I can’t say I’m entirely surprised, but it’s still a little disappointing: The original 1999 edition of System Shock 2 will be removed from Steam on October 10.
“System Shock 2 (1999) will be delisted from PC platforms on October 10, 2025,” Nightdive parent Atari says in the delisting announcement. “Existing owners of System Shock 2 (1999) will still be able to re-download and play it from their library, but new users will no longer be able to purchase System Shock 2 (1999) as a standalone product.”
You’ll still be able to access the old version of the classic immsim: The 1999 edition of System Shock 2 will be given to all current and future owners of the System Shock 2: 25th Anniversary Remastered edition that arrived earlier this year.
And that’s where I become emotionally conflicted on the whole thing. On one hand, the old version of System Shock 2 runs well, especially if you have the gumption to get some mods rolling, and it’s a fraction of the price of the updated version: It’s normally $10/£7/€10, compared to $30/£24/€29 for the remaster, and can easily be had for a small fraction of that price in Steam sales and the like, where it’s often marked down to just $1.
But on the other hand, the System Shock 2 remaster is really how you should play the game these days: PC Gamer’s Ted Litchfield, who knows a thing or two about it, said exactly that in his 85% review, in which he described the remaster as “a perfect pairing with Nightdive’s far-reaching System Shock 1 remake.” And look, $30 for a game of System Shock 2’s caliber? That’s like getting the Stones to play your wedding for 20 bucks and a six-pack.
Watch On
It’s also possible that the original, cheap edition of System Shock 2 will remain available elsewhere: It remains available on GOG (and included in GOG’s Preservation Program), and at this point I’ve seen no indication that it’s going to be removed from that storefront. I’ve reached out to ask and will update if I receive a reply—in the meantime, this isn’t a bad time to pick it up if you want to be sure, because it’s currently on sale for $4.
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