The Intense Reaction to 2026's Biggest Games Exposes an Even Bigger Problem

Published Oct 2, 2026, 12:08 AM EDT

Lucas Kloberdanz-Dyck is a writer for Collider. He grew up creating lists, stories, and worlds, which led to his love of anime and video games. He attended Sheridan College where he earned an Honours Bachelor of Game Design. Lucas and his group won 1st place for technical innovation at LevelUp Toronto 2023, and he was also an intern for the Oakville Film Festival of Arts. 

Sign in to your Collider account

2026 has been one of the greatest years for media in a long time, and video games in particular have had a better year than most. Resident Evil and The Legend of Zelda are both celebrating their 30th and 40th anniversary respectively, with the former having a new movie and game and the latter releasing a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, one of the best titles of all time, later in the year. More than that, there are plenty of well-reviewed games such as Pragmata and Mina the Hollower, all of which are making the race for the 2026 Game of the Year even tighter than usual. However, it wouldn't be a year of gaming if there wasn't plenty of controversy.

For as many good things that have happened in the game industry, there are as many bad things, from rising prices of games and consoles, more layoffs, and PlayStation's announcement that they won't support physical media in the future. However, the bad is expanding beyond the industry and finding itself in the culture of the fans. Gamers are more critical than most fans in other mediums, but it has reached an all-time high in 2026. Two video games specifically have received the brunt of the hate this year, which includes Marvel's Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto VI. One of them isn't even out yet, but both have been scrutinized by the community, making them the most controversial offerings of the year. Do they deserve the hate?

What Are 'Marvel's Wolverine' and 'Grand Theft Auto VI' About?

Before this list delves into the criticisms of fans and analyzes their reaction to these titles, it will first go through and detail what they are about. Marvel's Wolverine is Insomniac Games' most recent title, following their success with the Marvel's Spider-Man franchise to deliver another superhero game. Announced in 2021, it took five years for this game to come out, and the reaction is mixed. This action-adventure game follows the titular hero, played by Liam McIntyre, as he gets involved with Team X after losing his memories. While he likes to do things himself, he finds new bonds with a group of mutants as they team up to fight the injustices against them. The combat is visceral, fast-paced, and absolutely engrossing, giving gamers the authentic Wolverine experience as they embody this role.

Next is Grand Theft Auto VI, which is hard to explain mainly because the game isn't out yet, so no one knows its narrative. However, the game is set in Vice City and follows a Bonnie and Clyde-type relationship between Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, the voice actors of which have not been officially announced. It has been over a decade since Grand Theft Auto V and eight years since Rockstar's last game, Red Dead Redemption 2, meaning this one is highly anticipated. While we don't know the main story, fans at least know what to expect in terms of gameplay, including a highly dense city to explore, captivating gunplay combat, detailed mini-games and random things to do, and hyperrealistic graphics.

What Is the Discourse Surrounding These Games?

Image via Insomniac Games

Marvel's Wolverine is a good, but not great, video game, and Grand Theft Auto VI isn't even out yet, but is likely to be the biggest video game of 2026. So, what exactly is the controversy surrounding them? Well, one common aspect is that they were highly anticipated, and now that Marvel's Wolverine hasn't lived up to expectations, fans are becoming extra critical. Insomniac Games has a good track record, but Marvel's Wolverine is their lowest-rated video game and PlayStation's lowest-rated title in a while. Some of their titles were the best video games of the 2010s, but their most recent game has underwhelmed. What exactly is responsible for these low ratings?

Marvel's Wolverine features great combat that naturally lets the player learn the combos, but there are plenty of criticisms. The narrative is hard to critique since it is so subjective, with some fans loving the change of origin, and others hating the revamped differences. The biggest criticism is the guidance, which holds the players' hand throughout the entire game. There are scent trails that directly lead the player to where they need to go, which seems redundant and over-the-top for a linear game. The characters also constantly tell the players what to do, and the collectibles have bright icons to notify players.

