Game Buoy Podcast Episode 184 – Grand Theft Autumn (Where is Your Buoy?)

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Ahoy, mateys, and welcome to the GAMEBUOY.ORG video game podcast – your port of call for gaming news and views that maybe aren’t on your radar, but most definitely should be! On this episode, recorded Sunday, October 12, 2025, Captain Spike and First Mate Slaggy McWaggy discuss their favorite games to revisit during the autumnal season!

HOT TOPIC IS THE WAY THAT WE RHYME

• GameSpot has given an overview of everything included in EA’s $55 billion acquisition.
• Analysts predict that BioWare and other studios may be sold, and other studios may be closed.
• A FAQ sent to EA employees says that there will be “no immediate changes” to jobs.
• BioWare staff do not feel good about the future of their studio under EA, according to anonymous reports.
• Eurogamer spoke to a member of the Human Rights Watch organization about the geopolitical context of EA’s acquisition.
• Unity has found a years-old security exploit and is urging developers to update their games; Pillars of Eternity 2 and other games have been pulled from Steam as a result.
• Nintendo has established Nintendo Singapore.
• Sega and International Olympic Committee have signed a multi-year licensing deal to use Sonic and the Olympic Rings for co-branded merchandising.
• Fortnite’s Peacemaker dance emote has been edited following an investigation that some of the dance moves resembled hate symbols used by a historically significant nationalist group.
• A total of 263,101 visitors attended Tokyo Games Show 2025, and the dates for next year will be September 17 to 21, 2026
• Dragon Ball FighterZ will be getting the DLC character Goku in his Super Saiyan 4 from and as he appears in DAIMA, along with a balance update coming October 12.
• Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO’s next DLC characters will be announced in January 2026.
• Nintendo has released a short film called “Close to You.”
• Future Dynasty Warriors remasters will depend on the success of the Dynasty Warriors 3 remaster, according to its producer, as PS2-era games are costly to revisit. 
• Mina the Hollower has been slightly delayed to an unconfirmed date.

RELEASE UPDATES

• Majogami releases on October 30 for PC via Steam along with its Switch and Switch 2 releases.
• Romance of the Three Kingdoms 8 Remake: Destiny and Strategy Expansion Pack Bundle launches January 29, 2026 worldwide for PC.
• Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered Twin-Pack and Final Fantasy IX Switch physical editions are coming to North America on December 9.
• Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade & Rebirth Twin Pack PS5 physical edition has been announced for release on December 4.
• Temirana: The Lucky Princess and the Tragic Knights launches January 13, 2026 in the west, with its physical edition launching in North America on the same day.
• PowerWash Simulator 2 will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store on October 23.
• Vampire Survivors version 1.14 update has been announced that will add online co-op and more.
• A limited-time demo for LET IT DIE: INFERNO will be available for PC via Steam from October 13 to October 21.
• My Hero Academia: All’s Justice will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam on February 6.
• Terminator 2D: NO FATE has been delayed to November 26.

CULTURE CLUB

• Ubisoft reportedly cancelled a post-Civil War Assassin’s Creed last year that was in development.
• A Minecraft Movie sequel has been greenlit for release on July 23, 2027. 
• A Mortal Kombat III movie has been confirmed to be in development.
• Toby Fox said the he way he makes Deltarune is “stupid.”
• A Silent Hill f novel is coming out on October 30.
• A teen who had threatened to kill Fortnite devs has pleaded guilty.
• Former Nippon Ichi Software president Sohei Niikawa has revealed that he is the person behind author Roman Kitayama, writer/producer of upcoming game Etrange Overlord.
• Dan Forden, famous for the “Toasty!” meme in Mortal Kobat, is leaving NetherRealm Studios.
• Nintendo states it “has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI.”
• GLAAD has launched a new program to mentor early-career LGBTQ+ developers.
• Ninja Gaiden 4, from Platinum Games and Team Ninja, will get its first DLC “The Two Masters” in early 2026.
• Skate 4 has reached over 15 million players.
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is getting a free update as a “thank you” to fans.
• Pac-Man is celebrating its 45th anniversary with a partnership with Maruchan Instant Lunch, and a promotional image of a Gundam being chased by Pac-Man was released for Bandai Namco’s 20th anniversary of their merger.
• Final Fantasy XIV acrylics will be available in Japanese gashapon machines.
• Japanese streetwear brand Wind and Sea had a limited PaRappa Halloween merchandise line at its Gotemba outlet.
• A PlayStation 1 console plush is coming to crane games in Japanese arcades. 
• PS3 and PS4 miniature game box keychains are coming to Japanese gashapon machines.
• Bubsy, Fatal Fury Special, and Mario & Wario are now available on Super Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Classics for Nintendo Switch Online
• A new Dissidia Final Fantasy title for iOS and Android will be announced on October 14.
• Nintendo Alarmo has recieved a free Kirby and the Forgotten Land update.

MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO

• Former and current workers for Build a Rocket Boy have sent an open letter condemning mismanagement during the development and launch of MindsEye.
• Yakuza Kiwami 3’s developers discuss how the Dark ties  scenario has fundamentally changed the Kiwami series from being simply a technical upgrade; Dark Ties was originally going to just be a viewable movie, but developers wanted to make it playable.
• Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game has been announced
• GungHo has rejected an investor’s proposal to fire its longtime CEO, Kazuki Morishita.
• Final Fantasy XIV’s All Saints’ Wake event returns on October 17.
• The Suikoden: Star Leap manga launches on November 5.
• Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Impact is adding Neferpitou on October 16.
•  Bushiroad has revealed Hunter x Hunter: Nen x Survivor. 
• Aethermancer, a new indie roguelike game in early access on Steam, evokes the popular Pokemon Nuzlocke challenge.
• The end of FFVII Ever Crisis’ The First Soldier chapter begins this month.
• Death Adder from Golden Axe is the latest boss in the Sega Villain’s Stage DLC for Shinobi: Art of Vengeance.

SO CONTROVERSIAL

• A report from Japan’s Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association indicates that 51% of Japanese game companies use generative AI in development.
• Street Fighter 6 fans are upset that the Capcom Cup finals will be pay-per-view; the game’s developers were also shocked about this as well. 
• The lack of protection over copyright infrigement of Japanese IP in OpenAI’s Sora 2 app has been sparking controversy..
• Game Pass Ultimate has increased to $29.99 a month; major retailers are still selling codes for $19.99, while Xbox user who cancel Game Pass are being hit with ads to resubscribe.
• Arcane skins in 2XKO are locked behind a $100 deluxe bundle.

DOOM AND GLOOM

• PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs will shut down on December 31.
• The entire development team behind the crowdfunded Princess Maker game was laid off mid-early access, and the project will be transferred to an external company.
• Aftermath has shared anecdotes from struggling job seekers in the game industry and their difficulties in finding employment.
• 2.5 Dimensional Seduction: Angels on Stage! will end services for its English and Chinese Versions on January 14.
• Funcom is closing the studio The Outsiders.
• Remedy has issued a “profit warning” for 2025 due to underperformance of multiplayer shooter FBC Firebreak.

SMASH HIT

• Tokyo Game Show: Flashy booths mask economic and industry anxiety (GamesIndustry.biz)

RUMOR HAS IT

• The rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remake will apparently be developed by Virtuos, the developer behind Oblivion Remastered.
• A French storefront has a listing for a Switch 2 port of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
• A glider for Kang and Kodos has been found in a Fortnite leak, suggesting the long-rumored The Simpsons mini-season may be imminent.
• Target And Walmart might be pulling Xbox stock; meanwhile, Microsoft Stores across most of Europe are no longer stocking Xbox Series consoles.

DISCUSSION TOPIC

This week, the Podcast Pirates discuss their favorite games to revisit during the autumnal season! From games that released in the fall that bring a sense of nostalgia, to games with autumnal and spooky themes, Captain Spike and First Mate Slaggy McWaggy share why these games give that “Things I Love About Fall” feeling the same way that a cozy sweater or a pumpkin spice latte might.

WHAT’S UP

Captain Spike has been playing Super Robot Wars Y, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, Final Fantasy XIV, Marvel Rivals, and Sonic CrossWorlds. First Mate Slaggy McWaggy has been playing Blue Protocol: Star Resonance and Final Fantasy XIV and talks about his experience with the Sonic CrossWorlds demo.

SOCIAL LINKS QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Hello, folks! This week we’re talking about our favorite games/themes to spend time with in autumn. Tell us about your comfiest fall favorites!

EXITLUDE

SHOUT OUTS – “FRIENDS OF BUOY”

• Orange Lounge Radio, where every gamer has a voice
• Aftermath, an independent, worker-owned website about video games, other media and internet culture
• Game Mechanics, where TTRPG designers “kick tires and run diagnostics on tabletop experiences”
• Walloping Websnappers! A Spider-Man Podcast, a dive into every Spider-Man cartoon ever made
• The Bobby Blackwolf Show, a weekly internet radio show and podcast discussing the latest news in gaming as well as sometimes reminiscing about gaming’s history
• Video Game Realness, a dose of gaming chit chat among friends
• Nintendo Pow Block, a dive into the week that was in the world of Nintendo
• Standard Issue Computing, retro and modern computer games, hardware, software, and history
• Sasha’s Retrobytes, “bytes” of vintage gaming including magazine scans and photographs
• Defunct Games, your daily source for modern video game reviews, exciting trivia competitions and old school magazine analysis
• Thomas Game Docs, where each video covers “a different aspect of video game history”
• Craig, Slaggy McWaggy’s robot boyfriend a multi-track voice channel recording bot for Discord