EA has announced via the Need For Speed sub-Reddit that Need For Speed Carbon, Need For Speed Undercover, Need For Speed Shift, Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed, and Need For Speed The Run will be removed from digital storefronts starting today from 31 May 2021.

While online services and servers for the game will remain available for now, they will officially shut down on 31 August 2021. From 1 September 2021 onwards, the games will only be playable offline if you already own them.

EA Community manager Max_Joker wrote:

“Decisions to retire games are never made easy, but we are now shifting gears to focus on the future of Need for Speed.

The development teams and operational staff have put a lot of time and passion into the development, creation, release and upkeep of the game over the years, and we love to see you play.

But the number of players has come to a point where it’s no longer feasible to continue the work behind the scenes required to keep Need for Speed Carbon, Need for Speed Undercover, Need for Speed Shift, Need for Speed Shift 2: Unleashed and Need for Speed The Run up and running.

We hope you have gotten many victories, satisfying drifts, moments of friendly rivalry, and hours of joy over the last few years out of these games.”

Need For Speed Carbon is the oldest game on the list, which was released in 2006. Meanwhile, 2011’s Need For Speed The Run is the newest game on the list. This will surely invite the ire and backlash of gamers affected by the decision. 2019’s Need for Speed: Heat by (check out our full review here) was the latest game to be released for the franchise.