10 Ridiculous Reasons Video Games Were Blamed For Failing
7. Halo Infinite's "Very Polished" Multiplayer Launch - Battlefield 2042
Battlefield 2042 released late last year to aggressively mixed reviews that were by far the mainline series' worst to date, while players were considerably more vitriolic, loudly lamenting the abundance of bugs, lack of launch content, and removal of classic franchise features.
A petition demanding players be granted refunds across all platforms is currently sitting on 230,000+ signatures, indicating just how dissatisfied players were en masse with a product that was clearly rushed out the door to appease shareholders in the pre-holiday period.
Responding to the lackluster reception both critically and commercially, EA not only blamed pandemic-related production constraints - a convenient excuse for any sub-par title of this era - but boldly declared Halo Infinite's surprise multiplayer launch as instrumental in Battlefield 2042's downfall.
Infinite's multiplayer suite unexpectedly launched four days before Battlefield 2042's release, and in a townhall meeting held back in February, EA said that Infinite's "very polished" state was "not a favourable comparison" to Battlefield.
Really, the pandemic excuse was a lot more persuasive than blaming the competition for simply putting out a more compelling - and, admittedly, free - alternative.