The online servers for Gran Turismo Sport will also be shut down later this month
Gran Turismo Sport has been removed from the PlayStation Store, seven years after its initial release. While we were aware that the online servers would be shut down later this month, Sony and Polyphony Digital removed GT Sport from the digital storefront with no warning. Gran Turismo Sport was removed from the PlayStation Store on January 1st, according to a Reddit post. This means that players who want to buy it will have to find a physical copy.
Delisting of digital games due to license expiration or server shutdown is nothing new. However, given that GT Sport’s servers are still operational, this appears to be premature. However, GT Sport players won’t be able to race online for much longer.
Sony announced in September of last year that GT Sport’s online services would end this month, with the servers shutting down on January 31, 2024
GT Sport’s online features, such as lobby races, the community hub, and Sport Mode, will no longer be available after that. All customized liveries, helmets, and racing suits will be removed as well. Garage cars with custom liveries will revert to their stock colours as a result.
DLC for GT Sport was removed from the PlayStation Store in December of last year, including cars, Scapes locations, and the Lewis Hamilton Time Trial Challenge.
While GT Sport is primarily a multiplayer experience, a post-launch update added a single-player campaign. Polyphony, thankfully, has confirmed that “offline portions of the game can still be played” after the servers are shut down.
However, in order to save progress, GT Sport currently requires an internet connection. We’re hoping that when the servers are shut down, Polyphony will remove this requirement.
Gran Turismo 7 also necessitates an internet connection in order to access the GT Café campaign. This means that unless Polyphony releases an offline patch, you won’t be able to play the single-player campaign when the servers eventually shut down.
GT Sport was released exclusively for the PlayStation 4 in October 2017. It’s one of the most divisive GT games, with a focus on online multiplayer and esports tournaments and a smaller car count than previous games. Polyphony is presumably attempting to entice GT Sport players to upgrade to GT7, which includes Sport Mode as well as a more comprehensive single-player campaign, a larger car selection, and the return of classic tracks.
The removal of GT Sport comes after Ubisoft recently announced that The Crew’s online servers will be shut down in March. The Crew, unlike GT Sport, is an online-only game, so it will be unplayable once the servers are shut down. It sets a worrying precedent for the preservation of racing games.