Your game (probably) doesn’t need fishing

What the report says

FeatureOpinionStop making me go fishing in games completely unrelated to the sport. Sam Chandler September 5, 2026 9:00 AM Bungie 1 Picture this: You’re playing your favorite game. Things are going a mile a minute. You’re blasting away aliens, racing along a track, adventuring through some bizarre location, or becoming completely engrossed in the story. Things are looking good. You’re having fun! But suddenly, the game comes to a screeching halt. You’re taking a little side trip to do an activity completely unrelated to why you’re playing the game: you’re going fishing.I realize this is a hot take, but I think I can defend it.

Fishing outside of hunting games is boring. In most games, fishing involves standing by water (which is traditionally either instant-death or without any meaningful use), pressing a single button, and waiting before you can press the same button again. Truly a thrilling mechanic.What’s that? You looked away from your screen and missed the prompt? Do it again. How dare you not stare at your screen, completely dialled in, as your character stands perfectly still waiting for a fish to bite. Name another mechanic where you press a button, stand still and not do anything else while you wait to press the same button again, and it’s a riveting experience.

You can’t do it.You’re going to tell me that fishing is optional, and you’re totally right. Fishing in non-fishing games is definitely an optional side quest, but it’s also typically a gateway to better gear, upgrades, or some other important part of the game. This once optional side quest is now very much a nonnegotiable activity.This revelation occurred to me back when Destiny 2 introduced fishing in 2023 alongside Season of the Deep. But it sat dormant in my mind until this week, when Team Jade revealed fishing is coming to Delta Force.

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It’s just such an unnecessary mini-game, and one that doesn’t even remotely match the genre. I’d rather the developers create a card game, like The Witcher 3’s Gwent or Destiny: Rising’s Shadowshaper Duels.While I loved fishing in Ocarina of Time (where it was revolutionary and made the world feel more alive), one of the best things Nintendo did with Zelda was to let Link scoop the fish up out of the water with his hands. I didn’t have to whip out a rod, reel, and specific bait to snag a fish. I could dive into a body of water and grab them with my mitts.

With the rate at which you can utilize fish in these later games, using a rod each time would have been cumbersome.And just to be crystal clear, I’m not against fishing in all games. I’m against fishing in most of them. Casting a line in Sea of Thieves is brilliant. Catching a fish in Monster Hunter makes sense. Red Dead Redemption 2 feels more alive with fishing. But why am I fishing in Hades? Why does my Guardian need to catch fish to unlock armor? How does fishing make sense in a military first-person shooter?

There's a reason fishing isn't shoehorned into Doom.So, I ask you, dear developer, if you’re thinking of adding fishing to a game that isn’t in the life-sim, open world, or hunting genre, ask whether or not it adds something to the experience. Because if I’m just going to be standing still waiting to press a button to make a number go up, I might as well open my calculator app.Shacknews staff does not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their content. Shacknews strictly prohibits the use of its content for AI training or to generate text, including text in the style or format used for this publication.

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Shacknews reserves all rights to this work. Sam Chandler Head of Guides Hailing from the land down under, Sam Chandler brings a bit of the southern hemisphere flair to his work. After bouncing round a few universities, securing a bachelor degree, and entering the video game industry, he's found his new family here at Shacknews as Head of Guides. There's nothing he loves more than crafting a guide that will help someone. If you need help with a guide, or notice something not quite right, you can message him on X: @SamuelChandler Filed Under Login / Register