Releasing new games is always a gamble, as you never know what will do well with consumers, and modern marketing methods tend to focus a lot of attention their way. As a result, a highly anticipated game can drop the ball, completely missing the mark and failing to deliver on fan expectations and developer promises. Typically, this happens, and the game bombs for good, but not always. Every once in a while, a game that bombed at launch will continue to receive updates and enhancements, making it more like what fans expected. We’ve highlighted five examples of this and arranged them in chronological order of release.
1) Final Fantasy XIV
Image courtesy of Square Enix
When Final Fantasy XIV was released in 2010, the long-running RPG franchise completely missed the mark. It’s the second MMORPG in the franchise and was developed over five years. When it launched, it was met with widespread condemnation for its interface, gameplay, and perceived incompleteness. Fans hated it, forcing Square Enix to rethink the game. Ultimately, the team responsible for Final Fantasy XIV was replaced, and the entire game was remade over three years, culminating in the now-beloved Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, which is one of the best games in the franchise.
2) No Man’s Sky
Image courtesy of Hello Games
When you clicked on this article, you probably figured that No Man’s Sky would be on the list. The game is legendary for having one of the most disastrous launches in gaming history, as the finished product completely failed to resemble what was promised. A small, independent team developed No Man’s Sky over three years, and they had a lot of ambition for the project. With some promotional and publishing help from Sony, they managed to produce the game in 2016, but it was derided almost universally. While it had the bones of what was promised, it wasn’t the game that players expected. This was almost entirely due to the terrible marketing strategy and rush job to get the overhyped game out the door. In the decade since, Hello Games has continued to release free upgrades, improving the game beyond what was originally promised, and it’s now seen as a brilliant game that was rushed prematurely to market.
3) Star Wars: Battlefront II
Image courtesy of Electronic Arts
If there’s one game that Electronic Arts screwed the pooch on, it’s Star Wars: Battlefront II. The 2017 game was released with a ton of fanfare, and gamers flocked to buy their copies. Unfortunately, it included a now-infamous loot box system that effectively turned gameplay advancement into a microtransaction nightmare. This caused issues all over the world, as some nations labeled the game as “gambling.” Legal problems and widespread condemnation followed, which is a shame, as the game itself, without the lootboxes, is brilliant. It features an immersive story and tons of excellent Star Wars content. It’s since been updated with free content after launch, and it’s now considered to be a great game by most players.
4) Fallout 76
Image courtesy of Bethesda Softworks
Fallout 76 came out, and fans were eager to try it, but it was different from the other titles in the franchise because it was an online-only game. Fallout was an established single-player franchise with a huge fanbase, and when Fallout 76 launched, wary fans jumped on board but quickly found themselves playing a game rife with problems. There were issues with the game’s overall design, and it was incredibly buggy, with glitches that shouldn’t have made it to launch. Bethesda tried to fix the issues, but the game suffered in the months after its release. Nearly a decade later, Fallout 76 is considerably better, thanks to a series of fixes and content updates that have evolved the game into something longtime fans, as well as new ones, can appreciate and enjoy.
5) Cyberpunk 2077
Image courtesy of CD Projekt
There was a ton of hype surrounding the release of Cyberpunk 2077, largely due to the promised content and the partnership with Keanu Reeves, who pretty much everyone loves. The game was released with so many problems and glitches that it was almost unplayable. The console versions were particularly bad, with the most performance issues, which drew a ton of criticism from developers. Sony even removed it from the PlayStation Store, and it was only added back after these issues were corrected. Now, the game is what fans had always hoped for, and it has been incredibly successful, spawning a sequel that remains in development as of writing.
What is your favorite that bombed its release? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!