The reason was the game Highguard. The project was promoted at Keighley's major show, but after its release, it caused strong disappointment. When it became known that the game's servers would be shut down on March 12, shortly after launch, users began to massively criticize the journalist in the comments. Players are demanding an official apology and accuse him of raising expectations for a project that, in their opinion, was doomed from the start.
A wave of memes with clowns and calls for the host of The Game Awards to take responsibility for promoting weak projects appeared in the comments under Keighley's publications.
The criticism concerns not only the technical condition of the game. Users also complain about the character design and artistic direction, which many consider one of the reasons for the weak interest in the project.
At the same time, some players defend the developers and Keighley himself. They believe that Highguard became a victim of mass hate and "review bombing". In their opinion, the game had potential, but the toxic atmosphere online scared away even streamers who were afraid to praise the project.