fans that Walt Disney is the big bad. I got a huge laugh out of this, even the second time around

Mark Davis

Howdy Colin, Dustin, and Shortimer, You all have talked about the idea of game studios operating like the movie business, i.e., disbanding once a project is finished. As a counterpoint, Jason Schreier recently mentioned that Rockstar claims that one of the reasons they have been so successful is that many of its employees have worked together for years. Based on my own experience working with large teams on large projects, I absolutely agree with him. Does this change your opinion at all? Thanks for the great content! Chris will be missed. Mark

Just Stashin

I’m a 33 year father, who grew up on Jak and Daxter , Sly Cooper, and Ratchet and Clank. Many of my fondest gaming memories happened on Playstation. I was a huge Podcast Beyond fan and even an early Vita adopter. I just sold my Ps5 to go all in on the Steam Deck and Steam Machine. Okay, here is my question - how common do you guys think this situation is or will become? and should Sony care? what benefit are fans/customers like myself to them in a world where it seems like they just can’t stop making money? (I don’t think the reason for my departure really matters to the question, but in case it does - it has to do with 1st party games no longer speaking to me, and 1st party studios no longer trying new things)

Miles Pountney

Sacred crew, I have a serious bone to pick with absolute blasphemy against buffets! Have you not experienced the beauty that is the Souplantation? The make your own salad section with selections you could only dream of! The focaccia bread pizza with just the correct amount of sauce enough soups to mix your soups, soup and an additional soup and some extra soup with good measure. Not to mention they correctly categorize chilli as a soup. This is not your cruise soup kitchen, your Vegas “trendufett.” You mustn’t spew hate at category you all clearly know so little about. On that note I am going to forget to take my ssri’s for a month and have a public meltdown at my local Walmart.

Dieter Hoeller

Hi Would you rather Interview Hideo Kojima or Gabe Newell?

Raisin

Good question, KB! While I emotionally agree with Colin's take that Naughty Dog should withhold review codes in order to avoid a Last of Us Part II situation, intellectually speaking, I don't think they can do that. I think the venue should be a February State of Play. This will be after the release of Until Dawn 2 and God of War Laufey. Ironically enough, the blueprint for how to reveal this game was revealed by Sony Santa Monica. Naughty Dog should do exactly what SMS did with Laufey: show us 15 to 20 minutes of uninterrupted gameplay. Personally, I have faith in Naughty Dog. I think as long as they show a requisite amount of the game, then the skeptics and non-believers can continue wallowing in their ignorance. Crazier things have happened, but I have a hard time believing Naughty Dog isn't going to hit. I mean, honestly, when was the last time they didn't hit? Probably Jak X: Combat Racing. Before that, you have to go as far back as Way of the Warrior on 3DO. But honestly, I don't know if it's going to matter. If Wolverine is anything to go by, then the culture and the zeitgeist surrounding that game did nothing to materially affect it. Hot take! If anything, I think it exposed that there was a clear and deep bias toward that game because of the actions of Sony. That game was a whipping boy. That game was a cudgel for all of the angry gamers. Intergalactic will be the same. Nevertheless, I can't wait to see it and hopefully play it next year.

start a infection

Hey CC&D although specifically a question for Colin, why shouldn’t PlayStation embrace publishing smaller games like they used to? Isn’t the ROI on a game like astrobot (supposedly 30million and made 90 million) far greater than the huge budget games like god of war or intergalactic while also allowing for more variety to add more broad appeal to PlayStation as a platform?

Jason Davenport

Hey Sacred Crew. Is it time to give the chuds their due? I have done calculations based on assessing real streamer numbers, game purchases, subscription metrics (all of which im happy to share) and believe the total addressable audience of chuds that impact AAA games by way of lost sales to be 1 million per game release. That is a huge market, and I only see western AAA studios succeeding if they bend the knee to them. Love or hate them (im personally indifferent) they are winning.

