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Oftentimes a popular game will be removed to be replaced by an updated version of that same game. For example, the individual games in the Grand Theft Auto 3D trilogy (Grand Theft Auto 3, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) have all been removed from the platform, though are currently available in the recently-released Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy. Though this may be the case for quite a few games, there are a number of games that were removed for other reasons. Unfortunately, there’s very little chance that these games will ever see the light of day on Steam again.
Updated February 3, 2022 by Jason Van Duine: Being popular or iconic unfortunately can’t shield a game from being delisted by Steam. Hundreds of games have been removed from their library. While many are unknown, just as many are instantly recognizable titles. Many games continue to be removed for a variety of reasons. Regardless of quality, popularity, or recency, there are some games that unfortunately can no longer be accessed through Valve’s video game service.
13 Prey (2006)
Before the Arkane Studios reimagining of the property, the original Prey from 2006 proved to be a success when it was first released. The sci-fi/action game received rave reviews from critics, and its popularity garnered a mobile game and a reboot. While Prey can still be purchased from other sources, it’s currently unavailable through Steam.
The reason for Prey’s removal is odd, to say the least. During a Steam sale, the game reportedly sold out, despite the fact that Steam deals exclusively with digital sales, not physical ones. Supposedly, each digital copy was tied to a CD-ROM key, and Steam ran out of these keys during the sale. With no more possible combinations, it seems like it was easier to just remove the game altogether.
12 Fable 3
The first game in the beloved Fable series can be found on Steam with the Fable Anniversary remaster. Though the acclaimed Fable 2 never saw a PC release, the third installment in the franchise did. Once upon a time, fans could purchase Fable 3 for their Steam library. Unfortunately, it seems as though these days are long gone.
Similar to Prey, product keys for Fable 3 are no longer being created. This coincided with the closing of the Games for Windows – Live marketplace in 2013 and is likely the reason product keys for Fable 3 are no longer made. Like its predecessor, Fable 3 can still be played on the Xbox 360. If the upcoming fourth installment sees a Steam release, it will hopefully have better luck on the service.
11 Quantum Of Solace
James Bond fans looking to become 007 will have to wait for the upcoming IO Interactive game since none are available on Steam any longer. Beginning in 2006, developers Activision produced several James Bond video games, all released on Steam as well as other platforms. While Blood Stone and 007 Legends had mixed reception, the video game tie-in to the 2008 film was welcomed far more positively. That being said, Quantum of Solace, along with Activision’s other Bond games, have since been removed from Steam.
In early 2013, all three games were taken off the Steam store. Three days later, Activision stated that the James Bond license had unfortunately expired and that the developer would be moving away from licensed games in the future. This is especially disappointing as there hasn’t been a new Bond game since. Quantum of Solace, along with Blood Stone and 007 Legends are still available on past-generation consoles.
10 Wolfenstein (2009)
The last game in the popular Wolfenstein series before its MachineGames reboot, the 2009 entry was released as the sequel to Return to Castle Wolfenstein in 2001. Despite generally positive critical reception and a commercially successful predecessor, Wolfenstein failed to repeat that commercial success eight years later. Poor sales, however, aren’t the reason the game can’t be downloaded from Steam anymore.
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Since Nazis are ever-present throughout the Wolfenstein franchise, it’s reasonable that a swastika or two might show up during any given playthrough. Understandably, swastikas and related Nazi iconography are banned from any video games released in Germany. Activision had done their best to see that the German release of Wolfenstein was swastika-free, but a few had slipped under the radar. Unfortunately, the removal of the game from German markets also meant the removal of the game from Steam in general.
9 Deadpool
The Deadpool game has been around the removal block a number of times. The 2013 adaptation of the popular Marvel comics has players taking control of the fourth-wall-breaking mercenary and features everything that fans love about the character. Fans have been disappointed that not only has the game been removed from all digital markets, but has been removed from Steam twice.
In 2014, Deadpool along with other Marvel titles such as X-Men: Destiny and Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions were removed from digital storefronts because of an expired licensing contract between Marvel and publishers Activision. One year later, however, the game was made available again to coincide with the release of the 2016 film. Then two years after its re-release, the game was once again pulled from Steam due to licensing issues. The removal also applies to digital copies on Xbox and PlayStation as well.
8 DiRT
While many other installments in the racing video game franchise DiRT are still available on Steam, the 2007 entry, along with a few others, are left out of the store. The 2007 game is noteworthy in particular for releasing just one day before franchise header Colin McRae passed away in a tragic helicopter accident. Out of respect, McRae’s name was removed from the titles of past re-releases, as well as unused in future installments.
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Like many other games, licensing issues are to blame for the removal of DiRT. Many of the licenses of the cars players can drive in the game have since expired, resulting in this game, along with DiRT 2 and DiRT 3 to be no longer available for purchase through Steam. All the games are still available through past-gen consoles.
