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a collage of video game apologies

Video Game Apologies

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Updated Dec 07, 2023 at 08:44AM EST by Philipp.

Added May 30, 2023 at 02:39PM EDT by Philipp.

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About

Video Game Apologies, also known as Game Developer Apology Letters, refer to a series of memes and social media posts parodying apologies issued by video game developers and publishers over the quality of their recently released games. The trend was prompted by Cyberpunk 2077 publisher CD Projekt Red issuing several apologies for release delays over a few months of 2020. After a large number of similar apologies were issued by various game companies in the early 2020s, the parody trend gained virality on Twitter and Reddit in May 2023, with some posting parodies and memes mocking them.

Origin

The trend of publishers and developers apologizing for delays in development started with Bethesda Game Studios issuing[1] a statement on October 22nd, 2018, in which the company apologized for bugs and performance issues that plagued Fallout 76 upon release (shown below).


BETHESDA GAME STUDIOS As a development studio, we've taken a lot of journeys. We've tried not to repeat ourselves, yet all our games have a similar DNA. In 2015, we decided to try something very new, and very scary for us - take one of our worlds and make it online only. Once the idea of 'Fallout-Online-Survival-Game' stuck, there was no turning back, but still some worry and questions. "Will people want this from Fallout? Will they want it from us? How the hell are we going to make this? And what, exactly is this?" Since that time, we've grown to four studios across North America and built a game world four times the size of our last. We developed all new technologies and services - while bending older technology to do things we didn't think it could. We pushed ourselves in new ways that surprised even us. Our worlds, whether it be Fallout, Elder Scrolls, or the coming Starfield, are important places to us. We do everything we can to treat them with care. We know they mean just as much to you. That the time you spend in them is important, and you want each time you experience one to be special and all it can be. And that with Fallout 76, you too are left wondering "What, exactly, is this?" And the answer to that question, more than any game we've made, is "that's up to you." With our Beta starting tomorrow, it's finally time for Fallout 76 to begin its real journey. Because it's all of you who will truly bring life to the world. Usually after years of development, we finally finish, release the game, and take a break. With 76, we feel we have not finished, but reached a starting line where all new work begins. We all know with the scale of our games, and the systems we let you use, that unforeseen bugs and issues always come up. Given what we're doing with 76, we know we're opening everyone up to all new spectacular issues none of us have encountered. Some we're aware of, such as areas where performance needs to improve with lots of players. Others, we surely don't. We need your help finding them, and advice on what's important to fix. We'll address all of it, now and after launch. We can't thank all of you enough for your support over the years, and your support while we try something very new. It's incredibly exciting to finally jump into the world of Fallout and experience it together with you. This is just the start. We can't wait to see you out there. Bethesda Game Studios

On January 16th, June 18th and October 27th, 2020, video game developer CD Projekt Red issued three apologies[2][3][4] for repeatedly delaying the release date of the role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 (example shown below, left). The multiple apologies spawned a meme format in which users humorously edited the yellow template used for the statements (example shown below, right).


CODE = (NEWS) A 345009. 8 66 4 207 7 Hey everyone, Today, we've decided to move the release date of Cyberpunk 2077 by 21 days. The new release date is December 10th. Most likely, there are many emotions and questions in your heads, so, first and foremost, please accept our humble apologies. The biggest challenge for us right now is shipping the game on current-gen, next-gen, and PC at the same time, which requires us to prepare and test 9 versions of it (Xbox One/X, compatibility on Xbox Series SIX, PS4/Pro, compatibility on PS5, PC, Stadia)... while working from home. Since Cyberpunk 2077 evolved towards almost being a next-gen title somewhere along the way, we need to make sure everything works well and every version runs smoothly. We're aware it might seem unrealistic when someone says that 21 days can make any difference in such a massive and complex game, but they really do. Some of you might also be wondering what these words mean in light of us saying we achieved gold master some time ago. Passing certification, or 'going gold', means the game is ready, can be completed, and has all content in it. But it doesn't mean we stop working on it and raising the quality bar. On the contrary, this is the time where many improvements are being made which will then be distributed via a Day 0 patch. This is the time period we undercalculated. We feel we have an amazing game on our hands and are willing to make every decision, even the hardest ones, if it ultimately leads to you getting a video game you'll fall in love with. Yours, Adam Badowski & Marcin Iwiński CD PROJEKT RED FOONE (NEWS) A 345009. 8 66 4 20 7 7 Dear gamers, We've become aware of an issue that can potentially cause the loss of your save data when entering the hospital map. To prevent this issue from occurring, please follow the steps below: 1. Always enter the hospital through the front doors. Do not use any of the other entrances at this time. 2. After entering, immediately approach the receptionist and follow her directions. 3. Be sure to talk to any doctors you encounter in the corridor. 4. When you arrive at the hospital room, immediately approach the bed that is occupied by a crying woman. If the game should freeze at any point during this process, we recommend pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del to restart your PC. Regards, CD PORJEKT RED

