After a much-needed break to honor a dear mentor, The Scroll returns to tackle the "Live Service" infection taking over modern gaming. Join Boots and Frank as they break down the "Warzone-ification" of the Modern Warfare III campaign, the frustration of Black Ops 7’s forced co-op, and a heated "Boots to the Face" for EA’s predatory Sims 4 Marketplace split. From the ghost of multiplayer-past in Dragon Age: Veilguard to the cozy stability of Star Ocean, we’re dissecting why the industry is obsessed with "forever games" and what we’re playing to stay sane. Listen now at getthescroll.com.

A tribute to a mentor and a dive into the industry’s wildest week.

After a two-week break, Lilac Boots returns to cover the "Xbox Earthquake" as Phil Spencer and Sarah Bond depart, leaving Microsoft's gaming future in the hands of new AI-focused leadership. We also dive into the technical chaos of the recent Cloudflare-driven Steam outage, and the heated discourse surrounding David Jaffe’s critique of God of War: Sons of Sparta. Finally, Boots reviews the long-awaited Replaced demo and the language-learning JRPG Wagotabi.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Hallie, Boots' mentor, whose favorite Queen song lends this episode its name. The Scroll will be taking a hiatus following this recording to allow for a period of rest and reflection.

In this episode of The Scroll, Boots and Frank discuss GOG's recent AI art controversy and Ubisoft's massive restructuring into five "Creative Houses". They also recount the wild story of the 18-year-old who leaked GTA VI footage using an Amazon Fire Stick and explore the new "honest living" Odd Jobs in GTA Online. Plus, they weigh in on the bizarre news of Tim Sweeney praising the Google Genie 3 AI engine—calling it a "great idea" despite the tool being caught plagiarizing his own Fortnite IP.

Pro-Tip for Aspiring Firefighters: Through February 4, you can earn 2X GTA$ and RP on all Odd Jobs, with firefighting dispatches paying out up to $15,000. Completing 25 dispatches will unlock "The Unwavering" outfit, and finishing 5 jobs for the first time unlocks the trade price for the MTL Fire Truck.