One of the significant concerns regarding the absence of physical ownership in video games today is the risk of losing access to games that have already been purchased. Grassroots initiatives like Stop Killing Games are striving to highlight this issue, yet many games have already been lost forever, particularly from the Xbox One generation.
Whether due to rights complications, lack of profitability, or studio closures, numerous well-crafted games have become unplayable over the years. While some of these titles can still be accessed through rare physical copies, they often lack features or experience performance issues due to a lack of updates.
Despite their unique qualities, these games remind us how fragile the ecosystem we engage with can be and how essential it is to ensure that as few releases as possible are lost in the future.
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare
Chivalry: Medieval Warfare is a brutal first-person hack and slash that began as a Half-Life 2 mod before being developed into a standalone game by many original team members. The game was removed from the Xbox One store in May 2018, and its servers followed suit six years later in April 2024.
If you purchased the game on Xbox One, it will still launch, but you will be limited to setting up local matches against bots. The best option now is to try the sequel, although even that has been struggling for players on the platform recently, and finding a game may take some time.
Titanfall
Arguably the most infamous entry on this list, Titanfall was initially poised for unprecedented success when EA announced it at E3 in 2013. However, things quickly derailed when the game fell victim to persistent DDoS attacks that severely impacted the multiplayer experience.
The development of its direct sequel ultimately led to the demise of what was a very good game on its own merits, and it was removed from sale in 2022. Nevertheless, if you own a physical copy, it remains playable as the servers are still online, although finding enough players to make it worthwhile can be challenging.
Dead Alliance
While zombie shooters are quite common on most platforms today, Dead Alliance was one of the more limited options within this genre on Xbox One. Unfortunately, it failed to deliver an experience that resonated with players, resulting in a relatively short lifespan.
After experiencing significantly lower player numbers than anticipated by the developer, they announced server closures and removal of the game from storefronts in December 2022. Although some players claim to access limited single-player features, nearly all report that as of 2026, the game is entirely unplayable.
Dirt 4/Dirt Rally
Racing games often present challenges for developers due to licensing issues associated with numerous cars and secondary brands. Codemasters’ impressive rally series is no exception, making it difficult to play either Dirt 4 or Dirt Rally on Xbox One.
Both titles were removed from sale on the platform in 2022 due to licensing expiration and are unlikely to return. Physical copies can still be purchased and played, and if you already own a digital copy, you should be able to re-download it. However, multiplayer modes are entirely defunct.
GWENT: The Witcher Card Game
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