The Most Game-Breaking Bugs Fixed in Video Game History

Introduction

Video games have always been a blend of creativity and technology, but even the most polished titles can suffer from game-breaking bugs. These glitches can ruin player experiences, corrupt save files, or even make games unplayable. Over the years, developers have patched some of the most infamous bugs, restoring balance and enjoyment to beloved titles.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the most notorious game-breaking bugs that were eventually fixed, examining their impact and how developers resolved them.

1. The MissingNo Glitch – Pokémon Red & Blue (1996)

The Bug:
One of the most famous glitches in gaming history, MissingNo, was an unintended "Pokémon" that appeared due to memory corruption. Players could encounter it by performing a specific sequence involving the Old Man’s tutorial and surfing along Cinnabar Island’s coast.

Impact:
While MissingNo didn’t crash the game, it caused graphical corruption and could duplicate items in the player’s inventory. Some players exploited this to gain infinite Rare Candies, but others experienced save file corruption.

The Fix:
Nintendo never officially patched the original Game Boy cartridges, but later Pokémon releases (such as FireRed and LeafGreen) removed the glitch entirely by fixing memory handling.

2. The Corrupted Blood Plague – World of Warcraft (2005)

The Bug:
In World of Warcraft’s early days, the "Corrupted Blood" incident turned into an accidental pandemic. A debuff from the Hakkar boss in Zul’Gurub was supposed to affect only raid members, but pets and minions carried it outside, spreading it to low-level players.

Impact:
Entire cities were wiped out as the plague spread uncontrollably. Some players intentionally spread it, while others tried to quarantine infected zones. The event mirrored real-world epidemics, leading to studies by epidemiologists.

The Fix:
Blizzard implemented hard resets, despawned infected NPCs, and later introduced mechanics to prevent similar exploits in future raids.

3. The Skyrim Giant Space Program (2011)

The Bug:
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, giants had an unintended physics interaction where their powerful attacks could launch players into the stratosphere. This became a meme known as the "Skyrim Space Program."

Impact:
While hilarious, this bug could instantly kill players, making giant encounters unfairly lethal. Some players exploited it for fun, but it disrupted immersion.

The Fix:
Bethesda adjusted the physics calculations in subsequent patches, preventing giants from sending players into orbit while keeping their attacks powerful.

4. The Fallout 76 Infinite Carry Weight Glitch (2018)

The Bug:
At launch, Fallout 76 was plagued with bugs, but one of the worst was an exploit allowing players to bypass carry weight limits. By rapidly equipping and unequipping power armor with pocketed mods, players could gain infinite storage.

Impact:
This broke the game’s economy, as players hoarded unlimited resources, making survival mechanics meaningless. It also caused server instability due to excessive item duplication.

The Fix:
Bethesda patched the exploit and banned players who abused it. Later updates introduced stricter inventory management systems to prevent similar issues.

5. The Cyberpunk 2077 Save File Corruption (2020)

The Bug:
At launch, Cyberpunk 2077 had numerous issues, but one of the worst was a bug that corrupted save files exceeding 8MB in size. This primarily affected players who hoarded too many items.

Impact:
Players lost dozens (or hundreds) of hours of progress, making the game unplayable without restarting. The bug was especially devastating on last-gen consoles.

The Fix:
CD Projekt Red released multiple patches, increasing the save file limit and adding safeguards to prevent corruption. They also offered refunds due to the game’s rocky launch.

6. The Dark Souls Infinite Souls Glitch (2011)

The Bug:
In Dark Souls, players could exploit a glitch involving the "Bottomless Box" and item duplication to gain infinite souls (the game’s currency). By storing and retrieving certain items in a specific order, players could multiply their soul count exponentially.

Impact:
This trivialized the game’s difficulty, as players could max out stats early. It also affected multiplayer balance, as over-leveled invaders could dominate new players.

The Fix:
FromSoftware patched the exploit in later updates, though some players still found alternative duplication methods.

7. The Assassin’s Creed Unity Face Bug (2014)

The Bug:
At launch, Assassin’s Creed Unity was infamous for its graphical glitches, but the worst was a bug that removed characters’ faces, leaving only floating eyes and teeth.

Impact:
This terrifying visual glitch ruined immersion and became a meme, further damaging the game’s already poor reception.

The Fix:
Ubisoft released multiple patches improving stability and fixing character models, though the game’s reputation never fully recovered.

Conclusion

Game-breaking bugs can turn a masterpiece into a frustrating experience, but developers often step in to fix them. Some glitches, like MissingNo or the Corrupted Blood plague, became legendary in gaming culture, while others, like Cyberpunk 2077’s save corruption, served as cautionary tales.

As games grow more complex, bugs will always exist—but the best developers learn from mistakes and deliver fixes that restore the fun.

What’s the worst bug you’ve encountered in a game? Share your stories in the comments!

Tags: #Gaming #GameBugs #Glitches #VideoGames #TechFixes #GamingHistory #GameDevelopment