Spec Ops: The Line director says he's "devastated" by its digital delisting, but promises "this is not the end"

After its publisher announced that Spec Ops: The Line would be removed from all digital storefronts, its director has said the move is "devastating."

Yesterday, January 30, Spec Ops: The Line was suddenly delisted from Steam without warning, and without an explanation. Shortly after, publisher 2K confirmed that the shooter would be delisted from all digital storefronts, including GOG and the Xbox store, due to the expiration of "several partnership licenses."

At the time, original game director Cory Davis took to Twitter to write that the move made "no sense." Now, after the news that Spec Ops will be delisted from all digital storefronts, not just Steam, Davis has tweeted that he's "devastated personally," but promised in the tweet below that this is "not the end for Spec Ops: The Line."

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Devastating personally, but also for those who poured their souls into its creation alongside me as developers, and for the gaming community at large. This is not the end for Spec Ops: The Line. https://t.co/BbWXwAOxK7January 30, 2024

It's difficult to know how Davis will fight for Specs Ops: The Line's future, when its publisher isn't revealing which licenses have expired. It's highly likely that 2K, not original Specs Ops developer Yager Development, owns the rights to the shooter, and what's more, Davis no longer works at the Berlin-based studio.

Elsewhere, Spec Ops level designer Enrique Colinet has said in the tweets below that he feels "betrayed" by the delisting. Colinet writes that he remains grateful to the 2K producers who, at the time, saved Spec Ops from cancellation "multiple times," and that he still feels proud of his work on the shooter.

I will always be proud of the whole #SpecOpsTheLine team.I will be always grateful to the former @2k producers who prevented the game's cancellation multiple times.And still, to this day, I feel proud of my time at @YAGERdev. One of the best studios out there. Period. pic.twitter.com/kmfVoz4dIVJanuary 30, 2024

Right now at least, Yager is yet to comment on the situation surrounding Spec Ops: The Line. It's worth pointing out the studio isn't owned by 2K, and operates entirely independently, so while the studio is free to comment on the delisting of Spec Ops, it might well not be privy to information known about the licensing issues.

Head on over to our new games 2024 guide for a look ahead at all the big and small games set to debut throughout the year.

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.