Welcome to The Expansion Pass (XP) — your place for clear, thoughtful discussions on gaming without the console-war noise.
Hosted by Luke Lohr (InsipidGhost) and Captain Logun, XP covers the biggest stories in gaming across Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, and Game Pass through weekly news analysis, in-depth reviews, and long-form developer interviews.
Formerly Xbox Expansion Pass, the show has evolved into a multiplatform gaming podcast while staying rooted in the strategy, ecosystem, and conversations that built it.
With 150+ interviews featuring developers, journalists, and studio leads — from AAA to indie — XP offers a grounded perspective on how games are made, why decisions happen, and where the industry is headed. Guests include creators from Xbox Game Studios, Bethesda, Ubisoft, Respawn, id Software, Ninja Theory, Blizzard, Asobo, Remedy, and more.
What You’ll Hear on XP
• Weekly gaming and industry news
• Hands-on previews and spoiler-free reviews
• Interviews with developers, journalists, and industry veterans
• Coverage of Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC, and Game Pass
• Honest analysis grounded in experience and respect for players
Why Listeners Come to XP
• Clear takes
• No console-war noise
• Insightful, professional coverage
• A welcoming gaming community
• Industry-level conversations made accessible
Whether you're here for gaming news, developer insight, or thoughtful commentary on a changing industry, The Expansion Pass (XP) delivers high-quality coverage every week.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podbean, Pandora, SiriusXM, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and more.
Subscribe and join the XP community — and enjoy gaming discussions built on clarity, passion, and respect.
Episodes
Friday Jan 30, 2026
Friday Jan 30, 2026
In this episode of Xbox Expansion Pass, Luke Lohr (Insipid Ghost) sits down with Ian Proulx, CEO and co-founder of 1047 Games, for a candid discussion about Splitgate’s past year, the Summer Game Fest moment, and the lessons learned along the way.
Ian reflects on the challenges of building a sequel versus a new IP, why Splitgate 2 missed expectations for some players, and the difficult decision to reset and relaunch the game as Splitgate: Arena Reloaded. From there, the conversation shifts into gameplay philosophy, retention metrics, portal accessibility, monetization, and what “stabilizing” the game actually means heading into 2026.
This is a thoughtful, direct conversation about course correction, leadership, and rebuilding trust — without framing anyone as a villain or a victim.
Topics discussed include:
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The Summer Game Fest moment and how it reshaped the Splitgate conversation
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Lessons learned from that period and what Ian would do differently
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Why building a sequel is different than building a new IP
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Where Splitgate 2 missed player expectations
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The decision to pull the game back and reset
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Arena Reloaded’s refocus on classic arena gameplay
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Arena Royale explained
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Retention, requeue rate, and how 1047 measures success
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Portal balance and accessibility tools
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Monetization philosophy and rebuilding player trust
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Performance, polish, and the quality bar moving forward
👉 Clear takes. No console-war noise.
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Follow & Contact:
BlueSky (Luke): @InsipidGhost
BlueSky (Logun): @CaptLogun
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
More XEP & Friends:
Keelhauled – A Sea of Thieves Podcast: https://captlogun.podbean.com
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