Let’s get something straight: I don’t hate live-service games. When done right, they can be incredible. Destiny 2 at its best is a thrill. Warframe has given players years of content for free. But here’s the issue—most live-service games aren’t designed to make you happy. They’re designed to keep you engaged, to squeeze every possible hour (and dollar) out of you, and to turn gaming into a second job. And that’s not just annoying—it’s exhausting.
Think about it. How many times have you logged into a game, only to be greeted by a wall of battle passes, daily challenges, and limited-time events? How often have you felt like you’re playing not because you want to, but because you have to—otherwise, you’ll fall behind? That’s not fun. That’s work. And the worst part? These games are often designed to be just addictive enough to keep you coming back, but not satisfying enough to make you feel like your time was well spent. It’s a treadmill, and you’re the hamster.
What’s even more insidious is how these games treat their players. You’re not a customer; you’re a metric. Your playtime, your spending habits, your engagement—it’s all data to be analyzed, optimized, and monetized. And when a game stops making money? Poof. Servers shut down, content gets locked, and years of progress can disappear overnight. Remember Marvel’s Avengers? Anthem? These games weren’t failures because they were bad—they were failures because they couldn’t sustain the endless hunger for player engagement (and cash).
So here’s my challenge to you: next time you boot up a live-service game, ask yourself—are you playing because you love it, or because you feel like you have to? Are you having fun, or are you just grinding for the next dopamine hit? And if it’s the latter, maybe it’s time to walk away. There are plenty of games out there that respect your time. Go play those instead.