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
Saturday Jul 22, 2023
Saturday Jul 22, 2023
#XboxNews #GamePassCore #XboxLive
In episode 187 Luke Lohr and Captain Logun discuss the death of Xbox Live Gold and the birth of Game Pass Core. The two discuss the latest Sea of Thieves expansion, how Diablo is handling a balancing crisis, and what's on the way later this year. As always, we hope you enjoy!
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Keelhauled: A Sea of Thieves Podcast
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
#AntstreamArcade #Xbox #Interview
In this interview Luke Lohr is joined Mike Rouse, Studio Head of Antstream. Antstream is the first third-party cloud gaming service to come to Xbox and boasts over 1400 retro titles. Mike discusses the ever growing catalog of titles from classic consoles to include the Playstation, SNES, Atari, and Arcade. From how games are chosen to methods of game preservation, Rouse details how Antstream made its way to Xbox. Enjoy!
Antstream on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AntstreamArcade
Antstream on the Web: https://www.antstream.com/
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Sunday Jul 16, 2023
Sunday Jul 16, 2023
#XboxNews #ActivisionBlizzard #FTC
In episode 186 Luke Lohr and Captain Logun are honored to be joined by PTK Blam, host of The Shop Podcast. In this episode we have an incredible amount of news as the FTC has lost both their trial and appeal against Microsoft, allowing the Activision-Blizzard Merger to go forward…mostly. ID@Xbox held an impressive showcase and a third party game streaming service is on its way to Xbox. As always, we hope you enjoy!
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
PTK BL4M on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PTK_BL4M
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Keelhauled: A Sea of Thieves Podcast
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
#Everspace2 #RockfishGames #Interview
In this interview Luke Lohr is joined Michael Schade, the CEO and Co-Founder of Rockfish Games to discuss Everspace 2 ahead of its August 15th console release. Schade discusses the shift in direction from Everspace 1 to Everspace 2, drawing comparisons to classic games like Diablo and Freelancer. Additionally we hear how important Early Access was to development and what role Xbox Game Pass for PC played in development. Enjoy!
Everspace on Twitter: https://twitter.com/everspace_game
Everspace on the Web: https://www.everspace.game/
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Saturday Jul 08, 2023
Saturday Jul 08, 2023
#XboxNews #XboxPodcast #ID@Xbox
In episode 185 Luke Lohr is joined by Mr. Bad Bit, host of The Trophy Room: A Playstation Podcast. In this episode we have a quieter news week than we expected in the absence of ABK news, however a new Xbox Showcase, Game Pass Updates, and a flurry of great listener questions has us set. As always, we hope you enjoy the show.
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Mr. Bad Bit on Twitter: @MrBadBit
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
#Hive #Interview #HiveSocial
In this interview Luke Lohr by the Founder and Creator of Hive Social, Raluca Pop. Hive Social is an app designed to compete alongside Twitter, Threads, and other social media platforms. Raluca discusses Hive's role in the gaming space and how Hive has connected with the gaming community, including Xbox.
Roluca Pop: https://twitter.com/TheHIVE_Social | @ralucaxhive on Hive
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
Sunday Jul 02, 2023
#FTC #activisionblizzard #xbox
In episode 184 Luke Lohr and Captain Logun examine the relevant news to come out FTC trial’s finale, official sales numbers, and a former console exclusive and game of the year contender is making its way to Xbox. Stray. It’s Stray. As always, we hope you enjoy the show.
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Keelhauled: A Sea of Thieves Podcast
Please consider leaving a review on iTunes or Spotify. It is the best way to support the show. Thank you!
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
#SuperSpaceClub #Interview #Xbox
In this interview Luke Lohr is joined by Graham Reid the solo developer behind Super Space Club, which arrives on Xbox and PC on August 4th 2023. Graham discussed his career in game development, working with Xbox, and diversity in the gaming industry.
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Saturday Jun 24, 2023
Saturday Jun 24, 2023
#FTC #activisionblizzard #xbox
In episode 183 Luke Lohr is joined by Mr. Baron J67 - Communications Director for Level 1 Gaming. In this episode we have genuine bombshell news coming out of the Activision Blizzard acquisition as the FTC vs Xbox Trial has begun, Xbox has raised the price of consoles in several markets, and Xbox has confirmed again they’ve lost the “console wars” - Is it all doom and gloom just a few weeks after the best E3 presentation in years? As always, we hope you enjoy the show.
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
#PlanetOfLana #Interview #Xbox
In this interview Luke Lohr is joined by Adam Stjärnljus, Creative Director for Planet of Lana and co-founder of Wishfully, the studio behind the game. Adam shares inspirations for the game and stories from development including discussions of level design and insight on companionship for the player. The two close out with discussions of exclusivity and Game Pass. Enjoy!
XEP now has a Patreon! If you enjoy XEP please consider supporting us financially to help us look, sound, and podcast better.
The Xbox Expansion Pass (XEP) is a podcast dedicated to interpreting the goings on in the world of video games and analyzing how they impact the Xbox ecosystem. Luke Lohr, the InsipidGhost, plays host and discusses various topics throughout the industry. The guests on the show are meant to help gamers expand their knowledge of the gaming industry.
Twitter: InsipidGhost, Instagram: InsipidGhost, Hive: InsipidGhost
Contact: InsipidGhost@gmail.com