By Sagar V. Mankar In a surprising move, Sega has announced it will remove more than 60 of its beloved classic games from digital stores on December 6, 2024.
This decision comes during what has otherwise been an excellent year for the company, marked by successful releases like Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Sonic x Shadow Generations.
What’s Being Removed?
The biggest impact will be felt on Steam and Xbox, where numerous individual games will disappear. Here is the complete list:
PlayStation
- Sega Genesis Classics
Nintendo Switch
- Sega Genesis Classics
Xbox
- Altered Beast
- Crazy Taxi
- Golden Axe
- Monster World
- Nights into Dreams
- Sega Bass Fishing
- Sega Genesis Classics
- Shinobi
- Sonic the Fighters
- Streets of Rage
- SVC: ToeJam and Earl
- Virtua Fighter 2
Steam
- Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle
- Alien Soldier
- Alien Storm
- Altered Beast
- Beyond Oasis
- Bio-Hazard Battle
- Bonanza Bros
- Columns
- Columns 3
- Comix Zone
- Crack Down
- Crazy Taxi
- Decap Attack
- Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
- Dreamcast Collection Bundle
- Dynamite Headdy
- Ecco Jr.
- Ecco the Dolphin
- Ecco: The Tides of Time
- ESWAT: City Under Siege
- Eternal Champions
- Fatal Labyrinth
- Flicky
- Galaxy Force 2
- Gain Ground
- Golden Axe
- Golden Axe 2
- Golden Axe 3
- Gunstar Heroes
- Jet Set Radio
- Kid Chameleon
- Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole
- Light Crusader
- Mega Drive and Genesis Classic Bundle
- Nights into Dreams
- Phantasy Star 2
- Phantasy Star 3: Generations of Doom
- Phantasy Star 4: The End of the Millennium
- RiStar
- Sega Bass Fishing
- Shadow Dancer
- Shining Force
- Shining Force 2
- Shining in the Darkness
- Shinobi 3: Return of the Ninja Master
- Sonic 3D Blast
- Sonic Spinball
- Space Channel 5: Part 2
- Space Harrier 2
- Streets of Rage
- Streets of Rage 2
- Streets of Rage 3
- Super Thunder Blade
- Sword of Vermillion
- The Revenge of Shinobi
- ToeJam and Earl
- ToeJam and Earl in Panic on Funkotron
- VectorMan
- VectorMan 2
- Virtua Fighter 2
- Wonder Boy in Monster World
- Wonder Boy 3: Monster Lair
What This Means for Players
If you already own any of these games, there’s good news – you’ll still be able to play them after December 6. The games will remain in your digital library; they just won’t be available for new purchases.
Nintendo Switch Online subscribers can breathe easy too, as Sega has confirmed that Genesis games available through the subscription service won’t be affected.
Why Is This Happening?
While Sega hasn’t officially explained the reason for this mass removal, there are several interesting possibilities:
- The company is currently working on modern versions of some classic games, including Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio
- New game Collections/Bundles might be in development
- The timing is interesting – The Game Awards takes place just one week after the delisting date, suggesting possible announcements
- With Nintendo’s Switch 2 reportedly coming in 2025, Sega might be preparing new versions of these classics for the new console
This isn’t the first time Sega has removed games only to bring them back in a new format. For example, Sonic Generations was previously delisted but returned as part of Xbox’s Sonic Legacy Bundle in July 2024. This suggests we might see these classics return in new collections or bundles.
What Should You Do?
If you’re interested in any of these classic games, you have until December 6, 2024, at 11:59 PM PST to purchase them. After that, they’ll no longer be available for new buyers on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox platforms.