Why Spider-Man Was Exiled From Steam

In 2017, Spider-Man video games started disappearing from Steam and other digital storefronts. Several acclaimed Spider-Man titles developed by Activision and Beenox suddenly vanished, including Shattered Dimensions and the film tie-in games starring Andrew Garfield. So why did these hits get abruptly yanked from Steam‘s catalog?

The Licensing Deal Behind Spidey‘s Removal

The removal stems from an expired licensing agreement between Activision and Marvel. In the 2000s, Activision signed an exclusive deal to produce Spider-Man games across consoles and PC. This deal granted Activision sole rights to release Spider-Man titles.

However, by 2017 that rights deal finally lapsed after more than a decade. With the licensing contract expired, Activision lost permission from Marvel to sell these Spider-Man games. So the publisher had to immediately delist the affected titles from digital platforms.

Unfortunately, this included critically praised Spider-Man entries like Shattered Dimensions. Despite positive reviews and healthy sales, these games depended completely on that Activision/Marvel contract. Once it ended, they quickly disappeared from Steam and other PC gaming services.

Timeline of Activision‘s Spider-Man Deal and Aftermath

Here is the key timeline related to Activision‘s licensing arrangement with Marvel and its expiration:

• 2005 – Activision renegotiates deal for exclusive Spider-Man/X-Men game rights
• 2010 – Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions launched to strong reviews
• 2014 – Licensing deal set to expire, final game under contract (ASM 2) released
• Jan 2017 – The Amazing Spider-Man games removed from digital platforms
• April 2017 – Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and others pulled from Steam

So Activision had a good 12-year run producing Spider-Man games under its licensing contract. Once the deal ended, Marvel did not opt to renew the partnership. This swiftly prompted Activision to take down all associated Spider-Man titles it no longer had rights to distribute digitally.

Spider-Man Games Affected by Removal

The expired Activision/Marvel contract caused the following Spider-Man games to get removed from Steam:

• Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (2010)
  • Metacritic: 76
  • OpenCritic: 74
  • Scored an 8.5 "Great" on GameSpot
  • Unique concept with 4 playable Spider-Men
  • Neil Patrick Harris voiced Spider-Man Noir
• The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
  • Film tie-in game for Andrew Garfield reboot
  • Strong reviews praised realistic web-slinging
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
  • Coincided with sequel film starring Jamie Foxx as Electro
  • Improved combat and open world Manhattan setting

Additionally, the Spider-Man Origins movie prequel game disappeared from Steam and other platforms. Outside of PC, older console Spider-Man titles were also removed digitally when the contract ended.

Millions of Spider-Man Game Sales Halted

Activision‘s licensing deal helped propel Spider-Man as one of gaming‘s biggest superhero franchises. The various console and PC games had sold over 35 million total units worldwide during the contract‘s lifetime.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimension itself exceeded one million sales by 2012 according to Activision. So millions lost access to purchasing these Spider-Man hits after the abrupt digital removal.

Steam Stats and Reception Prior to Removal

On Steam, The Amazing Spider-Man had over 92% positive reviews from over 5,000 users prior to vanishing from the platform in 2017. Impressively, Shattered Dimensions owned a 97% positive rating at the time.

According to SteamCharts, Shattered Dimensions peaked at over 1,700 concurrent Steam players immediately before its elimination. So its Steam performance remained strong nearly 7 years post-launch.

Clearly, these Activision/Beenox-developed Spider-Man titles resonated with PC audiences long after release. Yet licensing expiry instantly denied further sales.

Negative Backlash from Spidey Fans

When these popular Spider-Man adventures got abruptly yanked from Steam, many fans expressed frustration online. Social media reactions included:

"Was going to buy Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions on the next Steam sale. That was a complete surprise removal."

"I don‘t get why my previous Spider-Man games just disappeared from my library."

"Nooo why did they take Spider-Man games off Steam?! I wanted Spider-Man 2 so bad"

While existing owners kept access, PC gamers felt dismayed over losing the option to buy these Spider-Man hits on Steam. Franchise fans were eager to keep playing Activision‘s acclaimed adaptations.

Analyzing the Spider-Man Vacuum on PC

The removal also created a Spider-Man void on PC at the time. Marvel had not yet launched Spider-Man PS4 or struck new partnerships for PC ports. Fans were left without any major digital Spider-Man options on computer platforms post-delisting.

Spider-Man‘s PC exile would last for years until 2018‘s acclaimed PS4 exclusive finally arrived on PC as a 2023 port. This left the massive PC Spider-Fan base desperate for quality web-slinging options from 2017-2022.

Comparisons to Other Delisted Games

Lapsed licensing contracts cause countless games to unexpectedly vanish each year. For perspective, major titles pulled from digital stores for this reason include:

However, delisted games do sometimes remerge if new publishing deals emerge. Both Deadpool and Scott Pilgrim eventually returned through new partnerships. Still, the sudden loss of purchases remains frustrating for fans in the interim.

Are Activision‘s Spider-Man Games Gone Forever?

Will titles like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Shattered Dimensions ever swing back onto Steam in the future? Difficult to say, but negotiations could allow their return.

Now independent from Activision, Marvel Games might directly broker new licensing arrangements. Or Activision could potentially reattain distribution rights for these Spider-Man titles down the road. After all, Crave Entertainment managed to briefly restore Spider-Man 3 to digital platforms years after expiry.

For now, Activision‘s full Spider-Man gaming library remains exiled from Steam and modern consoles. But contract complexities provide glimmers of hope that these hits could find new digital life again someday.