10 Video Games That Died (Then Came Back Stronger Than Ever)
9. Final Fantasy XIV
There are few video game comeback stories more impressive or encouraging than Final Fantasy XIV, which initially launched in 2010 to a well-earned drubbing from critics and fans alike, who skewered the MMORPG for its lackluster gameplay, atrocious interface, and the general perception that it was released unfinished.
But rather than dig their heels in and try to fleece the series' famously loyal fans for every easy penny, Square Enix suspended subscription fees, replaced key members of the development team, and eventually decided to shut FFXIV down while they rebuilt the game from the ground-up.
The original iteration of FFXIV officially died in late 2012 when the servers were closed, and it relaunched as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn the next August.
The relaunch was rapturously received compared to its predecessor, and by late 2021 it counted over 24 million registered players, while becoming the Final Fantasy series' most commercially successful entry to date.
A decade since its release FFXIV 2.0 continues to thrive, with a fifth expansion, Dawntrail, set to come out next year. Quite the turnaround for a game which many fans had written off as a cynical, failed experiment back in 2012.