Best Start Believing in Gay Stories, You're in one

Hey Gents, With over 3 full weeks time given to reviewers, do you think this increases the odds that GTA 6 will be nominated at the game awards despite releasing just before the cutoff? Baldurs Gate 3 won game of the year and it seems a large number of industry members never even beat the game fully. By that logic I think even just 10 hours of GTA will probably be enough to determine if it deserves awards or not.

Misanthropic_Altruist

Hey guys, I've developed an unhealthy addiction to "Castlevania: Belmont's Curse", staying up into hours that I should be in REM state, recovering for my next workday. While I would like a Castlevania in with the stylings of Ayame Kojima(who doesn't?), I'm smitten with this game as it brings me back to the days of wanting to hurl my controller though the fucking TV screen as I frantically blurt insults at a circular saw. This is video games, man. I hope the game does well so Konami puts more stock in the IP. Chris, You will be dearly missed. Sacred without you will be like reformulated EL Fudge cookies. Can we get a "Goodbye, people. Especially you little raisin, we haven't forgotten about you", in Trump's voice. Farewell and all the best on your future endeavors.

Lewis Templeton

Dear CDC, What happened to tactical shooters? I’m currently playing Brothers in Arms on PS2 for the first time and I’m wondering where this genre went. Maybe I’m blinded by nostalgia, but there were some great tactical shooters back in the day. Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 was a personal favourite, Operation Flashpoint as well, but where did they all go? Surely the modern technology would make these games even more fun to play nowadays. I guess online co-op harmed this genre a lot. Is it a genre you were interested in or would like to see more of? Cheers, Lewis

Raisin

Funny you should say that, Rocinante! I literally just finished doing a run with Oyuki in the Most Wanted mode. I totally agree with you. It's easily one of the top three best exclusives of the PS5 generation. Honestly, the Echoes of Sekigahara DLC is probably the best DLC for a Sony first-party game I've played since the Valhalla expansion for Ragnarök. I'd honestly put it alongside Left Behind. It's that good of a DLC. And all for $14.99.

ShinyRyuji

Hey sacred crew I recently started using my PS Portal again and I’ve fallen back in love with it. I forgot how great it is. From Balatro to Saros I’m really enjoying it again and wish the PS6 handheld was just this but better I guess. My question besides the novelty what does the PS6 handheld have to do or be for you to purchase day 1.

Dick Whiskey

Gents, PSA for those using PS Plus after turning your console on: select the Plus icon, go to the "Collections" icon and scroll down to "Last Chance to Play" and that will show you the games leaving the service the following month (and usually show the exact date). It's dumb as hell that they hide it away like this, but I sometimes use it to pick a game to play when I'm having trouble deciding on one. Stay frosty

Big Man

Hey Boys, Which games do you think we’re “robbed” from winning GOTY at the Game Awards in years past. For example; I firmly believe Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was robbed by Astro Bot in 2024. Do you guys share a similar sentiment? Thank you for everything.

Snake Plissken

Hello fine young gentleman. No question but really a statement- I try to buy physical games where I can but do buy physical. I am actually a little scared to buy games on my PS5 if I’m being honest. With all the accounts I see online getting taken away from PlayStation gamers, it fills me with dread that my games soon will no longer be mine and my account that I’ve had since the beginning of the PS3 days will be gone. Now with PS6 going all digital, it’s quite the conundrum for people like myself. Not only that, but the silence from Sony on this is pathetic yet they’re able to pump out update after update to counter their consoles getting hacked. So yeah, not happy with how Sony is handling the account hacking stuff especially as we head into an all digital future. Thanks guys and keep up the amazing work.

NeoSapian

Hey Sacred Trio, As I careen toward my 50th birthday in a few weeks, I wonder where I will end up with gaming in the coming years. While I will no doubt have to nope out of certain genres as I just won't have the reaction speed anymore, I'm also wondering if I'll have to nope out of consoles, or more appropriately, controllers. At some point I fear my hands will betray me, and controller based input will no longer be an option. Do you guys thing gaming companies are thinking about this, or just assuming folks will opt over to mouse and keyboard controls? Do we think mouse and keyboard will become more supported for consoles which are screaming towards just being a desktop anyway? Or are we just expected to age out and take up other hobbies?

