Gaming has long been cemented as one of the major forms of entertainment, with more players getting into it and more games being released every year. But games run the same risk of being delisted and removed from sales fronts when companies no longer see them as useful. Not only does this remove access for players, but it runs the risk of the game being lost to history.
As the new year approaches, it’s time to look back at what games were put to rest by their developers and publishers over the past year. Here are the games that were delisted or otherwise ended in 2022.
Games that ended their services in 2022
Whether they had their online services suspended or were delisted from the market entirely, there were a fair amount of games this year that were sent to their graves.
Overwatch
While it’s been replaced by Overwatch 2, fans of the original game will agree that it’s a largely different experience, changing everything from the team style to many of the character’s abilities. One might say that the sunsetting of the first game seemed a long time coming, with Blizzard largely not putting out content for the first game to focus more attention on the sequel.
The original Overwatch was shut down in October right as the sequel was released to fans across the world. Some players shared some final fond moments from in the game right before the servers were taken offline.
Assassin’s Creed multiplayer
In a few of the Assassin’s Creed games in the late 2000s and early 2010s, there was a really fun mode where players would attempt to blend in as NPCs while hunting targets. Through this method, players would use a variety of tools and techniques, shaking up the multiplayer scene that was just a bunch of shooters. But the last entry with multiplayer available has been shut down.
The servers for the game were shut down by Ubisoft this past September, which means that there are no more Assassin’s Creed multiplayer games available.
Fast & Furious Crossroads
Based on the hit series of movies that have somehow continued to this day, Fast & Furious Crossroads features intense cinematics, high-speed heists, and amazing stunts. Starting as a new crew, players were sent on the trail of an international criminal organization to show them who’s boss.
The game was delisted on Steam due to a lack of interest this past August, just two years after it was released on the platform.
Forza Street
Another racing game on this list, Forza Street was published by Microsoft. Players raced to collect new iconic cars in cinematic races. Whether players want to do some short races or have an extended competition, this game promised the ability to play how you want.
The free-to-play title was yanked from digital storefronts on PC and mobile on April 11, with the developer saying it would be focusing on the next Forza title.
Fuser
Every party has to come to an end and the DJ training game Fuser was apparently the next game on the chopping block. This game was known for showing a digital turntable, allowing players to mix music and control the party alongside their friends. This game featured some of the hottest songs like “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X and “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd.
The game was the most recent to be removed from digital stores just a few days ago on Dec. 19, with the party coming to a close right before the holidays.
Jump Force
When news about Jump Force first came out, many anime fans were excited about its potential. With the game featuring some of the most popular names in anime, and allowing players to create an avatar to fight alongside them, the game seemed destined for greatness. Unfortunately, the game proved to be too awesome for the publisher to keep up with.
The game had to be delisted and removed from sale three years after launch on Feb. 8 due to the complications that arose from licensing the manga characters.
Project Cars
Project Cars seemed to be doing well, with the last title being released in 2017 and developer Slightly Mad Studios working diligently on the next entry. Players were able to race using nearly 200 different cars in a beautiful in-game world. Part of the appeal was seeing so many vehicles in the game.
It turns out there have been a number of licensing issues with the Project Cars games, though, with Slightly Mad Studios delisting the first two games. It seemed to get worse when the developer announced on Twitter that it would not be continuing development on Project Cars 3.
Battleborn
Following games like Overwatch and other champion-based arena games, Battleborn looked to introduce its own lovable cast of characters to the genre. Through intense five-vs-five matches, players could battle it out across three different modes. The game boasted a free trial that allowed you to play the game using free heroes but was never listed as free-to-play. This may have hurt the game’s reach.
The game seems to have been shut down for over a year, which means that players who bought it before it was delisted received a game that didn’t work. Because of this, the game was officially shelved and removed from Steam in May of this year.
Tera
In the year 2022, there are more MMORPGs than you can imagine, seemingly offering something for each and every player. Tera was another take on the genre, setting players loose in a beautiful world called Arborea. The game boasted a combat system that required players to aim and dodge spells and attack using precise timing.
Unfortunately, the publisher later said the game was no longer in a place to continue to put out content and the servers were shut down on June 30.
Scavengers
Scavengers was an honest attempt by Improbable Worlds Limited to break into the PvE battle royale genre. With other popular games taking up much of the player share, it’s hard for new games to break into the market. This game unfortunately never left early access and didn’t really get the player count needed to make an impact.
Because of this, Improbable Worlds announced that the game would be going offline on Dec. 16, putting the final nail in Scavengers’ coffin.
Published: Dec 26, 2022 03:49 pm