Video summary

Gone. Forgotten. Delisted.

Main summary

Key takeaways

Gaming

Storyline / Setting

This video isn’t about a single game’s narrative. It’s about the “delisted Steam games” phenomenon—especially older or licensed games that disappear from Steam stores—and what that does to players trying to preserve or replay them.

The most detailed “case study” is Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition.

Gameplay / Content Highlights Mentioned

Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition (case study)

The narrator describes it as a technically poor PC port:

  • 30 FPS lock
  • 720p cap
  • Mouse/keyboard “not a good fit” (described as basically a bad way to play)

Despite that, they ultimately:

  • Bought it
  • Beat it
  • 100%’d it

Other delisted titles used as examples

The video references many other delisted games to show how preservation fails, including:

  • Jet Set Radio — only obtainable via gray-market pricing after delisting
  • Rayman 2 — example of odd historical Steam availability constraints
  • Cut the Rope — delisted after a message celebrating its anniversary
  • Angry Birds Space — delisted after the developer shifted away from PC
  • Doom titles — presented as a “best of delisting” scenario via modern collections
  • Multiple licensed games — including Marvel tie-ins and Telltale titles
  • Live service games — becoming unplayable after delisting (servers shut down)

Key Strategies / Tips / Rules of Thumb Discussed

  • Avoid gray-market purchases if possible

    • The narrator explicitly warns against buying keys from sites like G2A/CD Keys, calling it a “shady market.”

  • Consider alternatives to “paying scalper prices”

    • If a delisted Steam version is unavailable or overpriced, check other platforms (e.g., GOG and console versions).

  • Only buy delisted keys if the game still offers important features

    • Prioritize delisted titles that still provide:
      • Cloud saves
      • Steam Deck support
      • Achievements
    • Otherwise, they argue it may not be worth the inflated cost.

  • Antiscalping “best practice” (developer/Steam policy idea)

    • Prefer delisted-but-legit alternatives:
      • “Unlisted” (not searchable) instead of “delisted” (not purchasable)
    • The narrator suggests this could reduce gray-market key scalping because keys remain legitimately purchasable.
    • Examples referenced: games/episodes such as Skyrim and Half-Life content.

  • Preservation fix for live-service games

    • Studios should provide tools for community-hosted servers instead of shutting everything down after delisting.

How the Dark Souls “Rabbit Hole” Started (Narrator’s Path)

  • After 100% completing Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin (~60 hours), they start building a Steam collection of FromSoftware Souls games.
  • They notice Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition used to exist on Steam but was later removed:
    • when remastered released
    • and after online server shutdowns tied to an exploit
  • They decide to track it down anyway, eventually:
    • paying an extreme price for a key
    • and dealing with customer support to make it work

Explanation of Why Delisting Happens (Categories / Tiers)

The narrator divides delisted Steam games into tiers based on how defensible the situation is.

Tier 1: Least offensive / “Delisted but effectively replaced”

  • Example: Delisting due to remasters where the improved version exists on Steam.
  • Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition is placed here because Dark Souls Remastered is available.
  • They argue remasters sometimes genuinely improve the experience (with examples like Mark of the Ninja Remastered, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, etc.).

Tier 2: Remasters that “piss people off”

When the original is removed and the remaster changes core presentation too much or requires extra launchers.

  • Example: Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition

    • Requires Ubisoft launcher
    • Looks different from the original
    • The original can be hard to obtain without gray-market routes (workaround suggested: GOG)

  • Another example: Metro Redux versus older Metro versions

    • The original versions are not on Steam.

Tier 3: Licensed IP delistings (“license hell”)

When publishers lose rights after contracts expire.

Examples listed include:

  • Annual sports titles (previous entries delisted quickly)
  • Marvel tie-ins (Deadpool, Spider-Man games, MCU Iron Man/Hulk)
  • Cartoon Network / Disney / DreamWorks licensed games
  • Telltale (many games were licensed; bankruptcy and rights fragmentation contributed to delistings)

Tier 4: “No good reason” delistings / no alternative offered

  • Example: Cut the Rope
    • Delisted despite an anniversary message saying they value the PC community.
  • Example: Angry Birds Space
    • Delisted after focusing on mobile, despite still being available elsewhere with some PC issues/ads.

Examples of the “Best” and “Worst” Delisting Approaches

Presented as a “good” solution: Doom collections

  • Doom 2, Master Levels for Doom 2, Final Doom are delisted because they were bundled into Doom + Doom 2.
  • The narrator praises this because:
    • it feels like a definitive, consolidated product
    • it preserves content and adds modern features (mod support, QoL, updated online, toggles, etc.)
    • owners can benefit from repackaging rather than losing access

Presented as a “bad” solution: Grand Theft Auto: Definitive Edition

The narrator criticizes:

  • the originals being removed from Steam
  • the Definitive Edition requiring the Rockstar launcher
  • visual changes that “don’t feel the same”
  • delayed availability on Steam (took years)

Live Service / Preservation Problem

Delisted live-service games often become unplayable because:

  • official servers shut down after delisting

The narrator frames this as a major preservation failure and supports community server tools.

“Upcoming” Speculated Delistings (Before the End)

The narrator speculates which Steam games may be delisted soon (with “grain-of-salt” framing), including:

  • Rayman Origins (linked to bundling with the Rayman Legends remakes)
  • Funko Pop: Funko Pop Fusion
  • Toy Story 3: The Video Game (Complete Edition remaster)
  • Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
  • Prototype (alleged remaster + mod disruption context earlier)
  • Several catalog/children-licensed titles (various examples listed)
  • A mention of Splitgate projects/abandonment as a possible factor
  • They also suggest some games likely won’t be delisted (example mentioned: Rockrat Retro Rewind)

Key Closing Notes / “What should be done”

The narrator argues for preserving or restoring access:

  • Relist or unlist instead of fully removing from storefront purchase

They also include personal “bring back / leave alone” wishes:

  • Bring back Spec Ops: The Line
  • Don’t delist Resident Evil Resistance
  • “Leave Baby Shark Sing and Swim Party alone” (comic emphasis)

Gamers / Sources Featured (Explicit)

  • Sponsor: Displate (displate.com)
  • Web sources/tools referenced: Steam DB
  • No specific gamer channels or named gamers are featured beyond the narrator themselves.

Original video