Kazden Risk

Hey CDC, my brother and I have been developing a game that works natively on Game Boy Color hardware and one of the fun, creative challenges has been working with a limited number of buttons, processing power, and graphical capabilities. We need to consistently ask what can be engaging to the player while also keeping controls locked to A, B, a d-pad, and sometimes select. My question is ... were the limitations of early console generations better for the creativity of game developers? Does the modern freedom to create a 200GB open world, do-anything video game inadvertently create experiences that lack focus? Interested to hear your thoughts. Cheers and take care!

Trevor Cannon

Hey fellas, Bloober Team just announced that Cronos: Lazarus launches December 3rd, a new story DLC for last year’s Cronos. Personally, I loved Cronos. I thought it was a solid third-person horror action game, and more people should play it. That said, I can’t help but feel like this DLC is dead on arrival. In December, we’ll all still be playing GTA 6 and catching up on our backlogs from an absolutely stacked September and October. I’m not sure why Bloober wouldn’t have held this for the summer and maybe even branded it as Cronos 2. From a marketing perspective, I think positioning it as a new entry would have generated more interest and given players fewer reasons to pass on it. There are just too many barriers to entry for players to jump into a DLC. Launching DLC for a pretty niche game in one of the most stacked years in gaming history feels like an odd move. Unless this thing gets a 10/10, I’m afraid it’ll just slip under the radar and become something we might revisit when the proper sequel drops in 2030. What’s your thoughts? Do you think Im way off here? Thanks, Trevor Cannon

Katyusha Mauro

Good afternoon Gentlemen, Long time, short one. CHRIS, there's yet another character that vaguely looks like you, just search in google images: "Jan Cope Ace Combat". I know you must be tired of people sending you look-alikes but I couldn't help myself. BTW, Ace Combat games are so damn fun and unique, I hope more people try them. Have a nice week gents, kind regards from Uruguay!

Ray Briggs

Hey CDC (Soon to be CD), Why is it the only analogy the gaming "journalists" seem to know is The Ship of Theseus? I must have heard or read that comparison with Bioware no less than 40 times over the last week. Chris, I look forward to the new videos. Dustin, congrats, I'm a dad twice over and its been the most satisfying part of my life. Colin, the Jets suck (but so do my Dolphins). -Ray

Joe Frantik

CC & D, With Steam's Next Fest being roundly criticized for AI slop and copycat games running amok, is it time for Valve to revisit their libertarian approach to content moderation? It seems that their live and let live attitude threatens what is, without question, the best platform out there. Slippery slope arguments are valid, and once they make a move against this, it's hard not to turn into the PC's PSN, but given how quickly AI games are advancing, I don't see how they can keep doing nothing. Thank You, Joe

Eddie B

What’s up CDC, At the risk of sounding like a bootlicking corporate shill, do gamers have unrealistic expectations for studios and publishers? We want cheaper priced games, quicker turnaround times, new and innovative IP, longer and prettier games, a physical option for purchase, no AI use, fewer layoffs, games made on a lower budget, and the list goes on. I hate big corps as much as the next guy, and individually all those concerns are valid, but taken together it’s just simply not possible. Feel like we really have to pick our battles and understand that the industry is just not the same now. Am I with the suits? And Chris, as a long time listener, your humor and unique perspective will be missed. I just hope you’ll pop in for the next Doom and the imminent Splinter Cell Remake.

Matthew Buchanan

Hey sacred boys! This Saturday is my brother Jack's wedding. I've got the honour of carrying out best man duties and I'm keen to do him proud. After hearing on the podcast about how smoothly Colin officiated a recent ceremony, could you share any helpful tips for the best man speech? Rest assured I've prepared extensively, but any last minute advice would be greatly appreciated as I listen to this the night before! Cheers!

