The gaming industry can be a source of endless entertainment and positivity, with this being what many fans will initially think of when regarding the space as a whole. With that being said,video games are such a wide-spanning industrythat there are inevitable instances of significant backlash and controversy, which may engrain themselves in the cultural zeitgeist of gaming and live on long after they initially occur.
These controversies are subsequently quite diverse in the manner that they formulate, and can be found in a huge range of aspects of the industry that are seemingly ever-growing. Sadly, 2022 was no exception to the high frequency in which these gaming controversies occur.In no particular order, here are the ten biggest video game controversies to occur in 2022.
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Bayonetta VA Pay Controversy
A huge gaming controversy for 2022 came in October, when long-timeBayonettavoice actress Hellena Taylorrocked the industry with her claims that she was essentially strong-armed out of reprising her role in the anticipatedBayonetta 3. Taylor claimed that she was offered a payment well below the industry standard for potential work onBayonetta 3, and initially rallied huge amounts of support from many who sympathized with the hardships that voice actors can endure over compensation for their work.
However, it was later revealed that Platinum Games had actually offered Taylor around five times more than the initial $4,000 figure the voice actress initially claimed she was offered, turning the story and the tide of public opinion quite significantly. Many criticized Taylor for seemingly taking advantage of theBayonettafan base and the discourse surrounding voice actor compensation, with these criticisms only growing whenTaylor then asked fans to donate to anti-abortion charitiesinstead of purchasingBayonetta 3.
Diablo Immortal Microtransactions
Another substantial gaming controversy came in June with the release ofDiablo Immortal. This particular title had been controversial even prior to its release due to its nature as a free-to-play mobile game, with many fans of theDiablofranchise being skeptical of howImmortalwould monetize itself, and rightfully so.
Upon playing the game, many fans instantly characterized the title as being heavily reliant upon microtransactions in its monetization strategy, with truly free-to-play gameplay being an almost impossible grind that heavily pushed players towards in-game purchases. Some of the best in-game items were essentially locked behind these purchases, with certainstreamers spending close to $25,000 onDiablo Immortaljust to get a single five-star item.
Google Stadia Shutdown Blindsides Devs
The ambitious Google Stadia platform launched in 2019, being Google’s major foray into the world of cloud gaming. Allowing games to be streamed instantaneously to a huge range of devices, Stadia had received a fair amount of attention over the years, which made the shockannouncement that the Stadia service would be shutting downall the more surprising to the gaming industry.
This announcement was made in September of this year, and came completely out of left-field for both consumers and developers alike, who were only made aware of Google’s plans to shut down the service as a result of the announcement itself. While fans were offered complete refunds,game developers working with Google Stadiawere very vocal in their disappointment regarding how the announcements were handled, with many studios having already pooled resources and made significant commitments to a now defunct platform.
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Gotham Knights and Xbox Series S
Gotham Knightswas one of the most anticipated games of 2022, making it all the more susceptible to producing some significant controversies. Just days prior to its October launch, certain information regarding the console versions ofGotham Knightswere brought to light which created huge rifts in the gaming industry, leading to discourse about the potential precedents that the release may have uncovered about the industry as a whole.
The controversy in question surrounds the fact thatGotham Knightsis limited to 30 FPS on consoles, with there currently being no plans for a performance mode to be added to the title. With many expecting the industry-standard for current gen consoles to be 60 FPS, frustrations were voiced and discussion began as to why this frame-related decision had been made.
The Xbox Series S was the main culprit behind why many believed this decision was made. With devs now potentially having to account for a game running on the Series S as well as the Series X and PS5, many fans are worried at the future implications of games releasing in technically simpler states just to adhere to Series S hardware.
Microsoft and Sony Argue Over Call of Duty, ABK Acquisition
It is no secret that one of the most high-profile and controversial developments to come from the gaming industry this year came withMicrosoft’s announcement of its intentions to acquire Activision Blizzard Kingin a record-shattering $68.7 billion deal. The acquisition is still undergoing an extensively scrutinizing legal process before it is formally confirmed, and the huge implications of the deal have predictably led to a lot of back and forths within the industry.
