Documented cases where consumers lost — or nearly lost — access to digital media they paid for. Every profile lists its sources.
In July 2025 Microsoft ended movie and TV purchases and rentals on the Microsoft Store across Windows and Xbox. Previously purchased content remains watchable — and still downloadable on Windows — but locked to Microsoft's apps, with no refunds.
Sony released the $40 online shooter Concord on August 23, 2024, then took it offline on September 6, 2024 — about two weeks later. All purchasers received full refunds, and the game has not returned in any form.
Funimation's apps and website shut down on April 2, 2024 as the service merged into Crunchyroll. Digital copies that customers had redeemed from purchased DVDs and Blu-rays did not carry over, ending access to that content.
Ubisoft shut down the servers for The Crew (2014) on March 31, 2024. Because the game required an online connection for all modes, it became entirely unplayable, and copies were subsequently removed from purchasers' Ubisoft Connect libraries.
In December 2023 Sony emailed PlayStation Store customers that previously purchased Discovery TV content would be removed from their video libraries due to licensing arrangements. After widespread criticism, Sony announced the content would remain available.
In July 2023, users publicized emails from Ubisoft warning that accounts inactive for an extended period would be closed, which would end access to any games attached to them. Ubisoft stated that accounts with purchased PC games are excluded from automatic closure.
Nintendo closed the 3DS and Wii U eShops on March 27, 2023, ending all new purchases. Previously bought titles remain re-downloadable "for the foreseeable future," a commitment with no stated end date.
Square Enix released the always-online action game Babylon's Fall in March 2022 and ended its service on February 27, 2023 — under a year later. The $60 game became entirely unplayable for everyone who bought it.
Google announced in September 2022 that Stadia would shut down, and service ended January 18, 2023. Google refunded all Stadia game, add-on, and hardware purchases — the most complete platform-shutdown restitution on record.
In March 2021 Sony announced it would close the PlayStation Store on PS3, PS Vita, and PSP. After public backlash, Sony reversed the decision for PS3 and Vita; the PSP store's purchase functionality ended in July 2021.
Gearbox and 2K shut down the servers for Battleborn in January 2021. The game required an online connection for all modes, including its single-player-capable story missions, so purchased copies became entirely unplayable.
UltraViolet, the studio-backed digital movie locker holding rights records for tens of millions of accounts, shut down on July 31, 2019. Users who linked their libraries to participating retailers kept access; entitlements not linked elsewhere were lost.
Microsoft closed the books category of the Microsoft Store in 2019. Because the books used DRM tied to Microsoft's servers, every purchased ebook stopped working in July 2019. Microsoft issued full automatic refunds.
In July 2009 Amazon remotely deleted purchased copies of George Orwell's "1984" and "Animal Farm" from customers' Kindle devices after a rights issue with the editions, refunding the purchases. Amazon apologized and later settled a lawsuit over the deletions.
In April 2008 Microsoft told former MSN Music customers it would shut down the DRM license servers for music they had purchased, meaning tracks could no longer be authorized on new computers. After criticism, Microsoft extended license-server support through 2011.