Why isn‘t Wolfenstein 2009 on Steam? A Deep Dive into Its Vanishing Act
The straightforward answer is licensing issues. Activision lost the rights to publish Wolfenstein 2009 on digital platforms, meaning the game had to be removed from Steam. But the full story behind this cult classic‘s disappearing act deserves a deeper look…
As a passionate gamer and content creator, I was disappointed to see Wolfenstein 2009 fade into digital obscurity. This ambitious reboot tried to revitalize the storied Wolfenstein franchise leading up to its 25th anniversary. While not a masterpiece, it still offered hours of Nazi-busting action for fans.
So why was it erased from Steam with little explanation? Grab your weapons and let‘s investigate!
Wolfenstein 2009‘s Brief Time in the Spotlight
Wolfenstein launched in August 2009 for Xbox 360, PS3 and PC platforms. Initial reviews were mixed, averaging 72% on Metacritic. Some felt it didn‘t fully live up to its famous name, while others praised the supernatural WWII action.
Regardless, it was seen as a commercial success shipping over 1 million units:
| Platform | Copies Sold |
|---|---|
| Xbox 360 | 590,000 |
| PlayStation 3 | 320,000 |
| PC | 100,000+ |
Strong early buzz led to an October 2009 Steam release, making it widely available digitally on PC for the first time. Things were looking up for the Wolfenstein reboot!
But behind the scenes, big changes were brewing…
ZeniMax Shakes Up the Franchise
In June 2009, three months before Wolfenstein hit shelves, ZeniMax Media made massive waves by acquiring legendary studio id Software – creator of Wolfenstein, Doom and more.
This handed ZeniMax and their Bethesda Softworks publishing division full control of those historic shooter franchises. Not long after, they began charting an ambitious new direction for Wolfenstein while Activision still held publishing rights for this 2009 entry.
Ultimately, Activision‘s licensing deal was temporary. Once expired, all publishing power transferred to new IP owner ZeniMax.
This set the stage for a soft reboot of Wolfenstein in 2014 with The New Order, headed up by ZeniMax‘s MachineGames studio.
Vanishing from the Steam Storefront
With ZeniMax taking back the reins in the early 2010s, Activision suddenly lost all digital publishing control over Wolfenstein 2009. Around this time in 2013-2014, the game was slowly removed from various digital storefronts like Steam.
Presumably, ZeniMax either didn‘t renew Activision‘s expiring license or invoked some clause to terminate the deal completely.
This instantly turned Wolfenstein 2009 into abandonware – software without an official publisher able to distribute it digitally. Despite positive initial reception and decent sales, it became "orphaned" by legal technicalities.
For PC gamers, the only remaining way to play was tracking down an old retail disc copy.
Could It Return One Day?
Assuming ZeniMax still owns full Wolfenstein rights, the chances of a digital re-release seem very slim. However, anything is possible!
If Activision and ZeniMax negotiated a new license, they could easily republish it on modern platforms. Similar deals have revived classics like Goldeneye 007.
Alternatively, rights ownership could change hands in any future ZeniMax sale. Mega-deals in the gaming industry happen frequently!
Or in theory, a passionate fan could attempt to "reverse engineer" the game to work around licensing restrictions. But that‘s another legal grey area entirely…
For now, Wolfenstein fans have excellent modern alternatives like The New Order and The New Colossus entries worth playing. But I‘ll always have fond memories of Wolfenstein 2009, even as the gaming industry‘s fickle legal workings caused it fade into the digital darkness.
What do you think? Should more be done to preserve this cult classic? Sound off in the comments below!