Meanwhile, as the most hyped video game potentially of all time, Grand Theft Auto VI has higher expectations than most, and that leads to more pressure. The trailers and extensive looks are spectacular for the most part, but fans have nitpicked anything they can find. From awkward animations to reaching into a fridge and grabbing an invisible beer, gamers are overanalyzing everything about Grand Theft Auto VI. Other criticisms include the game being too "woke," like Jason not being masculine enough. Outside the actual game, there is controversy surrounding the pricing and the fact that there isn't a physical disc.

Collider Exclusive · Marvel Personality Quiz Which MCU Hero Are You? Spider-Man · Daredevil · Iron Man · Punisher · Thor · Cap

Six heroes. One destiny. Answer 10 questions to discover which Marvel Cinematic Universe hero shares your personality, values, and fighting spirit. Will you swing, fly, or thunder your way to glory?

🕷️Spider-Man

😈Daredevil

🤖Iron Man

💀Punisher

⚡Thor

🛡️Cap

FIND YOUR HERO →

01

What drives you to do what's right? Choose the answer that feels most like you.

AWith great power comes great responsibility — I protect those who can't protect themselves. BMy faith and my conscience — I believe justice must be served, even in the dark. CLegacy and ego, honestly — but I've learned that others depend on me now. DThe system failed. Someone has to make sure the guilty actually pay. EDuty to the innocent and honour to my name — I was born to protect realms. FThe values I was raised with — freedom, decency, and never backing down from a bully.

NEXT QUESTION →

02

It's 2 AM. Where are you? Your answer says more about you than you'd think.

ASwinging between skyscrapers, keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. BRunning rooftops in Hell's Kitchen, listening for trouble. CIn my lab, upgrading my suit with a cold cup of coffee nearby. DStaking out a target I've been tracking for three weeks. ESomewhere between the stars, or at a feast that got out of hand. FOn a morning run — I was up at 4, actually. Couldn't sleep.

NEXT QUESTION →

03

How do you handle a villain who keeps escaping justice? Every hero has a method. What's yours?

AWeb them up and leave them for the police — again. BBuild an airtight case and dismantle their entire operation from the inside. CDeploy a containment system I designed specifically for them. Tech wins. DMake sure they don't escape a third time. Permanently. EChallenge them to single combat. Honour demands a decisive end. FRally allies, adapt the plan, and bring them in — by the book, even if it's hard.

NEXT QUESTION →

04

How do you feel about keeping a secret identity? The mask — or the lack of one — says everything.

AEssential — my loved ones would be in danger if anyone found out who I am. BCritical — the mask protects my mission as much as my face. COverrated — I announced myself to the world and I'd do it again. DI'm a ghost. The less people know about me, the better. EMy name is known across the Nine Realms. There's no hiding it. FI don't hide — but I understand why some need to. Transparency builds trust.

NEXT QUESTION →

05

You've lost someone important because of your heroism. How do you carry that? Every hero pays a price. The question is how they pay it.

AWith guilt that never fully goes away — it pushes me to do better, every single day. BI channel it into purpose — their memory is the reason I keep fighting. CI buried myself in work for years. I'm only recently learning to face it. DIt transformed me completely. I'm not the same person I was before. EWith warrior's grief — I honour them by fighting with everything I have. FI keep moving forward. Stopping means letting the loss win.

NEXT QUESTION →

06

What's your role when working with a team? Who you are under pressure is who you actually are.

AThe enthusiastic wildcard who somehow makes it work — and keeps the mood up. BThe strategist who works best alone but shows up when it matters most. CThe one who funds it, equips it, and occasionally takes over the whole operation. DI don't do teams. I'm more effective operating solo, on my terms. EThe heavy hitter — I crash in, draw fire, and turn the tide of battle. FThe leader — I earn trust, build the plan, and make sure no one gets left behind.

