Rephonic
Artwork for Unlocked
Xbox
Game Pass
Halo
Microsoft
Xbox Game Pass
Avowed
Grand Theft Auto 6
Fable
Stalker 2
Gears Of War
Forza Horizon 6
Game Development
Activision Blizzard
South Of Midnight
Starfield
Indiana Jones
Perfect Dark
Doom: the Dark Ages
Mass Effect
Baldur's Gate 3

These days, practically everything is an Xbox, and Xbox fans deserve to celebrate their passion for Xbox everywhere. Unlocked is the definitive Xbox podcast, hosted by Ryan McCaffrey alongside a panel of expert guests. Each week, they dive deep into breaking Xbox news, exclusive game reveals, and heated debates on the future of Xbox—covering everything from consoles and PC to Game Pass and cloud g... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes794Founded18 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Video GamesLeisureNewsTech News

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Unlocked

Latest Episodes

Join the IGN Discord discord.gg/h2T45nkkm6

One well-sourced rumor suggests that Xbox won't be backing away from physical media, in the name of backwards compatibility. We discuss what Xbox can and should do to continue offering gamers a choi... more

It's all about Halo this week – save for our first hands-on impressions of Gears of War: E-Day's impressive Horde Siege multiplayer mode at the end of the episode – as we discuss not only our thoughts on the just-released Halo 1 remake, Campaign Evol... more

Fallout: New Vegas game director Josh Sawyer will lead a new Fallout game at Obsidian, giving RPG fans what they've wanted for a long time, even if it's under less-than-ideal industry circumstances. We talk all about this huge new development for Xbo... more

The axe has fallen at Xbox, and while the result is thousands more job losses, the silver lining is that no studios are being closed. We try to figure out who might've bought Undead Labs (State of Decay 3) and Ninja Theory (Senua), as well as what th... more

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Accepts Sponsors
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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People also subscribe to these shows.

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Nintendo Voice ChatIGN & Geek Media

Recent Guests

Paris Lilly
Gamer Tag Radio co-host, guest on episode
GamerTagRadio
Episode: Where Does Halo Go From Here? + Gears E-Day Multiplayer Thoughts – Unlocked 751
Kaleef Adams
Host of Spawn on Me, guest on this episode
Spawn on Me
Episode: Xbox’s Brutal ‘Reset’ + Who Bought State of Decay 3 and Senua? – Unlocked 749
MC Fixer
Host of My Xbox and Me podcast
Self-hosted podcast
Episode: What’s Left of/at Xbox? – Unlocked 748
Yuri Zhdanovich
Game director of Replaced
Sad Cat Studios / Replaced
Episode: Replaced Director Shares Insights, Origins, and What's Next After Xbox Debut – Unlocked 737
Todd Howard
Director at Bethesda Game Studios; interviewed on the episode
Bethesda Game Studios
Episode: Our Favorite New Games You Might Not Have Heard of Yet – Unlocked 733
Mike Channell
Old colleague of Ryan and guest on the episode
Outside Xbox
Episode: Top 100 Xbox Games Debate: The Obscure Ones – Unlocked 725
Aaron Greenberg
Head of Xbox Marketing
Microsoft
Episode: Remembering 2 Xbox Greats – Unlocked 722
Brandon Adler
Game Director of The Outer Worlds 2
Obsidian Entertainment
Episode: The Outer Worlds 2’s Game Director Joins the Podcast! – Unlocked 714
Dan Amrich
A game developer and former journalist, known for his work with Digital Eclipse.
Digital Eclipse
Episode: From Playing Mortal Kombat to Preserving It – Unlocked 713

Hosts

Ryan McCaffrey
Host with deep ties to Xbox coverage and a long-running presence in the community
Miranda Sanchez
Co-host and contributor with a long-running role on Xbox-focused content
Michael Hyam
Co-host and contributor, frequently provides industry insights and analysis

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 4.8k ratings
  • Poor

    This podcast rarely focuses on games and is more of a political podcast on the industry.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Fledgl
    United Statesa month ago
  • Cross promotions suck

    Some new thing they added, awful

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Obadja44
    Sweden2 months ago
  • Ryan is the show

