The Dropshot

Valve's Steam Machine reviews are in — and the verdict is brutal: by most measures it's slightly less powerful than a base PS5 while costing more than double. We break down the benchmarks, why Valve went semi-custom on the chips, and whether "access to the entire Steam library" is worth the price of admission. Before that, we go deep on Escape from Tarkov's first-ever season, Cord Breach — the new seasonal character system, the Path of Exile-style trait modifiers, the Kappa protocol, and whether this shakes up the Tarkov loop for good. Then it's War Dogs: the alpha impressions are rolling in, the hype is real, and the only "complaints" are people mad about camping in a large-scale warfare game.

Plus: Sony is killing physical disc production for new PlayStation games in 2028 — do you even own your games anymore? And one last Call of Duty story from our CoD heritage: Warzone's cheater problem has never been worse, to the point streamers are teaming up mid-match just to survive. Jake sees the upside, Raz calls it like he sees it.

0:00 - Intro & Happy 4th of July

1:26 - This Week In Gaming (the rundown)

2:33 - Tarkov's First-Ever Season: Cord Breach

9:22 - Breaking Down The Seasonal Traits

21:28 - The Kappa Question & Big-Ticket Perks

26:46 - Neutral, Season-Wide Modifiers

29:44 - The Negative Traits

39:18 - Verdict: Is Cord Breach Worth It?

39:32 - Seasonal vs. Permanent Characters

47:03 - War Dogs Alpha: The Hype Builds

1:00:31 - Sony Kills The Disc (2028)

1:10:26 - Do You Even Own Your Games?

1:17:06 - Steam Machine: Impressive Hardware, Baffling Price

1:22:26 - Benchmarks: Weaker Than A PS5 For Double

1:33:24 - How Chips Are Made & The Silicon Lottery

1:34:16 - One Last CoD Story: Warzone's Cheater Hell

1:39:55 - Landing The Plane

_Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._

The podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and ad-free & early access versions - as well as bonus episodes - are available to all of our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot) supporters. We stream the podcast live on our YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast) every Saturday morning at ~9 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking us out!

🔹Streaming schedule (Pacific time):

🔸Saturday ~9 AM: Gaming news and stories of the week

🔹The Dropshot:

🔸Website: https://www.thedropshot.com

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDropshotPod

🔸Discord: https://discord.gg/B4Nsarq

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast

🔸Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot

🔸Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YVR98VF4S945G

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropshotpodcast/

🔸TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedropshotpodcast

🔹Razinon:

🔸Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/razinon

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/razinon

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/razinonttv

🔹Jakedown:

🔸Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jakedown_

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakedown

#TheDropshot #GamingPodcast #Podcast · #EscapeFromTarkov #Tarkov #CordBreach #WarDogs #SteamMachine #Valve #PS5 #CallOfDuty #Warzone · #SteamMachineVsPS5 #GamePrices #PhysicalMedia · #GamingNews #HotTake #PodcastClips #GamingShorts
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GTA 6 pre-orders are live, the price is confirmed, and the internet is melting down — so naturally that's the whole episode. Raz and Jake break down the $80 standard / $100 Ultimate pricing, the "physical copy" that's really just a download code in a box with no disc, and whether you're actually losing anything (spoiler: lending to your buddies, and not much else). Then it's the free-market case for why $80 is eminently fair, the cost-per-hour argument that makes GTA the cheapest entertainment on Earth, and the uncomfortable truth that the loudest complainers have already pre-ordered.

Then, meanwhile: EMPULSE. The $15 Titanfall-like from the Splitgate devs launched into early access with no store, no battle pass, and no microtransactions — and the guys explain, with the utmost confidence and zero gameplay watched, exactly why it's dead on arrival. Paint bombs included.

Plus: 50 million GTA 6 pre-orders, companies closing on launch day, and a $1,000 bet on EMPULSE failing inside three months.

