By 2026, major controversies surrounding video games are uncommon. Most negative reactions now stem from broader industry issues, rather than the games themselves. However, occasional public outrage still happens, and open-world games have often been at the center of it. Interestingly, some of the games that sparked the most anger are now considered classics, despite initially receiving criticism from players.
Some games, whether due to technical problems, inappropriate content, a lack of substance, or simply poor choices, become notorious and remain controversial even if they eventually improve. Let’s explore the history of open-world games and look at a few examples that faced significant criticism.
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Grand Theft Auto 5
The Infamous Torture Mission Led To Heavy Criticism
Grand Theft Auto 5 was a hugely important game that demonstrated the power of Rockstar’s updated game engine, and it really pushed the limits of the then-new console generation. However, the game also sparked debate due to a particularly intense and violent mission that many considered excessive.
One part of the game involves players using torture to get information from a harmless person, which Michael needs to complete a mission. While many people rightfully criticized this scene, the reaction wasn’t as strong as it has been to other controversial elements in past Grand Theft Auto games.
No Man’s Sky
Promised The Universe, Only To Deliver A Puddle (At Launch)
Wow, talk about a comeback! As a gamer, I’ve rarely seen a turnaround like what Hello Games did with No Man’s Sky. It launched back in 2016 and, honestly, it was a huge letdown. But they didn’t give up! They just kept working on it, releasing tons of free updates and expansions over the years. Now? It’s become one of the best open-world games out there. Seriously, the variety, the sheer scale of the universe, and how much freedom you have to do whatever you want is incredible. It’s a true masterpiece and a really inspiring story.
Despite how good No Man’s Sky is now, it originally received a lot of criticism, and this criticism came from players, not reviewers. Hello Games had made promises they couldn’t keep, and the game felt unfinished even though it was clearly trying to be ambitious.
Mercenaries 2: World In Flames
Venezuela Didn’t Love That Players Killed The Country’s President
Mercenaries 2: World in Flames is a standard open-world game, but it offers incredibly over-the-top destruction, even if it doesn’t quite live up to the first game. While the story isn’t particularly memorable for most players, it did cause some controversy with the Venezuelan government due to its themes.
Venezuela claimed that the video game company Pandemic Studios was secretly working with the U.S. government to create negative sentiment towards President Hugo Chavez. These accusations were fueled by the company’s prior work developing a game for the U.S. Army. In response, Pandemic Studios issued a statement emphasizing that their game was purely for entertainment and shouldn’t be seen as connected to real-world politics.
Hogwarts Legacy
Drew Attention To J.K. Rowling’s Views
As a big Harry Potter fan, it was really frustrating watching the whole situation around Hogwarts Legacy. The game itself looked amazing, but it got caught up in controversy because of things J.K. Rowling said. A lot of people decided not to buy it, because they didn’t want her to benefit from its sales, and honestly, it was a tough situation for everyone who just wanted to enjoy the game.
It’s been so complicated watching the reaction to Hogwarts Legacy. A lot of us fans felt it wasn’t fair to punish the developers for something J.K. Rowling said, and they didn’t deserve the backlash. But honestly, the game sold so well – it was a huge success! – that I’m pretty sure we’ll be seeing a sequel announced before too long. I’m already excited!
Palworld
Controversy Surrounding Its Inspirations From Pokemon
The game Palworld quickly became incredibly popular, offering a fresh spin on the Pokemon formula by adding guns. This comparison didn’t sit well with Nintendo and The Pokemon Company, who filed a copyright lawsuit against the game’s developer, Pocketpair, sparking significant debate within the gaming community.
People are discussing how much the game Palworld resembles Pokemon, particularly because some of the creatures look very alike. However, the idea that one company could sue another simply for using a few similar ideas – like being able to summon and ride monsters – is concerning, as it could stifle creativity and limit what game developers can create.
Cyberpunk 2077
A Broken Launch Ruined CD Projekt Red’s Reputation
After the huge success of The Witcher 3, expectations were incredibly high for CD Projekt Red’s new game. The game was heavily promoted, but unfortunately, many fans were very disappointed with the final product.
As a huge fan, I remember how rough things were when Cyberpunk 2077 first came out in 2020, especially for anyone playing on older consoles. It was a real disaster, honestly – Sony even started giving refunds for the PS4 version, which they almost never do! It took a long time, but I’m so glad the developers kept working on it. The 2.0 update finally turned things around, and now it’s truly one of the best open-world FPS games out there.
Postal 2
Glorified Violence Drew A Lot Of Negative Attention
Many people are familiar with Postal 2 mainly because it caused a lot of controversy. While the game was intended as a satire of American culture, the extreme violence in it received more attention from the media, overshadowing its original purpose.
The amount of violence in this game shocked many players, as the main character is capable of extremely disturbing acts during a chaotic spree. While some of the violence feels unnecessary and the game isn’t for everyone, a lot of fans are able to overlook the controversy and enjoy a genuinely fun experience with engaging missions.
Fallout 76
Fallout 76 Was All Controversy, All The Time
It’s hard to think of a bigger game launch that was as troubled and met with as much criticism as Fallout 76. From the start, it seemed like almost everything went wrong. Longtime fans were already disappointed by the move to an online multiplayer game, and issues like the always-online requirement and the absence of traditional characters made things worse. Like many Bethesda games, Fallout 76 had its share of bugs at launch – but honestly, it was far more buggy than most of their previous releases.
To make matters worse, the $200 Power Armor Edition of Fallout 76 became a running joke when players received a cheap nylon bag instead of the promised canvas one. This sparked widespread criticism and further damaged the game’s reputation. Like No Man’s Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 before it, Fallout 76 eventually improved and is now considered a decent game.
The Day Before
The Open-World Game That Was Removed From Steam 4 Days After Its Early Access Launch
Let’s switch gears to something a little more amusing. These days, The Day Before is mostly known as an internet joke. Even before it came out, people doubted the game was actually being made, and the developers, FNTASTIC, had to repeatedly confirm to Steam users that it was genuine. While they did technically release something, calling it a fully functional ‘game’ would be a stretch.
Just four days after launching in Early Access, the game The Day Before was taken down by its developer, and Valve spent much of that time processing refunds. While problematic game launches on Steam aren’t uncommon, The Day Before stood out as particularly chaotic – and, for some, surprisingly amusing.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
The Most Infamous Open-World Controversy Of All Time, And It Is Unsurprisingly GTA
San Andreas is a hugely popular video game, and many fans believe it’s the peak of the GTA series. However, the game faced controversy when a modification revealed hidden content that had been removed right before release.
The Hot Coffee mod allowed players to trigger an awkward and explicit scene with CJ’s girlfriend after dates. It was poorly made and caused significant public outcry. Ultimately, Rockstar removed the content to prevent the game from receiving an Adults Only rating.
It’s also worth mentioning Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition, which received a lot of criticism as well.
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2026-02-12 23:06