What makes a good gaming company? Well, some would say that a successful one is a good one. But is that true? Unfortunately, many prioritize profit over quality, resulting in subpar products. Meanwhile, others are implementing a "gaming as a service" business model, effectively killing all the creativity. Yet, the main problem with contemporary video game companies is that non-gamers make decisions. Therefore, there aren't many of them we like lately. However, some did everything to deserve our discontent with their business practices. Thus, they earned the spot on our top ten list of the most hated video game companies.

10. Atari 

Atari usually evokes childhood memories filled with 8-bit characters and sounds. Unfortunately, the video game industry crashed in 1983, and it was the fault of Atari. Although the causes of the crash are complex and numerous, Atari and its E.T. game were significant contributors. 

Atari Inc was destroyed, but the name continued. While they had some success stories, they could never repeat what they did in the early 80s. After massacring their most popular franchises, Asteroids and Alone in the Dark, Atari is apparently building hotels now. 

9. Blizzard

Blizzard is a perfect example of how quickly the tide can turn. This company was associated with the best RPG and RTS games for decades. Nevertheless, things have shifted terribly for Blizzard in recent years. In 2018, Diablo Immortal's controversial reveal created massive turmoil among hardcore PC gamers, the majority of the Blizzard fanbase. 

The following year, they banned a Hearthstone player, blitzchung, for supporting the Hong Kong protests. Thus, this created a backlash of epic proportions. Even American politicians urged Blizzard to reverse its decision. The release of Warcraft 3 Reforged remaster was the icing on the poop cake, as this game has one of the worst Metacritic user scores. Let's hope Diablo 4 will pull out Blizzard from the hole they dug. 

8. Warner Bros. 

The gaming wing of Warner Brothers has done a lot of damage to its brand throughout the years. The most prominent issue is over-reliance on monetization practices and pre-orders. Sometimes they even promote pre-order bonuses during the games' announcement!

For example, they revealed six retail exclusive pre-order bonuses for their Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham. Additionally, the aggressive implementation of loot boxes in Middle-earth: Shadow of War created a huge controversy. As it weren't enough, they violated federal trade commission guidelines by locking review codes of the Shadow of Mordor behind brand deals. Not cool, people, not cool at all.

7. Epic Games

Epic Games have been the staple name in the gaming industry for a long time. They created famous gaming franchises, such as Unreal, Gears of War, and Fortnite. Additionally, their Unreal Engine has been the most prominent industry element for twenty years.

Unfortunately, Epic Games received some harsh critics because of their Epic Game Store, created to combat the Steam monopoly on the PC market. This didn't go well because Epic decided to introduce timed exclusives, which made gamers constantly outraged. Although the Epic Game Store is highly successful, Epic Games garnered a lot of hate because of it. 

6. Microsoft 

Starting in 2018, Microsoft has begun its redemption arc with the Xbox brand doing some great things, including the partnership with the PC market and the 2020 acquisition of ZeniMax. Nevertheless, there's no doubt that the previous generation was a tough one. 

Xbox 360 was a great success, but it didn't come without problems, primarily the infamous red ring of death. Also, there was Microsoft's way of handling the Rare. But then, the Xbox One reveal happened, a disaster from Microsoft never recovered from. Hopefully, the expansion to the PC gaming market will help their reputation. 

5. Bethesda

Bethesda has been heavily criticized over the years, mainly for the underwhelming creativity output and many business screw-ups. For example, they tried to push the paid mods, even after the massive fan backlash.

Concerning the games, even their best titles come out as unpolished and buggy mess that the modding community spends months improving. The pinnacle of lackluster game-making is undoubtedly Fallout 76. This one is among the worst multiplayer games ever, with catastrophic blunders almost every day since launch.  

4. Konami

Like Atari, Konami was a certified powerhouse regarding video games in the 80s and 90s. The arcades were full of Konami machines, and their console software was the top of the offer. However, this giant has fallen really low since. The year 2015 was particularly horrible for the Konami brand as they canceled P.T. and abandoned Kojima Productions.

Instead, they released their horrible Metal Gear title, which effectively killed the franchise. Furthermore, they allegedly treated their employees like slaves. And that is all before mentioning pachinko machines. Destroying some of the most beloved franchises for the sake of gambling devices is not something a respectful gaming company would do. 

3. Activision

Activision did many things to end up this high on this list. Let's mention the yearly editions of Call of Duty or publishing an unfinished Tony Hawk sequel just to keep the rights. However, their business strategies are also an object of controversy.

In February 2019, the company fired more than 800 employees while simultaneously boasting record profits in an investor call. On the other hand, one of the directors received a $15 million bonus just for taking the job. Not to mention Bobby Kotick and his unhinged behavior, to say the least. Many people blame Activision for the ruin of Blizzard and other gaming companies under its wing.

2. Ubisoft

Ubisoft has made so undeniably great games in the past decades. However, the company often does everything to maximize its profit while hurting gamers. The primary problem is aggressive and expensive microtransactions. A game like For Honor requires either years of playing or $800 if you want to unlock everything! Yet, PC players have it the worst, as they also have to deal with the Ubisoft launcher.

Unfortunately, Ubisoft is now about sequels, as they aren't taking any risks with new IPs. Yet, those sequels often bring minor improvements and are littered with bugs. Furthermore, the company is now infamous for its trailers, as the final game rarely looks as good. Finally, let's mention the controversial DRM methods that hurt legitimate buyers and the abuse of their employees. 

1. Electronic Arts

We don't think anyone is surprised by EA topping this top ten list, as this company sums up everything people hate about the video game industry. Everything is here, from overpaid CEOs and horrible working conditions to loot boxes. 

Actually, the use of loot boxes in Star Wars Battlefront 2 caused governments worldwide to change their gambling laws and include video games. There is also their practice of acquiring and then killing beloved gaming companies. Therefore, it's no wonder they were pronounced the worst consumerist company in America two years in a row. It says a lot when you are more hated than Comcast and Bank of America. 

Video game companies have gone a long way, from small garage studios to giant corporations employing thousands of people. Of course, business development means a change of focus in the business model. Yet, video game companies prioritized profits instead of concentrating on entertainment and quality. Some of them did it more than others, bringing them to the gaming community's wrong side. Nowadays, most successful video game companies are followed by some infamy.

Which video game companies would you add to our top ten list? Which one is the worst for you?