Even today, video games are no strangers to controversy, but some have still managed to turn more heads than others for their sensitive themes or sketchy business practices, but these seven modern games in particular were surrounded by a ton of controversy.
Fallout 76
While Fallout 76 can be applauded for its ambitious premise and design, many will always remember it far more for the controversies surrounding it.
The first multiplayer game entry in the long-running Fallout series, 76 was sold to players as a game populated entirely by players. Sans NPCs, they’d rebuild civilization in a post-apocalyptic West Virginia, battling mutated monstrosities side by side.
It was an exciting premise, and though early impressions of the game showed it had its fair share of issues to work out, players were hopeful the title would still be a worthwhile experience upon launch.
Unfortunately, things didn’t quite pan out that way. The servers for the game were limited, and several game-breaking bugs soured the experience for early adopters who bought the game immediately.
As a result, many looked to developer and publisher Bethesda for fixes and, in some cases, full refunds of the game. They were then met with a delayed response from the company, which only frustrated fans even more.
That’s to say nothing of the controversy around the game’s collector’s edition, which drew ire from those who purchased it for not including an advertised canvas bag with the version of the game.
To be fair, Bethesda has continues to work to make up for all of the issues caused by the game’s launch, but it’s a sore spot many Fallout fans and gamers aren’t likely to let go of anytime soon.
