In the gaming industry, many promises are made to give players an idea of what to expect in upcoming titles. However, some of these promises could not be kept, leading the games towards disaster. We present to you 3 games that have experienced exactly that.
What kind of games are these? These are a collection of games that generated a lot of hope in the community due to their content offerings, but then triggered an avalanche of disappointment through unmet expectations. We will now list three games that fall into this category and explain what happened.
Overwatch 2
What happened to the game? Overwatch was a strong alternative for those who wanted PvP at its release in 2016. The combat system felt fresh, and the heroes, with their unique talents and backstories, provided excitement and variety in matches.
However, many fans wished for a story mode instead of time-limited PvE events. Consequently, Blizzard decided to create the sequel “Overwatch 2” and reduce support for Overwatch 1. The game was supposed to focus on a PvE mode alongside the familiar PvP, which, however, was to be added only after the release.
When the game was released, many complained about the monetization. Some even wished for the loot boxes to return instead of continuing to buy in the battle pass or item shop at exorbitant prices.
As if that wasn’t enough, Blizzard then decided to completely scrap the PvE story mode and instead only release temporary events with PvE elements. For many, that was the decisive moment to stop playing Overwatch 2.
Fallout 76
What happened to the game? Fallout 76 was supposed to be an MMO in an apocalyptic setting. A radioactive wasteland in West Virginia with new threats, a story, and online players to explore the world together. For many fans, a cool idea since all Fallout games could only be played offline and in single-player mode.
However, when the release was approaching and many expected a cool MMO, the disappointment was great:
- An empty world with no NPCs except robots
- PvP was always on
- Quests existed only in written form
- Bugs made playing almost impossible
- Poor optimizations led to significant frustrations
The game resembled a graveyard at its release, and while being a Bethesda fan usually means dealing with bugs, it was the world of Fallout 76 that drove the final nail in the coffin (via youtube.com).
Cyberpunk 2077
What happened to the game? Cyberpunk 2077 was intended as a new brand that would conquer the gaming market. A new setting with a cool story, a dystopian atmosphere, and Keanu Reeves. The game sounded promising, especially since CD Projekt, the developers of The Witcher 3, were working on the project.
Many players expected a futuristic open world with huge freedoms, and with the COVID-19 pandemic looming, many were trapped in their four walls. So, nothing could go wrong, but it turned out differently.
The game was released with massive bugs that even made it unplayable. Although analysts had projected sales figures of almost 30 million copies in 12 months (via bloomberg.com), only 13 million copies were sold. Many were also refunded due to the disastrous release.
If that wasn’t enough, the developers also had to deal with class-action lawsuits from investors. A chaotic and tragic case that will not be forgotten quickly.
Do you know any other games that made big promises and promotions, but were released only half-finished? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments!
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