Capcom is removing Games for Windows Live from older PC titles to make them playable once more

For years, Games for Windows Live (GFWL) was seen as a blight on PC gaming. Fortunately, Microsoft ditched it, but in the process, some games were left inaccessible. A number of major games have been updated since to remove all traces of GFWL, including titles like Fallout 3 and Grand Theft Auto 4. Now, Capcom has committed to going back to some of its older titles to do away with the defunct online service in order to make those games available once again. 

When Games for Windows Live shut down, Capcom had to delist a number of titles from PC storefronts like Steam, including Ultra Street Fighter IV, Street Fighter X Tekken, Lost Planet 2 and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City. Now, each of those games are set to make a comeback.

By monitoring SteamDB, we can see that Capcom has been making updates on the backend for each of these games. While no longer publicly visible on the Steam Store, the games are still in the database and Capcom is able to flip the switch and make them available again at any time. The depot updates are similar to those found in 2023 for Resident Evil 5, which was updated to remove GFWL.

By removing Games For Windows Live, Capcom can ensure that these classic games are playable for future generations and more importantly to Capcom's bosses, they can legally be sold once again too. There is no exact timeline for when these titles will be made available again, but chances are, they will be restored on Steam before the end of the year. So far, it appears that this process has already been ongoing for several months.

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KitGuru Says: Over the past decade, Capcom has really switched gears, with a heavier focus on the PC gaming market. They have been rewarded for that with high sales for newer games like Devil May Cry 5, Monster Hunter World, and the new mainline Resident Evil games and remakes. Now, they are reinvesting at least some of that money into fixing their backlog for PC, which is always great to see. 

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