The racing simulation game, Project Cars 3, is scheduled to be removed from digital storefronts on August 24th. An announcement on its official Steam page clarified that players who have already bought the game will retain access and the ability to re-download it.
Although digital sales will cease, the game`s online features will remain operational until February 24, 2026. This move effectively marks the conclusion of the Project Cars racing series, following the earlier delisting of its predecessors years prior. EA ceased further development and investment in the franchise in late 2022. The removal of Project Cars 1 and 2 from sale was attributed to expired licensing for cars and tracks, a reason likely behind Project Cars 3`s impending delisting as well.
The Project Cars franchise originated in 2015, with sequels launched in 2017 and 2020. A mobile iteration, Project Cars Go, arrived in 2021. Interestingly, developer Slightly Mad also produced a critically panned official Fast and Furious game in 2020. Initially, Bandai Namco published all three Project Cars titles. However, EA acquired the developer, Slightly Mad Studios, in 2021 as part of its acquisition of Codemasters.
This trend of discontinuing racing series isn`t exclusive to Project Cars for EA. Codemasters, another EA-owned studio, recently declared a `pause` in development for the WRC (World Rally Championship) series. Nevertheless, the WRC series itself will continue under Nacon, which has resecured the FIA World Rally Championship license.
The announcement of Project Cars 3`s delisting coincides with growing public debate over digital game ownership. Last year, YouTube personality Ross Scott launched the `Stop Killing Games` campaign, aiming to question the legality and ethics of publishers discontinuing online games, prompted by Ubisoft`s decision to shut down `The Crew.` When questioned about this movement during an Ubisoft shareholders meeting, CEO Yves Guillemot famously stated that games are not intended to `last forever.`