Released in 2013, Dead Space 3 shifted from survival horror to action and added co-op and microtransactions, changes that alienated fans. Sales fizzled, and by 2017, EA shut down Visceral Games, putting the franchise on ice. | © Visceral Games
Bizarre Creations’ Blur tried to mix realistic racing with combat, but couldn’t stand out against giants like Mario Kart and Gran Turismo. With poor sales and a weak marketing push, the game flopped, and Activision closed the studio in 2011. | © Bizarre Creations
John Romero’s Daikatana was hyped with a notorious ad and promised as the next big FPS but suffered years of delays and a disastrous 2000 launch. The flop wrecked Romero’s reputation and led to Ion Storm’s closure the following year. | © Ion Storm
Factor 5’s dragon-riding Lair looked promising but was nearly unplayable thanks to clunky Sixaxis motion controls on the PS3. Even after a patch added analogue support, the damage was done, and the studio closed in 2009. | © Factor 5
Richard Garriott’s Tabula Rasa tried to blend MMO depth with shooter-style combat but suffered from years of restarts and design clashes. Released in 2007, it flopped quickly, and NCSoft shut down both the servers and developer Destination Games soon after. | © Destination Games
Plagued by delays and developer handoffs, Aliens: Colonial Marines launched in 2013 as a buggy mess that fell far short of its promises. The flop wiped out TimeGate Studios, while Gearbox shifted focus back to Borderlands. | © Timegate Studios
The 2013 reboot of SimCity forced players to stay online, a move that backfired when servers collapsed at launch. Maxis never recovered from the backlash, and by 2015, EA shut down the studio behind the series. | © Maxis Everyville
Backed by $75 million in Rhode Island state funds, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning was meant to launch a huge fantasy franchise. Despite decent reviews, sales fell short, and 38 Studios collapsed under debt, leaving lawsuits and a failed MMO in its wake. | © 38 Studios
Released on the Dreamcast in 1999, Shenmue set new standards with its open world, daily NPC routines, and full voice acting. But as the most expensive game of its time, it could never recoup costs on the struggling console, helping push Sega out of hardware for good. | © Sega
Belgian indie duo Tale of Tales hoped Sunset would be their commercial breakthrough, blending anti-war themes with a quiet, apartment-based narrative. But after selling only 4,000 copies in its first month, the studio shut down and walked away from game development. | © Tale Of Tales
Clover Studio’s Okami wowed critics in 2006 with its painterly art style and myth-inspired story, but its sales fell far short of expectations. Capcom shut the studio down soon after, though the game later earned “masterpiece” status through re-releases and a loyal fanbase. | © Clover Studio
Realtime Worlds poured five years and over $100 million into APB, a cops-and-robbers MMO that never lived up to the hype. When it launched in 2010 to bad reviews and poor sales, the studio shut down soon after. | © Realtime Worlds
Released in 2004, Bloodlines impressed with its rich story and player choice, but shipped riddled with bugs and technical issues. Troika couldn’t recover from the poor sales, shutting down the next year – though the game later gained cult classic status among fans. | © Troika Games
Marketed as a PS3-exclusive Halo killer, Haze leaned on big promises like moral choices and a drug-fueled combat system, but couldn’t deliver. When it launched in 2008 to lukewarm reviews and weak sales, Free Radical collapsed soon after. | © Free Radical Design
Duke Nukem Forever dragged through 14 years of delays, engine swaps, and wasted budgets before Gearbox finally pushed it out in 2011. The endless development cycle drained 3D Realms so badly that, while the studio still exists in name, it never truly recovered. | © 3D Realms
Some games change the industry, others end the companies that made them. Here are 15 titles that drained budgets, missed expectations, or sparked disasters big enough to bankrupt their creators.
