Sega has announced that over 60 of its classic console games — spanning the Master System, Genesis, Saturn, and more — will soon be removed from modern digital storefronts, including Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, after 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on December 26.
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Players who have already purchased these titles will retain access, but for new buyers, these retro hits will become unavailable. Nintendo Switch Online’s “Expansion Pack” titles, however, are unaffected by this delisting.
While Sega has not offered an official reason, many speculate the move is a prelude to repackaging these games in new, possibly enhanced collections. PC Gamer notes that this pattern resembles Sega’s previous handling of Sonic titles, where original games were pulled only to reappear in the Sonic Origins collection, albeit with mixed critical reception. That compilation also came with added paid content, raising concerns about whether these classic games might return with a similar “nostalgia tax.”
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As Sega reorganizes its catalog, retro gaming enthusiasts may face fewer ways to legally access these classics without investing in what could be pricier “definitive” collections.
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Some affected games
• Crazy Taxi
• Jet Set Radio
• Ecco the Dolphin
• Space Channel 5 Part 2
• Toejam & Earl in Panic on Funkotron
• Dr. Robotnik’s Mean Bean Machine
• Shining Force
• Shining Force II
• Shining in the Darkness
• Virtua Fighter 2