Sega to Pull 60 Games From Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch Stores

Sega is set to delist over 60 of its vintage games from the Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch online stores.

The wave of removals will impact numerous well-loved titles from the Sega Dreamcast, Genesis, and Saturn console eras. These include bestselling driving simulator Crazy Taxi, Sega Bass Fishing, award-winning platformer Jet Set Radio, and action adventure game Shinobi.

Gamers will have until Dec. 6 at midnight PST to buy the titles before they are taken down. Customers who have already purchased them will still be able to download and play the games.

The Sonic franchise owner declined to give a reason for the mass delisting, but it comes amid rumors it is set to reboot some of its oldest franchises. In July, Sega posted a job ad for a developer for an open-world re-boot of Crazy Taxi. Meanwhile, at The Game Awards 2023, Sega announced plans for Jet Set Radio, Shinobi, Golden Axe, Streets of Rage, and Crazy Taxi to be “reimagined for a modern audience.”

In a March earnings call, Sega hinted at the possibility of producing more video game movies based on its franchises, after 2020’s live-action Sonic the Hedgehog adaption grossed $350 million worldwide. The company said that coordinating movie and video game releases would “be extremely effective from a marketing perspective.”

But it’s not just Sega classics that may be getting hard for gamers to access. The vast majority—87%—of games released before 2010 are thought to be “critically endangered” in the US if the Video Game History Foundation is correct. This means that they aren’t readily available in their original physical and digital forms.

Digital bundles like Genesis Classics aren’t the only way to enjoy Sega’s extensive library of vintage games. The Genesis Mini 2, a retro console loaded with over 60 Sega classics launched on Oct. 27 in Europe and North America. The console, a sequel to 2019’s Genesis Mini, comes preloaded with vintage gems such as Phantasy Star II, Fatal Fury 2, and Streets of Rage 3.  

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