An essential piece of gaming from the 2010’s is disappearing from digital cabinets. 2K and Yager Studios’ Spec Ops: The Line has formally been delisted from all digital marketplaces. Why? Expiring partnership licenses, it appears.

In an announcement acquired by completely different media retailers like IGN and Inverse, 2K spoke on the matter, saying:

“Spec Ops: The Line will now not be accessible on on-line storefronts, as a number of partnership licenses associated to the sport are expiring. Gamers who’ve bought the sport can nonetheless obtain and play the sport uninterrupted. 2K wish to thank our neighborhood of gamers who’ve supported the sport, and we stay up for bringing you extra choices from our label all through this 12 months and past.”

It appears probably that what expired was music licenses, as Spec Ops: The Line utilized a number of songs from in style musicians. These artists vary from Jimi Hendrix and The Black Angels, to Deep Purple. Expiring music licenses have been the trigger for some de-listings previously too, like Alpha Protocol in 2019 and Alan Wake, briefly, in 2017.

Stroll The Line

I’ve beforehand written about Spec Ops: The Line as an underrated sport of the 2010’s. I performed the shooter throughout a free trial of PlayStation Plus on the PlayStation 4 and as a lover of narrative video games, Spec Ops: The Line is a must-play.

The sport blurs “the road” (pun supposed and never) between what’s proper and what’s mistaken. Plus, the white phosphorus scene is, personally, probably the most memorable moments in fashionable gaming (and for good motive). Whereas the gameplay and graphics have been a bit tough, the sport caught round with gamers means after the credit rolled. Spec Ops garnered crucial popularity of its story, however gross sales have been decrease than anticipated.

Online game preservation is a necessity at this level, particularly within the digital world. Too many titles appear to now be misplaced to time, by no means to be seen once more. Many aged titles from again when video video games turned huge are endangered. In truth, in accordance with a July 2023 research by Phil Salvador, solely 13% of basic video games can be found in the marketplace.

Now that Spec Ops: The Line is gone from digital storefronts, who is aware of what sport may be subsequent? My recommendation: simply purchase bodily. It’s all the time accessible and, like a e-book, it simply feels good to have in your fingers or on a shelf.