The most vocal of these criticisms came from Sony, who is Microsoft’s largest direct competitors in the console space. Given how lucrative and strategically important franchises likeCall of DutyandOverwatchcould be for Microsoft,PlayStation executive Jim Ryan even flew to Brusselsto speak to regulators regarding the implications of the potential acquisition. With Sony refusingCall of Dutycommitment offers from Microsoft and continuing to voice its disapproval of the deal, the uniquely public nature of such intense industrial tension fostered a rather significant level of controversy in the gaming space.
Pokemon Legends: Arceus' Graphics Controversy
Another highly anticipated release of 2022 that generated controversy wasPokemon Legends: Arceus. An ambitious title in thewide-spanning catalog ofPokemongamesdue to its higher emphasis on exploration and less-traditional combat, there was one aspect ofArceusin particular that was negatively received by many fans.
Perhaps as a result of the increased scale of the release, thegraphics ofPokemon Legends: Arceuswere controversialto many fans, who felt that the game had cut corners and not put in the proper effort in terms of its fidelity. While the title was still lauded for its gameplay, things like frame-rate issues, poor draw distances, and texture pop-ins led to a wider discussion about the graphical state of thePokemonfranchise as a whole, which were not helped by similar issues that many also faced when playing the newerPokemon Scarlet and Violet.
The Grand Theft Auto 6 Leaks Show How Little is Known About Development
Huge controversy rocked the gaming world in September, when one of the most significant gaming leaks in history came regarding themassively anticipated Rockstar titleGrand Theft Auto 6. With huge amounts of the upcoming title’s source code, as well as many early development in-game videos, being made public, the leaks had such severe implications that the hacker behind them was swiftly arrested and is facing severe criminal charges.
While these leaks were inherently controversial, many consider the public reaction to the leaked footage of the game to be just as contentious. With many of the leaked videos forGTA 6’sgameplay being from extremely early stages of development, the videos of course lacked the graphical polish of a finished game, as to be expected.
However, this did not stop swathes of people from lambastingGTA 6for poor graphics due to this footage, highlighting a worrying disconnect between many players and what the development cycle of a game actually looks like. To highlight this, manydevelopment studios released their own pre-release footagein solidarity with Rockstar, to reinforce just how basic early development footage actually looks from a graphical standpoint.
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The Last of Us Part 1’s Pricing Controversy
The originalLast of Usis a truly revered title, being considered by many to possess one of the most compelling and immersive narratives that gaming can offer. However, when it was officially announced in June of this year that the game would receive aground-up remake calledThe Last of Us Part 1, controversy stirred regarding the sizable price-tag of the game compared to what fans believed it would offer.
From the promotional footage ofThe Last of Us Part 1, many were excited at the prospect of playing the game again, but felt it did not offer much besides basic graphical improvements and minor additions to core gameplay. Considering how many fans also believed that the original 2013 title still held up quite well from a graphical perspective, many began questioning the purpose ofPart 1, as well as if its creation was even necessary. With therelease launching with a hefty $70 price tag, these criticisms were significantly heightened, with many characterizing the title as nothing more than a Sony cash grab, tarnishing the game prior to its launch.
Twitch Gambling Meta
TheTwich streaming platform is no stranger to controversy, with the massive amounts of viewership and different creators that the site hosts inevitably breeding some contentious issues. While these issues often occur on an individual level, they can sometimes manifest as platform-wide metas that only heighten the inexorable backlash.
Twitch Pay Split Changes
Another significant controversy came from the Twitch platform this year, this time being attributed to the company itself as opposed to those who broadcast through it. Back in September, the platform announced its intentions tochange the 70/30 subscription revenue splitthat some creators enjoyed to 50/50, which predictably infuriated many streamers.
It must be said that the 70/30 split was only offered to a select few of the site’s top performers, meaning some of the most influential names on Twitch were directly impacted by these changes. While Twitch has long been at the top of the streaming industry, the platform is facinggrowing competition from the likes of YouTube, making this decision against their biggest earners all the more confusing and controversial. Given how Twitch has been steadily losing some of its top streamers to other sites, many saw this decision as bizarre, especially when considering how it coincided with the aforementioned gambling controversy that gripped the platform.