0:00 — Intro & "we have no likes" cold open

1:34 — GTA 6 pre-orders are live: $80 standard, $100 Ultimate

2:58 — The "code in a box": a physical copy with no disc

4:47 — Is the disc even a loss? Lending, Blockbuster, PS2 days

9:00 — Servers, Stop Killing Games & whether discs matter anymore

12:17 — Onto pricing: is $80 fair? "That person does not exist"

15:31 — The $100 Ultimate Edition: scam or just a menu?

19:22 — Does $80 GTA give every other studio license to charge $80?

23:00 — Big Macs, Netflix & the "communists in our comments" tangent

31:00 — Cost-per-hour: video games are the cheapest entertainment on Earth

34:22 — The one scummy thing: PC release delayed behind console

39:59 — Back to physical ownership: resale, lending, longevity

43:13 — Did GTA kill the disc? No — it was already dead

1:00:30 — Why no disc, really: anti-leak vs. just cheaper (part 2)

1:05:20 — Ultimate Edition breakdown: tattoos, car finds, gang raid

1:06:30 — Day-one Ultimate content: cut from the base game?

1:06:40 — "We're going to pre-order anyway, aren't we?"

1:09:54 — Is GTA review-proof? Outrage-proof? The Kotaku prediction

1:11:06 — Vote with your wallet & why a boycott is inconceivable

1:18:40 — 50M pre-orders, $4B, companies closing on launch day

1:11:06 — MEANWHILE: EMPULSE, the $15 Splitgate-devs shooter

1:13:01 — "This game will fail" — the arena shooter genre is dead

1:18:10 — No store, no battle pass, no microtransactions = $60k revenue

1:23:31 — "60 grand, baby" & the $1,000 bet it fails in 3 months

1:30:20 — GTA vs EMPULSE juxtaposition & "consumer-friendly?" rebuttal

1:32:31 — Announcements: bonus eps, Patreon, shoutouts, sign-off

_Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._

The podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and ad-free & early access versions - as well as bonus episodes - are available to all of our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot) supporters. We stream the podcast live on our YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast) every Saturday morning at ~9 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking us out!

🔹Streaming schedule (Pacific time):

🔸Saturday ~9 AM: Gaming news and stories of the week

🔹The Dropshot:

🔸Website: https://www.thedropshot.com

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDropshotPod

🔸Discord: https://discord.gg/B4Nsarq

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast

🔸Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot

🔸Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YVR98VF4S945G

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropshotpodcast/

🔸TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedropshotpodcast

🔹Razinon:

🔸Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/razinon

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/razinon

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/razinonttv

🔹Jakedown:

🔸Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jakedown_

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakedown

#TheDropshot #DropshotPodcast #GamingPodcast #PodcastClips #GTA6 #GTAVI #Rockstar #EMPULSE #Splitgate #Titanfall #ArenaShooter #FPS #GTA6PreOrder #GamePrices #GamingNews #1047Games #HotTake #PodcastMoments #GamingClips #Shorts
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Halo is on PlayStation. Let that sink in. On this one we get into Halo: Campaign Evolved — the full Unreal Engine 5 remake landing on PS5, Xbox and PC on July 28 — and why cutting the multiplayer to protect the "next mainline Halo" might be the dumbest part of the whole thing. Plus the AI controversy Halo Studios can't stop being squirrely about.

Then it's GTA 6: pre-orders go live June 25, November 19 release, no PC version, and the $100 price question nobody wants to answer honestly. Spoiler: if you'll pay $70, you'll pay $100, and we explain exactly why.

But the one we're actually hyped about is WARDOGS — Bulkhead addressed the "too arcadey" killcam feedback head-on instead of going quiet like every AAA studio does. We break down the ghillie-suit compromise, the hardcore servers, and why devs who actually play their own game are so rare right now.

Lightning round: CoD 2026 bringing DMZ back as the third mode, Black Ops 1 & 2 hitting PlayStation, and where the extraction-shooter graveyard leaves Marathon.

Jake's optimistic. Raz sees the greed trap coming. Same as always.

