The publisher Electronic Arts and the software house DICE have announced that from April 28, 2023 Mirror’s Edge, Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company and Bad Company 2 will no longer be available for purchase in digital stores. Not even in Origin, EA’s proprietary store.
The removal of the games from sale anticipates the end of online services for the games, which will be effective on December 8, 2023. Offline content for Bad Company 1 and 2 and Mirror’s Edge will remain accessible, as explained by DICE, while for Battlefield 3 , which is an online-only game, there will be nothing to do.
SAYS: “While these games hold a special place in our hearts, we’re working to create new memories with you by focusing on current and future Battlefield experiences.”
There is no mention of licensing or technical issues in the announcement that could motivate this decision. Why not continue to sell only single player campaigns, perhaps at a reduced price? Evidently Electronic Arts is not interested in doing this, because it cannot make big profits, so it has preferred to completely remove the problem.
Of course you can continue to buy the titles listed, Battlefield 3 aside, using the second-hand market. Or you can buy them in their last days and keep them on your digital accounts. In particular, you can buy them on Steam, where they are currently on sale, or take the Xbox 360 versions, backwards compatible on Xbox One and on Xbox Series X and S. For the PlayStation versions there is little to do, unfortunately, and you need the PS3 to play with it.