Spread

Between 2022 and 2023, multiple video game publishers issued similar apologies for their games, both for delays and the quality of the released product. For example, on February 3rd, 2023, Naughty Dog issued[5] an apology for delaying the PC port of The Last of Us Part I (shown below, left). On April 28th, Electronic Arts apologized[6] for the performance issues of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (shown below, center). On May 26th, Daedalic Entertainment apologized[7] for the release quality of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, with the tweet gaining over 1,200 retweets and 14,600 likes in four days (shown below, right).


The Last of Us fans, Let's get right to it: We initially announced The Last of Us Part I PC release would be March 3, but we've decided to push its launch date out by just a few weeks; it will now be released on March 28. We at the studio have been completely blown away by the outpouring of love and support for The Last of Us these last few weeks. Hearing your love for the HBO adaptation, seeing your beautiful Photo Mode shots, and learning about how the world and characters our studio created nearly a decade ago continue to reach new and old fans alike floors us every day. We know a lot of you have been revisiting the story that started it all with The Last of Us Part I on PlayStation 5 console, and we realize many of you have been excited to jump in some for the first time - when Part I hits PC. And so we want to make sure that The Last of Us Part I PC debut is in the best shape possible. These additional few weeks will allow us to ensure this version of The Last of Us lives up to your, and our, standards. We are so excited to bring The Last of Us Part I to a new platform, reaching new and returning players with Joel and Ellie's unforgettable story of survival, and we hope that you'll continue to look forward to its PC release on March 28. The Naughty Dog team appreciates your support and enthusiasm, and we look forward to sharing more about The Last of Us Part I PC version soon. Endure and Survive, Naughty Dog STAR WARS™ JEDI SURVIVOR We are aware that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor isn't performing to our standards for a percentage of our PC players, in particular those with high-end machines or certain specific configurations. For example, players using cutting-edge, multi-threaded chipsets designed for Windows 11 were encountering problems on Windows 10, or high-end GPUs coupled with lower- performing CPUs also saw unexpected frame loss. Rest assured, we are working to address these cases quickly. While there is no single, comprehensive solution for PC performance, the team has been working on fixes we believe will improve performance across a spectrum of configurations. We are committed to fixing these issues as soon as possible, but each patch requires significant testing to ensure we don't introduce new problems. Thanks for understanding and apologies to any of our players experiencing these issues. We will continue to monitor performance across all platforms and share update timing as soon as it is available. The Star Wars Jedi Team Electronic Arts Respawn LUCASFILM 0: THE LORD OF THE RINGS GOLLUM Dear players, We would like to sincerely apologize for the underwhelming experience many of you have had with The Lord of Ring: Gollum™ upon its release. We acknowledge and deeply regret that the game did not meet the expectations we set for ourselves or for our dedicated community. Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment this may have caused. Our goal as a studio, and as passionate The Lord of the Rings fans, has always been to tell a compelling and immersive story-driven adventure. Crafting a story with Middle-earth as our playground has been the greatest honor - and the biggest challenge we have faced so far. At Daedalic, we understand that a game's success relies on the enjoyment and satisfaction of its players. We genuinely value your feedback and have been actively listening to your voices, reading your comments, and analyzing the constructive criticism and suggestions you have provided. Our development team has been working diligently to address the bugs and technical issues many of you experienced. We are committed to providing you with patches that will allow you to enjoy the game to its fullest potential. Once again, we deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your understanding during this time. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and provide transparent communication regarding the upcoming patches and improvements. Your passion and dedication as players have been the driving force behind our determination to make things right. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT

The latter apology, combined with the large number of similar apologies issued by video game companies in the earlier months and years, spawned a viral discussion on Twitter and a parody trend. For example, on May 26th, 2023, Twitter[8] user @LookAtMyMeat1 tweeted a collage of apologies issued by various companies which gained over 4,900 retweets and 45,000 likes in four days (shown below, left). On May 26th, Twitter[9] user @WhereAllBegins posted a parody apology for the enhanced edition of Silent Hill 2 that gained over 3,500 retweets and 38,200 likes in four days (shown below, right).


