With PlayStation confirming its shift towards an all-digital future and Rockstar Games stating that GTA 6 will never be available on disc, it’s a concerning time for gamers. It’s important to remember that we technically do not own digital games; purchasing a digital game grants us a license to access the software, which can be revoked at any time.

Given that some games can seemingly disappear overnight, now is an opportune moment to examine five Square Enix games that will be nearly impossible to access and play by 2026. If this can happen with a company like Square Enix, it could happen with any publisher.

Babylon’s Fall (2022)

An action-RPG from Square Enix developed by PlatinumGames should have been a major success on paper. Unfortunately, for various reasons, Babylon’s Fall failed to attract players. Perhaps the issue was that Square Enix tried to sell a live-service game at the price of a AAA single-player RPG. We may never know for certain.

The launch was disastrous, to say the least. Square Enix removed Babylon’s Fall from sale in 2022 and subsequently wiped server access and gameplay data in February 2023. It is now completely inaccessible, although it seems the world isn’t mourning its loss.

NieR Re[in]carnation (2021)

Although NieR Reincarnation does not quite match the main games in the series, this free-to-play mobile RPG featured the renowned Yoko Taro and offered a vast world to explore along with deep lore. Unfortunately, as is often the case with live-service gacha games, it ceased generating enough revenue to justify server maintenance or ongoing development. The game was terminated in 2024, and no offline version is available. At least, there’s no official offline version, but you didn’t hear that from us.

Marvel’s Avengers (2020)

Marvel’s Avengers aimed to be a game you could enjoy for years, but what started as a promising single-player action game devolved into a tedious series of repetitive missions. New storylines featuring characters like Black Panther and Spider-Man ultimately couldn’t save it, and it quickly became evident that it could not, as Captain America would say, do this all day.

The servers were shut down on September 30, 2023, and the game was removed from digital storefronts. However, physical copies are still available, allowing players to experience the single-player campaign. It’s worth picking up just for that.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis (2023)

Currently, support for this title ends on October 6, 2026, so it remains playable for now. However, once it shuts down later this year, that’s it… consider this a warning. Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis essentially retells the entire saga of Final Fantasy VII for mobile devices.

Over multiple updates over the years, it has revisited events from the original Final Fantasy VII, various spin-offs, and movies. This game demonstrates that perhaps there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to Final Fantasy VII. The reason for its shutdown is similar to others: it stopped generating sufficient revenue.

Final Fantasy: All the Bravest (2013)

This game had by far the longest lifespan of all those listed here. Released in 2013, Final Fantasy: All The Bravest was finally taken offline on iOS in July 2023 and on Android in November 2022. If you are unfamiliar with it, All The Bravest was a touch-screen action-RPG for mobile devices featuring pixel art-style graphics and characters from throughout the history of Final Fantasy. Unfortunately, it is largely regarded as a poor game due to its tedious gameplay. Its longevity is surprising given that it ultimately went offline due to significant backlash against its monetization features and declining player numbers.