What just happened? Electronic Arts has added another batch of games to its pending online services shutdown list. Online support for Crysis 3, the 2013 first-person shooter from Crytek, will come to an end on September 7. FIFA 18, 19, 20, and 21 on select platforms will see online servers go dark on November 6 and a day later, NHL 19 will lose online play on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
It doesn't end there, however, as EA plans to shut down servers for Dante's Inferno and Dead Space 2 on December 8. Mirror's Edge Catalyst will also lose online multiplayer support on the same day.
These are the latest additions to EA's ever-growing list of online service shutdowns, and more could be added before the end of the year.
It is unclear if EA plans to remove any of these titles from digital storefronts in preparation for their shutdown. Earlier this year, EA pulled some Battlefield games from online stores that are due to have their servers yanked in December.
EA notes that as older games are replaced with newer titles, the number of active players often dwindles to a level where it is no longer feasible to continue the behind the scenes work needed to keep their online services up and running. Just because a game goes offline doesn't mean it can't still be played and enjoyed offline, EA added.
Where do you stand on the matter? On one hand, it does seem somewhat asinine to keep servers for sports games up and running years after launch, especially when new entries are released each and every year. The same can't be said of one-off games like Crysis 3 or Mirror's Edge Catalyst, which brings us to the question of – how long should online servers for standalone games remain active?
Does it depend on the sustained popularity of the title, or should there be a minimum standard for all games so you know what to expect before shelling out cash up front?