Project Cars 3 is officially set to be removed from digital storefronts on August 24. A notification on its official Steam page confirmed that despite the delisting, players who have purchased the game digitally will still be able to access and redownload it in the future.
The game`s online modes will remain active until February 24, 2026. This marks the effective end of the Project Cars racing game series, as previous installments were also delisted years ago. Electronic Arts (EA) quietly ceased further development and investment in the franchise in late 2022. The probable reason for Project Cars 3`s removal, similar to Project Cars 1 and 2, is the expiration of car and track licenses.
The Project Cars series began in 2015, with its two sequels releasing in 2017 and 2020. Additionally, a mobile spin-off, Project Cars Go, was launched in 2021. In 2020, Slightly Mad Studio also released an official (and poorly received) Fast and Furious game. All three Project Cars titles were originally published by Bandai Namco, but the studio was acquired by EA in 2021 as part of the Codemasters acquisition deal.
This isn`t the only racing series EA has moved away from; Codemasters recently announced a `pause` in development for the WRC series. However, the WRC series is not defunct, as Nacon has since reacquired the rights to the FIA World Rally Championship license.
This announcement comes amid increasing scrutiny regarding digital game ownership. Last year, YouTube host Ross Scott launched the `Stop Killing Games` initiative, aiming to challenge the legality and ethics of publishers` decisions to discontinue games. This movement gained traction after Ubisoft announced the `sunset` of The Crew. During an Ubisoft shareholder meeting, CEO Yves Guillemot addressed the initiative, stating that games are not meant to `last forever`.