D Rock

Howdy doody boys, I wanted to get your opinion on the progression of the gaming industry. I'm a seasoned gamer and started my journey in the 90's, but can't help but dread the direction gaming is going in. Newer generations are growing up on endless gaming catalogues of free to play games, micro-transactions/gacha mechanics, games with heavy hand holding, and instant gratification style experiences with little substance or challenge. These mechanics are antithetical to why I fell in love with gaming. I don't mean to slander the evolution of this industry, and I'm sure monetarily it makes sense. The old-head demographic of gamers are dealing with the crushing adult realities of limited time, budget, careers, family etc. but I hope we still get taken care of, even if the gaming pendulum is swinging in a different direction. Maybe I have nothing to worry about as there are an amazing glut of AAA and indie releases lately. But as OG gamers start phasing out and the pie chart starts favoring younger gamers, I worry the industry I love so much will change and lose its identity. Maybe I'll be dead by then so it won't even matter. As always I appreciate your expertise and opinions. Thanks as always and much love. D-Rock

William Jackson

Hey CDC, A week ago, my six-week-old daughter was released from Boston Children’s Hospital after a lengthy, stressful stay where at times it felt like my world was crashing in around me. Ecstatic to report that everyone is heathy, home and thriving, but I can’t tell you how much solace this silly, stupid gaming podcast brought me in the face of unimaginable stress and sadness during that time. The constant trips back and forth from Boston to southern New Hampshire to spend time with my other three-year-old daughter were made manageable by everyone involved in this show. Hearing Colin’s recount of the wedding he officiated and being asked if he got “me too’d” brought me such needed joy and laughter while weeping stuck in traffic on Storrow Drive. I know you hear these stories all the time, but they are incredibly important to mention since you all provide a public service much larger than talking videogames at times.

Nawman43

Hello Sacred Chooms After finishing Cyberpunk Edgerunners season 2, it made me think about how in the Cyberpunk universe the world of Night City is the main character. Between the game and 2 seasons of the show, every character and story is different, but Night City is always there with a new story to tell. My question is should other games try to take this approach and focus more on how interesting the world is that it enhances the main characters? I feel some games have really interesting worlds but rely on 1 character such as Commander Shepard or Master Chief, but for Cyberpunk you can have any cast of characters in it and they will tell an intriguing story without relying on 1 characters arc. Appreciate all you guys do

Casey Mozingo

Hey CDC, With next-gen consoles potentially surpassing $1,000 without subsidization, I imagine gamers like myself who typically buy both will be forced to choose one. Given that Xbox was struggling long before these anticipated price hikes, even with its massive acquisitions, I have little confidence Microsoft can convince PlayStation loyalists to switch. If Project Helix fails to turn the tide as Microsoft hopes, could rising hardware costs provide the perfect justification to exit the traditional console business? Could this be the out Microsoft has been looking for?

FrancesTheMute

Hey, Sacred Crew, First time, long time (been listening to Colin since summer 2009), and had a quick comment and a question. First: Chris, sad to hear you're leaving the show, but appreciate the comedy and insights you brought to it. When Sacred first started, I was excited to hear Colin talk about PlayStation and games again, but I wasn't sure how it would go with a new co-host. My fears were quickly allayed, and I came to find your perspective indispensable (the same now holds true for Dustin). I wish you all the best, Chris, and will be excited when you pop on during the future! Second: In each month of 2025, I did a deep dive into a specific band's catalogue. After hearing about Dredg so often, they were chosen for October. Colin, while I agree that El Cielo is their best work, I did want to get your thoughts on their debut, Leitmotif. I think it's awesome as well, but I've never heard your thoughts. So, what say you? Appreciate the show!

Farty Burrito Supreme

Hey males, If everyone in the world stopped sneezing completely, how long would it take you to notice? The concept of sneezing goes extinct overnight, but how would we ever truly know that was the case? Thank you for the attention on this matter. I will go hang myself upside down in the toilet and listen.

Poopoo Platter

Would you guys be interested in streaming a fighting game tournament on sacred streaming for patreon subscribers and LSM staff only? I would personally donate $500 for the grand prize no strings attached.

