10 Games Impacted By Fan Outrage

10 Games Impacted by Fan Outrage

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at times where players fought back or expressed their disappointment, prompting developers and publishers to change their games.

“Halo Infinite” (2021)

There was a lot riding on “Halo Infinite.” The franchise had dipped below its prime in previous entries, and Microsoft was in the midst of playing catch-up by purchasing exclusives. It was meant to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X, but then we all got a first look at it in August of 2020. Both critics and hardcore fans tore into the visuals and performance, finding neither impressive. You all probably remember the ugly Brute enemy, Craig, who became the meme poster child for player disappointment. “Infinite” was delayed, releasing a little more than a year after it was intended. While there were a number of contributing factors, including COVID-19, the immense backlash to its reveal played a big role.

“Infamous 2” (2011)

Sucker Punch’s first “Infamous” was an original take on superpowers that earned enough love to warrant several sequels. However, when “Infamous 2” was revealed at E3 2010, there was a very vocal section of the player base unhappy about it. The reason was that the developers had altered the appearance and changed the voice actor of protagonist Cole MacGrath, who they had gotten rather attached to. Fans voiced their dissatisfaction online, loudly enough for Sucker Punch to hear. The studio then redesigned the new Cole, blending it with elements of his design from the first game. It wasn’t a huge difference, and the new voice actor was naturally kept. But the uproar seemed to die down after that.

“Fallout 3” (2008)

Lots of fans were wary of Bethesda’s first entry into “Fallout,” having taken over the third game after the death of the original developers, Black Isle Studios. The game is great, of course, but they didn’t exactly stick the landing. When players reached the climax, they were given a choice. You could sacrifice yourself, taking a fatal dose of radiation, have Sarah do it instead, or do nothing, causing a purifier to explode, killing you anyway. No matter what you chose, the game ended with no option for post-game play. This was particularly annoying considering its non-linear, open world, and your other radiation-immune companions. In response to the major criticism from players, Bethesda fixed the issue in the “Broken Steel” DLC, by either having you survive, or giving the option to use one of those other companions. Still had to pay for it, though.

“Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night” (2019)

After leaving Konami, Koji Igarashi began work on his “Castlevania” spiritual successor, “Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.” There was high anticipation on what he might do. But when we got a look at it, many were unimpressed by its visuals, with criticisms ranging from bland to “looks like poop.” In response, the game was delayed, and given a complete visual upgrade. Igarashi came back with a glorious new trailer, highlighting those critical comments, even the poop one. It also showcased the more detailed backgrounds, and improved lighting and textures in comparison to the previous version. It was honestly a fantastic way to respond to such backlash, and the game was all the better for the overhaul.

“Assassin’s Creed Unity” (2014)

I’m sure you all know where this is going. “Assassin’s Creed Unity” had an abysmal launch, as it was plagued by detrimental technical issues. Fans were justifiably very upset, prompting a lot of damage control from Ubisoft. The studio apologized for the bugs and glitches, stopped sales of the season pass, and issued some patches. It also gave out the “Dead Kings” DLC for free and, for those who bought the season pass, one of six games. For that last one though, you had to agree not to sue them. Not only did the backlash impact “Unity,” but also Ubisoft’s approach to “Assassin’s Creed.” The studio later claimed the negative response caused them to reevaluate how they developed the series.

“Star Wars Battlefront II” (2017)

Another major moment of fan outrage impacting a game, EA began “Star Wars Battlefront II” with an incredibly uncomfortable level of greed. With some of the most predatory microtransactions the industry has ever seen, it could take hours upon hours of grinding just to earn enough credits for a single character. Or you could just buy what you wanted, gaining a significant advantage over those who couldn’t. EA didn’t respond well to the backlash, either. It issued a Guinness World Record-earning, most downvoted comment in Reddit history about trying to give players a sense of pride and accomplishment. The severity of the game’s loot boxes even caused government bodies to meet, to discuss whether or not they counted as unlicensed gambling. So, when the microtransactions were removed and later heavily altered, it was the right call.

“Mass Effect 3” (2012)

The ending of “Mass Effect 3” has already gone down in history, though obviously for the wrong reasons. After having been told that this trilogy, which emphasized player choice to the utmost degree, would not culminate in one inconsequential choice, many players felt lied to. Because that’s basically what happened. Shepard can destroy the Reapers, control the Reapers, or merge synthetic and organic life. But no matter what players chose, the ending results all felt the same. Fans started a ‘Retake Mass Effect’ campaign in the hopes of getting a better ending. And BioWare responded with the ‘Extended Cut’ DLC, which attempted to shed more light on the endings and gave players an additional choice.

“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” (2026)

Widely considered the cream of the “Prince of Persia” crop, a remake for “Sands of Time” was announced in 2020, with two of Ubisoft’s Indian studios developing. And while we would love the modern improvements that could come to this classic, the remake’s trailer didn’t instill high hopes. Players slammed the disappointing visuals, especially upsetting since it was built in the latest iteration of Ubisoft’s engine, Anvil. While Ubisoft initially stated the visuals were intentional, it delayed the game mere months before it was to release, in January of 2021. Fast forward a few years, in which time development switched to the original game’s Montreal developer, to Ubisoft Forward in June, 2024, where the remake got a new 2026 release date.

“Helldivers 2” (2024)

“Helldivers 2” made a huge splash when it launched in early 2024. For a while there, things were going really well, and we were all declaring our love for democracy. Then, just a few months in, the momentum hit a roadblock. Publisher Sony announced that in order to continue playing, Steam players would have to log into a PSN account. The account, which is meant to protect players, was not required at launch due to technical issues. PC players were quite upset by this, considering there are many places around the world where PSN is unavailable; 177 to be exact, according to how many territories the Steam page had to be updated not to sell to. An immense wave of negative reviews followed, causing Sony to quickly change their decision.

“No Man’s Sky” (2016)

There are few games whose launch received as much backlash as “No Man’s Sky.” Before release, a huge amount of hype formed over the possibilities of a procedurally generated universe full of planets. Hello Games promoted the hell out of it, too. So, when players found that there were several missing features meant to be included, they were very vocally upset. And rightfully so; they had been misled about the game. It even prompted an investigation from the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority. In response to all this negativity, the developers began work on the first of what would be many, many free updates. These days, “No Man’s Sky” is vastly different from what it launched as, thanks to the studio listening and responding well to fan concerns.

Know of any other games that were changed due to player backlash? Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to MojoPlays for more great gaming videos every day!