Larian Studios has shared player data on the 1-year anniversary of their smash hit "Baldur's Gate 3." Among the fascinating tidbits is that only 34 players have reached a VERY rare ending to the story that can only be unlocked through a specific sequence of events. What's more, there's an even SECRET-er ending that cannot be reached by normal means. But one YouTuber found a hack that unlocks the final events no one was meant to see.

Plus, we discuss why accomplishing things in games is sometimes more satisfying than accomplishing things IRL, why that can lead to feelings of guilt, and why giving your brain permission to rest is never time wasted.

Also: Sound sensitivity when it comes to game controllers, and why the MOBAPAD ChiTu Wireless Pro gamepad is Matt's new favorite piece of hardware.

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After a 33 year run, the print magazine and website "Game Informer" has been abruptly shuttered by its parent company, GameStop. Fans and preservationists have been scrambling this week to preserve its decades of articles, but the fate of the digital content remains unknown. We discuss the importance of media preservation, and why it's so hard for companies to commit.

Plus: A Stardew-like with some refreshing mechanics, and what if the Ghibli classic "Kiki's Delivery Service" was a video game?

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Screen actors reached a deal with movie, TV, and streaming studios earlier this year after striking over pay, benefits, and AI. But what about voice acting in video games? Specifically when it comes to AI, they feel more vulnerable in the short term: Audiences have accepted stiff, robotic video game characters for decades.

In response to the looming threat, SAG-AFTRA has gone on strike against 10 major video game publishers (and their subsidiaries that focus on talent work). Time will tell if they walk away with a fair deal.

Plus: Colette has finished "Still Wakes the Deep," and has rave reviews. She's also addicted to the hope-stomping fruit-em-up "Suika Game."

Matt shares why "Nintendo World Championships" is getting MORE fun as the weeks go on, and his new obsession with Capcom's "Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess," which combines action, tactics, RPG elements, and stunning Japanese mythology.

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"Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition" has arrived, bringing bite-sized speed run challenges from our favorite 8-bit '80s games. But more than just a nostalgia hit, this asynchronous online battle has some innovative delights, if you approach it with the right mindset. Matt shares impressions of his first week with the game.

Colette is finally out of her gaming funk and has gone hard on "Still Wakes the Deep," a nautical horror game that seriously delivers on vibes. Plus, her early impressions of the visually stunning action-RTS-tower-defense game "Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess," which is steeped in Japanese folklore. It hit Game Pass this week.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate" asks the question: What if "Hades" had couch co-op? Matt explains why the action roguelike (formerly exclusive to Apple Arcade) is an absolute JOY on Switch.

Plus: RIP Humble Games Publishing(?). The prolific publisher has laid off its entire staff under the management of Ziff Davis/IGN. It remains unclear if games like "Coral Island," "Slay the Spire," and "Unpacking" will still get marking support from this arm.

Also: Super Mario Dubstep!

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We're back in action to answer the question on everyone's mind LAST week: Who is Emio?

A mysterious trailer for a Nintendo-developed horror title set the game-o-verse abuzz. Turns out, the cryptic teaser is actually a sequel to a classic Japan-only Famicom game. Colette breaks down the details.

Also, a MASSIVE update to "No Man's Sky" just dropped, and Matt has returned to the galaxy to photograph new creatures and fancy water.

We discuss why we love being obsessed with a new game, and when going without that can be a challenge. Plus, the flow state of "Grapple Dog," and why the 2023 game "Sailing Era" is an impenetrable wall of poorly translated tutorials that Matt can't stop playing.

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miHoYo released their 3rd(!) gatcha game in the West within four years, called "Zenless Zone Zero," which blends "Genshin" style combat with a "Persona" vibe. It got 50 million downloads within days of release, cementing the Chinese developer as an absolute unit.

So, is ZZZ actually good? Colette shares her early impressions of the PS5 version.

Plus: The Steam Summer sale hit our wish lists hard this year. We share what's in our carts, along with the games our listening community scored on the cheap.

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This week is cut short by work and travel plans, but we have a BRIEF update on the games we're playing, including "Moonstone Island," a title that recently came to Switch. It blends cozy farm life and town romances with a Pokémon-style creature taming system, Wind Waker-esq exploration, and deck building battles.

So, is this indie life sim more than the sum of its heavily-inspired parts?

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We really tried to play some hot new demos this week, but alas, Nintendo has graced us with a banger of a Direct.

We tackle each announcement and calibrate hype levels, along with your most anticipated games coming to the Switch (2?). Among them, the reveal of a new Mario & Luigi game, a top-down Legend of Zelda where you — get this — play as Zelda, and the first footage of Metroid Prime 4 ever.

Plus: We remember Colette's 17-year-old cat Ender, who passed away this week.

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