EA has revealed it’s delisting three major Battlefield titles on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 this month, and also shutting down online services for all three on November 7th, on those same platforms.
“On Wednesday, July 31st the following Battlefield titles will be removed from digital storefronts and you will no longer be able to purchase them and all extra related content such as DLC:
- Battlefield 3 (Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3)
- Battlefield 4 (Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3)
- Battlefield: Hardline (Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3)
“Online services for these titles on these platforms will end on November 7th, 2024. While the online components of these titles close for these platforms, if you own the game, you will still be able to play the single-player component.”
It is, of course, worth reiterating that these changes only affect the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of the games. Battlefield 3 will remain playable on PC, and Battlefield 4 and Battlefield: Hardline will remain playable on PC, PS4 and Xbox One for the foreseeable future.
— Battlefield Comms (@BattlefieldComm) June 28, 2024
While Battlefield 3 on PS3 is stuck on that system and unlikely to have a noticeable impact when removed, the Xbox 360 version is one of the games on the platform that’s backwards compatible and doesn’t have a native version for later consoles, so the removal of its multiplayer functionality may burn any long-term fans who might still be playing. Online games take resources and upkeep to remain online though, and with nearly 13 years of service for Battlefield 3 it’s not surprising to see it start to wind down.
Recently, it was revealed that Forza Horizon 4 is being delisted from sale after only six years on shelves, but in that case it’s due to the expiry of this like music and car licensing.
