Summary
Multiple delisted, Activision-published licensed titles have recently been updated on Steam, including 2013’sDeadpool.Before Ryan Reynolds helped bring the Merc with a Mouth into the mainstream with the live-actionDeadpoolfilms,Transformers: War of Cybertrondeveloper High Moon Studios released a stand-alone video game chronicling the adventures of Wade Wilson for the seventh and eighth console generations. WhileDeadpoolgained cult status among comic book gaming fans, it was eventually delisted from Steam and other online outlets due to Activision losing its Marvel license in 2014, though it briefly returned to promote the firstDeadpoolfilm in 2015.
Deadpoolwasn’t the only Marvel video game to fall victim to this, as multipleSpider-Mangames and the first twoMarvel Ultimate Alliancetitles have also become lost in the wake of Activision’s expired licensing agreements.High Moon’s well-receivedTransformers: War for CybertronandTransformers: Fall of Cybertronwere also delisted in 2017 alongside PlatinumGames’Transformers: Devastation, meaning that the only way for anyone to legally play these licensed titles is to have a rare physical copy on hand.
Deadpoolhasn’t been available to purchase on Steam for about seven years at this time, but Twitter user Knoebel recently noted that the game’sSteam database pagewas updated last week alongside six other discontinued Activision titles. The other games to receive this mysterious update areTransformers: War for Cybertron,Transformers: Fall of Cybertron,Transformers Devastation,the first twoMarvel Ultimate Alliancegames, and 2010’sSpider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. The update in question is listed as “added store_screenshot,” which seems to imply that screenshots were added or changed for each page.
Seven Delisted Activision Games Were Updated
This would be a strange update to give, since the games in question are all delisted and nobody would be able to access the pages to see the added screenshots. Hence, some players are taking this as a sign that Activision could be looking to bring back these lost licensed games through Microsoft, as it hasimplied in the past with theTransformersgames. Meanwhile, theDeadpoolgame was recently brought back into the spotlight followingDeadpool and Wolverine, with physical copies being offered up for nearly $50,000.
Of course, this recent Steam update might not amount to much of anything, so players should take any claims thatDeadpoolorany other licensed Activision gamesreturning to online storefronts with a grain of salt until more concrete evidence presents itself. That being said, the games updated are some of the most well-regarded Marvel andTransformersgames out there, with many fans hoping to this day for an easier legal outlet to play them.
Deadpool
WHERE TO PLAY
There are a few important things I need to say before you crack into my insanely sweet game. (Oof. Here we go again.) I’m a mercenary with an accelerated healing factor. I’ve been described as unstable, which is just plain coo-coo. (Wait, do sane people say coo-coo?) I’m gonna battle for the safety of humans and mutants. (And even mumans.) Be prepared for just about anything. (Holla!)
