5 Worst Game Launches

Discover the 5 worst game launches that were met with negative reviews and criticism by players with our list.

There have been many instances where a game gathered a massive following before launching, only to receive overwhelmingly negative reviews. The reason was that these games were released in a poor state, full of bugs. These games are always remembered by players, even decades after launch. So, here are five of the worst game launches in gaming history.

1. Cyberpunk 2077

After the success of The Witcher 3, players were understandably hyped for Cyberpunk 2077. However, after a series of delays, the game was released in a poor state. From bugs to missing features that were promised to players, the game was a mess. Players were quick to voice their concerns, and soon it was evident that Cyberpunk 2077 had one of the worst game launches in history.

However, to CD Projekt Red’s credit, they made an amazing comeback with patches. Now, the game is incredible and one of the best out there.

2. No Man’s Sky

No Man’s Sky promised things that no other game had before—a procedurally generated universe full of life and discoverable content. However, when the game was finally released, many of the features were missing. There were no space battles between factions, no ringed planets, and much more. In addition, the outcry on social media was so massive that the developers deactivated their accounts.

However, in 2025, the game is in a fantastic state. The developers listened to the concerns of fans and implemented many missing features while improving the game.

3. Final Fantasy XIV

Final Fantasy XIV is the second Final Fantasy MMO released by Square Enix. However, when the game first dropped, it was in a poor state. The game had bad gameplay mechanics, was missing key features, and was overall deemed unfun. Square Enix then decided to scrap the game entirely and remake it from the ground up.

The remake, called A Realm Reborn, received many positive reviews. In addition, this remake started Final Fantasy XIV’s redemption arc and inspirational path to success.

4. Fallout 76

Fallout 76 is a multiplayer game that made many promises to players, with the famous “16 times the detail” quote being an example. However, the game was released in a bugged state with many missing features. In addition, the game had many controversies, with the canvas bag controversy being one of the biggest ones.

Fortunately, with future updates, the game redeemed itself among the fanbase. Now, the game enjoys a healthy concurrent player count and is quite active.

5. Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition

Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy promised remasters of the three most iconic Grand Theft Auto games. However, when the game dropped, players were very upset. The remaster felt unfinished, with many calling it graphically worse than the original versions. Also, there were many glitches in the remaster that added further fuel to the fire.

The biggest controversy started when Rockstar removed the original GTA trilogy from online stores, making players very upset.

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