The Most Controversial Games of 2019

For the most part, the phrase “gamers rise up” is the stuff of ironic memes. Every now and then, though, gamers really do rise up against game developers. This is usually due to anything from bizarre behind-the-scenes decisions to terrible game design.

Such controversies are especially dangerous because bad word-of-mouth can be the kiss of death for a new game. Wondering which games generated the biggest controversies of 2019? This complete guide has you covered.

Pokémon: Sword & Shield

As a franchise, Pokémon should really be controversy-free. After all, every Pokémon product is a license to print money. Nonetheless, Pokémon: Sword and Pokémon: Shield managed to drive many of their players crazy.

The controversy wasn’t about what was in the games, though. Instead, it was about what wasn’t in the games. Players soon discovered these games are missing the National Pokédex. Many iconic Pokémon (such as Mewtwo and Bulbasaur) are missing from the game, and without the Pokédex, there is no way to bring them in.

That was a big turn-off for franchise loyalists. Throw in the fact the rushed game seemed to reuse a lot of material and this surefire hit became an undeniable controversy.

Related: All the Missing Pokémon T hat Should Have Been Included in Sword & Shield

Anthem

What’s the quickest way to anger your players? Simple: release a game that is clearly incomplete.

That’s what happened when Bioware launched the ill-fated Anthem. Instead of a complete game, this rushed game would receive content updates down the line.

In theory, this approach works well to keep gamers engaged beyond the launch of the game. But gamers quickly discovered that the base game is disappointing and stopped playing, even as Bioware fumbled their roadmap for future content.

By the time Bioware seemingly got its act together, it was too late to really salvage this game.