Best Live-Service Games That Recovered From A Terrible Launch

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Summary

  • Many hyped games launch broken, but steady patches and new content can turn them into hits.
  • Examples: No Man’s Sky, Cyberpunk 2077, FFXIV, Modern Warfare 3 and Sea of Thieves rebounded.
  • Player trust is rebuilt through transparency, fixes, fresh content and consistent community support.

As a gamer, I’ve seen this happen a million times. A new game gets announced, and everyone goes crazy with excitement, counting down the days until it finally drops. Launch day is huge – it’s when all those of us who’ve been waiting finally get to play. But honestly, sometimes a game lives up to the hype, and sometimes… it just doesn’t quite deliver.

Let’s be real, I’ve seen so many games launch broken and basically fall apart. But it’s rare to see one actually turn things around and become something amazing. When it does happen though, those games can end up being some of my all-time favorites. I’m gonna highlight five games that seriously pulled off an incredible comeback from a really rough start.

No Man’s Sky

From Failed Promises to Epic Sci-Fi Adventure

  • Won Best Ongoing Game award at The Game Awards 2025

Let’s start with No Man’s Sky, a real highlight. Unlike many games that have launched with serious problems – like bugs, performance issues, or unplayable servers – No Man’s Sky actually ran quite well at launch. It was smooth, beautiful, and generally enjoyable. However, it did have one significant drawback.

No Man’s Sky lets players explore a vast, randomly generated universe filled with unique planets. Unfortunately, the initial release was disappointing because it lacked many of the features the developers had previously announced and that players were excited about. This included the absence of multiplayer and a lack of diversity among planets, ultimately meaning the game didn’t live up to the hype.

Although it had a rocky start, No Man’s Sky is now a top sci-fi game. This isn’t just due to its original, grand vision, but also because of the extensive, completely free updates that have added a wealth of content and improved the game significantly.

Cyberpunk 2077

From Unfinished Mess to Excellency

  • Won Best Ongoing Game at The Game Awards 2023

Few game launches have been as disastrous as the one for Cyberpunk 2077. While the game is now well-regarded, that’s thanks to a massive amount of work done to repair it after its deeply flawed initial release.

Cyberpunk 2077 faced significant criticism because of widespread technical problems that made it difficult to play. While the issues were most severe on older PlayStation and Xbox consoles – leading to refunds for some players – even those with newer consoles or powerful PCs experienced a large number of glitches and performance issues.

Cyberpunk 2077 had a very rough start, plagued by crashes, visual issues, and significant bugs, clearly indicating it was released before it was truly finished. Thankfully, through extensive updates and fixes, the game was eventually improved to a playable condition, letting players experience its excellent gameplay and compelling story as intended.

Final Fantasy XIV

From One of the Worst Launches to the Best MMORPG

  • Won numerous rewards including Role-Playing Game of the Year at the DICE Awards 2022

Few games have recovered as impressively as Final Fantasy XIV. Though it’s now considered one of the greatest MMORPGs of all time, the game had a disastrous launch that forced the developers to completely rebuild it and win back players.

Man, the original version of Final Fantasy XIV was a disaster, honestly. It launched with so many problems – bugs everywhere, terrible performance that made it feel really clunky, and just a ton of technical issues. Plus, there wasn’t much to do, and it felt like the game didn’t really know what it wanted to be.

The original Final Fantasy XIV faced so many problems that Square Enix eventually shut it down with a dramatic in-game event where the game world ended. But the story didn’t end there! The game was completely rebuilt and relaunched as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Now, Final Fantasy XIV is much more popular and highly regarded than the first version, having fixed the original’s problems and added a ton of new content for players to enjoy.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2023)

From Modern Warfare 2’s Cash Grab DLC to an Epic Standalone Title

  • The second-best-selling game in the US in 2023

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is considered by many to be a top-tier Call of Duty game, but its release wasn’t without problems. While it still sold incredibly well, the initial launch of Modern Warfare 3 was surprisingly bumpy and possibly one of the most troubled in the series’ history.

When Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 launched, it received criticism for having a weak and disappointing Campaign – many felt it was more like an expansion pack for Modern Warfare 2. The game didn’t offer much new in terms of weapons, with over half of them being carried over from the previous game. Multiplayer also relied entirely on updated versions of maps from the original Modern Warfare 2. The new open-world Zombies mode appealed to some players, but it didn’t satisfy long-time Zombies fans, leading to a difficult launch for Modern Warfare 3.

Despite a mixed reception to its single-player campaign, Modern Warfare 3 achieved a remarkable turnaround, becoming one of the few Call of Duty games to actually increase its player base after launch. This success was mainly due to consistent updates and new content, including maps, game modes, and limited-time events. Weekly challenges also provided players with new customization options like Aftermarket Parts, weapons, and camos. Along with improvements made by Sledgehammer Games – such as faster movement, better weapon handling, and the removal of divisive features from Modern Warfare 2 – Modern Warfare 3 ultimately established itself as a solid game with a unique identity.

Sea of Thieves

From Disastrous Server Outages to an Excellent Pirate Adventure

  • Has won numerous awards, including Xbox Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2018

I remember when Sea of Thieves was first announced – everyone was so hyped for it back in 2018, and honestly, it’s still a really popular game now. The idea of a shared pirate world with huge ship battles and all sorts of underwater dangers just sounded amazing, and it really felt different from anything else out there. But, to be real, when it actually launched, it wasn’t exactly smooth sailing. It didn’t quite live up to the hype right away.

When Sea of Thieves launched, a huge influx of players caused major server problems and prevented many from playing for up to two days. The developers, Rare, worked to fix these issues with frequent server maintenance, which meant the game was often unavailable throughout the first week after release.

Despite finally getting access, players faced a lot of serious problems with the game at launch. These included issues with the Plunder Pass, players not receiving gold for selling items, and major glitches like the ability to launch into the air using ladders. It was a very rough start, but thanks to ongoing technical fixes, consistent new content, and important improvements to things like inventory and loot visibility, Sea of Thieves has become a fantastic game to play now.

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2025-12-28 06:07