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

In 2024, the video game industry saw its revenue soar to a staggering $282 billion. However, this impressive growth is somewhat tarnished by an increasing trend to release games that aren’t quite polished, banking on post-launch patches to patch up issues. This approach—releasing products prematurely and then fixing them later—often stems from the pressure of corporate deadlines and a shift toward live-service models, impacting player trust and altering development priorities significantly.

### Stumbles at Launch and Financial Consequences

The gaming world has witnessed significant missteps, exemplified by notable letdowns like Cyberpunk 2077 in 2020 and Battlefield 2042 the following year. Cyberpunk, despite rolling out a hefty 43 GB patch on launch day, still faced severe backlash due to critical bugs on consoles; this led to lawsuits and even a temporary removal from the PlayStation Store. Battlefield 2042 didn’t fare much better, lacking essential features like voice chat at launch, which resulted in a sharp 75% drop in Steam players within just a few months.

These hurried releases are often the result of stringent fiscal deadlines. Ubisoft’s XDefiant, for example, was discontinued in June 2025 after failing to maintain a steady player base, culminating in 277 job losses. Such blunders can severely damage a studio’s reputation. In fact, a survey by PCMag in 2022 found that 68% of gamers now prefer to delay their purchases, opting to wait months after a game’s debut.

### iGaming’s Strategy with Regular Updates

Within the iGaming industry, the emphasis on continuous updates plays a different role, focusing more on engagement rather than damage control. For online casinos like SIA Casinos, these updates are key to introducing fresh promotions and premium slot experiences.

Online platforms, including casinos and sportsbooks, are tapping into AI-powered personalization to offer bespoke bonuses, diverse game options, and timely tournaments. Unlike the video game sector, these updates are proactive, aiming to enhance user experience right from the start.

### Embracing the Live-Service Model

Games-as-a-service (GaaS) has revolutionized the idea of continuous updates. Games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends channel about 60–70% of their content creation towards post-launch seasons, tilting studios towards sustained monetization rather than investing in immaculate launches. While this model greatly benefits established franchises—Monster Hunter World by Capcom, for instance, experienced a 72% surge in its player base thanks to updates like Iceborne—it’s a precarious path for smaller developers. Despite the grand success stories like Genshin Impact, which garnered $3.7 billion in 2023 through regular updates, many live-service games struggle to sustain themselves beyond a year because of the high development costs.

### Rebuilding Player Trust

Continuously fixating on post-launch updates has noticeably eroded gamer trust. The same 2022 survey from PCMag showed a leap to 68% of players waiting for either detailed reviews or significant updates before purchasing new titles—a sharp rise from 45% in 2018. This growing hesitation has been fueled by repeated instances of disappointing launches. The challenge is further exacerbated by increasingly hefty day-one patches, often over 50 GB, which pose a problem for gamers dealing with limited storage or slower internet speeds.

The corporate-driven “ship now, fix later” mindset largely aims to meet quarterly financial objectives. Yet, studios like Nintendo have chosen an alternative route, preferring to delay launches—for instance, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom in 2023—to prioritize quality right from the start. To rebuild gamer trust, developers need to focus on delivering polished games at launch, using updates for enhancements rather than damage control.

With the global gaming market poised to expand from $262 billion in 2023 to an impressive $312 billion by 2027, studios have a crucial opportunity to align their operations with player expectations. Finding this balance will be essential for sustained success in the long run.