The video game industry’s reliance on day-one patches has become a hallmark of modern development cycles. It exposes a systemic prioritization of rigid release schedules over polished products. These multi-gigabyte updates, deployed hours before a game’s launch, often address critical bugs, performance issues, or missing content that should have been resolved before shipping. While developers argue that patches reflect post-certification improvements, their growing size and frequency reveal an unsettling trend: games are increasingly released in unfinished states to meet corporate deadlines.
The Cyberpunk 2077 Precedent
One of the most infamous examples is Cyberpunk 2077 (2020), which launched with a 43 GB day-one patch. Despite CD Projekt Red’s claims that the update would resolve “most bugs,” reviewers and players encountered persistent issues, including animation glitches, texture pop-in, and crashes on last-gen consoles. The game’s disastrous state on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One led to its temporary removal from the PlayStation Store and $2 million in FTC settlements. This incident highlighted how day-one patches have evolved from minor fixes to essential band-aids for fundamentally flawed releases.
In the iGaming sector, for example, constant updates are beneficial for maintaining player engagement. iGaming platforms often update to introduce new bonuses and promotions, such as the Hello Millions promo code or game variations based on player feedback.
The Normalization of Unfinished Launches
The practice spans AAA and indie studios alike. EA’s Battlefield 2042 (2021) launched without basic features like voice chat and a scoreboard, relying on months of post-launch updates to address player backlash. Similarly, Fallout 76 (2018) required a 54 GB patch within weeks of release to stabilize its online infrastructure, while No Man’s Sky (2016) spent years updating to match its pre-launch promises. Even recent titles like Monster Hunter Wilds (2025) followed this trend, deploying an 18 GB day-one patch to address performance issues and missing textures noted by reviewers.
Corporate Pressures and Development Realities
The root cause lies in inflexible corporate timelines. Games typically “go gold” (enter production) 4–6 weeks before release, leaving developers to finalize patches during this window. Publishers often prioritize holiday sales or fiscal quarters over developmental readiness, as seen with Cyberpunk 2077’s rushed December 2020 launch. Reddit user analyses note that preorder culture exacerbates this, incentivizing studios to ship incomplete products, knowing patches can be delivered digitally.
Consequences for Players and Preservation
While patches mitigate some issues, they erode consumer trust. A 2022 PCMag survey found that 68% of gamers now wait months post-launch to purchase titles, wary of broken experiences. Preservationists also warn that reliance on patches jeopardizes long-term accessibility; once servers shut down, physical copies of games like Halo: The Master Chief Collection (2014)—which required a 20 GB day-one patch—become unplayable.
Moving Forward
The industry’s patch-first mentality risks normalizing substandard releases. Until publishers face financial repercussions—through reduced preorders or regulatory penalties—the cycle of unfinished launches will persist. As players grow increasingly vocal, studios must realign priorities: quality over arbitrary deadlines.