7 Rocket League
The insanely popular car-soccer game may not be available through Steam, though that hardly means Rocket League is no longer playable. The surprising critical and commercial success of a video game about cars playing soccer drew a large player base and has since become an official esports game.
While the game is no longer on Steam, the reason is quite simple. Rocket League was initially released on all platforms; requiring payment, even physical copies were distributed and sold. In 2020, however, that all changed when developers Psyonix made the decision to make the game free-to-play. Since Rocket League no longer requires a paid purchase in order to be played, it has since been removed from Steam’s library.
6 Alice: Madness Returns
The sequel to American McGee’s Alice, this hack-and-slash version of Alice in Wonderland finds the titular Alice returning to Wonderland to face her childhood trauma while taking down a new force of evil. Designer American McGee, made famous through his work on Doom, envisioned a trilogy of his reimagining of the classic novel. The third installment has yet to be confirmed, though McGee has expressed interest in the game as recently as 2017.
Anyone interested in delving into Wonderland with Alice will have to do so through consoles, since the game can’t be accessed on Steam anymore. The license between Steam and game publishers Electronic Arts unfortunately expired, in effect removing it from the store. Alice: Madness Returns can still be played on past-gen consoles, and is even backward-compatible with the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S.
5 Battlefield 2
The most acclaimed title from DICE’s popular Battlefield franchise is also one of the few that can’t be found on Steam. Released in 2005, Battlefield 2 was the first game in the franchise to take place in the modern era, a full two years before Call of Duty took that same route. To this day, it’s the most positively-reviewed game in the series, being the only entry to score above a 90 on Metacritic.
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Battlefield 2’s time on the Steam store came to an end along with GameSpy, which had until that point powered the multiplayer for the game. Due to the closure of GameSpy, EA’s online services shut down on June 30, 2014, almost nine years after the game’s initial release. While Battlefield 2 can no longer be downloaded, physical copies can still be purchased.
4 Evolve
This asymmetric multiplayer game from Turtle Rock Studios may have had commercial success upon its release, but its dwindling player base failed to keep it alive. As a sort of interactive monster movie, Evolve pitted four players against one player-controlled monster which could, as the game’s title implies, evolve as the match continued.
Despite a unique concept, Turtle Rock’s game failed to evolve enough to keep players interested. As the player base continued to drop, it was first announced that Evolve would be shifting to a free-to-play model, though this hardly helped. In 2018, it was announced that 2K Games would permanently shut down the game’s servers, and with it the ability to purchase it through Steam. While the game can no longer be played online, it can still be played with peer-to-peer multiplayer through Legacy Evolved.
3 Mortal Kombat
While other installments in the legendary fighting game series can still be downloaded, the 2011 game has been faced with a fatality from Steam. As the ninth game in the series, the 2011 Mortal Kombat serves as a soft reboot of the franchise, with the story retconning many of the earlier games in the series. It was received highly by critics and was a financial success for NetherRealm.
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In March of 2020, Mortal Kombat was delisted from Steam’s library. This most likely comes from the closure of the game’s multiplayer servers. A few days after the removal, WB Games posted on their support page that all multiplayer features would no longer be available due to changes in their network. Along with Steam, this effectively removed the game for PlayStation and Xbox players as well. Story mode and singleplayer remain playable, however.
2 Titanfall
While its popular sequel can still be downloaded, Steam strangely does not offer the original Titanfall to players. This unique multiplayer title was built on the concept of playable foot soldiers who can control giant robots in competitive matches that could host up to 50 players. These robots, called Titans, could also be controlled by players.
After the game’s release, there had been years of DDoS attacks against the game’s servers. These attacks made the game virtually unplayable for players. A similar attack was made on Apex Legends, which directed players to “savetitanfall.com” in an effort to bring attention to the attacks against Titanfall. These fans’ attempts were ultimately futile, however. In late 2021, Respawn Entertainment announced that it would be discontinuing the sales of Titanfall entirely, as well as canceling all subscription services. It’s assumed that the decision was made since it would’ve been a cheaper option than to patch the original game. Titanfall 2, however, is still available on Steam.
1 Devotion
One of the most acclaimed horror games in the past several years is also one that can’t be downloaded on Steam anymore. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to be returning to Steam anytime soon. Devotion is a first-person psychological horror game following a father searching for a cure for his young daughter’s illness, who he has pressured into pursuing a career as a singer. Anyone lucky enough to have downloaded the game within the only week of its availability can attest to the game’s unsettling atmosphere through careful pacing and use of FMV footage.
Shortly after the game’s release, players caught an Easter Egg comparing Xi Jinping, general of the Chinese Communist Party, to the fictional character Winnie the Pooh. This, along with several other themes throughout the game, caused the game to be removed from Steam in China. Two days later, developers Red Candle removed the game from Steam altogether; Devotion never returned to the service. In early 2021, Red Candle opened its own digital storefront, finally able to release Devotion to the public without censorship.
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