Shelf-Life Beta
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Best before: unknown

Every game you own has an expiry date

Nobody prints it on the box. Shelf-Life checks your game library, finds the games that depend on servers or licences that can disappear, and warns you before they're switched off.

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Where your games live

On someone else's servers

Online-only games need a publisher's servers to start, sync and sell. Your copy only works while those machines stay switched on.

Then

The lights go out

Every label in this hall is a real game whose servers were switched off. Some were free to play. Others were paid for.

1.29M EU citizens signed the Stop Killing Games initiative asking for a fix. In June 2026 the European Commission chose voluntary industry codes instead of a law.

Shelf-Life

We watch the switches for you

Shelf-Life checks every game in your library against the things that end games, then tags each one so you know which to worry about.

  • Safe for now
  • Worth watching
  • At risk
  • Already gone

Switched off, for real

49 games shut down since 2018, newest first. Shelf-Life keeps this kind of record for every publisher, so you can see a pattern before you buy.

Switching off soon

  • UltimechsOFF 20.10.2026Resolution Games. Free-to-play VR sports game with paid extras. Purchases have stopped, and it is delisted and becomes single-player only.
  • The New Denpa MenOFF 07.12.2026Genius Sonority. Free-to-play with paid Jewels. Paid item sales ended October 2026, and unused paid currency will be refunded.
  • Rainbow Six MobileOFF 15.01.2027Ubisoft. Free-to-play mobile shooter, closing less than a year after its February 2026 global launch.
  • New World: AeternumOFF 31.01.2027Amazon Games. Paid MMO. Removed from sale in January 2026, and in-game purchases ended in July 2026.
  • Madden NFL 24OFF 26.04.2027Electronic Arts. Paid game. Madden Points sales end 28 October 2026, unspent points work until the shutdown, and offline modes stay playable.
GamePublisherReleasedServers offWhat happened
Final Fantasy VII: Ever CrisisSquare Enix202306.10.2026Free-to-play with paid crystals. Refunds for unused paid currency were offered only to players in Taiwan.
Disney Pixel RPGGungHo Online Entertainment202430.09.2026Free-to-play gacha game. Unused paid crystals can be refunded through a form on the official site.
Mario Kart TourNintendo201929.09.2026Free-to-play mobile racer. No offline version was released, so it can no longer be played.
Sociable Soccer 25Tower Studios202528.09.2026Paid football game, delisted in March 2026. Online play and Career Mode ended; local offline modes still work.
Firewall UltraSony Interactive Entertainment202317.09.2026Paid PS VR2 shooter. It needs a connection to play, so it stopped working when the servers closed.
The Elder Scrolls: BladesBethesda Softworks202030.06.2026Free-to-play RPG on mobile and Switch. It cannot be played now the servers have closed.
Rec RoomRec Room Inc.201601.06.2026Free-to-play social game. Longer Rec Room+ plans were refunded automatically; tokens were not refunded.
Call of Duty: Warzone MobileActivision202417.04.2026Free-to-play mobile battle royale, closed about two years after launch.
HighguardWildlight Entertainment202612.03.2026Free-to-play squad shooter, closed 45 days after launch.
SUPERVIVETheorycraft Games202525.02.2026Free-to-play action game, closed seven months after full launch. Recent purchases were refunded.
AnthemElectronic Arts201912.01.2026Paid game. In-game purchases were switched off in July 2025, six months before the servers.
Star Wars: HuntersZynga202401.10.2025Free-to-play arena shooter on Switch and mobile, closed about 16 months after launch.
Resident Evil Re:VerseCapcom202229.06.2025Online multiplayer game included with Resident Evil Village. It cannot be played after service ended.
XDefiantUbisoft202403.06.2025Free-to-play shooter, closed about a year after launch.
MultiVersusWarner Bros. Games202430.05.2025Free-to-play fighter. Offline and local play still work for players who logged in during the final season.
DauntlessPhoenix Labs201929.05.2025Free-to-play monster-hunting game. There is no offline mode, so it can no longer be played.
Dead by Daylight MobileNetEase Games202020.03.2025Free-to-play. Players got a welcome pack in the PC and console game; refunds depended on region.
Animal Crossing: Pocket CampNintendo201728.11.2024Free-to-play. Replaced by Pocket Camp Complete, a paid offline app that keeps existing save data.
Final Fantasy Brave ExviusSquare Enix201630.10.2024Free-to-play gacha RPG. The global version closed; the separate Japanese version ended a year later.
Harry Potter: Magic AwakenedWarner Bros. Games202329.10.2024Free-to-play. Closed in Europe, the Americas and Oceania with no refunds; still running in parts of Asia.
ConcordSony Interactive Entertainment202406.09.2024Paid game. Shut two weeks after launch, and buyers were refunded.
NieR Re[in]carnationSquare Enix202129.04.2024Free-to-play gacha RPG. The final story chapter came out a month before service ended.
The CrewUbisoft201431.03.2024Paid game. Pulled from sale in December 2023, and Ubisoft later revoked players' licences.
Rocket ArenaElectronic Arts202021.03.2024Paid game. Pulled from sale in November 2023 and switched off four months later.
Gundam EvolutionBandai Namco202229.11.2023Free-to-play team shooter, closed about 14 months after launch.
PAC-MAN 99Bandai Namco202108.10.2023Free for Switch Online members. The battle royale closed; buyers of the paid DLC keep the offline modes.
The Cycle: FrontierYager202227.09.2023Free-to-play extraction shooter. Purchases made in the last two weeks of sales were refunded.
Knockout CityVelan Studios202106.06.2023Official servers closed, but a private-server edition was released for PC.
CrossfireXSmilegate202218.05.2023Free-to-play multiplayer with paid campaigns. The campaigns stopped working too; only recent buyers got refunds.
Apex Legends MobileElectronic Arts202201.05.2023Free-to-play mobile shooter, closed less than a year after launch.
RumbleverseEpic Games202228.02.2023Free-to-play brawler, closed six months after launch.
Babylon's FallSquare Enix202227.02.2023Paid game, shut down less than a year after its March 2022 launch.
Final Fantasy VII: The First SoldierSquare Enix202111.01.2023Free-to-play mobile battle royale, closed about 14 months after launch.
SpellbreakProletariat202010.01.2023Free-to-play battle royale, closed after its studio was bought by Blizzard.
Super Bomberman R OnlineKonami202001.12.2022Free-to-play battle royale. Paid Bomber Coins could be spent until service ended.
Dragalia LostNintendo201830.11.2022Free-to-play gacha RPG. The final story chapter was released before service ended.
OverwatchBlizzard Entertainment201602.10.2022Paid game. Switched off and replaced by the free-to-play Overwatch 2, which launched on 4 October 2022.
Hyper ScapeUbisoft202028.04.2022Free-to-play battle royale, closed less than two years after launch.
Harry Potter: Wizards UniteNiantic201931.01.2022Free-to-play AR mobile game. No refunds for unspent in-game currency.
Dr. Mario WorldNintendo201901.11.2021Free-to-play mobile puzzle game, closed about two years after launch.
Gears POP!Xbox Game Studios201926.04.2021Free-to-play mobile game. Purchases from the 90 days before the announcement were refunded automatically.
Super Mario Bros. 35Nintendo202031.03.2021Online battle royale for Switch Online members, released for a limited time and removed as planned.
Battleborn2K201631.01.2021Paid game. Pulled from sale before closing, and the single-player campaign stopped working too.
CrucibleAmazon Games202009.11.2020Free-to-play shooter, closed about six months after launch. All purchases were refunded.
Pokémon DuelThe Pokémon Company201731.10.2019Free-to-play mobile board game. Paid Gems could be spent until service ended.
Atlas ReactorTrion Worlds201628.06.2019Online tactics game with a free-to-play option, closed less than three years after launch.
WildStarNCSoft201428.11.2018Subscription MMO that went free-to-play in 2015. Purchases made after 1 July 2018 were refunded.
LawBreakersNexon201714.09.2018Paid shooter, made free on Steam before it closed about a year after launch. No refunds were offered.
GiganticPerfect World Entertainment201731.07.2018Free-to-play hero shooter, closed a year after launch. A paid revival, Rampage Edition, came out in 2024.

