"Wipeout" gained a significant amount of controversy on its initial release. A marketing campaign created and launched by Keith Hopwood and The Designers Republic included an infamous promotional poster, featuring a bloodstained television and radio presenter Sara Cox, which was accused by some of depicting a drug overdose. "Next Generation" printed the ad with the blood erased; the magazine staff explained that not only had they been under pressure from newsstand retailers about violent imagery in games magazines, but they themselves felt the blood added nothing to the ad other than shock value. The poster branded "Wipeout" "a dangerous game", with "Wipeout"s lead artist Neil Thompson suggesting—and designer Nick Burcome denying—that the "E" in "Wipeout" stood for ecstasy.