Disney has abruptly removed 15 PC games from the Steam storefront, according to Kotaku. The delisting includes two Star Wars titles, including the original version of Star Wars: Dark Forces.
SteamDB tracking data confirms the titles were 'retired' from the store on April 15. No official explanation has been provided by Disney regarding the removal of these assets.
This marks the second time this year that the studio has pulled a large batch of games from Valve's platform. In January, Disney removed 14 other titles, including Finding Nemo and Toy Story Mania.
Potential Epic Games connection
Speculation regarding the removals points to Disney’s $1.5 billion investment in Epic Games. Some industry observers suggest the partnership might involve moving Disney’s PC library to the Epic Games Store.
Kotaku reports that while users who already own the games can still download them, new players are now unable to purchase them. This includes titles such as Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End and Disney’s Tangled.
Other removed titles include Planet of the Apes: Last Frontier, Alice in Wonderland, and Disney’s Chicken Little. The list also features G-Force, Disney Universe, and Disney’s High School Musical 3: Senior Year Dance.
If the trend continues with more high-profile Star Wars titles, players may be forced to migrate to the Epic Games Store to access Disney's catalog.