Major AAA Gaming Flops of 2024

Patrick_Yu · 3:26AM

2024 has seen its fair share of amazing games from major AAA developers, but not all have lived up to the hype. Despite massive budgets, talented development teams, and established franchises behind them, some of the year's biggest titles have failed to capture players' attention or meet the lofty expectations set for them. From disappointing gameplay mechanics to misguided design choices, these major gaming flops highlight the unpredictable nature of the industry. In this article, we’ll explore some of the most notable failures of the year, delving into what went wrong for each title.

1. Skull & Bones (Metacritic 59)

Skull & Bones has faced significant challenges since its release, making it one of Ubisoft's more underwhelming projects in recent years. While the game had potential, a combination of factors led to its struggle in the market.

One of the main issues was the game's lengthy development cycle, which lasted over a decade. Reports indicate that Ubisoft invested between $650 and $850 million into Skull & Bones, far exceeding the originally estimated $200 million. This extended development, with multiple redesigns, caused the project to balloon in cost, putting extra pressure on the game to succeed financially. Unfortunately, the return on this investment has yet to materialize, with the game struggling to capture a large player base.

At launch, Skull & Bones attracted around 850,000 players, but many of these were trial players taking advantage of the 8-hour free access. The game's high price tag of $70 also became a sticking point for many, with some critics and even Ubisoft employees suggesting it should have been priced lower, between $30 and $40. This price barrier likely discouraged a significant number of potential buyers, particularly given the mixed reception the game received.

While the game offered ship combat and open-world exploration, many players found these elements to be less engaging than expected. The combat mechanics were often described as clunky, and the open world felt somewhat restrictive. Players were hoping for a more dynamic, immersive pirate experience, similar to what Ubisoft had achieved with Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, but Skull & Bones struggled to offer that same level of depth. The live-service model and some repetitive gameplay loops may have further contributed to its inability to maintain player interest long-term.

Despite the challenges, the game did manage to build a core of dedicated players, with reports of those who stayed averaging three to four hours of play daily. However, this core audience wasn't enough to generate the buzz or ongoing success needed for a game of this scale. Currently, the player base has dwindled, with around 350-400 daily active players on Steam, a far cry from what Ubisoft had hoped for.

Skull & Bones was ambitious, but a combination of high expectations, pricing concerns, and gameplay that didn’t fully resonate with a broad audience led to its underperformance. Ubisoft has the opportunity to pivot and potentially revive interest in Skull & Bones, and perhaps under Tencent's leadership, things could change. For now, however, the game serves as a reminder of the challenges faced when large-scale projects fall short of expectations.

2. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (Metacritic 60)

Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League.jpg

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League was a major flop due to a combination of misguided design choices, development mismanagement, and a failure to engage players in a crowded market. Developed by Rocksteady, known for its acclaimed Batman: Arkham series, the game suffered from a shift in focus from single-player storytelling to a live-service looter-shooter model, a genre the studio had no prior experience with. The decision to emphasize gun-based combat over the melee mechanics that Rocksteady had perfected in the Arkham series confused many players, especially given the nature of characters like Captain Boomerang and King Shark, who are traditionally associated with melee combat. This pivot felt forced and at odds with the characters, making the gameplay feel dissonant and unengaging.

Another major issue was the repetitiveness of the missions and encounters. The game primarily offered rinse-and-repeat objectives like "defend the area" or "defeat waves of enemies," with little variety or creativity in its mission design. This was further compounded by uninspired endgame content, such as the post-game "Incursions," which reused missions from the main campaign. Such uninspired design led many players to abandon the game after completing the campaign, which is a significant problem for a live-service game designed to retain players over time.

Rocksteady's perfectionist culture also contributed to the game's downfall. The studio experienced numerous delays and shifts in direction throughout the game's development, with leadership struggling to clearly communicate and review work, leading to inefficient development. The rigid perfectionism slowed progress and led to discarded content and ideas, resulting in a bloated and disjointed final product.

Despite a massive $200 million budget, Suicide Squad failed to attract a wide audience, receiving only a 60 out of 100 on Metacritic and poor player reception. Warner Bros. had hoped to recreate the success of other live-service games like Destiny, but the game’s lack of imaginative content, tedious gameplay loops, and poor alignment with Rocksteady's strengths ultimately sealed its fate as one of the biggest flops in gaming.

3. Senua's Saga: Hellblade II (Metacritic 81)

Hellblade 2 was disappointing to many because it focused heavily on visuals and sound design, at the expense of gameplay and storytelling. While it is visually stunning and a technical marvel, the game failed to evolve in ways that many expected. Hellblade 2 felt more like an interactive movie, with much of the game revolving around walking, solving simple puzzles, and fighting in limited combat encounters. The combat, in particular, felt pared back, lacking the complexity and dynamics found in the first game. Instead of engaging, varied encounters, players primarily face single enemies in confined spaces, reducing the sense of challenge.

The story also received criticism for being shallow and disjointed. Though Hellblade 2 attempted to explore meaningful themes, such as trauma, mental illness, and cycles of violence, these concepts were not as impactful or well-developed as they were in Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. The narrative felt muddled, repetitive, and often undermined by simplistic dialogue and overbearing voices. This detracted from the introspective and emotional depth that made the first game so beloved.

