The largest flops of 2024 and what we can learn from them

2024 was a year of ups and downs for the games industry. While some titles grabbed the spotlight with innovative experiences and impeccable gameplay, such as Silent Hill Remake and Black Myth: Wukong, others failed to achieve the expected success due to bugs,

Weak plots or other choice in which it was not as well accepted by critics, frustrating both fans and studios. The so -called 2024 flops show us that, even with large budgets, aggressive marketing campaigns and weight names, the success of a game is far from guaranteed. Whether due to the lack of technical polishing, flawed launch strategies or even the absence of a clear identity, some games quickly fell into oblivion or were the target of harsh criticism. But how can these failures help shape the future of the industry? And what lessons can companies and players take from all this?

Today, Let's explore the most striking cases of games that were flop in 2024 and dive into the reasons behind these disappointments. More than pointing out errors, let's look at how these cases can teach valuable lessons about the creation, launch and maintenance of games in the modern era, apart from the expectation of the current gamer audience about current games.

Skull and Bones

Skull and Bones, the long -awaited Ubisoft pirate game, supposed "quadruple a" in which he was called, was released in 2024 after years of postponements, uncertainties and changes in creative direction. The title, initially announced in 2017 as an expansion of the concept of naval battles of Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, It ended up becoming a standalone game, promising to explore the lives of pirates on the high seas.

Players had high expectations, expecting a game that used the mechanics that appeared in Assassin's Creed and a captivating and addictive battle on the high seas, however, the final result failed to meet expectations, leading to widespread criticism. Let's analyze the main aspects of the game and understand what went wrong and how it could have been better.

The development of Skull and Bones was a true test of endurance. Originally planned as an expansion, the project was reimagined several times, changing creative direction on several occasions. Reports indicate that the game has faced problems with inconsistent leadership, lack of clarity in the overview of the project and financial pressure.

Another critical point was the contract made with the Government of Singapore, which funded part of development in exchange for launch commitments, with Ubisoft forced to hire the Singapore team to develop the game and create a new IP. This decision taken by the company was one of the reasons why Skull and Bones ended up becoming a burden for Ubisoft, in addition to poor management, high cost, dubious choice by the creative team and failure to deliver results by employees, in addition to the investigation by the Singapore government into allegations of sexual abuse and professional discrimination.

The Skull and Bones universe presents an unengaging story, forgettable characters and a weak central narrative, causing the immersion to be impaired and, consequently, to become boring. The mechanics present in the game also leave a lot to be desired, being repetitive and little explored, navigation with ships, which was supposed to be the game's strong point, ends up becoming tedious and boring, the combat being monotonous and unimpressive. The game also lacks in terms of exploration as it has few moments in which it is possible to explore the islands on foot and in missions which are repetitive such as collecting resources, taking a mission item from A to B and attacking enemy ships in search of materials for improve your boat.

The "Live Service" system adopted by the company for this game was a complicated and risky decision for having a very high chance of failing and needs a consolidated players base. The service games designed by Ubisoft would be a pirate world in which it would receive daily updates that would keep the world active with missions and events, being monetized by the sale of cosmetics and premium content, however, the weak launch and a system focused on microtransactions, a characteristic from Ubisoft, It made him receive a lot of criticism and push the possible players away.

What Could Be Done To improve?

Despite all these problems, the game has the potential to rise in the world of games if proper attention is taken to their problems.

Ubisoft could make his universe more fun and immersive, adding for example a main story that has more weight, With characters who have a well -built story and a motivation that attaches players. Exploration could also be improved so that the player can visit remote islands and make quests and challenges in which he involved other players, such as treasury fighters, sea duels or simply throw cards into a tavern.

Revamping gameplay is also an urgent topic that the company needs to work on. The variety of missions so that it doesn't get too repetitive, such as frigate stealing missions, PvP combat or hunting legendary animals on the high seas. Naval combat could also be more focused on strategy, How to hit a point in the enemy boat where it is rotten to create a larger hole in the vessel for example, different ammunition for various situations and the possibility of improving the experience of your crew or researching different parts for your boat would cause a feeling of evolution For the players.

The non-dependence on microtransactions is a factor that could encourage more players to play it because it is a more accessible experience and it is not necessary to spend money on a product that you could get if you invested time in the game. Free updates will also make game add value and keep the world alive with new missions and items. The creation of seasonal events and cooperative modes will make the community active and always seek to return regularly. Update patches are also important to correct bugs and improve performance, being an important step in regaining the community.

