10 Times Video Games STOLE From Fans

For a game that never released a single second of playable content, Abandoned had an uncanny knack for making headlines. Touted as a cinematic horror exclusive for PS5, it was the debut project from Dutch outfit Blue Box Game Studios - a team that, despite lofty claims, never seemed to deliver anything concrete.

Behind the scenes, the project became a mess of borrowed assets, placeholder art, and misleading marketing. Blue Box's 2021 teaser app promised real-time rendered environments - instead, it offered a four-second clip of a man walking on floorboards, using what appeared to be Unity store-bought elements. A GamesRadar report confirmed that leaked images were from a 2019 tech demo filled with store assets and incomplete models, nothing more.

Things got murkier. According to GameSpot, Blue Box’s Hasan Kahraman allegedly solicited fan-made art and game ideas, pitching them to external investors without securing full development plans - or, seemingly, permission. Some early trailers featured concepts that closely resembled other games, sparking confusion over whether the footage was real or just mock-ups designed to attract hype.

In the end, Abandoned became the poster child for how borrowed art, vague promises, and zero follow-through can spiral into gaming’s most notorious vaporware tale.