Overview
- No Man’s Sky transformed from a disastrous launch to a redemption story through consistent free updates that let actions speak louder than promises, with cinematic trailers for each expansion generating press coverage and community testimonials replacing developer marketing as transformed player experiences became the most persuasive promotion.
- Among Us achieved viral success two years after launch by creating streamer-friendly game design with accessible cross-platform play and a free mobile version that removed friction to virality, demonstrating that organic content creator coverage in modern marketing often matters more than traditional paid advertising.
Introduction
Post-launch marketing separates games that fade after release from those that build momentum for years. While pre-launch campaigns generate initial awareness, what happens after launch day determines whether your game becomes a fleeting release or a lasting success. The video game companies that understand this invest heavily in sustaining visibility, engagement, and sales long after their games ship.
Looking at the most-selling game ever and other best-selling video games of all time reveals that sustained success rarely comes from launch alone – it comes from strategic post-launch efforts that keep games relevant, visible, and growing. Whether you’re developing with Unity Engine or creating Unreal Engine games, whether you’re building AA vs AAA titles, understanding how successful games maintained momentum provides a roadmap for your own post-launch strategy.
Here are two games that executed post-launch marketing brilliantly, each offering distinct lessons applicable to different game genres and development scales.
No Man’s Sky: Redemption Through Relentless Updates
No Man’s Sky launched in 2016 to massive hype and devastating disappointment. The space exploration game from an indie game studio, Hello Games, was criticized for missing promised features, repetitive gameplay, and feeling empty compared to marketing materials. Most games would have died after such a negative reception, but Hello Games’ post-launch marketing strategy – built entirely around actions rather than words – transformed No Man’s Sky from industry punchline into redemption story.
The Strategy: Let Updates Speak
Hello Games made a critical decision after their disastrous launch, i.e., to stop talking and start delivering. Instead of defending their game or making promises, they went silent on traditional marketing channels and focused entirely on releasing substantial free content updates that addressed player complaints:
1. The Foundation Update (November 2016)
Just three months post-launch, Hello Games released base building, allowing players to establish permanent homes on planets. This addressed complaints about the game feeling transient and purposeless by giving players reasons to settle and invest in locations.
2. Subsequent Major Updates Created Marketing Moments
Hello Games established a pattern of releasing massive free updates every few months, each adding features that fundamentally expanded the game. The Atlas Rises update added story content. NEXT brought true multiplayer. Beyond added expanded base building and third-person perspective. Each update was marketed as a significant expansion despite being free.
3. Trailer Quality Marketing for Free Content
Every major update received cinematic announcement trailers showcasing new features with production values matching AAA games. These trailers positioned free updates as event-worthy expansions, generating press coverage and social media buzz that reminded players the game existed and had evolved dramatically.
4. Community Testimonials Replaced Developer Promises
Rather than having developers promise improvements, Hello Games let transformed player experiences tell the story. Reviews shifted from “Overwhelmingly Negative” to “Mostly Positive” as continuous, valuable updates delivered substance. Returning players became evangelists, sharing before-and-after experiences that were more persuasive than any marketing campaign.
Lessons for Different Scales
For Indie Developers: No Man’s Sky proves that even after catastrophic launches, sustained commitment to improvement can salvage projects. You don’t need AAA marketing budgets – you need consistent delivery of value and letting results speak for themselves.
For AA vs. AAA Studios: The strategy demonstrates that free, substantial updates can be more valuable long-term marketing than paid DLC. Building goodwill through generosity creates customer loyalty that translates to sales of future titles and sustained revenue from continued purchases of the base game.
Across Game Genres: While No Man’s Sky is a space exploration game, the principles apply universally. Any game can benefit from substantial post-launch support that addresses player feedback and demonstrates ongoing commitment.
Among Us: Viral Growth Through Content Creator Ecosystem
Among Us, developed by an indie game studio, InnerSloth, using the Unity Engine, launched in 2018 to almost no attention. The social deduction game barely registered in the market initially, earning minimal revenue and player counts. Two years later, it exploded into one of 2020’s biggest phenomena, reaching hundreds of millions of players. This wasn’t luck – it was the result of strategic post-launch decisions that created perfect conditions for viral growth.
The Strategy: Supporting Content Creator Explosion
Among Us’ breakout success came from becoming streaming gold. The game’s core design – social deduction requiring communication and deception – created naturally entertaining content when streamers played with friends. InnerSloth’s post-launch strategy capitalized on this by supporting and amplifying content creators’ interests rather than traditional marketing:
1. Accessibility Across Video Game Platforms
InnerSloth aggressively pursued cross-platform play, ensuring PC, mobile, and eventually console players could all join the same games. This removed the friction that prevented friend groups from playing together, expanding potential audiences, and making the game more streamable as creators could play with viewers regardless of platform.
