Respawn pulls Titanfall from sale with vague promises for the future
Respawn Entertainment today announced that it has delisted Titanfall, effectively removing it from sale. Titanfall was the first game Respawn Entertainment made as a new studio back in 2014, and now it seems the title is being retired. It isn't all bad news, though, as those who own the game will still be able to play it even after it disappears from storefronts.
Respawn pulls the game that started it all
Respawn announced its decision to pull Titanfall in a statement published to Twitter today. "We've made the decision to discontinue new sales of the original Titanfall game starting today and we'll be removing the game from subscription services on March 1, 2022," Respawn said. "We will, however, be keeping servers live for the dedicated fanbase still playing and those who own the game and are looking to drop into a match."
Even though Titanfall has disappeared from storefronts and will vanish from streaming services next year, the servers are going to stay live so those who already own the title can continue playing it. While we're sure most people who wanted to play Titanfall have already purchased the game, those who missed the chance to buy the digital version always have used disc copies they can pick up.
It's a little bit strange to see Respawn pull Titanfall from storefronts while keeping the servers up and running. Still, if the game has a decent number of players routinely dropping into multiplayer, Respawn probably didn't want to risk losing consumer goodwill by turning the servers off.
What's next for the Titanfall series?
After announcing that Titanfall will be delisted, Respawn went on to assure fans that the game won't be forgotten. "Rest assured, Titanfall is core to Respawn's DNA and this incredible universe will continue," the studio said. "Today in Titanfall 2 and Apex Legends, and in the future."
That part is particularly interesting because it suggests there's more Titanfall to come. Though the original Titanfall and its sequel have garnered a sizable fanbase, these days, Respawn's attention is on Apex Legends – a free-to-play battle royale title set in the Titanfall universe that is fairly distinct from a gameplay perspective.
The success of Apex Legends (and the rise of the battle royale genre as an alternative to traditional FPS games) has prompted some Titanfall fans to assume the series is largely over and that we won't see another Titanfall game in the future. Respawn's statement today possibly suggests otherwise, though it's too vague to say for sure.
Still, it's always possible that Respawn is removing Titanfall from sale because it has something new with the franchise in the works. Until we get confirmation of any such plans, it's probably safe to assume the company is simply removing the game to focus on Apex Legends. We'll let you know if Respawn announces anything major in the future, so stay tuned for more.