Top 10 Video Games That Caused MASSIVE Backlash

"Do you guys not have phones?"

“Diablo Immortal” (2022)

At BlizzCon 2018, fans were on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting news of the next mainline Diablo game. What they got instead was a mobile-only spin-off called “Diablo Immortal.” The audience’s response? Boos so loud they could be heard across the hall. One bold attendee even asked if it was some kind of off-season April Fool’s prank. Wyatt Cheng’s now-infamous reply “Do you guys not have phones?” quickly went viral, painting Blizzard as somewhat out of touch with its PC-centric fanbase. Online, fans roasted the company, accusing it of prioritizing microtransactions over actual gameplay. Memes spread like wildfire, and the PR damage was significant. Learn to deal with hecklers, Wyatt.

AI Content

“Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” (2025)

Released in 2025, I’m glad there’s a new entry for us to roast. “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” has stumbled out of the gate like a horse with a limp. Its co-op campaign quickly drew criticism, and now the game is wrapped up in drama over alleged AI-generated content. Players have been sharing screenshots of “sus” Calling Cards online, prompting Activision to issue a statement, but not before some savvy gamers snagged refunds on their copies. Modern Warfare III and Black Ops 6 faced similar accusations, often because the AI couldn’t quite manage human hands, sometimes giving characters six fingers or other unsettling mutations. Obviously the debate over AI is ongoing and constantly changing, but the general consensus is “you’re one of the biggest game series of all time, pay some artists to make your art, scumbags.”

Too Close to Home

“Six Days in Fallujah” (2023)

Making games about real world events is often a great way to immerse players in realities that feel accurate, but not everything should be used for content. Atomic Games set their sights on recreating the 2004 Battle of Fallujah, consulting soldiers, insurgents, civilians, and historians to get every detail right. The result? Realism SO intense it became controversial. Konami famously passed on publishing it, spooked by backlash from both the public and military veterans, and the fact that the battle was still fresh in people’s minds. As of now, Atomic Games managed to release it in 2023, and the release backlash wasn’t nearly as intense as the pre-release backlash, something that our following entries didn’t achieve.

Bad Work Practices

“Diablo II: Resurrected” (2021)

The “Diablo” series strikes again, and AGAIN for the behaviors of their staff. After the uproar over Immortal, you’d think fans would throw a parade for a polished version of the beloved classic “Diablo II.” You’d think… if it weren’t completely overshadowed by the very serious allegations against Activision Blizzard. There’s plenty documented on that front, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. The remaster itself was solid, barely needing tweaks beyond a modern polish. But sadly, even a perfectly honed classic couldn’t escape the shadow of a company now on par with EA in terms of scandals.

Refund Petition

“Battlefield 2042” (2021)

Speaking of EA, you’d think they’d have learned a thing or two after “Battlefield 4’s” infamous 2013 launch disaster. Eight years later… apparently not. While BF4 eventually got patched into something playable, “Battlefield 2042” should’ve been ready to go from day one. Spoiler: It wasn’t. Fans didn’t take it lightly. Not only were they demanding refunds (which EA was stubborn about), they went nuclear: a petition on Change.org called for BF2042 to be yanked from every platform and every copy refunded. As of March 2022, it had racked up two-thirds of its 300,000-signature goal, and the message was clear: players were furious. The game itself is a hot mess, evoking the same “why did I trust this?” vibes as “Cyberpunk 2077’s” launch. But we’ll get to that soon.

“We Didn’t Want This”

“Fallout 76” (2018)

Bethesda has a reputation for knocking it out of the park. Even though “Fallout 4” didn’t feel as good as previous entries (for some fans), it was still widely enjoyed. This reputation halted at “Fallout 76.” Some players loved the idea of roaming the Wasteland with friends, while others mourned the loss of the classic solo experience. But one thing everyone agreed on: No NPCs and a story mostly delivered through audio logs felt about as alive as a Nuka-Cola can in the desert. Critics and fans ripped the lack of NPCs, clunky building systems, and repetitive loops, but the disappointment didn’t end there. The Power Armor Collector’s Edition promised a sturdy canvas bag and helmet, and shipped a flimsy nylon bag instead. Bethesda’s solution: a whopping $5 in-game currency. Oh, and just for kicks, a support ticket glitch briefly exposed player data. Slow clap.

EVENTUALLY Kept Their Promise

“No Man's Sky” (2016)

“No Man’s Sky” blasted onto the scene as the next big thing in space exploration: procedurally generated planets, seamless multiplayer, and a universe so big you’d… Oh wait, it actually sucks. A lot of the game promo was lies, and the backlash was instantaneous and merciless. Steam reviews tanked, and forums erupted. Sean Murray, lead developer, went radio silent while Hello Games scrambled to patch the galaxy back together. The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority even got involved, because apparently “misleading marketing” is frowned upon. Okay, that’s where the official entry actually ends, because after years of free updates, they eventually delivered the game fans had been promised. It was the comeback story of a generation, but you do have to leave in order to come back, and they left in a TRUE state.

Leaks

“The Last of Us Part II” (2020)

“The Last of Us Part II” is the first game that comes to my mind when I think of video game controversy. Even before release, the game was getting mercilessly review-bombed on Metacritic. Why? Alleged script leaks hinted at a main character’s death, introduced new protagonists, and included a so-called “woke” plot involving LGBTQ+ themes. Today, TLoU2 is still the poster child for “the woke game,” invoked any time a new title even nudges similar themes. The real punchline? Many of these naysayers will never even play the game, and that’s a true shame.

Expectations WAY Too High

“Cyberpunk 2077” (2020)

After nearly ten years of hype, Cyberpunk 2077 finally rolled out in December 2020 and immediately stumbled into infamy. On PlayStation and Xbox, the game was a glitch-fest, often crashing or running at sub-30 FPS, leaving players wondering if their consoles had suddenly been possessed by rogue AI. To avoid public embarrassment, CD Projekt Red handed out very few review copies on PC and kept console footage under wraps until launch day, a move that now reads like a masterclass in “how not to build trust.” When the game finally dropped, the backlash hit fast: refund requests poured in, Sony yanked it from the PlayStation Store, and multiple class-action lawsuits followed.

The Infamous Loot Boxes

“Star Wars Battlefront II” (2017)

EA wins again, but this time they won at triggering one of the most infamous PR meltdowns in gaming history. The trouble started with the game’s loot box system, which locked fan-favorite characters like Darth Vader behind hours of grinding… Or somehow worse: a real-money paywall. Gamers quickly smelled a pay-to-win trap and let EA hear about it, hard. Things hit peak chaos when an EA community team post attempting to justify the system became the most downvoted comment in Reddit history. Politicians even joined the fun: Belgium and the Netherlands investigated the game for predatory monetization and illegal gambling, because apparently loot boxes + kids = not great. It was an epic failure, and EA still hasn’t recovered the trust of the gaming community.