Xbox Hard Delisting: Three Games Removed from Player Libraries After Purchase

Digital storefronts have long warned buyers that they are purchasing a license, not a physical copy. But the recent 'hard delisting' of three Xbox games—Strike Force Kitty, Creepy Tale, and Creepy Tale 2—has turned that warning into a stark reality. These titles were not merely removed from the Microsoft Store; they were forcibly deleted from players' digital libraries, even after purchase. The only exception: players who had the games installed before the removal can continue playing until they delete the installation.

The three affected titles were developed by Creepy Brothers: Strike Force Kitty (2018), Creepy Tale (2020), and Creepy Tale 2 (2021). On Steam, each has built a dedicated audience: Creepy Tale holds around 500 reviews with a 79% positive rating, Strike Force Kitty has more than 1,000 reviews and an 89% positive score, and Creepy Tale 2 has 1,276 reviews with an 89% positive rating. These are not blockbusters, but they are games people paid for and enjoyed.

Why Were the Games Removed?

The removal stems from a dispute between Creepy Brothers and publisher No Gravity Games. In a tweet on X, Creepy Brothers stated: 'I'm very sorry that players have to suffer because of terrible publishers, but we had no choice. The games have been removed from the store because the publisher has violated the terms of the agreement and has not paid royalty for several years.' The developer alleges that No Gravity Games broke their agreement and failed to pay royalties for several years, prompting the hard delisting across platforms.

The process was initiated across all platforms because No Gravity Games has allegedly 'violated the terms of the agreement and has not paid royalty for several years.' The games are still available on the PlayStation Store at the time of this writing, but have already disappeared from the Xbox Store. According to reports, only those who have the games installed on their consoles are still able to play them, as they have been forcefully removed from players' libraries.

What Is 'Hard Delisting'?

Standard delisting—where a game is removed from a storefront but remains accessible to previous purchasers—is common. Licenses expire, publishers go under, or rights revert. Hard delisting is far rarer. It means the platform holder revokes the license entirely, deleting the game from the purchaser's library. This is what happened here. Creepy Brothers has not explained the hard removal, but on X, the studio suggested that the removal from libraries was intentional.

This incident highlights the risks of digital ownership. When you buy a game on Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo, you are buying a license that can be revoked. Platform holders have the technical ability to delete games from libraries, and contractual disputes between developers and publishers can trigger that action. The same delisting is expected to occur on PlayStation and Nintendo platforms soon.

Industry Reactions and Implications

The developer's apology—'I'm very sorry that players have to suffer because of terrible publishers, but we had no choice'—has resonated with the gaming community. It underscores a power imbalance: players who paid for a product can lose access due to a business dispute they had no part in. The incident also raises questions about platform holder responsibility. Should Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo step in to protect consumers when a publisher-developer dispute leads to library removal?

This is not an isolated event. A pair of PlayStation 4 games might also be removed from player libraries, as reported by PlayStation LifeStyle. The trend suggests that hard delisting, while rare, could become more common as digital storefronts mature and licensing disputes escalate.

For now, Xbox players who had Strike Force Kitty, Creepy Tale, or Creepy Tale 2 installed before the removal can still play them. But anyone who deleted the installation or bought the games after the delisting is out of luck. The games are gone from the Xbox Store, and the developer has no control over the situation.

What Can Players Do?

There is no consumer-friendly recourse for hard delisting. Platform holders do not offer refunds for games removed from libraries due to publisher disputes. The best defense is to install purchased games immediately and keep backups where possible. For digital-only gamers, this incident is a reminder that the 'license, not ownership' model has real consequences.

Creepy Brothers has not announced any plans to re-release the games under a new publisher. On Steam, the games remain available, but the developer's relationship with No Gravity Games appears irreparable. Players who want to support the developer can purchase the games on PC, where Steam's licensing model has not been affected by this dispute.

The hard delisting of these three Xbox games is a cautionary tale for the industry. As digital sales continue to dominate, the line between ownership and access will only blur further. For now, players are left with a simple lesson: install your games, and hope the publisher pays its bills.