PlayStation players are facing another round of online-service shutdowns in September 2026, with five games scheduled to lose their online functionality during the month. The closures affect a mix of PS4 and PS5 titles, although not every game will become completely unplayable after its online services end.
The five games are EMPULSE, Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, HAWKED, GRID Legends and Sociable Soccer 25. Their shutdown dates are spread throughout September, giving players only a limited amount of time to experience their current online features.
EMPULSE and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded change how multiplayer works
The first two games affected were EMPULSE and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, whose dedicated servers were scheduled to shut down on September 3.
However, there is an important distinction here. These games are not simply disappearing from PlayStation because of the server closure. Instead, their dedicated-server infrastructure is being retired, with multiplayer moving toward peer-to-peer connections and server-browser functionality.
That means existing players can still have an opportunity to play multiplayer, although the experience may be different from the original dedicated-server system. It also demonstrates how developers can sometimes preserve older multiplayer games without continuing to pay for the same server infrastructure.
For players, the change is a reminder that an “online shutdown” does not always mean a game becomes completely inaccessible.
HAWKED shuts down on September 7
The next major closure is HAWKED, whose online services are scheduled to end on September 7.
Unlike EMPULSE and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded, HAWKED’s situation is much more final for players who depend on its online experience. The game was built around online multiplayer, meaning the loss of its online infrastructure has a much greater effect on the overall experience.
The closure also highlights one of the biggest risks facing multiplayer-focused games: maintaining servers becomes increasingly difficult when the active player base is no longer large enough to justify the continuing operational cost.
For players who still have access to HAWKED, September 7 represents the final deadline to experience its online services.
GRID Legends servers close on September 11
One of the most notable names on the list is GRID Legends, Codemasters’ racing game released in 2022.
EA has confirmed that its online services on PS4 and PS5 will end on September 11, 2026. The shutdown affects cross-platform play, online multiplayer, Quick Race, Dynamic Events, leaderboards and other features requiring an online connection.
The important point for owners is that GRID Legends is not becoming completely unplayable. Its single-player content, including its story campaign, will remain available after the online shutdown.
That makes GRID Legends different from games that depend almost entirely on servers to function. Players who mainly enjoy its single-player racing content can continue using the game, while multiplayer-focused players will lose access to those features.
The situation also demonstrates how server closures can affect games that remain relatively young. GRID Legends launched only a few years ago, yet its online infrastructure is already being retired.
Sociable Soccer 25 is the final major September closure
The final game among the five is Sociable Soccer 25, which is scheduled to lose its online services on September 28.
That gives players several more weeks before the shutdown. However, the game’s online features are central to its appeal, making the closure particularly important for anyone who purchased it primarily for competitive multiplayer.
The title has also already been delisted, meaning new players cannot simply purchase it from the PlayStation Store and experience its online features before the deadline.
Five shutdowns do not mean five games are disappearing
The biggest misunderstanding surrounding these announcements is that all five games are being completely removed.
That is not the case.
There are several different types of online-service changes:
- EMPULSE — dedicated servers shut down, with multiplayer moving toward alternative hosting.
- Splitgate: Arena Reloaded — dedicated servers retired, while alternative multiplayer functionality remains.
- HAWKED — online services end.
- GRID Legends — online features end, but single-player content remains playable.
- Sociable Soccer 25 — online services end.
This distinction matters because the effect on players varies significantly from one game to another.
Why are more online games being shut down?
The growing number of server closures reflects the economics of modern gaming.
Running multiplayer infrastructure costs money. Developers must maintain servers, security systems, matchmaking, customer support and other online services even after a game’s sales peak.
For a successful live-service game with a large active community, those costs can be justified by continued sales, subscriptions or in-game purchases. But when player numbers decline, keeping the same infrastructure operating becomes increasingly difficult to justify.
This is particularly relevant for older multiplayer games competing against newer releases. Players have a limited amount of time, and publishers often choose to redirect resources toward newer projects rather than maintain shrinking communities indefinitely.
The bigger problem for game preservation
The September shutdowns also raise a broader question about game preservation.
Unlike traditional offline games, modern online titles can depend on servers controlled entirely by publishers or developers. When those servers disappear, parts of the original experience can disappear with them.
GRID Legends provides a relatively positive example because its single-player content remains accessible. EMPULSE and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded also show how alternative networking systems can potentially extend the life of multiplayer games.
But games built entirely around online infrastructure face a much bigger problem. Once the servers are switched off, players may have no way to recreate the original experience.
Sony itself maintains a list of decommissioned game servers and notes that some games remain playable offline after online services are discontinued, while others can no longer function properly because they require online connectivity.
September highlights the short life cycle of some live-service games
The five September closures show how quickly the online life cycle of a game can change.
A game can launch with an active community, receive regular updates and build a player base, but eventually reach a point where continued server operation is no longer commercially sustainable.
For PlayStation players, the practical lesson is simple: if a game depends heavily on online services, its long-term availability is never guaranteed.
Players interested in the five affected titles should therefore check the individual shutdown dates. HAWKED’s services end on September 7, GRID Legends follows on September 11, and Sociable Soccer 25 reaches its deadline on September 28, while EMPULSE and Splitgate: Arena Reloaded have already moved away from their dedicated-server systems.
The closures may be routine from a server-management perspective, but for the communities that built memories around these games, they mark the end of an important part of their online history.
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