The players have already noticed this today Spec Ops: The Line was no longer available on Steam, leading many to fear that the acclaimed third-person shooter had been quietly removed from sale without warning. Unfortunately, 2K has since confirmed this and the publisher has also explained why it pulled the groundbreaking shooter.
Developed by Yager and released back in 2012, Spec Ops: The Line was a reboot of the lesser known one Spec Ops Franchise. Like the past games, The line was a military third-person shooter. However, the 2012 reboot received critical acclaim upon release, as the narrative depicts a soldier in the deserts of Dubai slowly losing his grip on reality, and offers a metacritical take on the way some military shooters glorify the horrors of war . Although it didn’t sell as many copies as 2K would have liked, the game became a cult favorite among shooter fans. And now it’s no longer on Steam.
On January 29thpeople started to notice Spec Ops: The Line has been removed from Steam and other storefronts such as Fanatical. People wondered if 2K had perhaps delisted the game due to expiring licensing rights for some of the music in it. And that appears to be the case, according to a 2K spokesperson.
“Spec Ops: The Line will no longer be available in online stores due to the expiration of several partnership licenses related to the game,” 2K explained in a statement sent to My city. No specific licenses were mentioned, but notable music included in the game includes Jimi Hendrix’s performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Alice in Chains’ “Rooster.”
The publisher assured players that owners can still download and replay the game Spec Ops: The Line “uninterrupted”, but it will no longer be easy to buy a digital copy in the future. At the moment, The game is still for sale on GoGbut the above statement seems to indicate that this will change soon.
“2K would like to thank our community of players for supporting the game, and we look forward to bringing you more offerings from our label this year and beyond,” 2K said in its statement.
Although there have been talks of a sequel for years, 2K doesn’t seem willing to even tease it, instead just letting it happen Spec Ops: The Line fade like a mirage in the desert. It’s just another game – on an ever-growing list – that will become increasingly difficult to play as the years go by.
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