WarnerBros.Discovery'ssuddenremovalofmultipleCartoonNetworkandAdultSwimgameshassparkedsignificantfanbacklash.Severaltitles,includingpopularchoiceslikeStevenUniverse:SavetheLightandSamuraiJack:BattleThroughTime,havebeendelistedfromdigitalplatformslikeSteamandtheNintendoeShop.Thepublisherofferedlittleexplanationforthisaction,leavingfansunabletolegallypurchasethesebelovedgames.
Thisdelistingispartofalargercost-cuttingstrategybyWarnerBros.Discovery,aparentcompanythathaspreviouslyremovedfilmsfromstreamingservicesandshelvednearlycompletedprojects.AsimilarmassdelistingofAdultSwimgamesoccurredinMarch2024,thoughpublicoutcrypreventedtheremovalofsometitles.Thistime,however,atleastsixCartoonNetworkgameswereaffected,withnopriorwarninggiven.
Thedelistings,asreportedbyWario64onTwitter,tookeffectonDecember23rd,2024.Affectedtitlesinclude:
AdventureTime:FinnandJake'sEpicQuest
AdventureTime:MagicMan'sHeadGames
OKK.O.!Let'sPlayHeroes
SamuraiJack:BattleThroughTime
StevenUniverse:SavetheLight
StevenUniverse:UnleashtheLight
WhilesomeCartoonNetworkgamesremainavailable,includingCartoonNetworkJourneysVRandMonstersAteMyBirthdayCake,thelackofexplanationfromWarnerBros.Discovery,CartoonNetworkGames,andAdultSwimGameshasfueledfurtherfrustrationamongfans.TheremovalofSamuraiJack:BattleThroughTimeisparticularlyupsetting,asitcontainsthecanonicalconclusiontotheshow'sfinalseason.
Theoldestgameaffected,AdventureTime:FinnandJake'sEpicQuest,debutedinApril2014.Othertitleswerereleasedbetween2018and2021.ThislatestwaveofdelistingsfollowsasimilarincidentinMarch2024,highlightingapatternofconcernforfansworriedaboutthepreservationoftheirfavoritedigitalgames.Thelackofcommunicationsurroundingthesedecisionshasonlyamplifiedthenegativereaction.
