The short version
- Delisted means a game is pulled from the store. New buyers can't get it, but owners usually keep it.
- Servers shut down is the bigger deal: anything online stops working, even if the game is still installed.
- NBA 2K25 is getting both: it leaves the PS Store on October 30, 2026, and its servers go dark on January 1, 2027.
- Before a shutdown, spend any in-game currency and check which modes work offline.
Delisted: gone from the shelf
When a game is delisted, the publisher removes it from digital stores. That often happens because a licence runs out (music, cars, sports leagues) or a newer yearly version has replaced it.
If you already bought it digitally, it normally stays in your library. On PlayStation and Xbox you can usually still download it again. Physical copies keep working as they always did. What you can lose is anything you hadn't bought yet, like DLC that gets pulled at the same time.
Servers shut down: the online parts stop
This is the one that changes what you can actually play. Many modern games lean on the publisher's servers for multiplayer, live events, online progression and in-game currency. Once those servers switch off, every feature that needed them is gone for good, unless the developer patches in an offline version first.
What it means for NBA 2K25
2K's support notice says that from January 1, 2027, you'll "no longer be able to play multiplayer games or access any online game modes". That takes out:
- MyCareer and MyTeam, which both rely on 2K's servers
- Earning VC, the game's virtual currency
- Online leagues and community sharing
These modes keep working offline, according to 2K: Play Now, MyNBA, The W and MyWNBA.
A quick checklist when this happens to a game you own
- Spend your currency. VC, coins or points tied to servers disappear with them.
- Download it now if it's digital and you might want it later, while it's definitely still in your library.
- Check which modes are offline. Publishers usually list them in the shutdown notice.
- Move on gently. Sports series in particular cycle yearly, and older editions tend to lose their servers within a couple of years.
If you're thinking about the shift from discs to downloads more broadly, our Xbox disc-to-digital guide covers how that works on Microsoft's side.
