Quick answer: Yes, almost every launch ships with known issues, and listing them sets expectations, builds trust, and deflects duplicate reports during your busiest moment. Acknowledging a bug upfront makes players far more patient than discovering you hid it.
A known issues list at launch tells players which problems you're already aware of. Since virtually no game launches flawless, the real question is whether to acknowledge the imperfections openly. For almost every launch, yes, because the trust and deflection it buys are worth far more than the admission costs.
Every Launch Has Known Issues
The premise is almost universal: by launch, you know about bugs you haven't fixed yet, issues found in beta or certification that didn't make the cut. Pretending otherwise doesn't make them disappear; players will hit them regardless. The only choice is whether to acknowledge them or let players discover them unguided.
Given that, a known issues list isn't an admission of failure, it's normal launch hygiene. Bugnet's impact rankings from your beta help you know exactly which issues to list, the ones affecting the most players.
Acknowledging Builds Trust and Patience
Players are dramatically more forgiving of a bug you've openly acknowledged than one they suspect you're hiding. A known issues list signals honesty and awareness, which buys goodwill exactly when first impressions are forming. Discovering an unlisted bug, by contrast, makes players wonder what else you're not telling them.
This matters most at launch, your highest-scrutiny moment. A frank known issues list turns potential frustration ("this is broken and they don't care") into patience ("they know, and they're on it"), protecting the reviews that shape your launch.
It Deflects Duplicate Reports When You're Busiest
Launch day floods you with reports, and a huge share are the same known issues over and over. A known issues list answers "is this a known bug?" before players ask, deflecting that duplicate volume precisely when you're most overwhelmed and least able to reply individually.
Bugnet's public tracker and known-issues view absorb those repeats, so your launch-day attention goes to new problems and fixes, not restating what you already know. So yes, publish a known issues list at launch, it sets expectations, builds trust, and deflects duplicates when you need it most.
Yes, nearly every launch has known issues. Listing them sets expectations, builds trust, and deflects duplicate reports when you're busiest. Acknowledging beats hiding.