10 Times Publishers Sabotaged Their Own Video Games

8. Releasing Titanfall 2 In Between 2017's Biggest Shooters - EA

Jumping to another Respawn-helmed game this time, and perhaps the most underrated effort of the current console generation.

The first Titanfall was a huge undertaking on Respawn's behalf. The studio, founded in the wake of Infinity Ward co-creators Jason West and Vince Zampella being dismissed by Activision, was determined to offer a new take on the already saturated FPS market - and they did just that. The first Titanfall showcased the exciting new course that the former Infinity Ward founders were heading on, but with it being an Xbox and PC exclusive, its reach was somewhat limited.

Thankfully, EA greenlit a sequel - aptly titled Titanfall 2 - that released on PC, Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 in 2017. It did what all great sequels do and innovated in all the right areas, delivering a single-player story to go alongside Respawn's compelling multiplayer. It was bigger, bolder and much better, but while Titanfall 2 garnered near universal acclaim from critics, the buzz generated from its launch wasn't enough to unsettle two other titans of the FPS genre - Call of Duty, and Battlefield.

Bizarrely, EA decided that the best time for Titanfall 2 to launch would be slap-bang in the middle of Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. We're not talking months apart here either; the game literally released about a week after Battlefield and only a week before Infinite Warfare.

Sales were reportedly underwhelming, and EA only had itself to blame.