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This week on the Spectator Mode Podcast, we start with what we’ve been playing and watching lately, then celebrate the Dynasty Warriors 25th anniversary and its lasting impact on the hack-and-slash genre. We also dive into Itch.io’s decision to relist NSFW games — but only the free ones — and what that means for indie developers.

From there, we tackle the controversial Online Safety Act, questioning why it’s needed and how it could affect online communities. Finally, we close out with our EVO 2025 recap, highlighting the biggest matches, surprise upsets, and standout performances from the world’s biggest fighting game event.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro / What we’ve been playing & watching
33:49 – Happy Dynasty Warriors 25th anniversary
48:00 – Itch.io relists NSFW games (only the free ones)
52:45 – The Online Safety Act… why?
1:04:30 – EVO 2025 recap

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#SpectatorModePodcast #DynastyWarriors #EVO2025 #FightingGames #OnlineSafetyAct #Itchio #GamingPodcast #VideoGames #GameNews

Support the show

You can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you!

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In Episode 196 of the Spectator Mode Podcast, the crew returns to break down another wild week in gaming. We kick things off with what we've been playing and watching before diving into whether The Outer Worlds 2 is shaping up to be another case of Microsoft marketing misfires.

From there, we explore the growing rumors around Sony potentially publishing games on Xbox, followed by our thoughts on Riot’s latest 2XKO update and whether it's too little too late. We also dive into a deep discussion about Wuchang: Fallen Feathers and how it stacks up against other Soulslikes. Additionally, we address the contentious decision by Itch.io to remove NSFW games in response to external pressure from Visa, Mastercard, and Collective Shout. Ending it all with the surprising legal clash between Sony and Tencent over Light of Moritam.

This episode’s packed, so don’t miss it.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro
01:54 - Games played and stuff watched
15:48 - Is OuterWorlds 2 the next Microsoft Mismanaged Marketing project?
29:41 - Is Sony putting its games on Xbox?
50:10 - Is the new 2KXO update too little too late?
52:38 - How does Wuchang: Fallen Feathers compare to other Soulslikes
1:01:48 - Itch.io removing NSFW games due to Mastercard and Visa (Collective Shout)
1:13:04 - Sony Suing Tencent over Light of Moritam
1:27:05 - Outro

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more weekly episodes! Got thoughts on these topics? Drop them in the comments—we want to hear from you.

Support the show

You can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you!

• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Amazon Music

Send us a text

We're back with another episode of the Spectator Mode Podcast, where the crew dives into the latest games we've been playing, the shows we've been watching, and a few hot-button topics that got the internet talking. In Episode 195, we kick things off with a rundown of the games we've been grinding and the media that's caught our attention. We talk about Square Enix dropping Windows 10 support for Final Fantasy 14, why payment processors are going after NSFW games, and more chatter around James Gunn’s Superman — spoiler warning included. It’s another packed episode, so strap in. #superman #finalfantasy14 #finalfantasyXIV #gaming #gamingpodcast #geekculture #windows10 #NSFWgames

Timestamps:

• 00:00 - Intro
• 00:49 - Games we've played & stuff watched
• 18:30 - Final Fantasy 14 Windows 10 support is going away
• 22:36 - Payment processors pushing against NSFW gaming
• 30:30 - More Superman discussions and slight spoilers
• 1:06:25 - The End for now

Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more weekly episodes! Got thoughts on these topics? Drop them in the comments—we want to hear from you.

Support the show

You can find the Spectator Mode podcast on the following podcast platforms. Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcast, as it will go a long watch in more people discovering us. Thank you!

• Apple Podcasts
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Amazon Music