Disclosure: Skull and Bones/Ubisoft

Disclosure: Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League/Rocksteady Studio

Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League was highly awaited for being the next big project of Rocksteady, responsible for the acclaimed Arkham series. However, since the announcement, the game has faced criticism of its approach as a Live Service game, focusing on looter-shooter mechanics and monetization dependence. After numerous delays, the game hit the market in 2024 with a mixed reception, disappointing players who expected an experience closer to the narrative style for which the studio is known.

Although the combat presents fun moments, with unique abilities for each character (Harley Quinn, Deadshot, King Shark and Captain Boomerang), the gameplay was repetitive. Missions have little variation and game progress depends overly on loot and grind systems, which displeases fans who prefer a richer fluid and narrative experience. Although the look and the performances were well received, the limited focus on the creative exploitation of the DC universe left the title without soul.

What Could Be Done To improve?

The greatest learning here is that the insistence on adapting games for the live service model can be a foot shot, especially for franchises with a fan-based fan base. To improve, the studio could prioritize offline content more focused on history, reduce dependence on grinding elements and expand cooperative gameplay in a more intuitive way and less dependent on microtransactions.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

Alone In The Dark

Disclosure: Alone In The Dark/THQ Nordic

Alone in the Dark, considered one of the precursors of the survival horror genre, returned in 2024 as a reboot developed by Pieces Interactive and published by THQ Nordic. With the promise of revitalizing the classic franchise for a new generation, the game brought big names like David Harbor and Jodie Comer to bring the characters to life. However, the title failed to achieve public expectations and was widely considered a commercial and critical failure, with a weak marketing campaign.

Announced as a reboot of the iconic franchise, Alone in the Dark generated enormous expectation among fans of the genre. Thq Nordic promised a dark and engaging atmosphere, based on the setting of the southern United States in the 1920s. The inclusion of renowned actors generated even more hype, suggesting special care with the narrative and characters. However, doubts began to arise after trailers that showed generic mechanics and the absence of significant innovations in gameplay. Even so, nostalgia and the potential of the franchise kept the public's eyes focused on the launch.

The development was marked by an attempt to modernize the classic, but without taking any major risks. Instead of seeking innovation in the genre, Alone in the Dark relied on already saturated formulas, with gameplay reminiscent of Resident Evil, but without the same depth or polish. The game was criticized for containing outdated combat, with many "stiff" animations, little fluidity and easy puzzles that were few explored.

What Could Be Done To improve?

The choices made by the developers of Alone in the Dark made the game not call so much attention and, even attracting a portion of fans who liked the game, did not deliver a differential that would make him remember as a special game. The studio could focus more on the game's controls, modernizing to fit with current games and attracting new players, a more in-depth narrative, building a story that would surprise the public and gain prominence, and focusing on bugs and optimization, making there are fewer bugs and the game runs better.

Even if the developers had done this, The company's marketing campaign was very weak, making few people know about the release of the game and being more overshadowed mainly by the launch of the Silent Hill 2 remake that caught the most public attention. Unfortunately, due to the low number of sales, The studio that produced the game was closed by Embrace Group.

Star Wars Outlaws

Disclosure: Star Wars Outlaws/Ubisoft

Announced in 2021, Star Wars Outlaws generated high expectation for being the first open world game set in the distant galaxy. Massive Entertainment, known for titles such as The Division, led the project, supported by ten other Ubisoft subsidiaries and collaboration by Lucasfilm Games. The game was released on August 30, 2024 for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S.

At launch, Star Wars Outlaws faced several technical issues, including bugs, glitches and performance drops, especially in denser areas of the game. These issues negatively affected the player experience and were widely criticized. In terms of sales, the game did not meet Ubisoft's expectations, selling around 1 million units in the first month, a number considered below expectations for a big-budget title.

The game features an open world that allows players to explore different planets and star systems. The gameplay combines third-person combat, stealth elements, and spaceship piloting. Kay can use a blaster with different firing modes, as well as abilities such as a climbing hook and hacking devices. Your companion, Nix, helps you solve puzzles and distract enemies. One of the problems presented by the public was the repetitive combat, with little variety of enemies and limited strategies, the enemies' Artificial Intelligence being poorly worked on, the game's stealth mechanics being flawed and, of course, the bugs.

What Could Be Done To improve?

Recognizing the initial failures, Ubisoft has released several updates to correct the most critical problems. The updates released by the company after its launch caused them to correct the problems in combat, stealth, bugs and other errors pointed out by the community. The game could focus on improving the variety of gameplay so that there are new and challenging mechanics that can always attract the audience to continue playing.