NEXT QUESTION →

07

Where do you draw the line between justice and revenge? The answer defines what kind of hero you really are.

AClearly — I don't kill, and I wrestle with that line constantly. BI try to hold the line, but I've come terrifyingly close to crossing it. CPractically — I do what's necessary to protect people, including hard calls. DI crossed that line long ago. What I do is justice — the system just won't admit it. EIn battle, victory is justice. Mercy is earned — not automatic. FFirmly. The moment we abandon our principles, we become what we fight against.

NEXT QUESTION →

08

When you're not saving the world, what does life look like? The person behind the mask is always the more interesting story.

ATrying to juggle school, a part-time job, and not failing my friends. BWorking as a lawyer by day, fighting for justice in court and on the streets. CRunning a global company, attending galas, and pretending I'm sleeping enough. DQuiet. Isolated. Surviving with a clear mission and no distractions. ENavigating a bizarre and fascinating mortal world — coffee is extraordinary. FAdapting to a world decades ahead of everything I knew. Quietly, stubbornly.

NEXT QUESTION →

09

What keeps you up at night? Fear is useful data — if you're honest about what you're actually afraid of.

AThe people I couldn't save — and the ones I might not reach in time tomorrow. BWhether the monster I fight every night is starting to live inside me too. CThe threats I can see coming and whether my tech is actually good enough. DNothing. Silence is the only peace I get. I've made my choices. EWhether I'm truly worthy — of the hammer, of the throne, of the people I protect. FA world where no one stands up anymore. Where good people do nothing.

NEXT QUESTION →

10

The battle is lost. You're outnumbered, outgunned, and exhausted. What do you do? This is your tiebreaker — choose carefully.

ACrack a joke to buy a second, then find the one web shot that changes everything. BBlock out everything except the sound of the next threat — and keep going. CActivate the emergency protocol I built for exactly this scenario. Always have a plan. DI don't accept that it's lost. I keep fighting until I physically cannot anymore. ECall the lightning. All of it. The storm answers to me. FPick up the shield. Stand up. Because as long as I can stand, it's not over.

REVEAL MY HERO →

Your Hero Has Been Identified Your MCU Hero Is…

Based on your answers, the Marvel hero who matches your spirit, values, and instincts has been revealed.

🕷️ Spider-Man

You carry the weight of the world on shoulders that are younger than they should have to be — funny, loyal, and endlessly self-sacrificing.

• You do the right thing not because it's easy, but because no one else will.
• You understand that responsibility isn't a burden you choose — it's one that finds you.
• Whether it's a neighbourhood mugging or a multiverse crisis, you show up.
• Peter Parker's lesson — that great power demands great responsibility — isn't a slogan to you. It's the code you live by, even when it costs you everything.

😈 Daredevil

You fight in the shadows between law and chaos, guided by a fierce moral compass that refuses to let the guilty walk free.

• You use every tool available — your mind, your body, your faith — to protect those the system overlooks.
• You've looked into the darkness and chosen not to become it, though the line has never been easy.
• Matt Murdock's duality — champion in the courtroom, devil in the alley — mirrors your own.
• Relentless, conflicted, and unwilling to stop. That is exactly you.

🤖 Iron Man

Brilliant, driven, and occasionally insufferable — but always the person who solves the unsolvable problem.

• You lead with your mind and back it up with resources, innovation, and a stubbornness that borders on heroic.
• You started out looking out for yourself, but somewhere along the way the world became your responsibility.
• Tony Stark's arc — from ego to sacrifice — is your arc too.
• You build, you plan, and when the moment comes, you're willing to give everything. Because in the end, you're Iron Man.

💀 The Punisher

You've been through fire that would break most people — and it did change you, completely. What's left is unyielding, relentless, and operating by a code forged in grief.

