2021'S BIGGEST VIDEO GAME CONTROVERSIES
By Matthew Byrd
It was a great year for video games, but 2021's biggest controversies reminded us of the dark side of the industry.
The investigation into Activision Blizzard's history of abuse and discrimination sent shockwaves throughout the industry and forever altered the legacy of one of gaming's biggest studios.
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GTA Definitive Edition's botched remasters of the famous trilogy reminded us that even the best games can be ruined by half-hearted attempts to "modernize" them.
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Amazon's New World was supposed to be the next big MMO. Instead, it turned out to be the kind of "love it or hate it" experience that got everyone arguing over the direction of the genre.
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As millions struggled to find an Xbox Series X or PS5 in time for the holidays, gamers everywhere debated about whether more should be done to battle scalpers, exclusives, and shortages.
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Ubisoft and other publishers’ NFT and cryptocurrency plans caused millions to worry that the future of video game greed will be found on the blockchain.
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The long-awaited ability to play N64 games on Nintendo Switch was hindered by poor ports, a limited library, and the industry's struggles to offer better game preservation solutions.
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Returnal's brutal challenges and initial lack of save features furthered the debate about the accessibility of video game difficulty.
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Halo Infinite's battle pass reminded millions of the true cost of free-to-play games and the controversial ways "cosmetics" can impact modern design.
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The Nintendo Switch OLED offers a better way to play the Switch on the go, but some were left disappointed by the console's marginal upgrades and lack of modern features.
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As more studios delay their major games as a result of the pandemic, some gamers continue to argue about how long is too long to wait for certain games.