10 Video Game Franchises That Need to DIE

10 Video Game Franchises That Need to Die

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at video game franchises that have gone for far too long, and need to be taken out to pasture.

“Far Cry” Series (2004-21)

Ubisoft’s open-world formula, reskinned and repackaged across multiple games and franchises, has become a running joke. But “Far Cry” is the one that’s perhaps the most tired. What used to be exciting has long since devolved into a predictable loop. Capture outposts, activate radio towers, shoot bad guys, get threatened by a charismatic villain who rarely lives up to their initial hype. Yada, yada, yada. All this inside a big map, chock-full of icons for copy-paste chores that simply feel like a checklist for padding out the game time. The series peaked with “Far Cry 3” in 2012. And each subsequent entry has felt more and more watered down, despite getting bigger and grander. How many more times can we do this before Ubisoft puts it to rest?

“Alone in the Dark” Series (1992-2024)

Once a trailblazer in the survival horror genre, even inspiring the likes of “Resident Evil,” this franchise has spent decades failing to recapture its former glory. The first game will always deserve respect, and it got a few solid sequels as well. Everything else, though? It’s been a long, slow descent into death. It’s gotten more reboots than you would think. The 2008 version was wildly uneven. 2015’s “Illumination” leaned more into action, and was completely devoid of anything interesting. Then came 2024’s reboot, which, while not terrible, didn’t do anything to stand out from the pack. And was apparently a poor enough seller to get its developer shut down. There doesn’t seem to be much interest in the IP anymore, and it’s time it was put out of its misery.

“Five Nights at Freddy’s” Series (2014-25)

With psychological tension, well-timed jump scares, creepy animatronics, and some help from the biggest streamers, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” became a huge hit. And most were happy to see it continue. But now, it has mutated into an unstoppable content monster. Core games, spin-offs, books, a movie franchise, and a mountain of merchandise have pushed a simple premise past its breaking point. It doesn’t help that the lore has become so convoluted that even dedicated fans struggle to keep up. Nor that the core mechanics haven’t really evolved, more like multiplied without doing much of interest. While it has undeniably grown bigger, “Five Nights at Freddy’s” has gone on long past the creative well ran dry.

“Destiny” Series (2014-25)

Following an incredible run as the original developers of “Halo,” Bungie’s ambitious online shooter, “Destiny” and its sequel have had many highs and lows. But these days, it’s become more frustrating than fun. The gunplay and core gameplay loop has remained pretty solid over the years. But everything else? Exhausting. The live-service content model has led to a perpetual schedule of constant grind. And since expansions and seasons constantly change things up, it offers little lasting reward. Also, not every expansion’s story is created equal, and certain content became locked as more and more expansions were released, which was pretty annoying considering you’d lose access to something you paid for. A chore for both newcomers and seasoned players to keep up with, it’s something we’re ready to see come to an end.

“Need for Speed” Series (1994-2022)

Just like how “Alone in the Dark” defined survival horror, “Need for Speed” once defined the thrill of racing. Clearly, its time as a leader has passed. As it has had to deal with more contenders, the series has faced major identity issues. It seems like each game is a desperate attempt to try and reinvent the wheel. Gritty street fantasy, cinematic storylines, open-world, a change in physics from realistic to arcadey; we’ve seen it all. And each time this has happened, especially over the last decade, the game consistently landed in the lukewarm field of mediocrity. The devs clearly don’t know what they want this franchise to be. Instead of going in every direction, maybe it's time to slow down.

“Just Dance” Series (2009-25)

One of the biggest problems with a franchise that sees yearly releases is stagnation. There are few IPs where that’s more true than with “Just Dance.” While any individual entry is arguably fun on its own, the absurd oversaturation of releases and disinterest in doing anything new has definitely hurt it overall. Each game is basically an excuse to show off what big names in music Ubisoft was able to score a deal with. While the track lists are updated, almost nothing else is, from its core mechanics to its modes to its visual style. Unsurprisingly, it’s one of the more disappointing announcements each time it pops up in a Nintendo Direct.

“Madden NFL” Series (1988-2025)

Speaking of yearly releases that offer little to no changes, “Madden” is probably one of the more common first thoughts when it comes to franchises that need to die. A lot of that comes down to the publisher. Since EA holds the exclusive license for one of the most popular sports in America, leading to extraordinarily high sales, there’s never been incentive to change the formula too much. So, you pay full price, every year, for almost the same game. And that experience is always mediocre. Depending on the entry, fans have also had to deal with some annoying bugs, some questionable microtransactions, and modes that would disappear in certain entries, only to reappear later. But since there’s nowhere else to go, this is what players are stuck with.

“Postal” Series (1997-2023)

Games can rely on shock value and still be fun. But if that’s all your series has going for it, that gets pretty old. “Postal” has focused on brutal violence and low brow humor since the 1997 original, which followed a man convinced everyone around him was infected by a hyper-aggressive toxin. And beyond switching perspectives, it hasn’t evolved much since. It merely exists on its ability to be edgy, quality of everything else be damned. Particularly with “3” and “4,” they’re some of the buggiest games around. With poor technical performance and dated, distasteful jokes, everything about it just feels like it should have stopped long ago. Yet, it’s still kicking.

“Call of Duty” Series (2003-25)

Sadly, what was once one of the most innovative FPS franchises around has become another case of extreme fatigue from yearly releases. “Call of Duty” has done little to innovate in gameplay. And so, to “wow” us, it has ballooned itself in an attempt to be grand while actually feeling hollow. Seemingly in an attempt to compete with “Fortnite,” and at the loss of its own personality, we’ve gotten crossovers that clashed with the series’ previous tone like Nicki Minaj and Jay and Silent Bob. Campaigns have taken a nosedive in quality in recent years. “Modern Warfare III’s” insultingly short playtime was a common criticism, but was outdone by “Black Ops 7’s” bugs and absurd plot, including a sequence where you fight a giant Michael Rooker that became the internet’s punching bag. It’s too bad the games keep selling well, because it would be best if “CoD” took some time off.

“Bubsy” Series (1993-2026)

How is this stupid bobcat still alive? We’ve all probably asked ourselves that at some point over the years, as Bubsy has continued to get games. What began as a bland 2D platformer that was a lame attempt to copy Mario and Sonic has grown into a mascot for poor quality. The franchise’s death should have come a long time ago, with a disastrous jump to 3D on the original PlayStation. But then, Bubsy clawed his way out of the grave with a 2D revival in 2017. And you know what? That game was bad, too, as was its follow-up in 2019. Yet, a new entry, “Bubsy 4D,” is set to release in 2026. Despite positive early previews, signaling Bubsy might actually get his first good game, it’s sad that this obnoxious furball has gotten so many chances while actually good platformer IPs have stayed dormant.

What video game franchise are you ready to see retire? Share your thoughts in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!