In the wake of Spec Ops: The Line getting delisted from platforms ranging from Steam to Xbox, director Cory Davis expresses his take on the game disappearing from digital store shelves. While we can’t say for sure, but it sure sounds like he’s either going to plead with 2K or perhaps rebuild the game.
On Twitter, Davis called it “devastating personally” and then expressed how it’s also painful for those who “pour their souls” into it and the gaming community. In the end, he claims it isn’t the end of the game.
Devastating personally, but also for those who poured their souls into its creation alongside me as developers, and for the gaming community at large. This is not the end for Spec Ops: The Line. https://t.co/BbWXwAOxK7
— Cory Davis (@Snak3Fist) January 30, 2024
Another developer behind the game — level designer Enrique Colinet — chimed in, stating he felt “betrayed” by 2K, as what it’s doing is basically erasing the existence of the game that made his career. He was in charge of both white phosphorus scenes, which have remained rather significant through the years since its release. He said he will always be proud of his time at Yager Development and proud of the — at the time — producers at 2K that narrowly avoided the game getting canceled on “multiple occasions.”
I feel betrayed.
If this is true, @2k is not only getting rid of the game that started my career, but also a game that is incredibly necessary nowadays to experience how fucked up war can be.
Apparently, they decided that the game never happened instead of feeling proud of it. https://t.co/pqiB6Hk8vN
— Enrique Colinet (@Baxayaun) January 30, 2024
Following the sudden delisting from Steam, it caused a whirlwind of headlines, and recently, it was revealed to all be due to expiring licenses. While not specified, we could expect it to be one of the number of copyrighted soundtracks featured throughout the culturally significant shooter. We can hope this is alluding to some sort of revival of the over-decade-old game, but we have our doubts, as it seems like 2K owns the rights rather than developer Yager, and looking at it right now, the publisher isn’t even willing to specify the expiring licenses.
More Smash Jump: Former Volition staff form Shapeshifter Games, Dragon Quest Builders hits PC in February, and Planet Zoo makes its way to consoles in March.
