EA has announced plans to delist three classic Battlefield games from its digital storefront, with Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company, and Battlefield: Bad Company 2 set to be removed on 28 April 2023. The sunsetting also includes the removal of online support for all three games, with the functionality set to end on 8 December 2023.
On this day, players will no longer be able to take part in multiplayer modes – although all offline features will remain functional for those who’ve already purchased Bad Company 1 and/or 2. Likewise, those who own the games will be able to re-download them at any time.
While an exact reason for their delisting was not specified, it’s likely the cost of server maintenance had begun to outweigh the popularity of titles. Given all three games are now more than a decade old, and have long since been surpassed by countless successors, the removal isn’t a major surprise.
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‘While these titles hold a special place in our heart, we’re now looking forward to creating new memories alongside you as we shift our focus towards our current and future Battlefield experiences,’ EA said of the delisting.
It further shared memories of each title, describing how Battlefield 1943 familiarised players with the enduring Wake Island map, and how the Bad Company spin-off ‘introduced an iconic and relatable bunch of troublemakers who risked it all’ in pursuit of freedom.
Players will have until December 2023 to experience this freedom in teams, at which time the Bad Company franchise will become solo-only – and 1943 will seemingly be rendered unplayable, as it requires an always-online connection and features multiplayer-only battles.
An early version of this delisting announcement did also include Mirror’s Edge as one of the titles being sunsetted – however, EA subsequently announced this was a mistake, and claimed the game will remain online. Battlefield 1943, and Bad Company 1+2 are the only games impacted by this decision.
Those keen to enjoy final multiplayer rounds in classic Battlefield should plan to hop in before 8 December 2023, ahead of service closure.
