I'm sure in Bethesda's, Zenimax's, and/or Microsoft's eyes that a game like Fallout 76 went from a rough but somewhat successful project into a very successful project over the years. They don't care that people do or don't like something in the game. They care that the cost of development and upkeep + the integrity of their reputation taking hits is outweighed by financial success.
This is true for anything you'd call "triple A" in video games. Don't burn all goodwill, don't spend too much time and money but have enough fans that are able to be excited by your next projects while making more money than you spent.
The goodwill part is the most volatile I'm sure as they can't predict all of it but they probably get good rough estimates from some armchair industry gurus and it was worth asking their opinion in the form of a three page double spaced essay for 5 grand. (Being cynical but wouldn't be shocked if there was actually something like this).