Have Sore Losers Finally Taken Over?

We're in the middle of a very reactionary period. When new changes are put into games, people are offering all sorts of spicy takes. People are getting upset that a company known for challenging games has released a title that, brace yourself, is challenging. Some people are playing online multiplayer titles and not reacting well when they don't succeed. There are also people who are getting worked up over a major game getting an optional add-on that allows access to everything for a small fee. It might start feeling like a generation of sore losers is here. But really, it is a series of reactions that, if we explore things, can make sense.

Let's start with Sekiro: Shadows Die TwiceThis is an incredible AAA game that is getting a lot of attention. Some might even suggest it is so hot, it might have become more mainstream than FromSoftware's Dark Souls series. This means that more people are interested, happen to be picking it up, and are shocked when they realize the sorts of titles FromSoftware is known for. Namely, Sekiro is a title that requires you to play smart, read your opponents, and constantly grow as a player. Someone unfamiliar may be struck by how challenging it is. Which is why there are some crying for easy modes and others saying you're cheating yourself and don't deserve a less challenging option.


This isn't a case of sore losers. It's essentially misinformation. An audience of people unfamiliar with a developer's work have been drawn to Sekiro, this incredible game. Their first reaction is one of shock and a desire for something easier. People used to Dark Souls feel attacked by this and want to defend a company and genre they love. No one is wrong here. There are no sore losers. It is just a chance to grow.

What about the Resident Evil 2 recent affairs, then? Capcom decided to, for $4.99, release an unlock add-on that unlocks everything. People who come to the game and find they are not capable of unlocking the infinite weapons by playing through the campaign on the Hardcore difficulty or weren't able to unlock The Tofu Survivor after making it through The 4th Survivor can go ahead and pay to get access to everything. Think of it as a paid cheat code. However, all of these things can be earned, if someone is good enough. Some people seem upset that this easy way out exists.

In this case, I wouldn't so much say it is a sore loser situation. Rather, it is a group of people who are capable of doing a thing perhaps being upset that there is a way for others to essentially pay to "win." There's a sense of earning such things, and some might think people aren't deserving or won't value something if they don't invest the time. This isn't a situation where some are right or wrong. It doesn't hurt people who are good enough to earn these modes and extras. It gives an option for newcomers or people who maybe only have enough time to run through a game once and want access to everything when they do commit to that only playthrough.

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But, there is one situation where there are definite sore losers. That is the Apex Legends situation. In a patch released at the beginning of April 2019, people realized a five-minute cooldown was being implemented. But, this only happened if they quit in the middle of matches at least three times. The idea is people who constantly quit will be punished with escalating cooldowns. It's Respawn's way of getting people to stop being sore losers and stick with things. You decide to rage quit? You have to wait to play. Sit there and think about what you did. Of all the recent changes, this is the one case where there are sore losers, and the developer behind the game is addressing that issue.

Let's be frank. There are going to be sore losers in every community. Just like there are also going to be bad winners. We shouldn't mistake certain situations for ones where there are sore losers. With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, it's more that people unprepared for a situation were tossed into it. They and the community may not be reacting to that well, but each side has its reasons. With Resident Evil 2, having the add-on is just an accessibility option and doesn't ruin anything for people who want to earn its extras. The only sore loser situation is the one with Apex Legends, and we can only hope Respawn's "think about what you've done" approach helps fix it.

Jenni Lada
Jenni Lada

Site Editor
Date: 04/17/2019

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