Spec Ops: The Line vanishes from Steam leaving game director confused at the decision

Cult classic shooter Spec Ops: The Line has been taken down from Steam with the game’s former director unaware of the decision. The 12-year-old YAGER Studios developed title has a hardcore following and has over 52, 292 reviews on Steam, 93% of which are positive.

Spec Ops: The Line takes place in a dystopian version of Dubai where sandstorms have ravaged the military presence sent to evacuate the city. A mysterious radio signal originates from the now desolate wasteland and Delta Recon Team is sent in to investigate.

All that can be seen on the gaming platform’s listing page is a notice reading;

“Notice: Spec Ops: The Line is no longer available on the Steam store.”

Makes no sense

Former YAGER Dev Enrique Collinet found the news to be “almost insulting”;

I do really hope there is a good reason for this, otherwise this is almost insulting. https://t.co/ty6XmeLltW

— Enrique Colinet (@Baxayaun) January 30, 2024

The classic shooter’s game director Cory Davis responded to Collinet’s post on social media tweeting his confusion;

Makes no sense – especially because the themes portrayed in @SpecOpsTheLine are more relevant now than ever. Why has this happened @2k @Steam ? https://t.co/BnHnxzQRPp

— Cory Davis (@Snak3Fist) January 30, 2024

Publisher 2K Games and Steam’s owners Valve are yet to comment on the listing being altered.

Players will be disappointed if no explanation is given for the sudden vanishing act of the cult game from Steam. The game is still available on the Xbox store for $25, prompting more mystery into the reason Valve has taken the decision to pull the content.

2K has however announced four new editions of the popular 2K24 franchise in light of the forty-year anniversary of sports entertainment’s biggest event, Wrestlemania. The price point is equally massive as some of the superstars at a hefty $119.99.

Steam is also going strong with the news that Pocket Pair title Palworld is the second to ever reach two million concurrent players on the platform.

This news comes just five days after the game hit Steam, with the game selling over seven million copies. Apart from Palworld, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds holds the all-time concurrent player record at just over 3.2 million.

Image Credit: 2K Games.

Brian-Damien Morgan

Freelance Journalist

Brian-Damien Morganis an award-winning journalist and features writer. He was lucky enough to work in the print sector for many UK newspapers before embarking on a successful career as a digital broadcaster and specialist.

His work has spanned the public and private media sectors of the United Kingdom for almost two decades.

Since 2007, Brian has continued to add to a long list of publications and institutions, most notably as Editor of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, winning multiple awards for his writing and digital broadcasting efforts.

Brian would then go on to be integral to the Legacy 2014, Media and Sport Directorate of the Scottish Government. Working with ministers to enact change through sport with institutions like the Homeless World Cup.

He would then lend his skills to multiple private sector institutions. Brian would win national acclaim helping his country deliver judicial education and communications during the pandemic-era. Earning a writ of personal distinction from the Lord President of Scotland for his efforts as the Head of Communications and Digital for the Judicial Office for Scotland.

Brian has returned back to the thing he loves most, writing and commenting on developments across technology, gaming and legal topics, as well as any-and-all things sport related.