Well received by critics and appreciated by gamers who have tried it, Titanfall has not yet reached the level of sales expected by Electronic Arts. Despite this, the American giant and its studio Respawn Entertainment gave it a sequel, also hailed for its qualities. Despite a good reputation and the great popularity of Apex Legends, the Battle Royale spin-off set in the Titanfall universe, the future of the license remains uncertain to say the least.
Electronic Arts has just announced the withdrawal from sale of the first Titanfall. This surprisingly surprising decision was communicated by Respawn Entertainment on its official Twitter account. Obtaining the game in dematerialized form will soon become impossible:
At Respawn, Titanfall is in our DNA. It is a game that exposed the ambitions of the studio when it was released over 7 years ago. And it continues to be the beacon of the innovation we want to deliver in all of our games.
We have made the decision to stop further sales of the original Titanfall game as of today. And we will be removing the game from subscription services on March 1, 2022. However, we will keep the servers open for dedicated fans who continue to play and for those who own the game and want to take part in a game.
Titanfall unloved at Electronic Arts?
Unfortunately for those intrigued by this decision, neither the publisher nor his studio can justify it. Respawn takes advantage of this message, however, to recall its attachment to the Titanfall license. And he hints that the series won’t end with Apex Legends:
Rest assured that Titanfall is at the heart of Respawn’s DNA and this incredible universe will continue. Today via Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends as well as in the future. This license guides the caliber of experiences we will continue to create here at Respawn.
The entire Respawn team thanks you.
Time is running out for latecomers
Curious and latecomers who want to play Titanfall without getting a boxed version can still do so on Xbox and PC. On Xbox One and Xbox Series S | S, the first Titanfall can be accessed through Xbox Game Pass (via EA Play). On the PC, however, the Titanfall Deluxe Edition is available on Xbox Game Pass and EA Play. But as indicated above, this availability will end on March 1st.
At a time when questions of preserving video games and simplifying access to old games are frequently asked, this decision of EA goes in the other direction. This situation also reminds us that the players are totally subject to the goodwill of the publishers when a game is only available in dematerialized version. It is now possible to wonder if the American publisher and studio will one day explain their choice.
How do you feel about the decision to withdraw Titanfall from sale? Can Electronic Arts have a good reason in your opinion? Have you ever played the first Titanfall? If so, what did you think? Tell us all in the comments below.