• You don't ask for forgiveness, and you don't expect gratitude.
• You see a corrupt, broken world and you've decided to do something about it, consequences be damned.
• Frank Castle's war is born from love twisted by loss — and so is yours.
• Uncompromising and unflinching — the world may not agree with your methods, but your conviction is absolute.

⚡ Thor

Powerful, proud, and on a lifelong journey to become worthy of the legend you carry.

• You lead with strength but have learned — sometimes painfully — that true greatness comes from humility and growth.
• You're larger than life, yet more vulnerable than you let on.
• Thor's story is one of transformation: from arrogant prince to worthy king, from isolated warrior to beloved protector.
• You bring the storm when it's needed — and the warmth when it matters just as much.

🛡️ Captain America

You believe in something bigger than yourself — and you fight for it even when the world has moved on and nobody else will.

• You don't bully the small guy, and you never stop when it gets hard.
• Steve Rogers didn't become a hero when he got the serum — he was always one. So were you.
• Your strength isn't in your fists; it's in your refusal to compromise what's right, no matter the cost.
• In a world full of people taking the easy road, you're the one who picks up the shield and stands up — every single time.

↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ

There Is No Nuance to Game Discussion Anymore

Image via Rockstar Games

Now that everyone is up to speed about Marvel's Wolverine, Grand Theft Auto VI, and the controversy surrounding them, what exactly is the problem? To preface, this article isn't saying these games are beyond criticism. In fact, they should be held to a high standard that forces the industry to take fans seriously and make the games consumer-friendly. In the end, all fans want are good games, and studios should have an obligation to provide that. The issue comes from the fact that the reaction to these two games is so overblown.

Marvel's Wolverine is far from perfect, and it won't be the most universally beloved video game of the 2020s. However, if one were to only look at the discourse online, they would assume it's one of the worst video games of all time. One thing modern gaming culture is experiencing is the need for games to be a ten or a nine; anything below is bad. There is no nuance to the discussion anymore, with fans who love the game getting hated for enjoying it, and those who aren't fans being called toxic. Both sides are having extreme reactions to a game that is simply good, which only results in more discourse, escalating hate or toxic support. As soon as there is one bad thing, fans will latch onto anything negative, no matter how big or small. Marvel's Wolverine has some serious issues, but the reaction is overblown. Video games are supposed to be fun, but it has gotten to a point where "having a blast" is a bad thing.

Now for Grand Theft Auto VI, which faces an even more outrageous situation. Aspects like the price and lack of a physical disc are genuine concerns that have an impact and should be brought to light. However, the game itself isn't out, and fans are already hating on it. Gamers have picked through the trailers like a vulture on a dead horse, hunting for anything to reaffirm their preconceived hate of the game. They are finding increasingly smaller hills to die on, making any criticism fall flat and feel like a forced agenda. Grand Theft Auto VI could be one of Rockstar's best video games of all time, but because it is "woke," has some wonky animation, or feels too similar to the other games in the franchise, people are boycotting it.

Is This the Future of Gaming Culture?

Image via Insomniac Games

Expectations are ruining the gaming industry. This point is hard to argue with, because fans simply want what they believe is promised. The issue comes when those expectations are bigger than the game itself. Gaming culture is overly toxic, and this, unfortunately, gets more attention than any support, which is also used to discredit fans who enjoy the games. Gamers often ignore any sort of positive and shine a light on a game's flaws, which brightens through unfounded hate. We're now at a point where that light is actually a spreading inferno fueled by those convinced they didn't start the fire.

This isn't anything new—gaming culture has had toxic tendencies forever, reaching a breaking point in the 2020s by weaponizing criticism against fans and developers. It is hard to feel safe when opinions are more like agenda pieces that result in death threats, and that is exactly what is wrong with gaming culture: it is a reactionary echo chamber that views things in black and white with no consequences. Marvel's Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto VI aren't the only examples, but they are undoubtedly the two figureheads of 2026. Is this the future of the industry? Worst: it's the present.

Marvel's Wolverine