Gamers across platforms including Xbox, PlayStation, and PC are facing significant changes in 2025, with numerous titles either shutting down online services or being removed from subscription catalogues. These changes mean that players might lose access to online features, or even entire games, impacting their gaming experience.

Several prominent titles are slated to cease online operations this year. The massively multiplayer online (MMO) sci-fi fantasy RPG, Skyforge, which launched in 2015, is going offline after a decade. Its servers in Europe and America are being shut down, with payments already disabled. PC players will lose access on September 3, 2025, followed by console closures (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch) on October 29, 2025.

Sports gaming fans are also heavily affected. WWE 2K24, a wrestling title released in March 2024, will see its online servers shut down on September 30, 2025. While the core game remains playable, online matches and the popular Community Creations feature will become inaccessible. Similarly, Madden NFL 22, an American Football game released in August 2021, will switch off its online services on October 20, 2025, thereby disabling all online multiplayer modes.

Survival game enthusiasts playing Rust: Console Edition on older generations of consoles will also experience disruptions. The 'old-gen' version of Rust, designed for PS4 and Xbox One, became unavailable for download as of May 29, 2025, and will become completely unplayable in October 2025. Players wishing to continue their game will need to upgrade to the next-gen version, available for free on Xbox Series X/S and PS5 consoles.

Finally, football fans will be impacted as Fifa 23, notably the last EA Fifa game before the publisher transitioned to EA Sports FC, will have its online servers shut down on December 12, 2025. This affects players across PS4, PS5, all Xbox models, PC, and Nintendo Switch, disabling all online multiplayer features.

Beyond specific game shutdowns, Sony's PlayStation Plus catalogue is undergoing a significant shake-up, leading to the removal of several fan-favourite games. Over £200 worth of titles are set to vanish, with players losing access even if they've downloaded them, unless they purchase the games outright. Seven titles are confirmed to disappear by mid-September 2025, when Sony rolls out its new Extra and Premium catalogue: The Plucky Squire, UFC 5, Road 96, Pistol Whip, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, FIST: Forged In Shadow Torch, and Dragon’s Crown Pro. Players are advised to complete these games soon, and to monitor the 'Last Chance to Play' tab for potential additional exits.

To mitigate these removals, Sony is adding a substantial lineup of new games to the PS Plus Game Catalogue for Extra and Premium members, which went live on August 19, 2025. This 'monster line-up' includes highly anticipated titles such as Mortal Kombat 1 (PS5) and Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered (PS5, PS4), alongside Sword of the Sea (PS5), Earth Defense Force 6 (PS5, PS4), Unicorn Overlord (PS5, PS4), Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key (PS5, PS4), Indika (PS5), Harold Halibut (PS5), and Coral Island (PS5). Additionally, PS Plus Premium users gained access to Resident Evil 2 (PS5, PS4) and Resident Evil 3 (PS5, PS4).

As an extra bonus for PS Plus Premium subscribers, a brand-new Game Trial for Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding 2: On the Beach became available on August 19, 2025. PS5 players can test-drive up to five hours of gameplay, with all progress and trophies carrying over if they decide to purchase the game.