10 Biggest Video Game Financial Disasters This Generation

7. Overkill's The Walking Dead

Overkill S The Walking Dead
Overkill Software

Overkill's The Walking Dead has been shambling along since 2014, suffering through one delay after another without any real fanfare. Despite most video game adaptations of Robert Kirkman's comic (that aren't made by Telltale) being piss-poor, Overkill continued to stress how they wanted to deliver a genuinely great co-op shooter that did the source material justice.

Sadly, all sings pointed to that not happening. Even without the litany of delays, Overkill's The Walking Dead was poorly marketed, with its PC release day sneaking up on just about everyone. Unsurprisingly, without any real push the game launched to sales that were below expectations, with the developer's other game, Payday 2, having a higher player count despite being five years old.

At the end of 2018, publisher Starbreeze announced poor earnings and began procedures to cut costs in the future. Then, in January 2019, the console versions of the game were scrapped unceremoniously. By the end of February, Skybound (the owner of The Walking Dead licence) announced they were terminating the contract with Starbreeze and development on the game would be discontinued.

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Josh has over 11 years of experience as a published writer, having worked nine of those years as a full-time content producer at WhatCulture. In that period he has created hundreds of articles, videos and podcast episodes for multiple WhatCulture channels, specialising in gaming, horror and film & TV. He now primarily works as a senior content producer and presenter on WhatCulture Gaming where he co-hosts the WhatCulture Gaming Podcast, a top 3 UK most listened to gaming podcast that he co-created in 2018. Over the years he has reviewed several high-profile gaming releases, covered industry events with on-site reporting, opined on breaking news, and even kicked off his interviewing career by chatting to childhood hero, Tommy Wiseau.