BusterSwordBoy

Good day to Colin and Chris, and konnichiwa to Dustin-san. September's sales data was particularly interesting to me in that we had so many "core" games release: Onimusha, Ace Combat, Dawnwalker, and Control - along with a core/casual crossover title in Wolverine. Wolverine topped the chart with between 2m and 3m copies sold, available only on PlayStation. Most of those other titles sold around 1m. We know even in more stable economic years, games famously cannibalize each other (Battlefield vs Titanfall 2 for example). Looking at the sales split between consoles/Steam as well as estimated copies sold of each title, is it fair to say the ceiling for a 'core gamer' title is 1.5m at launch unless it's a breakout success or tied to a franchise/IP? I'm sure each of these games might have done better in a less crowded month, but alas, every month is crowded now. Thanks fellas!

FarmerJimmy

PS Prism collection; gonna bust in that chicken when they drop.

The Mona Lisa is an 8/10

Hey pumpkin teasers, What are your thoughts on Jonathon Blows new game Order of the Sinking Star. It released on the 8th of this month and I saw no marketing or fanfare for it. It also seems to be doing very poorly based on steam players and PSN reviews. Why do you think this game is doing so poorly and do you think Blow’s studio is in trouble. The Witness was a huge hit but maybe over 1k puzzles is just too much for most people these days.

Hans Pubis

Boys, I am struggling to understand all the hullabaloo over Sucker Punch laying off — checks notes — 24 developers. Are game studios supposed to offer careers in perpetuity? Are they not subject to the same financial realities that the rest of the world is? The complaints are so far detached from reality that it's become puzzling. Companies routinely expand and contract, people get laid off for various reasons, life moves on. Gaming, as its currently constructed, isn't sustainable with people having lifetime jobs to sit around once a project has been complete. If anything, gaming is in this current place because of its refusal to get with the times. That includes the myriad superfluous positions that exist. In short, gaming isn't "cooked" because Sucker Punch has 24 less people sitting around. It's "cooked" because so many studios refuse to acknowledge the reality that it makes zero sense to keep everyone aboard forever.

TheDynastyWarrior13

What's up Sacred gents, Horror games are one of the clearest examples of a genre getting a second life right now. For much of the 2010s, big-budget horror felt like it was in a slump, with the major franchises either stagnating, disappearing altogether, or drifting toward action. In recent years, though, the genre has come roaring back. Both the Resident Evil remakes and new entries have been both critically and commercially strong, we've seen other horror classics like Fatal Frame, Silent Hill, and Dead Space all reappear, brand new IP like Cronos show a promising start, and even indie horror has found huge audiences through streaming and word of mouth. With games like Resident Evil Veronica, Alien Isolation 2, ILL, and Silent Hill 1 remake not too far off, it's showing no signs of slowing down either. It's probably been close to 20 years since horror has felt this relevant in gaming. It’s a great reminder that a genre can go quiet for years and then return arguably stronger than ever. That got me thinking about the broader question: which genres or subgenres would you personally like to see make a comeback in modern gaming, and do you think there is a chance it actually will? For me, the one I’d love to see return is the first-person shooter that isn’t a military shooter or a predominantly live-service game catering to ball and gun gamers. I’m thinking of the kind of FPS that put real energy into its campaign, have inventive level design, and have a distinct artistic vision and direction. Think games like TimeSplitters, Half-Life, Bioshock, Crysis, and Bungie era Halo to name a few. Those games had personality, memorable set pieces, and a sense of identity that feels increasingly rare today in an environment where most first person shooters both look so similar and cater to similar audiences. I just feel like there is a void here and an audience that would show up for games like these, provided they are actually good. Thanks for the great show, and I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

You Can't Do This To Me I Work 40 Hours a Week (edited)

Comment edits

2026-10-29 09:00 Hey Sacred Trio, With voting day happening before the next episode, I thought we could have some fun with a voting topic. Who would you vote for as the president of gamers? Geoff Keighley? Hideo Kojima? Our beloved Shuhei Yoshida? The possibilities are endless. Thanks and remember to get out and vote! It's never been more important.
2026-10-28 21:51 Hey Sacred Trio, With voting day happening before the next episode, I thought we could have some fun with a voting topic. Who would you vote for as the president of gaming? Geoff Keighley? Hideo Kojima? Our beloved Shuhei Yoshida? The possibilities are endless. Thanks and remember to get out and vote! It's never been more important.

