10 OVERHYPED Video Games That FLOPPED

10 Overhyped Video Games That FLOPPED

Welcome to MojoPlays, and today we’re looking at games that flopped after significant hype, whether that hype was generated by fans, media and marketing, or the studios themselves. However, we won’t be including games that had poor launches, but eventually found success through updates and expansions, like “No Man’s Sky” or “Fallout 76.”

“Evolve” (2015)

After becoming a multiplayer juggernaut with games in the “Counterstrike” and “Left 4 Dead” series, Turtle Rock Studios went the asymmetric route with “Evolve.” There was hype behind the studio, but it was an awesome premise as well: four human hunters trying to take down the lone player controlling a gigantic, fearsome monster. Pre-release coverage from multiple outlets was extremely positive, and we were all ecstatic to get our hands on it…until we actually did. Although it sold well initially, “Evolve” was quickly buried under controversy surrounding the excessive amount of DLC, which left the base game feeling shallow. Players abandoned it in droves, and the once-promising game turned into a ghost town. The devs tried to save it by going free-to-play the following year. And while that did help a bit, the damage was done, and the servers were shut down in 2018.

“Mighty No. 9” (2016)

In 2013, Keiji Inafune, the mind behind Capcom’s “Mega Man,” launched a Kickstarter campaign for a spiritual successor. It reached the asking price within two days, before going on to generate over $4 million in crowdfunding, making it one of the the most successful gaming Kickstarters at the time. Clearly, there was a ton of hype, and Inafune even had plans outside of the game, making deals for an animated series and a feature film that would never come to pass. When “Mighty No. 9” finally launched after multiple delays, it was met with mediocre reviews and widespread disappointment. Gameplay and visuals felt dated, performance on consoles was rocky, and the story and characters were utterly forgettable. While official sales numbers were kept private, it isn’t a stretch to assume they were low, considering the game’s public image was completely eviscerated and a plethora of digital sales followed.

“Daikatana” (2000)

As one of the creators of “Doom” and “Quake,” it was only natural for legions of FPS players to get excited about John Romero’s “Daikatana.” Developed by Romero’s newly formed Ion Storm after departing id Software, it had plenty of eyes on it. Although the game was troubled behind closed doors, suffering delays due to a change in game engine and multiple staff exits, its marketing attempted to convince people otherwise. Somewhat infamously, a widely spread print ad stated, “John Romero’s about to make you his bitch.” That’s a pretty bold claim to make, and one that would be used to tease “Daikatana” for years after it failed to deliver. It was widely panned for its terrible AI companions, frustrating level design, and gameplay that felt years behind the competition. It sold less than a third of what Ion Storm predicted it would, and is still one of gaming’s biggest bombs ever.

“The Callisto Protocol” (2022)

A spiritual successor to “Dead Space,” directed by the series creator himself, Glen Schofield, how could players not be excited for “The Callisto Protocol?” The atmosphere looked incredible in trailers and the production values were clearly high. There was one key element that was left behind in “Dead Space,” though, which was the fun combat. This game leaned almost entirely on a melee dodge loop, which quickly wore out its welcome. Not only was it repetitive, but it also suffered from abysmal performance issues, particularly on PC. And it didn’t help that the story failed to match the visual spectacle. So, what players were left with was a boring technical mess…but at least it looked nice? “The Callisto Protocol” wasn't nearly as successful as publisher Krafton hoped. And by 2025, most staff at developer Striking Distance Studios had been laid off.

“Duke Nukem Forever” (2011)

It’s basically impossible to make a list like this and not include “Duke Nukem Forever.” The game entered development back in 1997 following “Duke Nukem 3D.” Since that game was a huge hit, there was already a level of excitement when “Forever” was announced. Then came one of the longest waits players have ever experienced. While a development period of 14 years means hype certainly died down, it ramped back up once the game was about to launch. Many players were still eager to see Duke return, to finally see this game they’d been waiting over a decade for. Unfortunately, most, if not all, were disappointed with how dated its controls, dialogue, and visuals were. It received poor reviews and sales, and we haven’t gotten a new game since.

