Some examples of Always-Online Games that got an End-Of-Life Plan:




Pagan Absent Gods:

Pagan: Absent Gods was formerly an Always-Online Game called Pagan Online. In the first half of August 2020, the Game was shutdown, but Mad Head Games had decided to convert the Game to an Offline Single Player Only Game.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/992640/announcements/detail/2510143001828061813

https://store.steampowered.com/app/992640/Pagan_Absent_Gods/







Spellbreak:

The Multiplayer Game "Spellbreak" was shutdown on all platforms in early 2023, but the Spellbreak Dev Team had released a Private Server version of the Game for PC (Windows) (For Free) on itch(dot)io:

https://sbcommunity.itch.io/spellbreak-community-version







Knockout City:

The Multiplayer Game "Knockout City" was shutdown on all platforms on June 6, 2023, but Velan Studios had released a Private Server version of the Game for PC (Windows) (For Free) on their website. At a later point, Velan Studios had moved the Game from their website to Steam.

https://www.knockoutcity.com/updates/knockout-city-private-hosted-server-edition

https://store.steampowered.com/app/2915930/Knockout_City__Private_Server_Edition/

(Steam is now required to download the Game. It does NOT require Steam to run the Private Server version of the Game. The Private Server version of the Game can also run without Internet.)







Dread Hunger:

The Multiplayer Game "Dread Hunger" was shutdown on January 1, 2024, but Digital Confectioners had handed over some tools to owners of the Game to set up their own Private Servers.

https://steamcommunity.com/games/1418630/announcements/detail/3807291311738330200

https://steamcommunity.com/app/1418630/discussions/0/4035853814702993611/

(The Game is no longer available for purchase)







Mega Man X Dive:

The Game "Mega Man X Dive" was shutdown on September 27, 2023, but Capcom did release an Offline Only Single Player version of the Game for iOS, Android, and PC (via Steam) called "Mega Man X Dive Offline".

https://www.capcom-games.com/megaman/xdive-offline/en-us/







Gran Turismo Sport (for PS4):

Gran Turismo Sport (GT Sport) was the first Game in the Gran Turismo Series that did require an Online Internet Connection for more things than the Online Multiplayer and Online Updates.

The Career mode of the Game did also require an Online Internet Connection to play (Or at least for all Progression)

On January 31, 2024, the Online Services of the Game were shutdown, but it seems that Sony / Polyphony Digital had released a patch to make the Career Mode of the Game Offline Playable. It seems that Local Offline saving was also implemented.

https://www.gran-turismo.com/us/news/00_3090440.html

(This Game is a PS4 Exclusive and the Game is no longer being sold digitally)







MultiVersus:

The Always-Online Game MultiVersus (Published by Warner Bros Games) will come to an end on May 30, 2025, but it seems that there is an End-Of-Life Plan for it (sort of).

People that want to continue playing the Game Offline after May 30, 2025 must download the Season 5 Content Update (and be logged in) during Season 5 somewhere before May 30, 2025.

The Game should not be removed / uninstalled, because the Game will not be downloadable anymore after May 30, 2025.

https://x.com/multiversus/status/1885327981758865568

https://multiversus.com/en/news/multiversus-update

https://multiversus.com/en/faq

Some examples of Always-Online Games that got an Offline Mode later on:




Nightingale:

Nightingale (Published by Inflexion Games) is an Early Access RPG that did previously require a constant internet connection in order to play it. The Game had gotten an Offline Mode after an update.

https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1928980/view/4163093436223808630

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1928980/Nightingale/







Redfall:

Redfall (published by Bethesda Softworks) did previously require a constant internet connection in order to play it. The Game had gotten an Offline Mode after an update. (It seems that there is still 3rd-party DRM)

https://bethesda.net/en/article/57LBTGVNF2rYof6K3yMGLP/redfall-game-update-4-available-now







Back 4 Blood:

Back 4 Blood (published by Warner Bros. Games) did previously require a constant internet connection in order to play it. The Game had gotten an Offline Mode after an update.

https://back4blood.com/en-us/faq (The link is currently not working)







Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League:

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League (Published by Warner Bros Games) is a Game that did previously require a constant internet connection in order to play it. The Game had gotten an Offline Mode after an update. (It seems that the PC version has still Denuvo in it)

https://dcgamessupport.wbgames.com/hc/en-us/articles/36119520746515-OFFLINE-MODE-FAQ







Extra:

In September 2024, Ubisoft / Ivory Tower had announced that the Always-Online Games "The Crew 2" and "The Crew Motorfest" will both get an Offline Mode in the near future.

https://x.com/TheCrewGame/status/1833543516506435739

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nij-T01zQzk

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/the-crew/motorfest/news-updates/2y2WByzYIqf7sfxWLxEKMg

(Nothing has happened yet)

League of legends with proper configurable bots for all the maps.

Hawken that was awesome till it became a ps4 exclusive then came back as hawken reborn.. and felt nothing like the rush of the original.

Now i remember about Atlas Reactor. It was cancelled and shutdown by Trion. It was pvp simultaneous turn-based arena but had bots that worked properly and could substitute a disconnected player, so it could have been given an offline version.

This.

Also, I won't play "single player" (non-live-service) games where uninvited online strangers can invade my game.

I loved TrackMania back when it was just a single player game. Then they ruined it, ruined it more, ruined it even more, and finally Ubisoft bought Nadeo, which of course made things even worse. Back in the day, the single player mode of these games was absolutely incredible! They gave us challenges everybody could master with a bit of practice. Now it's all about competing with a gazillion other players on tracks that I couldn't do with ten years practice, even if I was still 21, and about getting a "green" medal, because of course a gold medal isn't difficult enough.

That can usually be disabled within the game and of course by unplugging the computer from the network to blocking the game from accessing the internet, but obviously this will in no way help against any other design choices that some of us are very much against, like gating any kind of rewards behind having to interact with any other players online.

Remember that boycott in 2009 where most people in the "Boycott Modern Warfare 2 (WE WANT DEDICATED SERVERS)" Steam group was playing Modern Warfare 2? :)

When The Crew shutdown most people that "owned" the game was surprised that their copies of The Crew was "stolen" after the servers shutdown. Even a racing game youtuber with over 1 million subscribers that has a cameo appearance in The Crew Motorfest was surprised that his 3 physical copies of The Crew has became completely unplayable even though the game always said it required internet since 2014... Most gamers don't care about online only until their favorite game gets shutdown... then they rally against it.

Even most "buy physical" gamers don't seem to care about their physical discs not working offline either... If you look at the physical game sales you see online only games like COD Black Ops 6 getting the number 1 place in best selling physical copies even though it's a always online game that streams all textures from online cloud servers and the disc is more screwed than 99% of digital only games.

Free for a while when the switch was done i think (well, i have it there and didnt pay for it).