And now, for some context
The honor (or infamy) of the first day-one patch is widely attributed to Ultima IX: Ascension, released in 1999. The game launched with significant bugs and performance issues, prompting Origin Systems to release a patch on the very day of its release.
This marked a turning point in gaming history, when developers began relying on post-launch updates to fix problems that slipped through development and testing. While earlier PC games occasionally received patches via mailed disks or downloadable files, Ultima IX was one of the first to require a fix immediately upon installation, setting the precedent for the now-common practice of day-one updates.
The concept of the "day-one patch" has become a standard part of modern gaming, but it was only in the late 1990s and early 2000s, when increasing game complexity began to outpace quality assurance cycles, and internet connectivity was just starting to change how games were supported post-release.
Ultima IX: Ascension marked the conclusion of the legendary Ultima series, but the game shipped in a deeply troubled state. Players reported major performance issues, bugs, and compatibility problems – many of which rendered the game nearly unplayable on a wide range of PCs. Origin was forced to rush a patch on the very day of release, making Ultima IX the first documented video game to include a day-one patch.
While this move helped salvage the experience for some players, it also set a precedent: games could now ship incomplete and be "finished" after launch.
A few years later, in 2002, Bethesda's ambitious open-world RPG The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind followed suit. Released for PC and later Xbox, Morrowind also had a day-one patch to address bugs and performance issues. However, unlike Ultima IX, it came during the rise of broadband internet and more mainstream PC gaming, helping normalize the practice for developers and players alike.
Morrowind's patch is also considered one the very first day-one patches. Bethesda released version 1.1.0605 to address a range of bugs and gameplay issues, and it was available for download from the official site almost immediately, however, Ultima IX is credited as the first game to truly launch with a patch on day one, largely because it was so broken at release that the patch was essential for basic playability.
From there, the day-one patch quickly evolved from emergency fix to industry standard. Notable later examples include:
- Assassin's Creed Unity (2014) – Famously launched with a massive patch of over 40 GB to fix performance issues and bugs.
- No Man's Sky (2016) – Released with a substantial day-one update that dramatically altered gameplay, adding features not present in the final disc version.
- Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) – One of the most high-profile cases in recent memory, it launched with multiple patches and hotfixes due to performance issues, especially on last-gen consoles.
Today, day-one patches are almost expected, especially for complex AAA titles. While they provide developers with flexibility to fix late-stage bugs or implement last-minute improvements, they've also raised concerns about games shipping in an unfinished state, relying on post-launch updates to deliver the promised experience.