LybERFUNK Dear gamers, First of all we would like to start by apologizing to you for not showing the game on base last-gen cancies before it premiered and in consecuenca, rotalowing you to make a more informed decision about your purchase. We should have paid more attention to making it play better on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One Second, we will fix bugs ane crashes, and improve the overal experience. The first round of updates has just been released and the st one is coming within the next 7 cays. Expect more, as we will update frequently whenever new improvements are raads. After the holidays we'll continue working-well release two large patches starting with Patch 3 in January. This will be followed by Patch #2 in February Together the should fis the most prominent protams gamers are facing an int-gen curs. We will be informing you about the contents of each patchahead of their res. They won't make the game on fast gan uk like it's running on a high-spec PC or next-gen console, but it will be closer to that experience than it is now Finally, we would always like everyone who buys our games to be satisfied with their purchase. We would appreciate it if you would give us a thence, but if you re not pred with the great want to wait for contes, wit on your ou can opt to refund your cop For ens purchased digitally, please use the rofne system of PSN or Xhca respectively. For beand version, please first try to get a refunc at the shore where you bought the game. Should this not be possible, plase contact us at he omerefundedprojektred.com and we will co our FORSPOKEN at Star Wars Jet fare contage of our PC players, in particular those with high-end machiner configurations co STAR WARE JEDI SURVIVOR acas -headed chedd for Windows ker w or certain M BABYLON'S FALL IS THE CONTINUING SERVICE IN DANGER NO. THERE ARE NO PLANS TO RIDOCE THE SCALE OF DEVELOPMENT ON BABYLON'S FALL CONTENT LF TO THE TEACTICALLY COMPLETE AND EVE SEMBLED OR ON SEASON) AND FEYONCE We've been listening to all your feedback and are hard at work on an upcoming patch that will include improvements to overal performance, graphics. playability, and general updates and fixes to the game content across PSS and various PC hardware configurations web and wa -THE SABIONS TALL DEVELOPMENT TEAM Thank you to all the players who have enjoyed Forspoken and explored Athia since launch. * Pe wir WE WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE NEW CONTENT ROL THE GAME AND MARK IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON FLAYER HEDRACK STRIVING TO KEEP TESTING PLAYERS PLAYING AND TO ATTRACT NEWCOMER WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL SENTINEES ALREADY IN OYING THE WORLD OF BARITON'S FALL AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING MORE OF YOU IN THE FUTURE! BATTLEFIELD ace Con p CAR .. BATTLEFIELD Recently we have witnessed increased harassment towards members of our development team Across all of our Battlefield Studios we are open to constructive feedback and criticiam about our games. But to maintain a healthy and open dialogue with our community. we will protect our teams and people from toxicity and harassment We believe this has no place inside our game or within the Battlefield community NEW GENESTS PHANTASY STAR ONLINE 2 We want to remind our players that through our EA User Agreement and Battlefield Community Guidelines we will take appropriate action to uphold these values As a community, we play the objective, together. TAKING A STAND AGAINST HATEFUL BEHAVIOR AND TOXICITY We believe toxic behavior and hateful language is never appropriate. The NGS live operations team is taking action against racism, discrimination, and toxic behavior within our game. We have been taking action against this behavior, and will continue to take the following actions to protect our players and eliminate negative behavior from our in-game community Our Actions * Implement severe punishments, such as account suspension, when we find toxic and/or hateful remarks. *Work towards improving how we combat toxicity by improving our processes as we identify problems within the in-game player community. We have suspended or otherwise severely punished more than 1,620 accounts found to engage in discriminatory and hateful behavior. We will continue our efforts to eradicate hateful behavior, racism, and discrimination in order to make our game a place where players are safe and welcome, so they can enjoy playing NGS. - The NGS Team BETHESDA GAME STUDica a development studio, we've taken a lot of journeys. We've tried not to repeat ourselves, yet all our games have a similar DNA. In 2015, we decided to try something very new, and very scary for us-take one of our worlds and make it online only. Once the idea of Fallout Online Survival Game' stuck, there was no turning back, but still come worry and questions. "Will people want this from Fallout? Will they want it from us? How the hell are we going to make this? And what, exactly is this?" Since that time we've grown to four studios across