Star Wars Outlaws Although it is a flop for Ubisoft at its release, he managed to contain part of his mistakes and bugs and even to a certain way to build his community, of course, the game continues to have flaws, but it served to show the importance of listening to the community's opinion to adjust the next updates and improve the game.

Concord

Disclosure: Concord/Sony Interactive Entertainment

Concord was announced as a multiplayer shooter focused on intense battles and teamwork. The game aimed to bring an innovative approach to the genre, with dynamic maps, sophisticated social interactions and a design that promoted cooperative play. The hype was fueled by Sony, who believed in the game's potential as a relevant title for its line of exclusives on PS5. However, when the game launched in August 2024, expectations began to plummet. Initial sales figures were surprisingly low, reaching just 25,000 copies worldwide. Shortly afterwards, The servers were turned off, and Sony ended Firewalk Studios' operations, marking the end of the project abruptly.

Concord's biggest problem was its inability to stand out in a market already saturated with multiplayer shooters. The game didn't offer a clear identity or anything that differentiated it from other popular titles like Call of Duty: Warzone or Apex Legends. Making it become one more among other games of the same style, without a personality that can stand out and without new mechanics, Concord ended up falling into oblivion shortly after its release as a generic game.

The launch of Concord was somewhat weak, with not much investment being made in the game's marketing, which meant that it had little reach to the public, the game's release date was also a bad idea on the part of the company due to the big releases of the year, causing strong competition and not receiving as much attention. The interface and performance was one of the points that was most criticized during its launch, with a confusing interface and an unintuitive menu, and performance that did not meet expectations on consoles.

What Could Be Done To improve?

No doubt Concord ended up winning the trophy for most flopped game of the year, but could there be a way it wouldn't have been so bad? The studio could have focused on making a game with a difference and a clear personality that caught the attention of players, mechanics that innovated from others or a well-constructed narrative, polishing the game experience further, making it more intuitive and with better performance, adding more content at launch, new modes, events or customization could make it last longer on the market, and taking better advantage of community feedback, from closed alphas or open betas to the public to gather what needs to be improved in the game.

Concord may have been the biggest failure for Sony, rumored to have cost 400 million dollars, however, nothing is confirmed and probably did not reach that absurd value. Sony's attempt to create its own Live Service game ended up falling apart and the company will probably think better the next time it makes its next game so as not to have a failure like Concord.

What Do We Learn From Them?

The failures of 2024 highlight the importance of a player-centric approach that prioritizes originality, accessibility, technical quality and innovation. Studios and developers should learn from these examples to avoid similar mistakes in the future and ensure gaming experiences that meet audience expectations. The mistakes we observed most this year were as follows:

Games without personalities

Games in which they did not have their own personality and had no striking characteristics that differentiated from others present in the market, becoming a generic and boring game.

Lack of technical polishing

Many flaws present in its launch, Making it a bad experience and affecting the opinion of the players, you need to do updates to correct them.

Too much focus on profit

The focus of companies to play a service game and with high prices was one of the errors observed this year, Aiming at profit without paying due attention to elements that complement the player's experience and add value to the game.

Do not listen to the public

The lack of attention to listen to your audience and not inform you about how your project is going and the changes that have occurred in it can result in the game's launch attracting criticism from the community due to players' expectations being different about what the game would be like.

Don't Innovate

The lack of innovation was an error observed in remakes or reboots released that year. The lack of new mechanics and the adoption of already saturated methods make people lose interest in playing games because they see the same mechanic or concept several times in different games.

Not Investing in Marketing

Many games from this year ended up not being known for having poor marketing, not reaching potential people who liked your game and reducing the number of sales.

Bad Timing

Not studying the period in which your game will be released was one of the mistakes made by companies. There is no point in running a good marketing campaign if your product will have strong competition that will attract more attention from the market.

Inflate Expectation

Increasing the expectations of your game too much can cause it to create a lot of hype, but if your game doesn't live up to what you promised, then the expectations will serve as a shot in the foot as more people will criticize the game and it will cause the your company loses credit with its audience.

Not Investing in Post-Launch Support

Support after the game's launch is a key point so that it can recover if it fails. Many companies end up focusing more on the game before its launch and when they launch they do not support it in case of bugs or unbalanced systems, causing people to abandon it and generating losses for the companies. This could result in the studio in which he produced being closed and his projects cancelled. Remember, the key point for No Mans Sky to get back on its feet was precisely the daily updates it had that caused the game to be fixed and the community's trust to be regained.