Fired IGN Podcast Hosts Launch New X Button Network

Entity definition: X Button is a newly launched independent gaming podcast network housed on Patreon, founded by laid-off IGN hosts Brian Altano and Seth Macy with former IGN host Max Scoville. It launched with two English-language shows: X Button, a general gaming programme covering news, new releases, and classic games, and Ninfriendo 64, a Nintendo-focused show. There is no game, console SKU, physical edition, or retail price; delivery is digital through Patreon. For Malaysian and Southeast Asian listeners, the immediate relevance is global digital access, English-language content, and the absence of any disclosed RM pricing or regional SEA terms.

The launch follows IGN's September 2026 layoffs and a wider retreat from its podcast slate. The supplied Kotaku report, published 19 October 2026, says staff were told the non-Game Scoop shows were not generating enough revenue to commit weekly resources. No exact X Button launch timestamp, Patreon tier price, or Malaysian retail listing is disclosed in the source.

Key Facts

Key Facts summarises the verifiable launch details from the supplied Kotaku report: X Button is a Patreon-hosted independent podcast network launched by Brian Altano, Seth Macy, and Max Scoville after IGN's September 2026 layoffs. No retail game price, physical SKU, console platform, or Patreon tier price is disclosed in the source.

The source discloses two Patreon-hosted X Button podcasts, X Button and Ninfriendo 64, launched after Altano, Macy, and Scoville departed IGN amid the September 2026 cuts.

What Is X Button and Why Is It Launching Now?

X Button is a new independent gaming podcast network housed on Patreon, founded by laid-off IGN hosts Brian Altano and Seth Macy, with Max Scoville also departing IGN amid its strategy shift. It launched with two English-language shows: X Button, a general gaming programme, and Ninfriendo 64, a Nintendo-focused programme. The source gives no exact launch timestamp beyond publication on 19 October 2026.

The content loop is host-led discussion of video game news, new releases, and classic games, with guest interviews pitched as featuring dozens of industry peers, developers, and voice actors. The network's Patreon pitch cites thousands of comments and messages urging the hosts to continue after the layoffs.

“A couple weeks ago, you know, there was a slight shift in, uh, programming at our former employer, and we are now out into the great unknown and doing a brand new thing.”

Brian Altano, X Button inaugural episode

“We got let go. Careers we put so much passion, love, and expertise into for so long vanished instantly. We lost it all, suddenly and unexpectedly.”

X Button Patreon pitch

X Button launched with two Patreon-hosted podcasts, X Button and Ninfriendo 64, after Altano, Macy, and Scoville departed IGN amid the September 2026 cuts.

How Is IGN's Podcast Slate Changing?

IGN is retreating from its established podcast slate after the September 2026 layoffs. Beyond! is on hiatus, NVC will no longer publish weekly episodes, Unlocked has not published since 1 October 2026, and Game Scoop is the only show still publishing regularly. Staff were told the other shows did not generate enough revenue for weekly resources.

The source frames this as a strategy shift for one of gaming media's earliest podcast adopters. Game Scoop is co-hosted by site veteran Daemon Hatfield. No replacement schedule, new host lineup, or revenue figure for the affected shows is disclosed.

As of 19 October 2026, Game Scoop is the only IGN podcast the source identifies as still publishing regularly; Beyond! is on hiatus, NVC is no longer weekly, and Unlocked has not published since 1 October 2026.

What Does the Patreon Model Mean for SEA Listeners?

For Southeast Asian listeners, the Patreon model means access is digital and global rather than tied to a Malaysian retail or console storefront. The source does not disclose subscription tiers, RM pricing, regional availability limits, or language options beyond English. Malaysian buyers should treat any Patreon payment as an international digital transaction.

There is no Switch 2, PS5 Pro, Steam Deck, ROG Ally, or other console compatibility matrix to assess because X Button is not a game or native console app in the supplied material. Distribution is through Patreon, with no local Malaysian retail allocation or Play-Asia physical listing indicated.

No Patreon tier pricing, RM conversion, SEA-specific availability term, or non-English language option is disclosed in the supplied source.

Southeast Asia & Malaysian Collector Verdict

The collector verdict is not a cartridge or disc decision because X Button is not a physical game product. There is no Play-Asia SKU, no Malaysian retail allocation, no console compatibility matrix, and no preservation-grade physical edition to assess. Access is through Patreon, with local payment and FX costs dependent on the platform.

For Malaysian and Southeast Asian listeners, the practical route is digital access via Patreon rather than local retail or import. Physical preservation does not apply, and no mandatory download size, cartridge version, or regional eShop or PSN listing exists in the source. Pricing cannot be converted to RM because no Patreon tier price is stated.

X Button has no physical edition, no Play-Asia listing, and no console compatibility claim in the source; it is a Patreon-hosted English-language podcast network.

Common Questions

Common Questions covers the three practical checks Malaysian and Southeast Asian listeners are most likely to make: the hosts' status after IGN's cuts, the remaining IGN podcast slate, and whether X Button has disclosed regional pricing. Answers are limited to facts present in the supplied Kotaku article.

The source confirms Altano, Macy, and Scoville's departures, two new X Button podcasts, and one regularly publishing IGN podcast as of 19 October 2026.

Are Brian Altano, Seth Macy, and Max Scoville still at IGN?

No. The source says Brian Altano and Seth Macy were laid off in IGN's latest cuts, and Max Scoville also departed amid the strategy shift. All three are now launching X Button on Patreon.

What happened to IGN's Beyond!, NVC, Unlocked, and Game Scoop?

Beyond! is on hiatus. NVC will no longer publish weekly episodes. Unlocked has not published since 1 October 2026. Game Scoop, co-hosted by Daemon Hatfield, is the only show the source identifies as still publishing regularly.

Is X Button available in Malaysia and does it have regional pricing?

X Button is housed on Patreon, so access is digital and not tied to Malaysian retail. The source discloses no Patreon tier pricing, no RM conversion, and no SEA-specific availability terms. English-language delivery is the only language detail given.

Sources and Methodology

This dispatch is built from the supplied Kotaku article by Ethan Gach, published 19 October 2026, and its stated source URL. Verification is limited to that text. No Patreon tier prices, RM conversions, physical SKUs, console compatibility claims, or regional SEA pricing were added because the source does not disclose them.

Primary source: Kotaku, “As IGN Retreats From Podcasts, Fired Hosts Start Their Own,” by Ethan Gach, published 19 October 2026, https://kotaku.com/as-ign-retreats-from-podcasts-fired-hosts-start-their-own-2000747616.

Verification date: 19 October 2026, aligned to the supplied article's publication date. Regional pricing methodology: no game or Patreon tier price is disclosed, so no RM, USD, or JPY conversion is calculated; no local Malaysian retail or Play-Asia data is applied.

All claims in this dispatch are traceable to the 19 October 2026 Kotaku report; no external Patreon pricing or Malaysian retail data was used.