Ultimately, the game’s prioritization of visual fidelity over meaningful gameplay and storytelling left many feeling that Hellblade 2 missed the mark. Despite being a visually impressive showcase, it lacked the emotional and interactive depth that fans had hoped for, making the experience feel shallow and unsatisfying. This focus on aesthetics over substance caused the game to fall short of expectations, leaving players wanting more in terms of engagement and narrative progression.

4. Star Wars Outlaws (Metacritic 75)

Star Wars Outlaws was expected to be a hit, given its open-world design and the massive Star Wars franchise backing it. However, the game has underperformed, selling a million copies since its release, which is still significantly better than Skull & Bones. Several key factors contributed to its lukewarm reception and lackluster sales.

First, Outlaws struggled to stand out in a saturated market. Ubisoft, once known for revolutionizing open-world games, has seen its formula grow stale over the years. The game’s release came at a time when Ubisoft’s reputation was already in decline, plagued by repetitive gameplay mechanics and a lack of innovation across their titles. Although Outlaws was marketed as the first open-world Star Wars game, many players felt it didn't offer enough new experiences. The game felt too similar to previous Star Wars titles, and the 'open-world' aspect didn't feel as novel when compared to other games with similar mechanics, like Jedi: Fallen Order.

A major issue was the lack of a compelling narrative or strong protagonist. The main character, Kay Vess, was criticized for being bland and directionless. Her lack of personal growth or unique character development made it difficult for players to connect with her journey, which left the overall story feeling unengaging. The supporting cast, although filled with quirky characters like the adorable sidekick Nix, didn’t offer enough to elevate the story or provide a sense of depth. As a result, the game lacked the emotional weight and memorable character arcs seen in other Star Wars games like Jedi: Fallen Order or Knights of the Old Republic.

The gameplay, while solid, also failed to impress. The stealth and combat systems were functional but lacked the complexity or rewarding challenge seen in better action-adventure games. For instance, stealth missions were easy to bypass due to weak AI, and the combat system, though responsive, felt repetitive and uninspired. While the game did feature space combat, many found it clunky and unexciting, with poorly executed mechanics that hindered the overall experience. These issues led to a gameplay loop that, while competent, failed to capture the thrill or immersion fans expected from a Star Wars game.

Additionally, Outlaws suffered from technical performance issues. Players encountered frequent frame drops, texture bugs, and overall performance dips, especially on higher-end systems. These issues, compounded by a lack of polish, further detracted from the player experience, leaving many feeling the game was rushed to market without sufficient refinement.

Star Wars Outlaws underperformed due to its lack of innovation, a weak protagonist, repetitive gameplay, and technical issues. While the game had moments of brilliance, particularly in its sound design and environmental visuals, it didn’t do enough to stand out in a crowded market. Ubisoft’s reliance on a tired open-world formula and failure to deliver a memorable narrative doomed Outlaws to be a forgettable entry in the Star Wars gaming universe.

5. Concord (Metacritic 62)

Concord, a live-service hero shooter developed by Firewalk Studios and published by PlayStation, is widely regarded as a significant commercial failure. Despite an extensive development period of eight years and a budget exceeding an allegeed $400 million, Concord launched to an alarmingly low player count of just 697 at its peak on Steam. This dismal performance is even more shocking considering the game's veteran development team, which included former Bungie and Activision talent.

One of the core reasons for Concord's failure lies in its timing. Development began around 2016, with the aim of competing against Overwatch. However, by the time Concord released, the hero shooter genre had already matured, with major competitors like Apex Legends and Overwatch 2 dominating the space. Concord’s eight-year development cycle meant that it arrived too late to capitalize on the hero shooter trend, and its gameplay and design failed to bring anything innovative to the table. The game’s $40 price tag, in a market where most live-service games are free-to-play, further alienated potential players. This pricing misstep, combined with a lack of standout features, led to poor sales, estimated at only 25,000 units, recovering less than 1% of its development costs.

In addition to its untimely release, Concord struggled with poor marketing. Despite being featured in PlayStation’s promotional showcases and even having plans for an animated spin-off series, the game failed to generate excitement or anticipation among the gaming community. Its trailers and gameplay demonstrations were uninspiring, with many criticizing the bland art style and unappealing character designs.

Finally, the broader issue of Concord's failure is emblematic of the challenges facing modern AAA game development. Lengthy development cycles and rising player expectations for cutting-edge graphics and expansive worlds have made it harder for studios to predict what will succeed when their game finally launches. In Concord's case, this resulted in a polished, but ultimately stale, product that lacked the innovation and excitement needed to attract and retain players.

Despite the developer's efforts to acknowledge feedback and offer refunds, Concord was unable to recover from its disastrous launch, shutting down just two weeks after release.

What’s next?

These flops serve as stark reminders that innovation, player engagement, and polished execution are just as crucial as big budgets and recognizable franchises. As developers push boundaries, the risks of missing the mark grow, leaving both studios and players grappling with disappointment. However, these failures also highlight opportunities for growth, as studios can learn from their missteps and pivot toward more successful ventures in the future.