4 Fan-Favorite Video Games That Took Years to Fix After Having Disastrous Launches

by

It’s incredibly difficult to save a video game after a disappointing launch and negative reception. First impressions matter, and with so many new games available, players often quickly abandon those that don’t meet expectations. Despite this, some games manage to turn things around and become beloved by fans. This requires a strong commitment from the developers to address problems and improve the game, but it *is* possible. Here are four games that successfully overcame initial struggles to become popular titles.

These four games all had rough starts, but eventually won over players and became beloved titles. They’re listed alphabetically, so the order doesn’t indicate a ranking.

1) Cyberpunk 2077

The release of *Cyberpunk 2077* was a major disaster, so much so that it was temporarily removed from the PlayStation Store – something rarely seen in big-budget modern games. This was especially damaging because it was the first game from renowned developer CD Projekt Red that wasn’t part of *The Witcher* series. The buggy and flawed launch was shocking, and it threatened to ruin the reputation the company had carefully built with the success of *The Witcher* games.

CD Projekt Red worked hard to improve *Cyberpunk 2077* after its rocky launch, releasing several updates and a large expansion that addressed most of the original problems. While it’s not flawless, *Cyberpunk 2077* has clearly become a strong addition to CD Projekt Red’s collection of games. It took time, but *Cyberpunk* is now a game worth playing.

2) Final Fantasy 14

Massively multiplayer online games are notoriously difficult to succeed in. Entering a market already dominated by a leader like *World of Warcraft* presents a huge challenge for developers. It’s even harder when a new game has a rocky start, and that’s exactly what happened with *Final Fantasy 14* when it launched in 2010. The game received almost universally negative reviews, and Square Enix’s president, Yoichi Wada, had to formally apologize.

After a rocky start, *Final Fantasy 14* was completely rebuilt. Naoki Yoshida took charge, and the team developed a new game engine. The relaunch, *Final Fantasy 14: Realm Reborn*, was immediately successful. Since then, consistently excellent expansions have kept the game popular, even briefly surpassing *World of Warcraft* in player numbers. While player counts have dipped somewhat recently, the turnaround story of *Final Fantasy 14* is remarkable.

3) No Man’s Sky

It was unrealistic to expect *No Man’s Sky* to deliver on all its pre-release promises. While the developers could have been more conservative with their marketing, the sheer scope of what they aimed for within the given timeframe was simply too ambitious. As a result, the game felt unfinished when it first launched, more like an early access title despite its full price tag.

Thankfully, the team behind Hello Games remained dedicated to their project and consistently released updates, exceeding most players’ expectations. Rather than a failed launch, *No Man’s Sky* really benefited from being an early access game. However, early access wasn’t as common in 2016, and Hello Games suffered a temporary hit to their reputation. Hopefully, their next game, *Light No Fire*, won’t face the same challenges.

4) Star Wars Battlefront 2

When *Star Wars Battlefront II* first came out, reviews were generally good, but players immediately criticized how the game handled in-game purchases. Unlocking a hero without spending additional money required an excessive amount of gameplay-almost 40 hours. Surprisingly, EA’s community team then defended these purchases on Reddit, claiming players would feel “pride and accomplishment” by earning new heroes through gameplay.

A response from EA became incredibly unpopular online, quickly becoming one of the most disliked comments ever on Reddit. This happened around the November 2017 launch of *Battlefront II*, and by the end of the month, EA’s stock value had dropped by almost $3 billion. The developers at Dice then announced a major overhaul of the game’s progression system. Along with several other updates, this turned *Battlefront II* into a well-regarded multiplayer experience.

What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/worst-video-game-launches-ever/embed/#

Read More

2025-09-23 18:49