The Consequences of “Ship Now, Fix Later” on Player Confidence and Game Excellence

By 2024, the video game industry had pulled in an impressive $282 billion. Yet, this achievement masks a growing issue: an increasing number of games are released in an unfinished state, relying heavily on post-launch patches just to meet basic expectations. This "ship now, fix later" approach, primarily driven by corporate deadlines and the never-ending quest for live-service success, has taken a toll on player trust and is reshaping how games are developed.

Broken Launches and Financial Fallout

We’ve seen notable misfires, with games like Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020 and Battlefield 2042 in 2021 serving as prime examples. Despite a hefty 43 GB patch on day one, Cyberpunk found itself in hot water with lawsuits and even got removed from the PlayStation Store due to game-breaking bugs on consoles. Battlefield 2042 didn’t fare much better; it launched missing vital features such as voice chat, causing a steep 75% decline in Steam players within just three months.

Often, the push for rushed releases is tied to inflexible financial goals. Take Ubisoft’s XDefiant, for example—it was shut down in June 2025 after failing to hold on to players, resulting in 277 layoffs. Mishaps like these damage a studio’s reputation and, as a 2022 PCMag survey highlighted, now mean 68% of gamers prefer to wait several months after a launch before purchasing a game.

iGaming’s Update-Driven Ecosystem

The iGaming industry also leans heavily on constant updates, but their purpose leans more toward keeping players engaged rather than damage control. Regular updates also benefit online casinos, like sia casinos, as they roll out new offers and premium slot experiences.

Online casinos and sportsbooks have embraced AI-driven personalization tools to deliver real-time tailored bonuses, game variants, and tournaments. Unlike the broader video game industry, these updates are proactive, aiming to enhance the player experience rather than patching over cracks.

The Live-Service Shift

The surge of games-as-a-service (GaaS) has set the stage for continuous updates as the new normal. Games like Fortnite and Apex Legends have turned this into a strategy, with 60–70% of their content being tied to post-launch seasons. This encourages studios to focus more on long-term monetization than on ensuring a slick launch. While this approach pays off for big franchises—Capcom’s Monster Hunter World expanded its player base by 72% through updates like Iceborne—it’s a risky strategy for smaller studios. For every Genshin Impact raking in $3.7 billion in 2023 through consistent updates, hundreds of live-service games crumble within a year due to unsustainable costs.

Player Trust in Decline and Steps Toward Rebuilding

The heavy reliance on post-launch fixes has understandably shaken player confidence. A 2022 survey revealed that 68% of gamers now prefer to wait for reviews or major updates before buying a game, a jump from 45% back in 2018. This cautious approach is born from repeated letdowns with launches that just don’t deliver. Players are also frustrated with the growing size of day-one patches—often topping 50 GB—which can be a nightmare for those with limited storage or slower internet.

The "ship now, fix later" tendency mainly stems from the pressure of hitting quarterly financial targets. However, some companies, like Nintendo, have chosen a different route by delaying releases such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom until 2023 to ensure top-notch quality from the get-go. To rebuild player trust and enhance game quality, developers must aim for polished launches and reserve updates for improvements rather than repairs.

With the global gaming market expected to soar from $262 billion in 2023 to $312 billion by 2027, studios have a golden chance to align their actions with what players expect. Finding this balance will be crucial for sustained success in the long run.