Hey Sacred Trio, With voting day happening before the next episode, I thought we could have some fun with a voting topic. Who would you vote for as the president of gaming? Geoff Keighley? Hideo Kojima? Our beloved Shuhei Yoshida? The possibilities are endless. Thanks and remember to get out and vote! It's never been more important.

Matthew Clem

Hey CDC, In regards to the price of the PS6, do you think it's more reasonable than in previous generations normal to sell your old hardware to help offset the cost? Back in the day when there wasn't always full backwards compatibility I feel like there was more of a reason to hold on to old hardware, but these days with games from the PS4 onwards theoretically being compatible in perpetuity, I feel like this could be a good way to get a couple hundred dollars off. Do you think Sony might offer any incentive programs for trade-ins?

Xenomorph Moriarty

Dear fellas but specifically Dustin, Not sure who this Jimmy Champagne clown is, but you shouldn’t sleep on A Nightmare on Elm Street 2. The subtext is basically about how repressed homosexuality is just a dream demon taking over your body and it fucking rules. All the best

Josh Manzanares

Hey Boys, As an Xbox guy who jumped ship to PC/PS5 last year I was curious about all the moves Xbox has been making. I recently tried disc to digital for my collection and was amazed to learn most of my games do not work and only a few of the games that did work are Play Anywhere titles. I was able to borrow E-Day from a friend and use play anywhere to beat it on PC but not even a single Bethesda game I own works with disc to digital. It makes the whole situation feel like a PR play for people who are too lazy to throw a disc in their console to me. They brag about Gears being physical but you can't even install and play from the disc. Am I crazy or is this only working in Xbox's favor because of the negative PlayStation news lately?

Smegaladon

I was going to write in about this but you beat me to it! Yes we need that spoiler cast soon, such an interesting game and story

Giovanni D'Amico

Hi guys - with all of the chatter a few weeks back about PlayStation players considering migrating to PC, I just want to highlight how great of a year this has been for PC indie games being ported to PS5. My Steam wishlist has been shrinking in size as games like these have been ported throughout 2026: Minishoot Adventures, Öoo, Slots & Daggers, Mewgenics, Mouthwashing, Titanium Court, Look Outside, Keep Driving, The King is Watching, Tiny Bookshop, Drop Duchy, and Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor. I hope this trend continues - I'm a lapsed PC gamer but now play exclusively on PS5, so I'll gladly take all of these critical darlings and migrate my wishlist in the console direction.

The Diddler

Did FromSoftware accidentally create the most polarizing word in game reviews? I’ve never seen a genre label influence gamers quite like “Soulslike.” It seems to trigger an immediate buy or pass reaction. Almost every Phantom Blade Zero review says “not a soulslike”. Those words will impact people’s decision. We have Metroidvanias and roguelikes, but I rarely see a game described by what it isn’t. And nobody seems to debate whether a third-person shooter is an “RE4-like” or “Gears-like” to the same extent. You can tell by looking at it. You don’t need the additional context. But action games these days, you need that distinction. For some gamers, “Soulslike” is a selling point. For others, it’s a dealbreaker. What other genre label has that kind of power?

Paulie

So you know I think you guys should do more radio resets during conversations about a game. Sometimes while on the road or otherwise occupied I miss the title of the game you're playing at the top of the segment and spend 15 minutes piecing together what on Earth you're talking about via context clues. It drives me batty and has driven me batty since Beyond. For example: "I'm here with Chris Ray Gun and Dustin Furman, we're here having a conversation about Apex Legends." Please do that every 5 minutes when talking about a specific game.

SL

What Bethesda games did you try? Both Starfield and Skyrim Special Edition worked fine for me. And yes, only games that already supported Play Anywhere will support that feature via disk to digital. People were excited because disk versions of PA games weren't really PA, you had to have purchased the game digitally for that benefit. Now if you have a disk version of a PA game, you can make it digital and get the benefit digital owners had.

