Evolve

Evolve's $136 worth of day-one DLC and a season pass that fractured its nonexistent player base made it a textbook case of monetization before community. Turtle Rock Studios' 2015 asymmetric multiplayer game went free-to-play in 2016 but shut down entirely in 2018, a lifespan that is 40% shorter than the average live-service title from its era. This game's aggressive pricing strategy alienated players faster than even Anthem's broken loot system did, proving that greed can kill a promising concept before it has a chance to grow.