Unfortunately for those that are still playing the PlayStation 4, we have reached yet another end of an era for the mega-popular Sony console. The PlayStation 4 was first released in 2013 and was an instant success. The PS4 capitalized on Microsoft fumbling the Xbox One, solidfiying itself as the must-have console of its generation. The PS4 was also when many live-service games that are still popular today were first released, and many of those games are still supported.
Live-service games like Fortnite and Rocket League remain playable on PS4, though some live-service games have started leaving the system behind. Genshin Impact has ended its PS4 support, for example, and it’s been predicted that, by the end of next year, most of the other live-service games on the platform will shutter their doors in favor of focusing on newer hardware. To that end, another PS4 live-service game has unfortunately been shut down forever.
Call of Duty: Warzone is No Longer Playable on PS4
As was previously announced, Call of Duty: Warzone has permanently shut down on PS4. The Call of Duty-themed battle royale was first released in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Warzone‘s content was initially tied to the 2019 Modern Warfare reboot, but it evolved over the years, attaching itself to the latest Call of Duty games as time went on. The 2026 Call of Duty game, Modern Warfare 4, is the first to skip PS4, and so it’s no surprise that Warzone has taken the opportunity to ditch the older console as well. While the move is likely necessary for the long-term health of the game, it’s still sad to see the PS4 version of Call of Duty: Warzone shut down forever.
It’s only a matter of time before other PS4 live-service games are shut down. As for how long Sony will keep the PS4’s online functionality running, that remains to be seen. The PS3 PlayStation Store is technically still live at the time of this writing, but it will be shutting down in July of next year. The PS3 first released in 2006, so if the PS4 has a similar lifespan, it should last until 2039 or thereabouts. The good news is that the PS5 is backward compatible with the PS4 anyway, so if Sony decides to pull the plug on the console before then, fans will still be able to access its vast library of games with little trouble.
Sony has already started phasing out PS4 support. Earlier this year, Sony confirmed that PS4 would no longer be a focus for PS Plus, with the company primarily concerned with providing content to PS5 gamers instead. There are still PS Plus games made available to PS4 gamers, but not at the rate that they once were.
That being said, PS4 still gets new console updates on occasion, and there are sometimes even brand-new games still released for the console. The PS4 is one of the best-selling video game consoles of all time, and while it’s slowly being phased out completely, it definitely had a good run.
- Released
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March 10, 2020
- ESRB
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M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs, Violence