Austin Savard

Greetings to the Sacred Scholars I have an inquiry, you are placed as a professor of Gaming. What are you focusing your class on? I’d like to imagine a course on world building, or perhaps the importance of Final Fantasy in the gaming sphere. What say you?

Jonathan Turner

What's up boyz! As the great Iron Lord Cognito would say, Dustin, we're gonna need you to come to the front of the congregation! On one of your recent Wednesday streams, you casually mentioned having no problem eating food past its best-by date. Now, Dustin, in my 35 years on God's green Earth, I've never once entertained that kind of behavior, especially when it comes to milk or dairy products. So naturally, we need to investigate. How far past the date are you willing to go? Are we talking a day or two, or are you out here playing Russian roulette with your digestive system? And where exactly do you draw the line? Colin, Chris, please tell me you boys are with me on this. Or am I the one who's out of touch here? Do I need to stand down, or is Dustin the one who needs an intervention?

Cody Gardner

I may be misremembering, but I don't think Colin has ever said they have nothing to gain by showing it off. The boys have talked about how the have to blow people away with the gameplay and that they have nothing to gain by sending out review copies early.

KYisLife

Hi Colin, Xbox revenue is only down 2% (was previously 10%), hardware is down 14%, and the accountability margin is better after mass layoffs. Xbox for the win?

Austin Trevino

Hello gents, What better time to ask the questions I always wanted answered than when Chris is about to leave us forever. So I ask this: Can anyone for the love of god please explain why there is a choreographed line dance based on the movie Footloose? The whole point of the film is about having the freedom to express yourself while breaking past the town’s rigid views on dance. Now you’re telling me 32-step, rigid line dance best represents the movie that features Kevin fucking Bacon losing his FUCKING mind in a busted warehouse and an end sequence where everyone FREESTYLES!? Give me 10 minutes on this and make it make sense. Cheers :)

Lou Sassle

Hey boys, Just a PSA: it’s official. Bloodborne is fully playable and fully functional on PC. As someone who played and loved the game back on PS4, it’s so damn cool to be able to play it on my PC upscaled to 1440p and, depending on the settings I choose, running at anywhere from 80fps - 120fps. This game is a masterpiece, and I encourage anyone who never got the chance to play it to do so. Sony is never going to re-release it themselves, so I think this is one of those grey-area piracy situations. I’m truly excited for new people to get their hands on such a great game.

Dion

Hey Scared Boys, No game in history has received as much attention, hype and scutiny as GTA6. Rockstar understands the pressure to deliver a 10 and has spared no expense investing in their game. They've had all the time in the world to develop a masterpiece so with this in mind, if you had to make a bet... will there be any day-one patches or hot fixes required for GTA6 over it's launch? Everyone is expecting perfection so I feel that anything short of that will draw incredible attention.

Optimus Pounds

Spooky Symbols: I've been listening to audiobooks alot lately while traveling for work, revisiting some old horror classics and exploring new ones I've never read such as works from BROM. Simple question for yinz ghouls: are audio books considered "reading?" Even though I find it an incredibly convenient medium for my chaotic lifesyle, my emphatic answer is no, -- especially b/c reading requires some level of personal creativity such as creating character voices in your own head -- but I've met a fair share of people who think that it is. I'll take a swig of the Halloween party mystery punch and listen. OP

CaptainCook2077

What’s up CDC, I appreciate you. That’s all. Have a good evening.

Brandon Tyler

What are you’re Mount Rushmore of sword in gaming? mine would be the buster sword, master sword, energy sword from halo, keyblade.

boogersupreme

What's up gentlefish, It seems as though early copies of Grand Theft Auto 6 are out in the wild to publications, influencers, and outlets alike. I have a simple question: Why? I get that a lot of the footage is watermarked and it will be easy to trace the origins of anything that goes wrong, but you already know that some asshole is going to have the ending, 900 other plot details, character deaths, and side activities recorded and ready to post the second they get the greenlight and the game is out. It's fucking annoying that the consumers and players have to be proactive and stay away from YouTube thumbnails and other shit just to experience a game that people have been waiting a decade plus for and will have to speed run this shit just to not get spoiled. Is the pressure to meet the Game Award cutoff really that important? What the fuck is the point of the digital release and global launch if people already have the game? Hopefully, Naughty Dog and others don't follow the same trend. Hope those allergies are doing better Colin, hope the baby is doing good Dustin, and hope your apartment is clean today Chris.

