In January, the servers for the game Anthem were shut down, resulting in a loss of access for players who had purchased the title, given that it does not have an offline mode. This incident adds to a series of recent cases where various other games have become unplayable, often without prior notice beyond announcements on Discord or notes on the Steam page.
A recent survey points to the discontinuation of several notorious titles. Among them, Anthem, which caused surprise, and Highguard, which was a big expectation at The Game Awards 2025 but had its lifespan limited to only 45 days. Additionally, a significant portion of games for PlayStation 3 and 4, Xbox 360 and One had their servers shut down, either due to lack of hardware support or budget cuts.
So far, about 50 games have been discontinued, including those with offline functionalities, and have been removed from platforms such as Steam, PS Store, and Microsoft Store. Other titles, such as Granblue Fantasy: Versus, WWE 2K24, and NBA Live 19, have lost support for their online modes, while Project CARS 3 and others have been removed from digital stores, although their offline and local multiplayer modes remain operational.
More discontinuations are expected by the end of the year, covering titles from major developers. For example, Destiny 2, announced on May 21, will no longer receive updates because the studio Bungie is focusing efforts on a future, yet-to-be-revealed launch, which is not Destiny 3. Although Bungie assures that there are no plans for a definitive server shutdown, the number of discontinued titles suggests that the end of Destiny 2 is only a matter of time.
The bill known as Protect Our Games Act (AB 1921) is being processed in the state of California, USA. This legislation proposes to require video game companies to ensure that purchased games remain playable even after the termination of online services. Companies would have two options: provide an update that allows continuous use of the game without dependence on the original servers, or fully reimburse the buyers.
This initiative is a direct reflection of the global movement Stop Killing Games, which advocates for the preservation of games after their shutdown. The bill has already been voted on in the California Assembly and proceeded to deliberation in the state Senate. However, the path to final approval is still long.
A setback occurred in the state Senate, as despite being approved by the California Assembly in May, the bill failed in a crucial committee vote on June 29, receiving only 4 votes in favor, 3 against, and 4 abstentions. Thus, the text did not reach the necessary majority, preventing further voting before 2027. Furthermore, the proposed law would only apply to games released from 2027 onwards, leaving many current titles vulnerable to extinction.