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 sale 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.
The delisting announcement was posted on Steam, but a Nightdive representative confirmed that System Shock 2 will be removed from sale on GOG as well, on the same date: October 10. Get it while you can.