“Marvel’s Avengers” (2020)

You’d be hard pressed to find a Marvel fan who wasn’t excited for this game when it was announced in 2017. Despite its eventual reveal causing some unease, an “Avengers” game with Crystal Dynamics at the helm, known then for its strong work on the “Tomb Raider” series, sounded like a home run. Sadly, it was the exact opposite. While combat was serviceable, missions were extremely repetitive and grind-heavy if you wanted the best gear. However, the bigger issue was the live service structure. Any kind of enjoyment offered was sunk under the mountainous weight of microtransactions. Falling well below sales expectations, Square Enix would eventually abandon publishing duties, throwing Crystal Dynamics under the bus in the process. The developer was forced to halt support in 2023 after releasing a few planned expansions, and it was delisted shortly after.

“Anthem” (2019)

Despite a lackluster “Mass Effect: Andromeda,” BioWare still commanded respect when “Anthem” was released in 2019. And much of it would quickly dissolve soon after. Internal problems surrounded the game from the start. A lack of direction within the developer, and mounting pressure from publisher EA, caused the studio to try and sell the public on a game that was far from complete. Most of us wouldn’t know that until much later, though. E3 coverage and trailers looked pretty promising, and EA ensured “Anthem” was almost inescapable leading up to launch. Of course, all of the internal issues led to a pretty shallow game. The story was fragmented and forgettable, the endgame loop was virtually non-existent, and the campaign was short and unremarkable. Even loot drops were unbalanced. While the studio planned to restructure and revive it, those plans were killed following review by EA in 2021. The game had already failed to meet sales expectations, and its servers were eventually shut down in early 2026.

“Skull and Bones” (2024)

Revealed at E3 2017, Ubisoft spent close to a decade trying to get players excited about “Skull and Bones.” But it was all for naught. It began as DLC for 2013’s “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag,” before becoming its own game. It went through a multitude of changes over the course of its development, as Ubisoft reportedly couldn’t decide on what it wanted, nor could it cancel the project since the Singapore studio working on it had received government funding. The live-service elements felt dirty and unnecessary, especially since the game launched at full price. Ubisoft still showed it off any chance it got, with CEO Yves Guillemot even trying to convince us it was the industry’s first AAAA game. While not many bought into it, this was a supreme case of a publisher overhyping a game. Player counts were dismal from the start, and the promised ongoing content updates did little to stem the bleeding. It reportedly cost Ubisoft $200 million to develop, an amount it clearly did not make back.

“Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League” (2024)

What makes this one hurt is knowing how good it could have turned out under different circumstances. Rocksteady Studios redefined superhero games with the “Batman” Arkham” series. Hype source #1. Following the Suicide Squad attempting to take out a Brainiac-controlled Justice League, with co-op? Hype source #2. There was also a promising cast, including the likes of Nolan North as Superman and Kevin Conroy, reprising his iconic role of Batman. Hype source #3. But as more information about the game came out, more and more players started to worry. The gameplay itself was more akin to a looter shooter, which made each of the four playable characters feel more or less the same. The live-service elements felt shoehorned in only to make more money, which felt distasteful. And the writing treated beloved characters especially poorly; we can still hear the fanboys decrying Batman’s fate in particular. Warner Bros. Games was very candid about how big a failure it was, costing the studio $200 million in losses.

“Concord” (2024)

While we wouldn’t say there was a level of “overhype” when it comes to the public, we know for a fact that Sony overhyped itself on “Concord.” The hero shooter was reportedly in development for eight years at Firewalk Studios, and was set to become PlayStation’s next big multiplayer hit. Yet, it was criticized from every angle. Levels were incredibly dull, as were the bland character designs, making it hard to connect with any of them. And gameplay was as “standard hero shooter” as you can get. With a $40 price tag, there wasn’t a single reason to play this when games like “Apex Legends” and “Overwatch” were already available as free-to-play. Later reports would claim toxic positivity caused a lot of developer feedback to get ignored, which makes sense given the final product. “Concord” peaked on Steam at only 700 players, servers were shut down two weeks later with full refunds given, and Sony closed Firewalk later that year. But this will likely remain one of PlayStation’s biggest failures for years to come.

Did you play any of these bombs? Know of any others that flopped after trying to generate hype? Let us know in the comments, and we’ll see you next time!