    Just gonna be completely honest here. Ryan has made this show for the longest time. He’s the man in every way for Xbox. Michael I hope you see this one day, but your better than attitude ruins every time you speak. Miranda is perfect when she’s on, but I have to admit between her being sick and then having the Michael knows all show it gets hard to listen. Love the show because Ryan is spot on for topics every time. I’m glad you all get along though because there’s no way I’d be dealing with s... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    DecibelD
    United States3 months ago
  • Guest/New Panel are terrible

    Would be so much better if they stuck to video games and left their alienating political opinions out of it. Some of these people need to touch grass and stop being terminally online.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Chronosknight
    United States7 months ago
  • Was better long ago

    IGN as a company has turned into a bunch of woke activists now pushing an agenda through entertainment. They will eventually fade into obscurity because of making video games into a political/ideological propaganda instead of serving their clients (people who want a break from all the garbage and just want to play fun games) the addition of tons of ads is now the final straw, good bye IGN.

    Update: an IGN author just posted that they will lower the scores of game reviews if the game does not refl... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Kconnaughty
    United States7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the host's Xbox-focused expertise and clean delivery.
Some fans miss earlier lineups and steadier pacing, especially when new hosts are featured.
Episodes are seen as informative for Xbox strategies and ecosystem news, though production criticisms persist.”
Critics complain about increased ads and perceived bias in coverage.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

GTA 6 Looks Likely for November, So What Does it Mean for Xbox? – Unlocked 743
Q: What does GTA 6's potential release date mean for Xbox's fall lineup?
It suggests Xbox should lock in dates for their own games, adjust the showcase slate, and consider pricing or bundles to stay competitive around the GTA 6 window.
Are Hard Drives the Next-Gen Xbox’s Latest Roadblock? – Unlocked 729
Q: Ryan, what are the co-op dynamics like in Re-Animal?
The puzzles are very light so far, mostly atmospheric rather than cerebral, involving coordination like switching doors.
Are Hard Drives the Next-Gen Xbox’s Latest Roadblock? – Unlocked 729
Q: Miranda as a gamer, does this make you just want to slam your head into the nearest wall?
Yes, I feel like I shot myself in the foot of like waiting to upgrade my PC too. It's really stressful with everything getting expensive.
Resident Evil Requiem Looks Ready to Cook – Unlocked 727
Q: What are the contrasting gameplay styles of the protagonists in Resident Evil Requiem?
Playing as Grace and Leon offers a blend of survival horror and action mechanics, with Grace requiring strategic navigation due to limited resources while Leon provides a more action-oriented experience.
Resident Evil Requiem Looks Ready to Cook – Unlocked 727
Q: What do you think about the visuals of Resident Evil Requiem?
The game is really gorgeous due to close-quarter design, allowing for a lot of detail in environments, and the RE engine excels at utilizing lighting and shadows effectively.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Unlocked

What is Unlocked about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A panel-driven Xbox-focused show that breaks down breaking news, announcements, and trends across consoles, PC, Game Pass, and cloud gaming. Episodes mix live event takes, previews, deep-dive analyses, and candid debates about strategy, pricing, and hardware, often featuring guests with insider perspectives from studios, platforms, and media. Notable strengths include a consistent host lineup, a willingness to explore both big-picture industry moves and specific game-related topics, and frequent cross-talk that reflects strong domain expertise. The format often interweaves sponsor reads and live event commentary, creating a brisk, opinionated atmosphere that appeals to hard-core Xbox fans and industry watchers alike.

Where can I find podcast stats for Unlocked?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Unlocked. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Unlocked and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Unlocked get?

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What are the audience demographics for Unlocked?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Unlocked, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Unlocked have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Unlocked has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Unlocked?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Unlocked:

1. Beyond
2. Game Scoop!
3. Next-Gen Console Watch
4. Nintendo Voice Chat
5. Kinda Funny Games Daily: Video Games News Podcast

How many episodes of Unlocked are there?

Unlocked launched 18 years ago and published 794 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Unlocked?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Unlocked?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Unlocked from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on Unlocked?

Recent guests on Unlocked include:

1. Paris Lilly
2. Kaleef Adams
3. MC Fixer
4. Yuri Zhdanovich
5. Todd Howard
6. Mike Channell
7. Aaron Greenberg
8. Brandon Adler

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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