North America and built a game world four times Covent Ga the size of our last. We developed all new technologies and services - while bending older technology to do things we didn't think it could. We pushed ourselves in new ways that surprised even us at worlds, whether it be Fallout, Elder Scrolls, or the coming Starfield, are important places to us. We do everything we can to treat them with care. We know they mean just as much to you. That the time you spend in the is important, and you want each time you experience one to be special and at it can be. And that with Fallout 76. you too are left wondering "What, exactly, is mis? And the answer to that question, more than any game we've made, a "that's up to you" With our Beta starting tomorrow, it's finally time for Fallout 76 to begin its real journey. Because it's all of you who will truly bring life to the world. Ususily after years of development, we finally finish, release the game, and take a break. With 76, we feel we have not finished, but reached a starting line where all new work begin We all know with the scale of our games, and the systems we let you use, that unforeseen bugs and issues always come up Given what we're doing with 76, we know we're opening everyone up to all new spectacular issues none of us have encountered Some we're aware of, such as areas where performance needs to improve with lots of players. Others, we surely don't. We need your help finding them, and advice on what's important to fix. We'll address all of it, now and after launch We can't thank all of you enough for your support over the years, and your support while we try something very now. It's incredibly exciting to finally jump into the world of Fallout and experience it together with you. This is just the start. can't wait to see you out there Bethesda Game Studios Dear players We would like to sincerely apologise for the underwhelming experience many of you have had with The Lord of Ring Gelapon a We acknowledge and deeple regret that the game did not meet expectations we set for ourselves or for our dedicated community accept our apologies for anyth paine Our goals stadio and The Lord of the Ring fan, he always been to tell a compelling and immersive story-driven adventure oulinga Middle earth as a p th-and the biggest change we have f dentand that person the joy and stafiction of toplayan gyors your solom, reading and have been actively bring the contractive and time have provided Our development team has been working diligently to address the bugs and technical issues many of you experienced. We are committed to providing you with patches that will a sches that will allow you to the pet to enjoy the game to t M GOLLUM Sice Once again, we deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your understanding during this sime. We will continue to keep ar pregren and provide transpars the best ingrents Yourse and dedication as players have bees the driving force de deterratice to make things right support. HALD INFINITE Economy R DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT Today want to share an important Hal in development update with the community. We have made the decision turto 202 tour theme to der Halo game that m p our se the cris War Thunder - www The decision to ongak who have remo stable for tend to be or the aver scoss of egeret spt this hold ship Wakribappening to many of you and write The pond support the com shown redbanding. We wanted nothing more than play game with the community eta eshte rol works to deliver the most otsagarrofthe the holds The ea quality in our fa ve Thank you for your support and understanding Ovie Stud Mabind uted to development changes including work from our sa 343 tholonges. However not coomed beer well-being of 343 B potential for this illness exists in all people and, under right circumstances, any man or woman would be driven, ike him, to the other sid phrase it The "other side" perhaps may not be the best way to phrase it where reality and unreality intersect. It is a place b After all, there is no wall between here and there It lies on th SILENT HILL ENHANCED EDITION Silent Hill 2 is an awesome game. You know it. We know it. It's just the best. That's it... That's all we wanted Dear Silent Hill 2 fans, sn't even an illness I cannot agree with them ta philosopher or even a psychiatrist I have to ask myself this question. to us, his imaginings are nothing but th d. But to him, there simply is no other , he is happy there rld of our own reality? ask myself, why in the name of healing hi I got the key f All probably the not agree with the to say. unreality intersect. It is a placo b here It lies on the phrase it him painful So why, I ask y It's true that, to But sometimes I ha I'm a doctor, not a p borders where reality After all, there is no wall between here a The other side" perhaps may not be the the right circumstances, any man or woman wou The potential for this illness exists in all peo understanding. Thank you for your Some say it isn't ove close and distant like him, to the other side"

