Once again, a game that one has purchased disappears from the personal game library. This concerns fans – and makes some really angry.
In recent months, there has been an ongoing debate about what gamers truly “own” when they buy a game. After all, games can become unplayable after a few years, for example, because the servers are shut down. Or the game is simply no longer available for download. This is exactly the fate that now befalls Oxenfree, which is currently giving many buyers an ultimatum.
What happened to Oxenfree? The game Oxenfree was originally offered for purchase on the platform Itch.io. This is a platform where mainly indie developers can sell their games relatively easily. Now, Oxenfree has suddenly disappeared from the site – the game can no longer be purchased. At the same time, it has been announced that players must download the game by October 1, 2024, if they bought it on Itch.io. Otherwise, the game is simply “gone” – and no longer playable.
There is no explanation as to why the game is disappearing from the site.
What kind of game is it? Oxenfree is an adventure game with picturesque graphics. The game is played from a side perspective, similar to classic jump-and-run games. The story revolves around some teenagers who plan an overnight stay on an abandoned military island as a small adventure. However, they uncover some eerie secrets and even open rifts into the ghost world. Depending on the chosen dialogue options, the course of the story changes, allowing players to continuously shape their own adventure while trying to solve the mystery – and hopefully survive.
Is the game then completely gone? No. As of now, Oxenfree is still available on other platforms, such as Steam. The game is still for sale there and can be purchased. So, anyone who absolutely wants to play it in the future can still buy it there – at least as of now. This, of course, does little good if someone purchased Oxenfree on Itch.io and only realizes after a few weeks that they have lost access to it. Then they will probably have to buy it a second time.
Many players have long been concerned that once purchased games are not accessible “forever.” Therefore, there are ongoing attempts to archive games for eternity and keep them alive even when they are no longer supported by developers and publishers. A citizens’ initiative wanted to push this forward for the EU.
