No year is ever flawless, and the video game industry is no exception. While 2025 wasn’t perfect due to a few setbacks, it was still a remarkably strong year. The industry continued to produce fantastic games, allowing talented developers to share their creations with the world.
Difficult times often teach us valuable lessons, and it’s helpful to understand what went wrong so we can do better in the future. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of gaming events that caused a negative reaction from players. Let’s take a look!
1. GTA 6 Delayed To November 2026
You probably expected this news, and we wanted to share it as soon as possible. It’s disappointing whenever a game that people are excited about gets delayed, especially after a long development process.
We understand Rockstar had good reasons for delaying the game, and we believe it will ultimately be worth the wait. Still, it’s a little frustrating knowing we have to wait even longer to play what’s sure to be an amazing game from the studio.
2. Microsoft’s Xbox Hardware Price Hikes
The Xbox hasn’t been performing well lately, and things got worse when Microsoft raised prices on Xbox consoles and games last May. Regardless of the reasons behind the price increase, it wasn’t good news for fans hoping to buy a new console. The price of the top-of-the-line Series X went up by about 22
While Microsoft wasn’t solely responsible, their decision still upset a lot of people. It didn’t help that PlayStation also raised their prices shortly after.
3. Price Hikes On PlayStation Hardware In Some Regions
Sony has increased the price of the PlayStation 5 Digital Edition by about 10
4. Game Pass Price Increase
Console prices weren’t the only things that went up – Xbox Game Pass Ultimate also became noticeably more expensive, which upset many current and potential members. Microsoft acknowledged that price increases are never pleasant, but that didn’t prevent a wave of cancellations as players protested the higher cost by ending their subscriptions.
Honestly, I’m just relieved we didn’t have to face the fallout from that choice. Things really hit the fan, and I’m glad we weren’t around to deal with it!
5. Sony’s PS Plus Pricing Hike
Like many companies, Sony’s PlayStation Plus service was affected by the global economy, leading to price increases in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. While Sony did a good job of minimizing the impact of supply chain issues, the price hikes weren’t well-received by players.
It’s notable how Sony has maintained more control compared to Microsoft, though their price increases have led people to question whether consoles offer good value for money when compared to PC gaming. This is a key point to watch in the next few years, and the arrival of Steam Machines could really change things.
6. AI In Video Games
In 2025, the use of generative AI caused problems for some game studios, with many gamers and reviewers criticizing its implementation. A prime example is ARC Raiders, a generally well-received game that faced criticism and negative reviews due to AI-generated NPC dialogue. Other games, like The Alters, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, and Fortnite, also sparked controversy surrounding their use of AI.
7. Call of Duty Black Ops 7
It’s become common for fans to be let down by new Call of Duty games, so it wasn’t a shock that Black Ops 7 didn’t impress. The story, gameplay, and how the game looked and felt just didn’t come together, and it ended up being one of the worst shooters of 2025 – especially when compared to games like ARC Raiders.
While some fans were hoping the series could improve with future releases, that seems increasingly doubtful now.
8. Mario Kart World’s Hefty Price Tag
Mario Kart World was an impressive game and really demonstrated the Switch 2’s capabilities. However, its high price disappointed many players and may have discouraged others from buying it.
Although many gamers would happily pay $80 for a truly great game, this price point could create a problem. It might price some players out of being able to regularly afford new, high-quality titles, potentially limiting who can enjoy them.
9. Industry Wide Layoffs
It’s been really tough seeing so many game studios close down and talented developers lose their jobs lately. It’s especially frustrating when you think about all the amazing work they’ve done – like Monolith and their incredible Nemesis System. It feels like that kind of innovation might just be lost now, which is a real shame.
In 2025, many companies in the gaming industry, including Electronic Arts, Supermassive Games, People Can Fly, and Amazon Games, experienced layoffs. Thousands of developers lost their jobs, and we hope they were all able to find new opportunities.
10. MindsEye
We were really disappointed with MindsEye. Despite high expectations for this game from Build A Rocket Boy, it fell flat. The world felt empty, the story wasn’t engaging, and the combat was uninspired. It had the potential to be something special, but unfortunately, it ended up being one of the biggest gaming letdowns of 2025.
The studio didn’t handle the criticism of their first game very well, and their negative response likely hurt them. Hopefully, other game developers can learn from this example when launching new titles that don’t immediately succeed.
11. Monster Hunter Wilds PC
This game is another example of a promising series falling short of expectations after a long wait. Following the success of Worlds, Wilds had the potential to be a fantastic sequel and elevate the franchise. While the console version played well, the PC version suffered from poor performance and optimization, frustrating many players with the developer.
The game had a rocky start, plagued by technical issues like low frame rates, poor graphics card performance, crashes, and stuttering – all of which hindered what could have been a fantastic monster-hunting experience in beautiful settings. It’s a shame it didn’t gain traction immediately, but we’re glad to see it’s improved and found an audience, even if it took some time.
12. Where Winds Meet’s UI Issues
Many of our longtime players have been pleasantly surprised by Where Winds Meet. However, the user interface could be improved. It’s currently quite confusing and risks players overlooking key gameplay elements. The game needs to clearly explain its many different systems to ensure a smoother experience.
This issue isn’t a major flaw, but it should still be fixed given how great everything else about the experience is.
13. Valorant’s Text Verification
While Valorant is considered one of the top esports shooters, its strict security measures have caused some problems. Riot Games wants to prevent cheating, so they require players to use multi-factor authentication. This understandably led to some negative reactions from the player base.
Because accounts are now linked to phone numbers and we’re cracking down on unfair play, even players who weren’t cheating had to adjust to the new rules. While this was a needed change, it wasn’t ideal for everyone – we understand it can be frustrating.
14. Lacking Features At Launch
Many recently released games launched without all of their promised features, which disappointed players because those features were important for a good gaming experience. For example, while Borderlands 4 looked fantastic and players wanted to capture screenshots, the missing Photo Mode at launch was frustrating.
It’s great that Ghost of Yotei finally has a New Game+ mode, though it really should have been included from the beginning. The game’s empty open world after completing the story made this feature especially needed, letting players jump back in for more action. And it wasn’t the only game with missing features that seemed strange to leave out.
15. Cancelled Projects
Sony canceled the ongoing service-based games in development at Bend Studio and Bluepoint Games, choosing to focus on projects expected to be more profitable. Microsoft also scrapped two games, Everwild and Perfect Dark, which had looked promising for their game collection.
It’s always a shame when promising games don’t get the opportunity to shine, but that’s just how things go.
So, that covers some of the biggest disappointments of 2025 – games that left players frustrated with bad choices and poorly realized concepts. Hopefully, 2026 will bring fewer games like these and more successes!
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2026-01-02 23:21