0:00 Intro — back in the saddle

1:31 It's all about shooters

2:27 WARDOGS & the killcam controversy

7:07 Can't have it both ways: the killcam debate

7:49 The ghillie suit & hardcore server compromise

15:56 Devs who actually play their own game

19:59 The greed trap: how good shooters get ruined

29:50 Halo: Campaign Evolved comes to PlayStation

30:54 Cutting multiplayer to protect the next Halo

33:23 Are you a Halo or a Call of Duty guy?

45:52 The Halo AI controversy

1:05:09 GTA 6 pre-orders are live

1:05:40 No PC version — the PC wait

1:10:35 The $100 question & CEO spin

1:13:31 If you'll pay $70, you'll pay $100

1:15:56 Lightning round: CoD 2026 & DMZ returns

1:17:12 Black Ops 1 & 2 hit PlayStation

1:23:40 Marathon & the extraction graveyard

1:28:30 Patreon, wrap-up & goodbye

_Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._

The podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and ad-free & early access versions - as well as bonus episodes - are available to all of our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot) supporters. We stream the podcast live on our YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast) every Saturday morning at ~9 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking us out!

🔹Streaming schedule (Pacific time):

🔸Saturday ~9 AM: Gaming news and stories of the week

🔹The Dropshot:

🔸Website: https://www.thedropshot.com

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDropshotPod

🔸Discord: https://discord.gg/B4Nsarq

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast

🔸Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot

🔸Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YVR98VF4S945G

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropshotpodcast/

🔸TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedropshotpodcast

🔹Razinon:

🔸Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/razinon

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/razinon

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/razinonttv

🔹Jakedown:

🔸Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jakedown_

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakedown

#TheDropshot #DropshotPodcast #GamingPodcast #Halo #HaloCampaignEvolved #GTA6 #Rockstar #WARDOGS #CallOfDuty #BlackOps2 #ExtractionShooter #PS5 #Xbox #GamingNews #FPS #HotTake #PodcastClips #Gaming
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jake's sick, Raz is recovered, and karma is real — so we kept it loose and answered your questions from the Discord this week.

We get into whether Apex hitting all-time-high player counts means anything for a Warzone comeback (short version: Warzone is the abusive ex who shows up with roses), why Zelda is a children's game, the most overrated franchises in gaming, when a game stops being a game and becomes a simulator (Tarkov vs. Squad vs. Hell Let Loose), whether AI will let you build GTA 6 in one prompt, the hardest gaming achievements we've ever earned, and a pile of off-topic chaos — first jobs, childhood cereal, the one-hair-on-your-steak test, and which historical event we'd go witness.

Plus: a new development on splitting donations, the DMZ deep-dive over on Patreon, and a behind-the-scenes look at how the show actually gets made now.

Got a question for us? Join the Discord (linked everywhere) and drop it in the Q&A channel. We may or may not answer it.

Jake's the optimist, Raz is the cynic — guess which one of us thinks Warzone could still be saved.

0:00 - Intro (Jake's sick, karma is real)

3:03 - New: splitting donations 50/50 with Jake

4:02 - Patreon + the DMZ deep-dive

9:17 - Best life advice you've gotten

9:43 - 'Tell the truth, or at least don't lie'

14:03 - Just start — stop making the perfect plan

15:49 - Our first jobs

21:29 - Does Apex's comeback mean hope for Warzone?

23:01 - Warzone is the abusive ex

23:52 - How the rebranded show is going + the AI workflow

26:42 - Selling your old CoD-era Dropshot merch

28:05 - When does a game become a simulator?

31:23 - Would you play a good new Call of Duty?

32:17 - It's all a tax write-off now

33:52 - How we approach open-world games

37:32 - Did you beat Radahn before the nerf?

41:14 - Our most interesting use of AI (this podcast)

44:05 - Claude's Fable 5 + the gov't shutting it down

45:47 - If AI could build any AAA game, what would it be?

