11 Most Outrageous Video Game Controversies Of 2018

1. Fallout 76's Disastrous Launch (And Bethesda's False Advertising)

Video Game Overwatch Loot Box
Bethesda

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Right now, Bethesda is licking its wounds following the savage beating Fallout 76 has suffered, but really, the writing was on the wall from the very start.

This is the studio, after all, primarily known for its rich, well-realised worlds steeped in lore and interesting characters. To remove all of the best bits of a Bethesda game, leaving behind only the average components and taking a risky first foray into the always-online environment, the outcome was never going to be perfect. The only surprise is that Fallout 76 ultimately ended up worse than many had feared.

In the past, glaring technical issues, an ageing engine and bug-infested code have been overlooked in favour of Bethesda's strong points, but Fallout 76 only serves to highlight all the bad; none of the good. That failure, combined with an insulting bait-and-switch with Fallout 76's premium collector's edition and a recent security breach has made Bethesda the gift that keeps on giving this Christmas.

One mistake, even as big as this, can be recovered from, but Bethesda sure does have a mountain to climb in order to regain the trust and goodwill of its customers heading into 2019 and beyond.

In this post: 
Overwatch
 
Posted On: 
Contributor
Contributor

Joe is a freelance games journalist who, while not spending every waking minute selling himself to websites around the world, spends his free time writing. Most of it makes no sense, but when it does, he treats each article as if it were his Magnum Opus - with varying results.