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Video game fans can be a complicated lot when it comes to games they are eagerrly anticipating. They may demand a video game to be released as soon as possible while still getting upset when the same video game performs poorly when released in an unplayable state.
Yet still, a video game has to perform quite severely for its own fan base to completely turn on itself. This may lead to decreased player count in just a few months since release or simply players abandoning the game out of frustration.
Whatever may be the reason, there have been many video games in the past that could not count on their own player base to turn a profit. In this list are five such examples of video games that had their own fans turn against them.
Note: This article reflects the writer’s opinion.
Five video games that couldn’t count on their own fanbase
1) Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red had made quite a name for itself after the success of the Witcher series, which led to many fans being excited that they were working on a Cyberpunk game.
While this video game, eventually titled Cyberpunk 2077, was stuck in development for a long time, it still gained a dedicated following, highly anticipating the game’s release. However, when the video game was eventually released, things were not quite up to the mark.
The Xbox One and PS4 versions were riddled with so many bugs and glitches that the game was unplayable, which seemed like a broken promise to fans. During development, the people involved had assured fans that the focus was the focus for the game to run optimally on current-gen consoles.
The PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S versions also had issues. Minor glitches aside, the game world of Night City felt mostly hollow and inconsequential. Many promised features were missing, such as reactive NPCs, dynamic weather, and an intricate police mechanic.
While any one issue might have been easily overlooked, these platform-wide problems fans were quick to anger and soon were requesting refunds of this full-priced game.
2) Battlefield 2042
Battlefield 2042 had begun to draw suspicion even before launch with its decision to scrap the singleplayer campaign, as well as the Battle Royale mode, and was going live service. Replaced with a short co-op multiplayer campaign and an arena mode, the game's fan base was already unsure how it would work going forward.
Once the video game was released, though, far more problems were revealed. Gameplay lacked so many features, which had been present in previous games, that players felt like they were playing a beta version of the game. Lacking key elements such as in-game chat, dedicated servers, and a class system.
In addition to the above, players also experienced matchmaking issues, network and connectivity problems, and immense lag. All of this made the game a very complicated mess, where just getting into a match was a struggle in itself. Over a few months, Battlefield V lost a significant part of its player base.
3) Warcraft III: Reforged
Warcraft III’s remaster, termed Reforged, was supposed to be a fun revisit for fans of the original video game. With Blizzard promising new cinematic cutscenes, some new story to realign the game with the current lore, and even an option to switch between old and new graphics, fans were looking forward to this upcoming release.
However, the finished product lacked all these features, giving only a slightly polished retexture of the same game from 2002. Some of these features were featured in a trailer for the remaster. However, they were not present anywhere in the released game.
Yet the cruelest move by Blizzard was removing the ability to play the classic version without first having the remaster. Warcraft 3 was no longer available on Battle.net; instead, the link took players directly to the Reforged version, despite them having previously bought the classic version. Fans of the original game were not pleased.
4) Fallout 76
When Bethesda announced that Fallout was coming out in a multiplayer video game, titled Fallout 76, for many Fallout fans, it was a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Undoubtedly, fans were imagining something akin to Elder Scrolls Online, with a sprawling open-world populated with various NPCs, through whom players would be given quests to undertake, preferably with their friends.
However, when Fallout 76 finally arrived, only one of the above concepts made its way into the game. The large open world of West Virginia was sprawling, no doubt about that. However, it felt barren as no NPCs were found anywhere.
According to the game lore, everyone had already left. Instead, robots were present at specific locations and would give players repetitive quests to collect various holotapes while aimlessly exploring the lands.
While the multiplayer worked fine, the lack of content meant there was no real way to enjoy the game. The player base slowly petered out and didn’t see fit to return, even when the game did eventually introduce NPCs a year and a half later.
5) Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition
GTA: The Trilogy - The Definitive Edition was a remaster of three of the best old-school GTA games from the 2000s. This included GTA III, GTA: Vice City, and GTA: San Andreas.
The idea and concept were fun to entertain, and fans were looking forward to seeing the games be released. Problems started, however, when Rockstar Games removed the original 3 video games from all digital stores, as they intended for the remasters to replace them.
In hindsight, this was a wrong move. When the Definitive Edition was released, the game was subjected to many criticisms. Looking at the character models and textures, it was evident that little effort was put into the remastering. Some characters straight-up lost features like lips and the ability to display emotions.
Additional problems included constant framerate drops, problematic rendering, and overtly improved draw distance, which made the game unbearable to play for longer periods and trashed the memories of the originals. It was highly questionable that the game had even been tested before being released to the public.
