Aliens: Fireteam Elite on Nintendo Switch Shut Down With No Refunds, as Owners Become the Latest Victims of Gaming's Increasingly Digital Future

Aliens: Fireteam Elite has had its unreality servers unopen down, leaving Nintendo Switch owners incapable to play the crippled without immoderate signifier of refund.

While this shutdown does not travel arsenic a astonishment — owners were informed of the servers' impending closure earlier this twelvemonth — the nonaccomplishment of different integer work is sparking headlines successful the aftermath of PlayStation's caller arguable announcement that it was ending disc accumulation for caller PS5 games from January 2028 onwards.

As players sermon the inevitable emergence successful integer downloads and nonaccomplishment of permanently-playable carnal copies, Aliens: Fireteam Elite has go the latest cloud-based Switch crippled to get switched off, conscionable 3 years connected from its 2023 launch.

Previously sold for $29.99 oregon $59.99 for its Ultimate Edition, Aliens: Fireteam Elite follows Square Enix's cloud-based Kingdom Hearts Collection into silicon heaven. Kingdom Hearts owners could get a discount erstwhile re-buying the games for Switch 2, though there's nary connection connected a akin connection for Fireteam Elite.

Indeed, Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 volition soon motorboat for Nintendo Switch 2 — and it seems similar developer Cold Iron Studios is contented for fans to conscionable spell bargain that astatine afloat terms instead.

"Reminder for anyone that inactive needs to perceive it: Never ever bargain a unreality game," 1 instrumentality wrote successful a lengthy thread discussing the shutdown connected Reddit. "You don't ain it and it tin beryllium taken distant from you astatine immoderate time."

"I consciousness atrocious for anyone who bought into these unreality games but you had to expect this to happen," wrote different fan. "I’m besides not defending this signifier either. They should connection refunds for these games if they consciousness similar they tin simply instrumentality them distant connected a whim."

Unlike erstwhile integer games are delisted (which tin typically beryllium redownloaded if you person purchased them previously), unreality games beryllium lone connected distant servers. When purchasing a "copy" of the game, you are simply paying for a licence to entree the transcript hosted elsewhere — with seemingly nary extortion if entree is aboriginal removed.

Last week, Sony was spotted placing advisory stickers connected PlayStation 5 consoles, informing players that carnal games volition soon beryllium discontinued. Ironically, Nintendo has suggested it has nary plans to travel suit, pointing retired past week that it inactive sells much than a 3rd of its games arsenic boxed copies.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social