Not every multiplayer game comes out of the gate as a massive hit. For every Overwatch and ARC Raiders, many other games have all the elements to achieve success, but they're brought down by other issues that hold them back. These issues aren't insurmountable, but they take time to iron out.
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These next games went through that exact process. For a multitude of reasons, they didn't catch on at launch, but over time, players found these multiplayer games, and they became incredibly popular years after their original release. Not only are all these games still played today, but some of them are the most popular games on the planet, even if, when their journey started, they seemed destined for the dustbin of gaming history.
Among Us
A Streaming Success
Among Us
- Released
- June 5, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Mild Blood, Fantasy Violence
- Developer(s)
- InnerSloth
- Genre(s)
- Party Game
Initially released in 2018, Among Us was barely a blip on the radar. This social deduction game was largely overlooked, which developer Innersloth attributed to their own poor marketing skills. At the time, the game's concurrent player count on Steam hovered between 30 and 50. Not 30 and 50 thousand; literally a maximum of 50 players.
Two things turned the fortunes of Among Us. First, the Covid pandemic hit, forcing people to stay at home and seek other outlets for socialization. Second, Among Us was picked up by Twitch streamers, beginning with American Twitch streamer Sodapoppin and eventually being promoted by major names like Pokimane, MrBeast, Ninja, Shroud, and PewDiePie. The rest, as they say, is history. Among Us' playercount skyrocketed, sales followed suit, and today the game has sold over 30 million copies on Steam alone.
Star Wars Battlefront 2
Survived Massive Backlash
Star Wars Battlefront 2
- Released
- November 17, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
The tale is well-told by now. At launch, Star Wars Battlefront 2 was so loaded with microtransactions that it instantly became the poster child for EA's obsession with excessive monetization. It was so bad that the game featured loot boxes within other loot boxes, the rewards for which were more powerful weapons and characters that effectively made the game pay-to-win.
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To try to save their game's reputation, DICE removed all microtransactions (minus some very minor cosmetic monetization) and added a ton of content through free updates. This drew in a massive influx of new players. While Battlefront 2's perception was still marred by its launch, those who have played it since DICE made those changes stand by it as one of the best multiplayer shooters on the market right now.
The Elder Scrolls Online
Major Changes A Year After Release Got The Ball Rolling
The Elder Scrolls Online
- Released
- April 4, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- ZeniMax Online Studios
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
Launching in early 2014 , The Elder Scrolls Online initially used a pricey subscription model akin to WoW, charging players a monthly fee to explore the world of Tamriel. In and of itself, this didn't sink the game, but when combined with a lackluster experience that did very little new and was essentially the same as playing Skyrim, just with other players running around disrupting things, it wasn't received well.
One year after its launch, The Elder Scrolls Online made the switch to a buy-to-play model with microtransactions and adopted a seasonal content model, rather than major annual chapter updates, all of which significantly improved player opinions about the game. Rebranded The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited, things started to look up for the MMORPG. The first major expansion, Morrowind, released in 2017, was the icing on the cake, drawing long-time TES fans to the game, spiking its player count and revenue, and turning it into a success. As of 2024, The Elder Scrolls Online has earned $2 billion in revenue.
Fallout 76
A Perfect Example Of How To Receive Feedback
Fallout 76
- Released
- November 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
Despite being a Bethesda property, The Elder Scrolls Online was developed by ZeniMax, and Fallout 76 was actually Bethesda's first multiplayer game. Unfortunately, it didn't perform very well following its 2018 launch. Technical issues were a big factor, but other criticisms included aimless gameplay, questionable design, and a complete lack of NPCs populating the world. While Fallout 76 sold 1.4 million copies in its launch year, many of those players voiced their displeasure with the product. Worse still, the in-game currency was broken by a duplication glitch, allowing players to amass dozens of in-game items which they would then sell in external markets.
It took until 2020 for things to start turning around. The catalyst for this was the Wastelanders update, which responded to a major player criticism by introducing NPCs into the world. This update was met with a relatively positive response, but it was enough to show that Bethesda was heading in the right direction. From there, further updates added new content to Fallout 76 while making improvements to past issues, and the player count began to steadily climb as a result.
Final Fantasy 14
The Most Successful Re-Release Of All Time
Final Fantasy 14
- Released
- August 27, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
Originally released in 2010, the first version of Final Fantasy 14 was a critical and commercial failure, easily the worst that this long-running franchise had ever seen. Critics tore it apart for everything from its technical state to its shallow gameplay and uninteresting progression. It was so bad that the original version of the game was permanently shut down at the end of 2012.
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Less than a year later came Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, a full revamp of the first attempt featuring a fully reworked HUD, combat mechanics, and progression system. FF14 may still rely on traditional MMO design tropes, but it executes on them to perfection. In fact, the re-release was so successful that Square Enix, which had a poor fiscal year in 2013, attributed its return to profitability in 2014 largely to Final Fantasy 14. It's one of the all-time great gaming comeback stories, and while one can debate if the original release and A Realm Reborn can even be considered the same game, it's undeniable that the re-release garnered a lot more popularity than its previous iteration.
Warframe
A Self-Described Rogue Success
Warframe
- Released
- March 25, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Digital Extremes
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Comparing Warframe today to what it was at launch is essentially like comparing two different games. Yes, in both cases, you're playing a space ninja called a Tenno, you have a sword and guns, and you're taking down waves of enemies, but what's on offer in the current version makes the 2013 release look like a tech demo shown as a proof of concept. However, that's also why its first iteration didn't garner a ton of positive attention. It wasn't bad by any stretch, but its uptake was slowed by middling critical reviews, low player counts, gameplay that grew stale too quickly, and typically unfavorable comparisons to Destiny.
However, developer Digital Extremes was keenly aware that it had a small but devout group of consistent players who would communicate regularly with the devs on potential improvements. This was motivation enough, and the updates slowly but surely started to roll out. With each update, new mechanics, Warframes, weapons, and enemy types are introduced. While it wasn't a rapid ascent, Warframe has gradually amassed a registered player count exceeding 50 million people as of 2019, and that number is probably much larger today, as its popularity has grown even further. The best part is that those players consistently return, maintaining the game's popularity where other free-to-play titles might wane over time.
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