10 "Next Big Thing" Video Games That Disappeared Overnight
5. For Honor
In an industry long oversaturated with shooters, if a game can promote an exciting competitive multiplayer feel with a different edge it’s almost certainly going to grab plenty of attention. For Honor, Ubisoft’s clash of vikings, samurais and Roman gladiators, was instantly attractive for its hard and fast-paced melee-focused combat.
The game was the talk of the internet. When the open beta launched, not only was it a hotly viewed title on Twitch, the beta itself shot straight up to the #3 spot of the most played games on Steam. However, server issues that caused lag and kicked players from matches were the first signs of trouble that ultimately sliced For Honor’s potential off at the knees.
Ubisoft didn’t pull back far enough to work on the game and iron out the issues that players had reported during the beta. For Honor’s full release did garner 1 million sales but it was a telling sign that it had 36% less players in this week compared to its beta. And then, in the space of three months, most had left the game.
The Division’s abandonment a year prior was fresh in everyone’s minds and thus comparisons were obviously made, with For Honor even outdoing The Division’s drop with 95% of players going elsewhere fast.