Gamers have reason to be worried. PlayStation has signaled it’s shifting to digital-only games, and Rockstar has confirmed the next Grand Theft Auto will not be available on physical discs. It’s important to remember that when you buy a digital game, you’re not actually buying the game itself – you’re purchasing a license to play it, and that license can be taken away.
As a big gamer, it’s honestly scary how easily games can disappear these days. That got me thinking about some older Square Enix titles that are incredibly hard – or basically impossible – to play in 2026. It’s worrying because if even a company like Square Enix can lose access to its games, it could happen to any game publisher, and any game we love!
Babylon’s Fall (2022)
Babylon’s Fall, an action role-playing game created through a collaboration between Square Enix and PlatinumGames, seemed promising. However, it didn’t gain much popularity with players. One possible reason was that Square Enix marketed it as a full-priced RPG despite its design being more suited to a continuously updated, live-service model. The true cause of its failure remains unclear.
The launch of Babylon’s Fall was a major failure. Square Enix not only stopped selling the game in 2022, but also shut down the servers and deleted all player progress in February 2023. Now, the game is completely unplayable, and it’s safe to say most people weren’t upset to see it go.
NieR Re[in]carnation (2021)
Though not as strong as the core NieR games, NieR Reincarnation was a compelling free-to-play mobile RPG created with Yoko Taro’s unique vision, offering an immersive world and intricate backstory. Sadly, like many similar live-service games, it wasn’t profitable enough to maintain, leading to its shutdown in 2024. There’s no official way to play it offline now, though rumors of unofficial methods persist.
Marvel’s Avengers (2020)
Marvel’s Avengers aimed to be a long-lasting game, but that ambition led to problems. What started as a potentially great single-player action game became a frustrating cycle of repetitive missions. Even adding new characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man wasn’t enough to fix it, and the game quickly lost its appeal – it just couldn’t keep players engaged for the long haul.
The game’s servers went offline on September 30, 2023, and it’s no longer available to buy digitally. You can still find and play the single-player story if you can get a physical copy, and many players think it’s worth doing so.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis (2023)
Support for Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis will end on October 6, 2026, but you can still play it now. After that date, the game will no longer be available – think of this as a heads-up! It’s a mobile version that retells the complete story of Final Fantasy VII.
This game has covered the story of the original Final Fantasy VII, as well as many related games and movies released over the years. Ultimately, it shows that sometimes there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to Final Fantasy VII. The reason it’s ending is simple: it wasn’t profitable enough to continue.
Final Fantasy: All the Bravest (2013)
Among all the games mentioned, Final Fantasy: All The Bravest had the longest lifespan. Launched in 2013, it stopped working on iPhones and iPads in July 2023 and on Android devices in November 2022. For those unfamiliar, this was a mobile action role-playing game with retro pixel art featuring characters from throughout the Final Fantasy series. Unfortunately, most players didn’t enjoy it much – many found it incredibly dull. Despite its flaws, it lasted surprisingly long before being removed due to strong negative reactions to how the game made money and declining player interest.
2026-07-23 00:00