Many open-world games were once easy to buy with a quick search on a digital store, but today, some of them have quietly disappeared. Licensing deals ended, music rights expired, or publishers chose to move on. The result is the same: these open-world games have been delisted and are no longer sold officially.
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Welcome to the graveyard of open-world games. Here are the titles that, despite the fun they packed at launch, are sadly unavailable now.
But all hope is not lost. These open-world games haven’t vanished completely, as anyone who bought them before they were delisted can still download and play them, while new players can get second-hand copies. These open worlds are no longer readily available with a single mouse click, but they remain some of the best places to explore for those willing to do the legwork.
Fit the 9 games into the grid.
Forza Horizon 4
Delisted Due To Expiring Licenses
- A wide-open racing game set in a depiction of Great Britain with seasons that constantly change how the world feels.
- Players can drive hundreds of real cars, explore landscapes, and join races or events at their own pace.
The heart of Forza Horizon 4 was its freedom. Players could choose any direction on the map, from coastal roads to castles and countryside, racing against friends or exploring by themselves. There were countless cars to choose from, and different types of races to take part in, including dirt races, road races, and cross-country marathons.
In 2024, the developers and publisher announced that the game would be delisted from digital stores on December 15. This means no new players can buy the game on Steam or the Xbox Store after that date. The decision was driven by expiring licensing agreements for music, car brands, and other content that the developers didn’t renew for ongoing sales. That said, people who already own the game digitally or on disc still have access to it.
Driver: San Francisco
Open-City Car Chase
- Story-driven driving adventure where the player controls an undercover cop in an open-world version of San Francisco.
- The game’s signature feature is Shift, which lets players jump instantly from one car to any other on the road.
Driver: San Francisco was basically about enacting unbelievable car chases. Instead of the usual method of jumping out of a vehicle to travel on foot, the game lets the main character instantly “Shift” into any other car he can see on the street. Gameplay felt like cinematic action where the chase never loses focus on the car. Players were always behind the wheel, even when Shifting.
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Driver: San Francisco was removed from digital storefronts in 2016. The game relied on various licensing deals, such as rights to certain vehicles and music tracks that expired over time, and Ubisoft chose not to renew them. Nonetheless, Driver: San Francisco’s influence on racing and mission design is still relevant. Its bold approach to open-city driving and the Shift mechanic made it memorable at a time when many racers stuck to track-based or linear missions.
The Amazing Spider-Man
Web-Swinging In Manhattan
- Players swing as Spider-Man across New York, complete missions, and battle classic villains.
- Inspired by the movie of the same name, it aimed to give players freedom to explore the skyscrapers and streets of NYC.
When The Amazing Spider-Man came out, it was one of the first Spider-Man games to really emphasize the feel of swinging everywhere, just like in the comics. Players could take side jobs, stop crimes, and tie up story missions across a vibrant Manhattan skyline filled with secrets and villains. However, because Spider-Man is a licensed character, the game’s digital sale rights depended on contracts that eventually ended.
In January 2017, digital versions of The Amazing Spider-Man and its sequel were pulled from stores like Steam, PlayStation Network, Xbox Store, and others. From that point on, people couldn’t buy it online anymore. However, anyone who had already bought it digitally before that date could still download and play it from their account. Also, used physical copies can still be played.
The Crew
Cross-Country Open-World Racing Experience
- A huge open-world racing game where players explore the United States.
- Drive on highways, off-road, and join challenges with friends online.
The Crew began life in 2014 as Ubisoft’s ambitious take on open-world street racing. Instead of small maps or fixed circuits, players could drive across a massive recreation of the entire United States, hopping into races, meeting up with friends, or just cruising the highways, deserts, and cities at their own pace. However, that design, fun as it was, came with a consequence. Because The Crew was always online, every part of the game depended on Ubisoft’s servers remaining active. That included things many players might assume were offline activities. There was no built-in offline mode, so if a player lost connection or if the servers went down, the game simply couldn’t run. In December 2023, Ubisoft announced that The Crew and all its editions would be removed from digital storefronts and that online services would end in March 2024, due to server infrastructure and licensing issues. After that shutdown, the game could no longer be played at all, even by people who previously bought it.
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Many players felt frustrated because they could no longer start or finish any part of the game after the shutdown. A backlash among consumers even helped fuel the “Stop Killing Games” movement, where fans argue that games shouldn’t become unplayable just because servers are shut down. As of early 2026, there’s no official way to play The Crew. Ubisoft’s servers remain offline, and without an offline mode, the game stays inaccessible. However, a fan-made project called The Crew Unlimited created a custom server emulator that may let people run their personal copy again.
Fuel
Features One Of The Largest Open-World Racing Maps
- Massive open-world racing in a post-apocalyptic United States with changing weather and giant landscapes.
- The game’s map was one of the largest ever seen on consoles at the time, encouraging free exploration and races across deserts, forests, and mountains.
The first thing that stood out about Fuel was the map size. Players could drive anywhere across 14,400 square kilometers of terrain without hitting loading screens between zones. This open playground included tornadoes, sandstorms, and sunsets across vast open plains and up jagged mountains. Players weren’t limited to tight circuits, either. Instead, they chose their own routes through expansive terrain, unlocking races and challenges as they went. There were dozens of vehicles, including motorcycles, trucks, buggies, and more, each offering a different feel on the varied dirt and broken roads of the wasteland.
Today, Fuel isn’t sold online on modern digital storefronts like Steam or console marketplaces, and it hasn’t been re-released or remastered. As such, the only way to play it is through physical copies on systems that support them (PS3, Xbox 360, or PC).
Fable 3
Choice-Driven Fantasy World Lost From Digital Storefronts
- Players fight for freedom and eventually rule a kingdom full of moral choices and consequences.
- The game’s world blends open exploration with character growth, quests, and a story where choices shape how NPCs treat the hero.
Fable 3 drew players back into the kingdom of Albion, where the hero led a revolt to overthrow a tyrannical brother and later took the throne themselves. What made it interesting was how the player’s choices changed the world. Embracing kindness or cruelty affected how villagers reacted, how resources were used, and even the ending of the story.
Fable 3’s Games for Windows Live version, which is needed for PC sales, was affected by Microsoft's retirement of that service, which made selling new digital copies on platforms like Steam impossible. Eventually, the game was pulled from Steam and other digital storefronts, so people cannot buy it online today. Despite being delisted, Fable 3 still works for people who already bought it digitally or own a retail disc.
Midnight Club: Los Angeles
Street Racing Sandbox Delisted From The PS3
- A fast-paced street racing game set across a large open map based on Los Angeles, with day-night cycles and traffic to weave through.
- Custom cars, multiplayer races, and the buzz of illegal street culture defined its lively open-city design.
Midnight Club: Los Angeles was Rockstar’s exciting answer to open-city racers, where traffic wasn’t an obstacle; it was part of the game’s energy. Midnight Club: Los Angeles is one of the longest games made by Rockstar, so there’s a lot to do. The city feels vast, with neighborhoods offering different race setups and countless shortcuts for drivers to discover.
Originally released in 2008 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, the game was delisted from both platforms. However, in April 2021, it was relisted on Xbox 360, while the PS3 version never officially returned. That said, all hope is not lost, as fans can still find used physical PS3 copies of Midnight Club: Los Angeles today if they want to try it out.
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