As much as we love celebrating the best in gaming, sometimes, there’s just as much to learn from the launches that didn’t quite hit the mark. We’re talking about games that had the worst launches, the ones that underdelivered, overpromised, or were just flat-out broken on arrival. Yep, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of the stuff gamers’ nightmares are made of!
Here’s our compiled list of some notable game launches that, well, could’ve been so much better! From titles that had us all hyped up only to disappoint, to those that made us go, “What were they thinking during development?”–we’ve got it all covered. Turn up the schadenfreude, because it’s time to dive into the fascinating world of gaming’s most infamous launches.
Cyberpunk 2077
Developed by CD Projekt Red, Cyberpunk 2077 was highly anticipated prior to its release in December 2020. However, upon release, the game was plagued by numerous bugs, glitches, and performance issues on older consoles, particularly the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game was even pulled from the PlayStation Store for a time due to its technical issues. CD Projekt Red has since released multiple patches and updates to address these issues.
No Man's Sky
Developed by indie studio Hello Games, No Man's Sky was heavily hyped prior to its release in 2016, but upon launch, many players were disappointed with its lack of content and technical issues. The game suffered from numerous bugs and glitches, as well as performance issues on certain hardware configurations. Hello Games has since released multiple updates and patches to address these issues, and the game has since gained a dedicated following.
Fallout 76
Released in 2018, Fallout 76 was criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, as well as its lack of engaging content. The game also suffered from performance issues and a lack of polish. Bethesda Softworks, the game's developer, released multiple patches and updates to address these issues, but the game's reputation had already been damaged.
Driveclub
Released in 2014, DriveClub was a racing game that suffered from numerous server issues, preventing players from being able to access its online features. The issues were related to the game's network infrastructure, which was not designed to handle the load of so many players. The game's developer, Evolution Studios, released multiple patches and updates to address these issues, but the game's reputation had already been damaged.
Diablo III
This action RPG was launched with numerous server issues and bugs, particularly related to its online multiplayer component. Players were unable to access the game at times due to the server load, and many also experienced issues with in-game lag and disconnections. Blizzard eventually released multiple patches to address these issues.
Battlefield 4
Released in 2013, Battlefield 4 was plagued by numerous bugs and glitches, particularly related to its online multiplayer component. Players experienced issues with matchmaking, lag, and crashes. DICE, the game's developer, released multiple patches and updates to address these issues, but the game's reputation had already been damaged.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
This sci-fi RPG was released in 2017 with numerous bugs and glitches, particularly related to its facial animations and character models. The game also suffered from performance issues on certain hardware configurations. BioWare, the game's developer, released multiple patches and updates to address these issues, but the game was widely criticized for its technical issues and lack of polish.
Assassin's Creed Unity
Released in 2014, Assassin's Creed Unity was heavily criticized for its numerous bugs and glitches, particularly related to its online multiplayer component. The game also suffered from performance issues and a lack of polish. Ubisoft released multiple patches to address these issues, but the damage to the game's reputation had already been done.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
This collection of remastered Halo games was released in 2014 with numerous matchmaking issues, preventing players from being able to play online. The issues were related to the game's network infrastructure, which was not designed to handle the load of so many players. 343 Industries, the game's developer, released multiple patches and updates to address these issues.
SimCity
This city-building game was released with server issues that prevented players from being able to access the game or save their progress. This was due to the game's always-online requirement, which caused a bottleneck on the servers. The issues were eventually resolved, but not before causing significant frustration among players.
