Sega is delisting a huge number of its greatest classic games on Steam, probably so it can sell you a new collection

(Image credit: Sega)

Sega is getting ready to massacre its collection of classic games on Steam. A whopping 60 games are about to get delisted, including Ecco, Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio and Golden Axe. The huge list includes a slew of generation-defining games from the Mega Drive/Genesis and Dreamcast. This includes the big Classics collections as well as standalones, too.

All of them will be delisted on December 6 at 11:59 PST/December 7 at 7:59am GMT. If you have already picked up the collections, bundles or individual games, however, you've nothing to worry about, at least. They'll just be removed from sale. You can find the full list in Sega's FAQ.

Sega has not offered a reason for the delisting, but it's worth noting that it has announced new entries in a number of these series, including Shinobi and Crazy Taxi. That alone doesn't justify the delisting, however, especially when most of the 60 games on the list are not getting modern makeovers. And it seems unlikely that it's a licensing issue, which is one of the more common reasons for games getting the boot.

My money is on Sega releasing new collections. The existing ones have been on Steam for over a decade, so maybe Sega's going to gussy them up and sell them to us yet again. It's not ideal, especially since there's a pretty good chance that any new collection it releases will be more expensive, but it's better than them all being removed from Steam forever.

That's not just me being a cynic—Sega's done this before. A few years ago, it started delisting classic Sonic games—including those in the Mega Drive/Genesis Classics collection—only for them to be repackaged in Sonic Origins.

So if you fancy a nostalgia binge and don't want to shell out for a new collection, you've got a month to grab these games.

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Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.