Spec Ops: The Line Is Randomly Delisted From Steam
In a surprising turn of events, 2K’s classic title, Spec Ops: The Line, has disappeared from the Steam store. The abrupt removal was noticed by vigilant Reddit user lurkingdanger22, who observed the game’s absence on Monday.
Curious gamers checking the Steam page are now met with a message stating, “Spec Ops: The Line is no longer available on the Steam store.” However, the reason behind this unexpected delisting remains unclear. This has prompted speculations within the gaming community on its delisting.
Furthermore, Reddit discussions have led towards the possibility of licensed music being the culprit. Spec Ops: The Line incorporates tracks from renowned artists like Jimi Hendrix, Mogwai, Deep Purple, Alice in Chains, and Björk. It’s conceivable that the expiration of licenses for these tracks prompted 2K to make the decision to delist the title. It’s unknown whether they will temporarily remove the game for license renewal or delist it permanently.
Moreover, Spec Ops: The Line achieved a Metacritic score of 77. The game’s sudden disappearance raises questions about licensing agreements and their impact on digital distribution platforms.
Additionally, Yager Development, the studio behind Spec Ops: The Line, saw investment from Chinese tech giant Tencent in 2020, with Tencent acquiring a majority stake in June 2021. Yager’s subsequent game, The Cycle: Frontier, met an untimely demise in June 2023 with server deactivation, rendering it unplayable.
In short, the current situation with Spec Ops: The Line leaves players and the gaming community wondering about the studio’s future projects. As gamers await clarity on the game’s removal, the mystery surrounding Spec Ops: The Line deepens.