Dates are from each publisher's own shutdown announcement. Every shutdown → Check any game →

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Shutdown Watch

One short email a week: new shutdowns, dates coming up, and news about physical games and what you really own. Read past issues.

Told in time, not too late

These are real announcements, written the way Shelf-Life would have sent them to anyone who owned the game.

  • Server closures, with the date
  • Games being pulled from sale
  • Offline patches and private-server releases
  • Refunds, so you know to check for one

Based on real announcements. Shelf-Life didn't exist yet.

Six things decide a tag

ONLINE

Online requirement

Does it need the publisher's server to start, even in single-player? This is the biggest single risk.

LICENCE

Licensed content

Real cars, teams, songs and brands come with licences that expire. When they do, games are pulled from sale.

RECORD

Publisher record

How many online games has this publisher closed, and how much notice did players get?

PLAYERS

Player numbers

A steady fall in players usually comes before a shutdown is announced.

MEDIA

What's in the box

Is the full game on the disc or cartridge, or does the box only hold a download licence?

DRM

Copy protection

Can you back it up and run it without a launcher checking in?

Check before you pay

The extension puts a Shelf-Life check on store pages, so you see the risk while you're still deciding. Here's what it would have said about The Crew before it was pulled from sale.

Shelf-Life check

The Crew Ubisoft, 2014

VerdictAT RISK
  • Needs a server to startYes, even for solo play
  • Licensed contentReal car brands
  • Publisher recordHas closed online services for older games
  • What's in the boxDisc copies need the servers too
  • Copy protectionNeeds Ubisoft's launcher on PC
Based on what was public before The Crew was pulled from sale in December 2023.

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