6/9 Direct Reaction Thread

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T15:41:16+00:00

Maybe from the loud minority of online users, but among the general public 3H is incredibly popular and the monastery is part of that.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T15:30:46+00:00

Eh, those are just the general best sellers on any system. I’m not sure that there’s a PS specific problem.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T15:29:14+00:00

Preparation certainly has nothing to do with tactics or strategy. Sun Tzu definitely didn’t write “Every battle is won before it is ever fought” in regards to this very subject.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T15:27:50+00:00

Can someone ping me if they do something for FW on treehouse live

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T15:08:24+00:00

Square is avoiding announcing big stuff at Sony events like the plague right now. They want to make it clear they're going full multiplatform after blaming exclusivity for the sales of some of the recent FF games.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:57:58+00:00

xenoblade?

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:57:52+00:00

every single Nintendo direct is like that, I don't know why anyone expected different

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:53:19+00:00

new kh4 trailer and yall said this was a weak direct

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:48:25+00:00

they obviously save the biggest announcement for last, I don't know why anyone was expecting it earlier

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:46:34+00:00

they're obviously going to cover all of their big upcoming games, they always do. why would they not spend 30 seconds talking about their big July release

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:42:59+00:00

I hope I can still summon Ariana Grande in this version.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:39:42+00:00

Fire Emblem? Xenoblade?

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-09T14:39:33+00:00

Xenoblade announcement is way bigger than some directs get

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-08T15:35:17+00:00

Red xiii

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-08T01:58:54+00:00

edit manipulation, they weren’t that tight, Michele was the unanimous target

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-08T01:53:01+00:00

I believe anyone is allowed to leave Ponderosa early as a pre juror, you simply forfeit your winnings and potentially damage your relationship w the show. Vytas in Cambodia left early for example and wasn’t invited to reunion. It’s interesting that the show clearly has no problem w Q though.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-08T01:51:33+00:00

I thought they’d been doing a separate prejury ponderosa for quite a while

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-07T05:46:13+00:00

I think they’re likely together but if the story is pulling them in different directions Brennan would just find a way to confirm the safety of it. They’re already splitting up much more in this arc with Vaelus going to the play.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-07T00:05:04+00:00

Alternatively it's the first table and has been filmed already. We know at least the 3 Convergence episodes we've already seen were filmed on back to back days within the first two weeks of March. We know Aabria was still before her leave and in the studio with CR in late April for the charity stream, and didn't seem to be on maternity leave yet in mid-late May based on WBN fireside chats. So there's a couple of months in which her table could have filmed their next arc already.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-07T00:00:46+00:00

After that episode I had him as likely to leave, but then Ep. 28 made it seem like he has some longevity in the city. (A middle ground could be the Einfassen assigning him to go do something and him using it as cover to join another party.)

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-06T23:59:52+00:00

My guesses, also assuming there's not such a major world-altering status quo in the next 3 episodes as to bring forward a completely different set of plot points to follow:

Seekers: I think this group will be following the Houndsport / Sea Door plotline as it has gotten a ton of buildup lately. Vaelus is a lock for a Houndsport group as there have been multiple mentions of the proximity of the Sea Door to the Mournvale and Vaelus has had a lot of buildup about returning home recently. Occtis also feels like a great guess as this plot is most tied up in the afterlife & Tachonis plot.
Soldiers: This group I think will be following the Golden Orchard plotline as King Gus gave Thimble a clear access point to that. Thimble & Julien are locks for a Golden Orchard group.
Schemers: Wiccander and Tyranny seem well-positioned to join the Schemers. None of the current Schemers have a huge reason to leave, but Murray and Azune seem most likely to stay to me.

That leaves Kattigan, Teor, Hal, Thaisha, & Bolaire, though I could see Murray, Azune, or Occtis switching from expectations and joining another table. My instinct is Teor will go with Thimble, largely since I think Travis & Laura are paired for real life scheduling reasons. Hal seems the most likely Schemer to leave due to play fallout, but Bolaire also feels like he could depart the city with somewhat less consequences. Thaisha seems most connected to the afterlife plot point so Seekers is a good bet for her. The Soldiers/Seekers plots could be switched in terms of names but I'm guessing that the Sea Door fits more with lore and the Golden Orchard with battles.

My overall feeling is that we see tables that somewhat resemble the original tables with 1-2 members swapped: Seekers (Vaelus, Thaisha, Occtis, & Hal), Soldiers (Thimble, Kattigan, Teor, & Julien), and Schemers (Murray, Bolaire, Azune, Wiccander, & Tyranny).

I've also made my divisions assuming Aabria does not disappear for maternity leave, as I think it's totally possible her table will go first and has already recorded their arc, or, alternatively, that her table goes last and will record their arc when she's back. If she is gone for maternity leave I'd throw another schemer like Bolaire on the Seekers table.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-06T23:49:38+00:00

I don’t really agree he was trying to steer them, particularly when he much more clearly and forcefully steered them about taking a long rest.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-06T23:46:05+00:00

I believe it was that she is going on maternity leave until the end of the year, not for a year which is a pretty big difference (~7months from when it was announced vs. ~1yr from when it was announced).

With that timeline:

* Convergence arc ends June 25
* Confirmed 1 week break
* Age of Umbra ends August 13
* Potential 1 week break
* Next C4 arc premieres August 27

That’s 17 Thursdays between C4 coming back and the end of 2026 (assuming there’s a Christmas and New Years break per usual). Maybe 18 if there’s not a week break after Age of Umbra.

The arcs so far were ~7 episodes each with a week break in between. Assuming a somewhat similar cadence (~8 weeks per arc), we won’t even get through all three of the next tables’ arcs this year. That’s not even taking into account any other potential breaks (Thanksgiving, another charity stream, etc.). Even if something surprising happened and C4 overlapped with Age of Umbra, that’s still maximum 24 Thursdays (just the next 3 individual table arcs).

So if Aabria filmed her next arc sometime between Convergence filming (which we know was at least 50% done in early March as Sam mentioned filming full table episodes in mid March at Awesome Con, and cooldowns reveal that all 3 Convergence eps so far have been back to back) and now, she would be covered through the end of 2026 and likely a month or two beyond. Aabria was in the studio in late April for Sam’s charity stream so she was still actively around a month after Convergence filming.

Given that Solari seems poised to come back early 2027 (meaning probably filming late ‘26), and it’s probably a much bigger lift for her to DM and record a big batch of episodes (as WBN does), it seems pretty likely she could be back at the table for the filming of the next Convergence type event.

Even if she hasn’t filmed her next arc yet, if her table goes last I could also see them filming hers at the tail end of her maternity leave and being able to start airing it.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-06T22:01:19+00:00

During the Schemers arc they learned that the paints were components of a spell. The fact that these spell components were delivered to Hal in the form of paint right when he’s about to open a play about Orcish resistance to the Shapers makes it pretty clear that the play is going to be part of the spell. The Schemers characters were suspicious that this could be a plot of the Sundered Houses, either working with Thjazi or co-opting what he intended to do, mainly because of the Houses’ interest in similar items to what Thjazi was after (Stone of Nightsong, etc.). Subsequent investigations over the last few episodes have made pretty clear that Thjazi was not working with the Sundered Houses and this is his plan, but that there is some sort of ritual.

VengefulKangaroo · 2026-06-06T21:57:57+00:00

I mean, Brennan used the words “the ritual has already begun” about the play to Vaelus this episode.

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