10 Video Games That Alienated Their OWN Fanbase

The gaming industry is currently in a good place. Riding the wave of a multiplayer boom, able to draw in a paying audience of millions, modern titles frequently have dedicated development teams that can elongate a games lifespan for years.

However, in order to achieve that long lasting success, an active and enthusiastic fan base is critical. With so many public platforms to vocalise how they feel, public backing can be the difference between success or failure.

The following titles have - a couple of exceptions aside - been a financial success, well reviewed by critics, or in some cases both. However, the one thing they all have in common is instances of upsetting their fan base, then paying the price in one way or another. Sometimes the mere existence of a game is enough to set fans on edge, setting that title up for failure.

Fan backlash can be far-reaching and devastating for a game's development. This ranges from being a minor blip, with fans quick to forgive and forget, to actively ruining the reputation of a major title and the studios behind it.

When it first came on the scene, For Honor seemed like a unique look at one-on- one sword fighting. It was one of 2017s most anticipated games, and this was reflected in the huge sales it made in the first few months of release.

However, problems snowballed quickly. The matchmaking system was a huge issue, which had players spending minutes at a time looking at a blank screen, before being told they had been kicked out of the server.

The game itself was also marred by technical glitches and balancing issues. A For Honour tournament was won by a player who exploited a well known glitch which made his attacks faster and unblockable.

It was also revealed the developers were aware of this particular bug, and had received frequent complaints about it. Not only did the tournament showcase everything that was wrong with the game, it was also conducted on the biggest stage possible.

Add to all this the snafu with the game's economy (requiring 2.5 years of game time to unlock everything... or pay $752), and fans struggled to find any positives.

Although For Honor still boasts a reasonably active and loyal player base, its connectivity issues and glitchy design turned players away. With a little more love and care from the developers, this game could have been so much more.