10 Video Games That Alienated Their OWN Fanbase

Once seen as a contender to Fortnite, Apex Legends leapt onto our consoles in February 2019. It boasted excellent shooting mechanics and an innovative ping system which allows you to communicate with other players without actually talking to them, and seemed like it had everything going for it.

Then, in season 2, the dreaded loot box system was introduced, making players pay for cosmetic items at massively inflated prices. This led to a stand off between fans and the developers at Respawn Entertainment.

Fan displeasure was met with the developers calling fans "freeloaders" and "asshats", among other stronger terms unsuitable for print. You don't need to be an industry expert to know that you can't build a loyal fan base if you start slagging them off when they disagree with one of your updates.

This disconnect between fans and developers, coupled with Respawn's reluctance to make major and frequent updates to the game, and some uninspiring battle passes, has led to a steady decline in users and streamers over time.

Recent updates have ensured it still packs a punch in the gaming market, but it is nowhere near the level we thought it would reach when it first burst onto the scene.