2. Free Mobile Version Expanded Reach
Releasing Among Us free-to-play on mobile with cosmetic monetization removed barriers to entry. When streamers played and made the game look fun, viewers could immediately download and experience it without financial commitment. This accessibility was critical to viral growth.
3. Regular Content Updates Maintained Relevance
InnerSloth consistently added new maps, roles, and features post-launch. The Airship map, new impostor roles, and cosmetic options provided fresh content that kept streamers returning and audiences interested. Each update created renewed attention and coverage.
4. Community Events & Collaborations
Among Us partnered with other game genres through crossover cosmetics – Halo character skins, horror game themes, and pop culture collaborations. These partnerships exposed the game to adjacent communities while rewarding existing players with exciting new content.
5. Listening to Community Feedback
When the game exploded in popularity, InnerSloth was developing Among Us 2. Based on community feedback requesting continued support for the original instead, they canceled the sequel and committed resources to expanding the first game. This decision demonstrated they valued player input over corporate plans.
Lessons Across Game Development
For Unity Engine Developers: Among Us proves that games built with accessible engines can compete with AAA games and Unreal Engine games when game design and marketing strategy align with player and creator needs. Technical complexity matters less than creating experiences people want to share.
For Social & Multiplayer Game Genres: Games requiring communication and social interaction have inherent content creation potential. Designing with streamers in mind – ensuring gameplay creates entertaining moments, is easy to understand for viewers, and allows audience participation.
Understanding Modern Marketing Channels: Traditional marketing – trailers, press releases, and paid advertising – had minimal impact on Among Us’ success. Content creator organic coverage drove everything. Modern game marketing increasingly means creating conditions for organic sharing rather than buying attention.
The Long Game Pays Off: Among Us launched in 2018 but exploded in 2020. Two years of consistent post-launch support meant that when circumstances favored social deduction games, Among Us was positioned to capitalize. Games that get abandoned post-launch can’t experience delayed viral success.
Conclusion
No Man’s Sky and Among Us prove that post-launch marketing can transform games from failures into successes or from obscurity into phenomena. Neither followed traditional marketing playbooks. Instead, they created conditions where their games naturally generated word-of-mouth, demonstrated commitment through actions rather than promises, and built communities that became their most effective marketing forces.
The lesson for developers is clear, i.e., launch is just the beginning. How you support, market, and evolve your game after release determines whether it becomes a footnote or a lasting success. Invest in post-launch strategy with the same seriousness you invest in the game development process, because the most-selling game ever and other best-selling video games of all time didn’t achieve that status from launch day alone – they earned it through years of strategic post-launch efforts that kept players engaged and new audiences discovering them.
FAQs
1. How did No Man’s Sky rebuild trust after its controversial launch?
Hello Games went silent on marketing promises and focused entirely on delivering substantial free content updates every few months that addressed player complaints. By letting updates speak through action rather than making new promises, they gradually rebuilt trust as the community witnessed dramatic improvements and began sharing positive experiences organically.
2. What made Among Us successful two years after launch instead of at release?
Among Us was consistently supported post-launch, but didn’t explode until streamers discovered it in 2020. The game’s social deduction game mechanics created naturally entertaining streaming content, while cross-platform play and free mobile access removed barriers to friend groups playing together, creating perfect conditions for viral content creator-driven growth.
3. Can indie games compete with AAA games in post-launch marketing?
Yes. Both No Man’s Sky and Among Us are indie titles that achieved success rivaling AAA games through strategic post-launch efforts. Consistency, community engagement, and creating shareable experiences matter more than marketing budgets. The Unity Engine and accessible development tools let small studios execute effective long-term strategies.
4. Should post-launch content updates be free or paid DLC?
It depends on circumstances. No Man’s Sky chose free updates to rebuild trust and generate goodwill that drove new sales, while many AAA games successfully monetize through paid expansions. Free substantial updates can be marketing investments that attract new customers and revitalize sales beyond what paid DLC might generate.
5. How long should studios commit to post-launch marketing?
Both examples show years of commitment, not months. No Man’s Sky supported the game for 8+ years with major updates. Among Us maintained support for years before and after its viral success. Long-term post-launch marketing compounds – consistent effort over years builds trust and word-of-mouth that short-term campaigns can’t achieve.