There are only a few days left to buy this game, which hasn’t even lasted six years on store shelves. Is it because of expiring licensing rights?

The game leaving stores soon is John Wick Hex. According to the publisher Big Fan Games, current owners will still have access to the game, but no new purchases will be possible. The reason for the upcoming removal wasn’t specified, but speculation points to expiring license rights. Unfortunately, this is a common issue with games based on other media. Sometimes, the impact is minimal—such as the removal of some soundtrack songs—other times, the games just vanish.

John Wick Hex was originally released as an Epic Games Store exclusive in October 2019, then arrived on Steam on December 4, 2020. Ironically, the departure was announced less than a week after Mike Bithell, founder of Bithell Games and developer of John Wick Hex, praised the evolution of licensed video games over the past 20 years, stating that IP owners now demand much higher-quality adaptations.

“The people who played licensed games are now bosses in the companies that license IP. It definitely feels like we’re not just a lunchbox tie-in anymore. We’re not just putting something on a shelf so the grandma can buy it for the kid who likes the movie. I think IP owners see this as a way of expanding and exploring the worlds they create,” Bithell said.

Licensed games used to be rather questionable in quality two decades ago, but now they’re much more mainstream. Shovelware tie-ins simply aren’t worth making today. IP protectionism seems stronger than ever, and world-building and exploration take a back seat to maximizing revenue… It’s not surprising, but that’s just how it is.

John Wick Hex is set to leave stores on July 17. You can buy it at full price on Steam and the Epic Games Store, or get an 80% discount on Humble Store for €4 ($4).

Source: PCGamer, Steam, Humble Store