How “Ship Now, Fix Later” Affects Player Trust and Game Quality

In 2024, the video game industry’s impressive revenue of $282 billion was somewhat marred by a troubling trend. More companies have been releasing unfinished games, banking on post-launch patches to correct glaring issues. This “release now, fix later” strategy, often driven by stringent deadlines and the push for live-service formats, has not only reshaped development priorities but also eroded gamer trust.

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### Broken Launches and Financial Fallout

Consider infamous botched releases like Cyberpunk 2077 and Battlefield 2042. Cyberpunk hit the shelves in 2020 with a hefty 43 GB day-one patch, yet it still faced severe backlash—from game-breaking console bugs to class-action lawsuits, even a temporary removal from the PlayStation Store. Battlefield 2042, released in 2021, skipped key features like voice chat at launch, causing a staggering 75% drop in Steam players within just three months.

Such hastily launched titles frequently stem from inflexible financial goals. Ubisoft’s XDefiant, for example, was shut down in June 2025 after failing to maintain its player base, leading to 277 job cuts. These blunders have significantly impacted the credibility of game studios. A 2022 survey by PCMag revealed that a whopping 68% of gamers now hold off on buying new games until months after their release.

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### iGaming’s Constant Updates

Just like video games, the iGaming sector thrives on regular updates, but here the focus is more on keeping players engaged than damage control. For online casinos like SIA casinos, these updates introduce fresh offers and premium slot experiences.

Online casinos and sportsbooks leverage AI-driven personalization to offer tailored bonuses and games in real time. Unlike video game patches aimed at fixing problems, these updates are crafted to enhance player experiences.

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### The Live-Service Shift

The advent of games-as-a-service (GaaS) has paved the way for endless updates. Titles such as Fortnite and Apex Legends now direct 60-70% of their content towards post-launch seasons. The aim is clear: promote long-term monetization over a polished initial release. While this strategy pays off for big names—consider Capcom’s Monster Hunter World, which grew its player base by 72% with free updates like Iceborne—it’s often unsustainable for smaller developers. For each hit like Genshin Impact, which amassed $3.7 billion in revenue in 2023 through regular updates, many live-service games don’t survive a year due to prohibitive developmental expenses.

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### Rebuilding Player Trust

The over-reliance on post-launch patches has definitely taken a toll on player trust. That same 2022 PCMag survey pointed out that the majority of gamers now wait for reviews or significant updates before buying new games—a stark increase from 45% in 2018. This cautious approach is the result of too many disappointing launches. Not to mention the increasing size of day-one patches, often exceeding 50 GB, which frustrates players dealing with limited storage and slower internet speeds.

This “ship now, fix later” philosophy is largely fueled by corporate pressure to hit quarterly financial targets. However, some companies like Nintendo have chosen a different path, opting to delay launches, as they did with The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023, to ensure quality. By delivering polished games from the get-go and reserving updates for enhancements, developers can regain gamer trust.

Looking ahead, the global gaming market is set to expand from $262 billion in 2023 to an estimated $312 billion by 2027. This trend offers gaming studios a perfect opportunity to align their practices more closely with player expectations. Achieving the right balance could be key to their long-term success.