Top 10 Most Expensive AAA Games That FAILED

Top 10 Big Budget/AAA Games That Failed Miserably

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were going over the top 10 AAA games with massive budgets and high ambitions that ended up crashing and burning after they were released.

Ubisoft spent over a decade trying to perfect their pirate game, but instead of finding treasure, they walked the plank. "Skull & Bones" was first announced in 2017, promising tactical naval combat inspired by the success of Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag. However, development was a mess, with multiple delays, leadership changes, and a reported budget that ballooned past $120 million. When it finally launched in 2024, it lacked the depth of other pirate games, missing compelling land-based activities and meaningful exploration. Critics panned the repetitive gameplay and lack of content, making it clear this ship had sailed long before release. Ubisoft may have called it a live-service quadruple-A title, but the player base quickly abandoned ship.

Insomniac Games has built a reputation for excellence with franchises like Ratchet & Clank and Spider-Man, but even the greats have missteps. Originally revealed as Overstrike, a vibrant and stylish co-op shooter, "Fuse" was later rebranded with a more generic art style and tone. What was once an exciting, personality-filled adventure became a forgettable, by-the-numbers third-person shooter. The humor and charm from the original reveal were drained out, leaving behind an uninspired experience. With weak AI, bland level design, and an overall lack of identity, it failed to resonate with players or critics. Insomniac learned from this mistake, bouncing back with stronger titles, but Fuse remains one of their biggest flops.

How do you mess up one of the most beloved sci-fi franchises of all time? Just ask Gearbox Software. "Aliens: Colonial Marines" was hyped as a faithful sequel to Aliens, but instead, it became a cautionary tale. The final game looked nothing like its trailers, with downgraded graphics, brain-dead Xenomorphs, and a laughable campaign. Even worse, it was later discovered that a single typo in the games code had broken enemy AI, making the aliens far less threatening. The real horror story? Gearbox allegedly diverted funds from this project to finish Borderlands 2, much like how Duke Nukem Forever suffered from a chaotic development cycle. If theres one thing Colonial Marines taught us, its to never take a game demo at face value.

EA and DICE promised a futuristic evolution of their legendary shooter franchise, but instead, they delivered "Battlefield 2042," a game that felt stuck in development hell. Fans were hyped for the return of large-scale battles, but on release, they were met with broken physics, missing features, and balance issues. The lack of a single-player campaign was a huge disappointment, and the controversial Specialist system further alienated longtime players. Bugs ran rampant, with vehicles randomly launching into the sky and hit detection failing at crucial moments. EA attempted to fix the game post-launch, but by then, much of the community had already moved on. For a game called 2042, it felt more like a relic of the past.

Brink was supposed to revolutionize multiplayer shooters with its parkour-inspired movement system and deep team-based gameplay. Instead, it became a lesson in overpromising and underdelivering. The game launched in an unfinished state, plagued by poor AI, inconsistent hit detection, and a lack of meaningful content. While its SMART movement system allowed players to vault over obstacles and slide into cover, it was ultimately overshadowed by balance issues and repetitive objectives. The matchmaking was another disaster, often leaving players in lopsided matches or empty lobbies. Splash Damage had a great concept, but the execution was a different story. Brink faded into obscurity so quickly that even the developers probably forgot about it.

Microsofts long-awaited "Crackdown 3" was supposed to showcase the power of cloud computing with fully destructible environments. What we ended up getting was a painfully generic open-world game that lacked innovation. After multiple delays and a troubled development cycle, the game finally launched in 2019, but the destruction mechanics were significantly downgraded. The campaign felt uninspired, featuring dull missions and a repetitive loop of taking down enemy strongholds. Even Terry Crews presence couldnt save it from feeling outdated, especially in a market filled with far better open-world games. The multiplayer mode, Wrecking Zone, failed to deliver on its promises, making Crackdown 3 one of the most disappointing exclusives of the Xbox One era.

Rocksteady, the studio behind the legendary Batman: Arkham series, was expected to deliver another hit with "Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League." But what fans got was a generic, live-service looter shooter that clashed with everything people loved about their previous games. Gone were the carefully crafted combat mechanics of Arkham, replaced with bullet sponge enemies and an overreliance on grinding. The live-service elements, such as battle passes and loot systems, only made things worse. Fans were especially frustrated with how the game treated the Justice League, turning beloved heroes into lifeless bosses to shoot at. After years of waiting, what should have been a narrative-driven masterpiece became a soulless cash grab.

When BioWare announced "Anthem," expectations were sky-high. The team behind Mass Effect and Dragon Age was crafting an ambitious, shared-world sci-fi RPG. Unfortunately, what we got was a lifeless looter shooter plagued by repetitive missions, a lack of meaningful content, and an identity crisis. The games flight mechanics were praised, but everything else felt unfinished. The story was lackluster, the endgame was nonexistent, and the technical issues made it feel like an early-access title rather than a major release. EA eventually abandoned its plans for an Anthem Next overhaul, sealing its fate. BioWares reputation took a massive hit, and Anthem became one of the most infamous gaming flops of all time.

Its rare to see a major publisher release a game so bad that it shuts down in less than a year, but "Babylons Fall" managed that dubious achievement. Developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix, the game was a disaster from day one. It had lifeless visuals, uninspired combat, and a baffling live-service model that made players grind endlessly for meaningless rewards. The reception was so bad that Square Enix ended support just months after launch, with servers shutting down in early 2023. Considering PlatinumGames track record with fast-paced action titles, Babylons Fall was an embarrassing misstep that no one saw coming or remembered after it was gone.

With a massive budget and eight years in development, Sonys "Concord" should have been a game-changer. Instead, it landed with all the excitement of a mandatory work meeting. Firewalk Studios tried to break into the live-service shooter market, but the result felt like a bargain-bin Overwatch without the personality. Critics noted that while the gunplay was serviceable, the uninspired character designs made it hard to connect with the game. Combine that with a premium price tag in a market dominated by free-to-play hits, and its no surprise player engagement barely cracked 700 on Steam. Just two weeks later, Sony pulled the plug, making Concord one of the most expensive and short-lived flops in gaming history.

Were there any other failing big budget AAA games that you feel should have made our list? Let us know in the comments!