10 Worst Video Games Launches Of All Time (And If They Got Fixed)

Disaster: Few launches in gaming history have been as hyped - or as disastrous - as Cyberpunk 2077. Marketed as a genre-defining RPG from the makers of The Witcher 3, expectations were sky-high. But when the game finally launched in December 2020, it quickly became clear it wasn’t ready. 

While PC players faced glitches and performance hiccups, the real nightmare was on last-gen consoles. On PS4 and Xbox One, Cyberpunk was borderline unplayable - plagued by crashes, missing textures, broken AI, and softlocks. The backlash was swift and brutal: Sony (for the first time in history) pulled the game from the PlayStation Store, CD Projekt Red’s stock plummeted, and refund campaigns were launched across platforms.

Redemption: Against the odds, Cyberpunk 2077 clawed its way back. Over the next few years, CD Projekt Red issued dozens of updates, gradually stabilizing performance and overhauling broken systems. The 2.0 update coincidented with its current-gen console release, and brought revamped police AI, improved skill trees, and quality-of-life upgrades, while the Phantom Liberty expansion added a gripping spy-thriller storyline, new gameplay mechanics, and Idris Elba as a key character (always a plus). 

By 2023, players and critics alike were re-evaluating Cyberpunk as a truly great RPG. While the launch will always be a stain on its legacy (and still avoid last-gen versions), the redemption arc is one of the most impressive in modern gaming.