10 Fan Backlashes That SAVED Video Games

9. Failing To Deliver On Its Promises - No Man's Sky

Halo infinite
Hello Games

There's surely no better example of a game being rescued by vocal fan backlash than No Man's Sky.

The highly anticipated space exploration game launched in a shockingly barebones state in 2016, with many decrying both the repetitive nature of the gameplay and lack of features promised by Hello Games founder Sean Murray - namely a rich story and multiplayer component.

The backlash was tectonic, with many players demanding refunds and a small number of idiots even sending death threats to Murray.

It didn't help that Hello Games went quiet for the months following the game's release, though given the literal threats of harm made, it's tough to blame them.

But even with the player count falling off a cliff, Hello Games quietly got to work to fix the game and finally deliver the title they'd promised.

Over the years that followed, they released a number of substantial, free updates which added a more comprehensive story element, the promised multiplayer mode, a greater diversity of alien races, and even VR support.

More than six years on from its launch, No Man's Sky is still receiving updates, which is all the more impressive given that it contains no microtransactions whatsoever.

As much as Hello Games absolutely bungled their marketing rollout of the game, they more than made good on it in the long run.

Contributor
Contributor

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.