When anyone pays $99.99 for a major release like the NBA 2K25 All-Star Edition at launch, they generally expect long-term access to the software. However, players get a little over two years of MyCareer, the series' single-player story mode, before publishers pull the plug. Publisher 2K removed NBA 2K25 from digital storefronts on October 30, 2026, and scheduled its online servers to shut down on December 31 of the same year. Because MyCareer runs directly on those online servers, that popular single-player mode disappears entirely alongside multiplayer features.
While buyers can still redownload and play offline modes after a game artificially expires, the fundamental truth remains that gamers do not actually own the titles in their Steam, PlayStation, or Xbox libraries. Consumers merely hold a revocable license to play them under terms set entirely by the corporate sellers. When publishers delist games, existing owners keep them in their libraries, but server shutdowns go a step further by breaking anything tied to online infrastructure. For instance, Ubisoft shut down servers for the always-online racer The Crew in March 2024, and subsequently moved the title to an inactive games section on its Ubisoft Connect launcher that blocked downloads altogether.
Key takeaways
- NBA 2K25 was delisted on October 30, 2026, ahead of a server shutdown ending its MyCareer mode.
- Sony plans to stop manufacturing disc-based PlayStation games entirely starting in January 2028.
- California enacted AB 2426 in January 2025 to require license disclosures on digital storefronts.
- The Stop Killing Games campaign gathered over 1.29 million valid European signatures.
Physical media is also undergoing a rapid transformation that threatens traditional preservation. Sony announced plans to stop making disc-based PlayStation games starting in January 2028, pushing all new titles into digital formats through the PlayStation Store and retail outlets. Upcoming releases like Grand Theft Auto VI highlight this shift, with boxed versions containing download codes instead of actual discs. Once redeemed, the box leaves behind no physical copy to lend or resell. Yet physical formats have vulnerabilities of their own, as demonstrated when physical copies of The Crew stopped working simultaneously with their digital counterparts due to mandatory server connections.
Legislative efforts are attempting to address these consumer rights issues with varying degrees of success. California's AB 2426 law took effect in January 2025, banning digital storefronts from using terms like buy or purchase unless they clarify that customers are only acquiring a license. This rule has already sparked legal battles, including a proposed class-action lawsuit filed against Sony in June. Federal lawmakers are also stepping into the debate, with Representative Ritchie Torres announcing in October plans to introduce a bill requiring publishers to provide offline modes before closing servers. Meanwhile, European regulators declined a formal law following a massive citizen initiative, opting instead for voluntary talks with publishers.
Comments