Josh Tedrow

What’s up boys? I just had a revelation about the subscription model we’ve all become slave to while watching 8 million pharmaceutical commercials during the World Series. Cigarettes were the original subscription service. Whether intentional or not, the tobacco companies learned this, and then pharmaceutical companies picked up the torch and ran with it for decades before every single other fucking product on the planet caught on and hopped on board; in what feels like the last five years. Small domino is the first pack of smokes, big domino is the Adobe Creative Suite. I’m pretty high, thanks for listening.

Adam Barnes

Hi lads, Can we start having an honest conversation about the woke influence on Western game development, or are we still pretending it isn’t happening? Two of the three hosts lean right, yet the topic always seems to get sidestepped, with the discussion tending to fall in line with Chris’s perspective. It also feels like LSM is falling into the same trap as every successful company: playing it safe to appease a vocal minority of unhinged left-wing subscribers rather than speaking candidly. Cheers

Francis

Hi CDC, As the last episode of Chris's approaches I thought it might be worth it to ask: What is the percent chance that Chris will pull a Jordan Belfort and yell "I'm not fucking leaving" into the podcast mic as Dustin gets his head shaved for money for a new pair of tits? Thanks for the great work.

Patrick is a PlayStation fan

Greeting SS crew! Even with the surging prices of components for the next gen consoles, I am still willing to fork over $1,000 buckaroos for the PS6. A couple of weeks I bought my coworker’s old gaming PC. For context, this PC has an Nvidia RTX 2060 with an Intel Core i7-4790k CPU. This gets the job done for older games like Chris’ favorite Saboteur and Matty’s favorites, Fallout 3 and New Vegas. However, getting this setup is a pain in the ass. I had to update the drives and when I downloaded some of these games they said some random file wasn’t downloaded right and had to be uninstalled and installed again. For a guy that works 40 hours a week, I want to come home and turn on my gaming device and game. I don’t want to waste 20-30 minutes doing all this nonsense. Yes we haven’t squeezed much out of current gens but developers keep developing with higher graphics and performance in mind. If the PS6 is rumored to have nearly twice the power of a PS5 Pro, then I say take my money Sony. You guys may not be excited but I am DYING for the PS6 to come out. PC is a good alternative but having to use Windows sucks ass. Thank you gentlemen for all that you do and apologies for the long write-in. God bless!

Wibble

Hey Sacred Uncles and Sacred Daddy... I know you have your future plans, and I am certain they are fine, but hear me out. Let's just get a Chris style wig, some Chris style glasses, and let's just put them on Lock. We can even just refer to him as Chris at this point. It's like nothing will have changed. Occasionally, new Chris can just comment that he has a cold explaining why he sounds so funny, and we all can go about our merry way. Anyway, love what you guys do. Super excited to see what Chris has in store for the world, and keep on doing weird shit to that chicken.

Simon Dixon

Boys! Did you see the dog taking a poop in South Park?

Rube Rupak

23Q2 -13% 23Q3 -30% 23Q4 -13% 24Q1 -7% 24Q2 -3% 24Q3 -31% 24Q4 -42% 25Q1 -29% 25Q2 -29% 25Q3 -6% 25Q4 -22% 26Q1 - 29% 26Q2 -32% 26Q3 -33% 26Q4 -13% 27Q1 -14% How can this be?

You big stupid jellyfish!

Hello sacred gents I hope all is well and you're purging the unclean. With recent release of boltgun II which is awesome by the way I'd definitely recommend, it's sad to see that even great selling games like boltgun and the starship troopers they have released still meet the studio with 25% layoffs with the current climate. Is this something we're unfortunately going to have see going forward with most studios for the foreseeable future or can things change down the road? And remember suffer not the alien, the mutant, the heretic to live.