A popular PlayStation 4 exclusive is shutting down its servers forever, but fans can continue playing offline.

 

 

PlayStation 4 exclusive Gran Turismo Sport has shut down its servers forever. The online functions will be unavailable starting February 1st. The game was the only part of the long-running racing simulator series to be exclusive to PS4.

Initially released in October 2017 to mixed reviews, GTS is now considered a classic of the Gran Turismo franchise.

The original lukewarm reception was primarily rooted in Gran Turismo Sport’s emphasis on online play. Thus, it was quite a significant departure from its predecessors. But according to Sony’s official data, the game still managed to sell nearly 13 million copies in the first three years.

Another three years later, on January 31st, Polyphony Digital officially ended all multiplayer services for GTS. This turn has been long overdue. After all, the Japanese developer has already announced that it will shut down the Gran Turismo Sport servers in September 2023. Since then, the studio also removed all of the game’s DLC from the PlayStation Store on December 1st. Garage car liveries, online trophies, the closure of the Mileage Store, and online features such as Seasonal Events and Open Lobby are now permanently unavailable to Gran Turismo Sport players.

 

Gran Turismo Sport no longer available PlayStation 4 content:

• Garage Car Liveries
• Mileage Store
• Trophies with online requirements
• Online services

 

Polyphony Digital recently released an update that made other aspects of the game available offline. These include career mode progression and player garage content. Both will continue to be tracked via your PS4 offline save data.

As with all other console games, Gran Turismo Sport save data can be saved online using the Backup & Restore option under System Preferences.

The only stipulation is that the current access is primarily an opportunity for those who have already purchased the game. Gran Turismo Sport was deleted from the PS Store without warning back in January. It is still possible to find a physical version of the game. But these examples will likely become rarer and more expensive as the years go by. Right now, though, you can still find brand-new Gran Turismo Sport copies on Amazon for just $30.

Polyphony Digital’s 2017 title is the second PS4 game to experience server outages in recent weeks. End of Life comes shortly after San Diego Studio and Valkyrie Entertainment discontinued their asynchronous multiplayer game Guns Up. From now on, fans of the series looking for a modern racing simulation need only look to Gran Turismo 7 on PS4 and PS5.

Source: Gran-Turismo.com