49:17 - Most overrated game & movie franchises

51:16 - Zelda is a children's game (hot take)

56:01 - Most useless & most useful real-life skill

57:48 - Hardest gaming achievement (Hearthstone Legend)

1:06:28 - A food that reminds you of childhood

1:10:21 - One app you'd keep on your phone

1:12:16 - Worst restaurant experience + picky eaters

1:18:44 - The one-hair-on-your-steak test

1:24:51 - Weirdest thing you've ever Googled

1:29:15 - A historical event you'd witness

1:36:32 - Ranking awkward social situations

1:39:00 - A historical figure to have dinner with

1:44:17 - Followers you'd rather have

1:44:45 - Hardest game you've ever finished

1:47:18 - Outro + peripherals

_Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._

The podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and ad-free & early access versions - as well as bonus episodes - are available to all of our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot) supporters. We stream the podcast live on our YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast) every Saturday morning at ~9 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking us out!

🔹Streaming schedule (Pacific time):

🔸Saturday ~9 AM: Gaming news and stories of the week

🔹The Dropshot:

🔸Website: https://www.thedropshot.com

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDropshotPod

🔸Discord: https://discord.gg/B4Nsarq

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast

🔸Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot

🔸Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YVR98VF4S945G

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropshotpodcast/

🔸TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedropshotpodcast

🔹Razinon:

🔸Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/razinon

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/razinon

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/razinonttv

🔹Jakedown:

🔸Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jakedown_

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakedown
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the summer of the delay. This week Raz and Jake break down two tactical shooters moving in opposite directions — Hell Let Loose: Vietnam getting pushed back to August after a rough beta, and Wardogs pulling its early access UP (something you basically never see) — and what each move says about a studio's confidence.

Then it's Summer Game Fest: the turn-based Star Wars Zero Company that's right up Raz's alley, the surprisingly good-looking Lords of the Fallen 2, and the story everyone's actually arguing about — God of War: Laufey, where Sony takes Kratos out of the lead and hands the axe to his late wife Faye. Creator David Jaffe called it live: "this is not God of War."

We get into whether dropping your icon is a bold swing or brand suicide, why the shooter genre feels stale and dead right now, and why most video games — yes, even in your favorite genre — just suck. Two friends, real takes, no script.

0:00 - Intro & the Summer of the Delay

1:27 - Hell Let Loose: Vietnam beta — what's broken

7:00 - Why the HLL: Vietnam delay to August is the right call

10:02 - Wardogs pulls its date UP (you never see this)

13:49 - Plot twist: Team17 publishes both games

15:57 - The shooter genre is stale and dying

20:14 - "These devs actually play video games"

26:30 - Summer Game Fest & why most games suck

29:59 - Keighley, Highguard & the single-player pivot

39:35 - Star Wars Zero Company — turn-based tactics

53:50 - Lords of the Fallen 2 reaction

57:23 - God of War: Laufey — they took Kratos out

1:04:23 - A 20-year fan: "I wanna play as Kratos"

1:23:04 - DMZ tomorrow on Patreon + shoutouts

_Note: timestamps may be slightly misaligned on podcast apps (but not on YouTube) due to dynamic ads._

The podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, and ad-free & early access versions - as well as bonus episodes - are available to all of our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot) supporters. We stream the podcast live on our YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast) every Saturday morning at ~9 o'clock Pacific Time. We typically start the stream 30 minutes early to answer viewer questions, banter, and chat. Links for everything are below. Thanks for checking us out!

🔹Streaming schedule (Pacific time):

🔸Saturday ~9 AM: Gaming news and stories of the week

🔹The Dropshot:

🔸Website: https://www.thedropshot.com

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheDropshotPod

🔸Discord: https://discord.gg/B4Nsarq

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/thedropshotpodcast

🔸Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedropshot

🔸Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=YVR98VF4S945G

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedropshotpodcast/

🔸TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedropshotpodcast

🔹Razinon:

🔸Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/razinon

🔸Twitter: https://twitter.com/razinon

🔸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/razinonttv

🔹Jakedown:

🔸Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jakedown_

🔸YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jakedown

#TheDropshot #DropshotPodcast #GamingPodcast #GodOfWar #GodOfWarLaufey #Kratos #StarWarsZeroCompany #LordsOfTheFallen2 #Wardogs #HellLetLoose #CallOfDuty #SummerGameFest #SGF2026 #GamingNews #GamingCulture #HotTake #PodcastClips #Shorts
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices