EA Continues Server Shutdowns With NHL 22, NHL 23, and More
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
EA has announced a fresh wave of server closures, including NHL 22 and NHL 23 on August 31, followed by Grid Legends and NBA Mobile 26 in the coming months.
As reported by GameRant, EA is pushing forward with another round of live service server closures, leaving several sports and racing titles heading for the chopping block over the next few months. Both NHL 22 and NHL 23 are scheduled to permanently shut down their online modes on August 31, completely cutting off multiplayer access for players who still frequent those lobbies. While the annual sports release cycle means newer franchise entries are available, these sudden sunsets highlight the fragile nature of digital ownership in modern gaming.
The roster of upcoming closures extends beyond hockey. Codemasters' racing title Grid Legends is losing its online services on September 11, right as the franchise makes way for newer releases. Meanwhile, mobile players will face an even harsher reality on October 27 when NBA Mobile 26 goes offline permanently, effectively erasing the title from active play since it is already absent from digital storefronts. These server terminations follow closely behind other recent casualties, including the closure of Apex Legends on the original Nintendo Switch earlier in August.
Situations like this continue to fuel community frustration regarding preservation, especially as initiatives like the Stop Killing Games movement fight for legal protections to keep interactive software functional. When live service titles and sports games rely entirely on centralized servers, player investments in digital ecosystems vanish overnight once publishers pull the plug. As the industry shifts further toward digital-first libraries and cloud dependencies, the conversation around game preservation remains one of the most pressing issues for modern players.
Tags: EA, Gaming News, Sports Games, Game Preservation, Multiplayer
Original article: Game Rant