Microsoft delisting range of top Xbox 360 games from console's marketplace
UPDATE: 24 hours remain.
There's now just 24 hours left to own a copy of several Xbox 360 classics, before they are removed from sale, likely forever, on 7th February.
Microsoft announced a list of around 40 titles soon to be removed from its Xbox 360 Marketplace, some of which are not available to purchase on later consoles, or do not have newer versions or remasters. This looks like it will include classic puzzler Spelunky, Martin's favourite Xbox Live Arcade game Daytona USA, Valve's excellent The Orange Box compilation, Jet Set Radio, Left 4 Dead and its sequel, plus DoubleFine tank combat title Iron Brigade.
If you already own these games, there's no need to fret. You'll still be able to play any existing purchase - and of course, this also applies if you had them on disc.
Beginning on 7th February, 2023, a limited set of games, add-ons, and in-game content will no longer be purchasable in select markets via the Xbox 360 Store," a Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer by way of an explanation. "These titles will no longer be purchasable on the Xbox 360 Store only, and titles that are available to be purchased on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S Stores will remain purchasable. You will still be able to play discs or previously downloaded games on your Xbox 360 and modern consoles if they are backwards compatible titles."
The full list of games lies below.
Xbox 360 owners, beware. A range of top titles from Microsoft's aging console will be removed from sale from the Xbox 360 Marketplace this month, beginning on 7th February.
The exact number of games and range of titles affected varies by country, though here in the UK it includes blockbusters such as Mass Effect 2, Dark Souls and various Assassin's Creed entries, including Brotherhood, 3 and 4: Black Flag.
A selection of smaller-sized classics are also impacted, including Limbo, Spelunky, Castle Crashers and Peggle 2. All will be removed from digital sale.
Importantly, it's worth noting that these games will not be removed from sale on later Xbox consoles. You'll still be able purchase and play these games via Xbox backwards compatibility on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
Additionally, it's worth flagging that though these games may be removed from sale on Xbox 360, you can still continue to play any you have previously purchased and downloaded - or indeed any you have a disc-based copy of.
Xbox 360 owners can check which games will be affected in their region via Microsoft's support site.
Here in the UK, the list of titles to be removed from sale on Xbox 360 is as follows:
- Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
- Assassin's Creed 3
- Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
- Assassin's Creed Liberation HD
- Blood of the Werewolf
- Blue Dragon
- Breakdown
- Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Call of Duty: Ghosts
- Castle Crashers
- Cloning Clyde
- Counter-Strike: GO
- Dark Souls
- Darksiders 2
- Daytona USA
- Defense Grid
- Eets: Chowdown
- Far Cry 2
- Final Fight: DblImpact
- Iron Brigade
- Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
- Jet Set Radio
- Left 4 Dead
- Left 4 Dead 2
- Limbo
- Lost Odyssey
- Mass Effect 2
- Monopoly Deal
- Mutant Blobs Attack
- N+
- Outpost Kaloki X
- Peggle 2
- Phantom Breaker:Battle Grounds
- Prince of Persia
- R.U.S.E.
- Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
- Skate 2
- South Park: The Stick of Truth
- Spelunky
- Splinter Cell Conviction
- Star Wars Battlefront
- Star Wars KOTOR 2
- The Orange Box
- The Raven Episode 1