Syndicate 2012 Removed?

I am disappointed in the removal of Syndicate 2012 for PC.  It was on my list of games to buy, after I saw videos of it on YouTube.

One of the many great things about PC gaming is the ability to buy and play old games that go back many years, even decades ago.  This is why it is sad to see a PC game removed and no longer available.

Wow - I just came on to buy 3 more copies as gifts - as it has great coop online. I cant believe its delisted?!

@Giganticube the game was indeed removed from sale. It used SecuROM online as a copy protection and the authentication servers (which weren't administered by EA) are starting to close. To be honest, i am amazed that it didn't happen sooner. I hope that EA will remove the copy protection and bring it back for sale, but it will prolly take some time. 

Hey @PercentAphid042 it was 2012's Syndicate that was removed from the store.

Darko

What @ivrognard describes is the first explanation of delisting Syndicate I have ever seen. There was this drama with delisting Syndicate Plus, Syndicate Wars and Ultima Underworld, which media wrote about earlier this year. EA eventually agreed they were wrong removing the games from digital stores and even shared them for free. But Syndicate 2012 just... disappeared. With no announcement, no media response, nothing. Hardly anybody noticed.

Very sad. I had this game on my radar. Finding out it disappeared only earlier this year is... well, hard to describe how I feel. The story with SecuROM gives some hope or at least it's good to know it isn't just EA's malevolence, rather some force majeure.

I doubt EA is going to bring it back anyway considering how unpopular/unsuccessful (no matter how good) the game was. Huge pity.

However, can the game still be played if it was previously bought via digital means?

@feline789 well, on the other hand PC has no secondary market. On PC is it very easy to eliminate a game just like that - remove it from digital stores and when there are no retail copies left anywhere in the world - a game is dead. The end. And after 9 years there surely aren't any.

You can still get physical copies of the game for xbox 360 on ebay or whatever.

I'll never forgive Valve for what they have done to PC game market but this is a topic for another discussion...

But guys, what if this https://twitter.com/_Tom_Henderson_/status/1457853679340503045

isn't just a fake rumour and the game series is Syndicate?

If it can be considered "series". And if "fans loved back in the day". Did they?

Who knows 🤷‍♂️

edit: I found out the tweet was about Fight Night
https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/ea-fight-night-round-5/