Various Examples


HALD INFINITE www. . g TRUMENT is Pas WEBSTANTIAL Mat GOLLUM F ting AT THE Honor S detalja entiers, TAM T SA TE CI- ww CARINA MANUSIA ME S THOS Framin Paskie Sa - REDFALL 35 hey PCMR hows it goin? JEDI HALD INFINITE FORSPOKEN GOLLUM THEMES 1:43 ODA REDFALL jesus f------ christ REDFALL We are aware that Redfall isn't performing up to our standards across Xbox Series XIS Console and certain PC configurations. A hotfix addressing crashes, and low performance on high-end PC systems is slated for Tuesday. There is no comprehensive solution to PC Gaming. Good open-world UE4 PC ports like "Days Gone" are hallucinations, and do not exist. Plus, It's not like our parent company owns tools like Direct X, which is what thousands of indie devs use to get their games running on thousands of PC variations. Instead of PC gaming, please run our game at 30fps on Xbox Series X. For those of you who insist on playing on PC, please ensure you are running the latest Nvidia or AMD graphic drivers, and update to Windows 11 for the best experience. We know some of you have suggested that we reach out to our partners at id Software, the masters of first-person shooters, but rest assured our team at Arkane Austin (and our partners at Iron Galaxy) are dedicated to improving the game and addressing known issues with Redfall across Xbox and PC. We will continue to monitor performance across all platforms and share update timing as soon as it is available. Thank you for your support. ARKANE AUSTIN
Aaron San Filippo @AeornFlippout Perhaps an unpopular opinion, and no shade meant to this team at all, but I really wish as an industry we would stop apologizing profusely for mediocre launches and slipped dates. We need to stop perpetuating this notion that game companies are the servants of gamers. COM The Lord of the Rings: Gollum @GollumGame · May 26 A few words from the " The Lord of the Rings: Gollum™ " team LORD RINGS GOLLUM Dear players, We would like to sincerely apologize for the underwhelming experience many of you have had with The Lord of Ring: Gollum™ upon its release. We acknowledge and deeply regret that the game did not meet the expectations we set for ourselves or for our dedicated community. Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment this may have caused. Our goal as a studio, and as passionate The Lord of the Rings fans, has always been to tell a compelling and immersive story-driven adventure. Crafting a story with Middle-earth as our playground has been the greatest honor- and the biggest challenge we have faced so far. At Daedalic, we understand that a game's success relies on the enjoyment and satisfaction of its players. We genuinely value your feedback and have been actively listening to your voices, reading your comments, and analyzing the constructive criticism and suggestions you have provided. Our development team has been working diligently to address the bugs and technical issues many of you experienced. We are committed to providing you with patches that will allow you to enjoy the game to its fullest potential. Once again, we deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your understanding during this time. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and provide transparent communication regarding the upcoming patches and improvements. Your passion and dedication as players have been the driving force behind our determination to make things right. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, 2:15 PM - May 26, 2023 1.9M Views DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT Mutahar @OrdinaryGamers Man at this point I'm just printing these apologies up and putting them all over my office. You knew this game was dogcheeks. COLLUM The Lord of the Rings: Gollum @GollumGame . May 26 A few words from the "The Lord of the Rings: Gollum™ " team ORD GOLLUM Dear players, We would like to sincerely apologize for the underwhelming experience many of you have had with The Lord of Ring: Gollum™ upon its release. We acknowledge and deeply regret that the game did not meet the expectations we set for ourselves or for our dedicated community. Please accept our sincere apologies for any disappointment this may have caused. Our goal as a studio, and as passionate The Lord of the Rings fans, has always been to tell a compelling and immersive story-driven adventure. Crafting a story with Middle-earth as our playground has been the greatest honor- and the biggest challenge we have faced so far. At Daedalic, we understand that a game's success relies on the enjoyment and satisfaction of its players. We genuinely value your feedback and have been actively listening to your voices, reading your comments, and analyzing the constructive criticism and suggestions you have provided. Our development team has been working diligently to address the bugs and technical issues many of you experienced. We are committed to providing you with patches that will allow you to enjoy the game to its fullest potential. Once again, we deeply apologize for any inconvenience caused, and we appreciate your understanding during this time. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress and provide transparent communication regarding the upcoming patches and improvements. Your passion and dedication as players have been the driving force behind our determination to make things right. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, 1:52 PM . May 26, 2023 511K Views DAEDALIC ENTERTAINMENT CODE (NEWS)A 345009.0604 Syborepank 2077 Hey everyone, Here we go again. Ah s---, here we go again CD PROJEKT RED

Search Interest

External References

[1] Twitter – @BethesdaStudios

[2] Twitter – @CDPROJEKTRED

[3] Twitter – @CyberpunkGame

[4] Twitter – @CyberpunkGame

[5] Twitter – @Naughty_Dog

[6] Twitter – @EAStarWars

[7] Twitter – @GollumGame

[8] Twitter – @LookAtMyMeat1

[9] Twitter – @WhereAllBegins

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