Six Codemasters titles have disappeared from Steam without any official explanation, leaving players bewildered.  These games, which include both Codemasters-developed and -published titles, were brought under the EA umbrella after the publisher's acquisition of Codemasters in 2021.

Codemasters, a veteran British studio renowned for racing franchises like Grid and Dirt, along with licensed Formula 1 games, boasts a rich history in the gaming industry.  This recent delisting of older titles from a major PC platform raises concerns about the long-term accessibility of these games.

The affected titles include Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising, Toybox Turbos, Rise of the Argonauts, Maelstrom: The Battle for Earth Begins, Damnation, and Hospital Tycoon.  According to SteamDB, these games were marked as 'retired' at the publisher's request on March 14, 2025, pointing to EA as the driving force behind the removal.

While Operation Flashpoint and Toybox Turbos were developed by Codemasters, the other four titles were published by the studio.  Since all six games predate EA's acquisition of Codemasters, this action raises questions about EA's handling of legacy titles within its portfolio.

Neither EA nor Codemasters has issued a statement regarding the removal, leaving players in the dark about the reasons behind the decision and the possibility of these games returning to Steam in the future.

Interestingly, these delisted titles are currently featured on GOG's Dreamlist, a community-curated wishlist where users can vote for older games they wish to see preserved on PC.  While inclusion on the Dreamlist doesn't guarantee their release on GOG, it highlights player demand for these games to remain accessible.

The removal of digital titles has become increasingly prevalent in recent years, affecting even major platforms like Xbox and PlayStation.  These removals often stem from expired licensing agreements, poor sales performance, or a corporate shift towards newer releases.  GOG has emerged as a champion of game preservation on PC, offering DRM-free versions of over 100 games, granting buyers true ownership rather than just a license.