Forum Discussion
Title: Disappointed with EA & Codemasters – From Classic Highs to Modern Lows
1. The Golden Era of Classics
I remember a time when EA and Codemasters set the gold standard for racing games. Titles from about 20 years ago – like Need for Speed: Underground, NFS Most Wanted, the TOCA Race Driver series, and Colin McRae Rally – were released with remarkable polish. These games came out of the box nearly bug-free, with no need for massive day-one patches or endless hotfixes. They delivered complete experiences that we could enjoy for hours on end without hitting game-breaking glitches. Simply put, those classic titles left a legacy of quality and earned our trust in these companies.
2. Today’s Releases: Bugs, DLC Greed, and No Accountability
Fast forward to today, and it feels like everything has flipped. Instead of polished products, we’re now often getting games riddled with bugs at launch. It’s become the norm to expect patches for basic functionality that should have been working from day one. The focus seems to have shifted from quality to quick cash:
- Rushed, Buggy Launches: Recent titles (even the latest EA Sports WRC and F1 games) have launched with glaring technical issues. Crashes, mode failures, and recurring bugs that span multiple yearly releases make it feel like minimal testing or polish is done before release. It’s incredibly frustrating to pay full price for a game that feels unfinished.
- Overpriced DLCs & Cash-Grabs: Instead of earning our money through great content, we’re hit with pricey DLC packs and microtransactions at every turn. Core features that used to be part of the base game are now sold separately. For example, we see content packs in EA’s latest games that cost a premium, even while the base game’s issues remain unresolved. It gives the impression that maximizing profit is more important than delivering value.
- No Accountability or Communication: Perhaps most discouraging is the lack of developer accountability. When issues arise, official responses are either completely absent or painfully sparse. Bug reports and community feedback often go unanswered. There’s rarely an apology or acknowledgment from the devs/publishers about the state of the game. This silence feels like they don’t care or assume we’ll just tolerate it and keep paying.
3. The F1 Esports Qualifier Debacle
A perfect example of this troubling trend is the F1 Esports situation for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. As an avid fan (and someone who hoped to participate), I’ve been stunned by the complete lack of transparency around the qualification process. There have been no clear in-game updates or announcements in the F1 titles about how to qualify for the official F1 Esports series these past two seasons. The official F1 Esports website is horribly out of date – it still shows old information and “coming soon” placeholders, with nothing specific about the current season. It’s as if the entire qualification route was hidden or never activated, and we were never told.
I honestly feel misled — even borderline scammed — by this experience. The game and its marketing suggested an active esports pathway, yet in reality everything was either quietly canceled or incompetently managed without a word to the players. Many of us kept checking for updates or hoped each patch might unlock the promised “esports qualifiers,” but we got silence. This lack of communication isn’t just disappointing; it feels like a breach of trust with the community. We invested our time (and money on the game) expecting a shot at competition or at least to follow a structured esports season, and instead we got nothing but confusion.
4. Silence, Outdated Info, and Shifted Priorities
Sadly, the F1 Esports fiasco is part of a broader pattern with EA and Codemasters lately. Developer silence has become the norm across the board. Whether it’s unanswered questions about missing features or outdated information lingering on official sites, the message we get is that keeping the community informed just isn’t a priority anymore. The developers responsible for maintaining the F1 Esports website are also at fault — the qualification and results pages haven’t been properly updated since 2022 or 2023, despite new seasons happening. The same applies to the official WRC website, where the esports section (https://www.wrc.com/en/misc/game) doesn’t mention anything about whether esports events were ever planned. We still see the same bugs carry over from one game to the next, year after year, showing that lessons aren’t being learned. When the community reports issues or asks reasonable questions, we’re met with either generic PR responses or complete silence.
All of this paints a picture of companies that have shifted focus away from player experience. It feels like profit is now king – push the product out, sell DLCs, hype the next title, and rinse and repeat – while the loyal fans and players are left dealing with half-baked games and broken promises. The contrast with 15-20 years ago couldn’t be more stark. Back then, it seemed like EA and Codemasters cared about making great games and earning player loyalty. Now, we’re largely seen as wallets to extract from, rather than a community to genuinely support. You're optimizing for short-term profits, but in doing so, you're alienating the very people who supported you for decades.
5. Final Thoughts
I don’t write this out of hate, but out of disappointment and a bit of heartbreak. I grew up loving EA and Codemasters games, and I know they can do better – they’ve done it before. As a long-time fan, it’s upsetting to feel so let down by the current state of these once-great franchises.
All we’re asking for is a return to what made these companies respected in the first place: release games when they’re actually ready, communicate honestly with your player base, fix the issues that need fixing, and don’t treat us like walking wallets. We want to celebrate your games, not constantly complain about them.
Right now, though, I and many others are truly disappointed. We reminisce about the classics because they gave us joy without the headaches. It would be amazing to see EA and Codemasters recapture that spirit – focusing on quality, community, and transparency. Until then, it’s hard not to feel cynical about every new release or promise, and that’s a **bleep** shame for those of us who just want to enjoy the games.
Here’s hoping the message gets through and things change for the better.
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