The PlayStation 4 console exclusive game Blacklight: Retribution will cease to exist starting August 31. The PS4 didn't exactly have a killer app at the time that it launched in 2013, but it did have some noteworthy games. Killzone: Shadow Fall was positioned as the big PS4 exclusive launch title, but other games like The Playroom, Knack, and Resogun also drew some interest.
Another PS4 launch title that drew some interest was the free-to-play first-person shooter game Blacklight: Retribution. Originally released for PC, Blacklight: Retribution was on the PS4 at launch and never released for Xbox or Nintendo platforms, making it a console exclusive for Sony's system. Blacklight: Retribution had some initial success and saw many years of support, but the PC version was shut down in 2019 due to dwindling player count numbers. The PS4 version was delisted in 2024, but remained available to play for those that already downloaded it.
When is Blacklight: Retribution Shutting Down?
Unfortunately, Blacklight: Retribution will soon be shut down on PS4 as well, meaning the game will effectively cease to exist. After Blacklight: Retribution was delisted, it was only a matter of time before it was shut down, and we now know that the game will cease operations on August 31. From that point forward, there will be no official way for PS4 gamers to play Blacklight: Retribution.
Blacklight: Retribution is an old free-to-play FPS in a market that has long left it behind, but there is no denying that the game has some historical value. Blacklight: Retribution earned positive reviews at the time of its launch, and its status as a PS4 launch title makes it more important than many other games that have been shut down. The fact that it will no longer be available in any capacity is exactly why things like the Stop Killing Games initiative exist. Unfortunately, there's likely nothing that can be done to keep Blacklight playable, and so anyone interested in playing it - assuming they snagged it before it was delisted - will want to make sure they do so by August 31.
Blacklight: Retribution isn't the only PS4 game shutting down later this year. MMORPG Skyforge is shutting down on October 29, and there are a number of EA-published sports games on the chopping block for 2025 as well. Game shutdowns remain an unfortunate reality, and now that we're well over a decade removed from the launch of the PS4, it's likely that even more games on the platform will shut down.
