Video Games That Died In 2026 (So Far)

With more and more games completely online or offered only as digital experiences, it's a sad inevitability that games are lost as they permanently go offline. As publishers pull their titles off the market or discontinue live support, there is a growing number of video games that you can't legally play today. This can come from the mounting costs of maintaining online servers or expired licensing resulting in online games getting their plugs pulled. As long as a game lacks a physical release and/or requires a steady online connection to play, it's at risk of being relegated to the digital graveyard.

2026 has been no different in that regard, with the year already seeing plenty of notable games being shelved forever. These aren't just one-off titles or indie games, but some of the biggest properties in the industry. Several of these titles were quite popular at launch but, for various reasons, have since gone offline. These are five video games that died in 2026 so far, each marking the end of their respective eras.

Bioware, the developer behind beloved titles like "Mass Effect" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic," launched the online third-person shooter "Anthem" in 2019. The sci-fi shooter gave players several classes to choose from and abilities to unlock and upgrade, like an action RPG. Players can explore the game's futuristic world of Coda solo or with squads of up to four people, battling threats to the hub setting of Fort Tarsis. Less than seven years after its launch, publisher Electronic Arts shut down the servers for "Anthem" on January 12, 2026.

There are a lot of things that went wrong with "Anthem" since its launch, despite Bioware's best, continued efforts. After a muted debut, Bioware gave "Anthem" a much-needed makeover the following year to better position it in an increasingly competitive market. These changes did not successfully reverse the online game's fortunes, with plans for further significant updates quietly tabled by the end of 2021. In the end, "Anthem" just couldn't make the same waves as Bioware's other titles, and the writing of its eventual demise had been on the wall for years when it faded.

The online medieval warfare game "Warlander" certainly proved to be an ambitious undertaking when it launched in September 2022. The title divides up to 100 players per match into five teams tasked with raiding each others' castles. Players can choose from warrior, mage, and priest character classes as they engage in fast-paced fantasy combat. Players breach castles with an array of siege weapons, attacking and defending their castle keeps across sprawling medieval battlefields.

By July 2025, in-game microtransactions for "Warlander" had come to an end while the game ceased issuing refunds, signaling its eventual demise. The announced termination of service occurred on January 20, 2026, with dedicated servers going offline and the title delisted from digital storefronts. In its closure announcement, developer Toylogic hinted that it was working on a full reboot for the game. Until that happens, the massively multiplayer online fantasy warfare experience provided by "Warlander" is no longer available.

Another major property published by Electronic Arts is "The Sims," a life simulator series that launched for PCs in 2000. As the mainline series has continued on in new titles, expansions, and spin-offs, the franchise received its own mobile installment with "The Sims Mobile." Launched in 2018 for iOS and Android devices, the title is the latest mobile experience for the series, following 2011's "The Sims FreePlay." Like other installments, the game lets players create and customize their own avatar and home, with the option to start families and interact with other players.

"The Sims Mobile" released its final update on October 20, 2025 while in-game microtransactions were discontinued. The following day, the game was delisted from digital storefronts, though players who had already downloaded it could continue to play. This eventually led to the game's dedicated servers being taken offline on January 20, 2026, terminating it outright. With the future of "The Sims" still uncertain, "The Sims Mobile" being taken offline suggests the franchise is regrouping and reevaluating its strategy.

One of the quickest reversals in fortunes for any video game this year was the hero shooter "Highguard." Released on January 26, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC, the game had small teams launching raids on each others' bases. The title's first-person shooter gameplay featured a healthy mix of sci-fi and fantasy elements, including various raid objectives. However, despite boasting developers from fan-favorite titles like "Valorant," "Highguard" crashed and burned rather quickly once it went public.

"Highguard" lost 20% of its players within 20 hours, coming on the heels of widespread mediocre user reviews upon its launch. A little more than two weeks following the game's debut, developer and publisher Wildlight Entertainment announced it was undergoing staff layoffs. On March 12, 2026, the game was delisted from digital storefronts and its servers were shut down, effectively killing it. An absolute bomb reminiscent of "Concord" in 2024, "Highguard" was a short-lived blip on the gaming landscape in 2026.

Activision channeled the yearly success of its "Call of Duty" franchise into a mobile experience with "Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile." Launched in March 2024 for iOS and Android devices, the spin-off still provided the first-person military action of the main series. The game offered two game modes, one boasting a 120-person battle royale and the other solo or team-based 48-person matches. Additional objective-based gameplay modes were added after the game's launch, offering more varied experiences and customization options for players.

In May 2025, Activision announced it would be delisting and eventually sunsetting "Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile." The company elaborated that while it was proud of what it accomplished with the title, it did not meet their expectations compared to the franchise's PC and console installments. "Warzone Mobile" was delisted from digital storefronts on May 19, 2025 while in-game microtransactions similarly ceased at this date. On April 17, 2026, "Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile" shut down its servers, officially bringing the game to an end.