Sony will shut down the servers for Driveclub, Driveclub VR, and Driveclub Bikes on March 31, 2020, just before midnight British Summer Time (BST) or about 4:00 pm PT, in a move that will eliminate all the online features of the affected games.
The Driveclub games, as well as all their DLCs and season passes, will also be removed from the PlayStation Store on August 31, also at just before midnight BST or 4:00 pm PT.
This marks the beginning of the end for Driveclub, which was supposed to be a PlayStation 4 launch title in November 2013 but was delayed into early 2014. However, upon the game’s release, it still struggled to meet the hype generated by E3 teasers. In addition to connectivity issues, weather effects were not added to the game until more than two months after it was launched. A free PlayStation Plus edition, which was supposed to roll out alongside the game, was pushed back to 2015.
Sony then shut down Evolution Studios, the developer of Driveclub, in 2016, and its staff was hired by Codemasters, which was behind the Grid, Dirt, and Formula One series of games. With Evolution Studios gone, the writing was on the wall for the franchise.
After its servers shut down, only the single player and offline modes of Driveclub will be available to players, which is not ideal for an inherently social game that places a heavy focus on interaction between players. Gamers will no longer be able to compete in multiplayer races, and their season pass will no longer work online. They will also lose the ability to create their own events, represent their club in events and tours, as well as compete with other players in leader boards.
Driveclub was supposed to showcase the PlayStation 4’s capabilities when the current-generation console was launched. The servers being shut down represents six years of failing to live up to the potential of what may have been an excellent social racing game, but things simply did not fall into their right places.
For those who are still playing Driveclub‘s multiplayer features, one year remains before they go away for good. After March 31 next year, players will only be able to access the game’s local modes.
