Sony has ended support for PS4 exclusive Driveclub. The game was released in October 2014 after several delays that pushed Driveclub from its planned release as a PS4 launch title, where it would have been one of the biggest games on the console at the time.
On March 31, Sony officially shut down the servers for PS4 racing game Driveclub, motorcycle racing DLC Driveclub Bikes, and the virtual reality version of the game, Driveclub VR. This means that the game's multiplayer features, which are the biggest reason that many would buy the game, will be unavailable, leaving only the single-player campaign. Driveclub was removed from sale last year but those who own the game are able to download and play it, just not the online features.
The news that Driveclub's servers are being shutdown is not a surprise, but it will be disappointing to those who wanted to give the game a last send off before this console generation is up. Driveclub showed how a game could grow when given a bit of love after a very poor release. The game released after several delays and had bugs and server issues but developer Evolution Studios was able to win some fans back by releasing features such as Driveclub's hardcore mode.
Following updates, Driveclub was able to become a much better game. Its graphics and its vehicle handling have prompted some players to call it one of the PS4's best racing games, next to the likes of the Gran Turismo series. It's unclear how many copies Driveclub sold, but those who did play it when its servers were up do have positive things to say about it.
However, it seems unlikely that Sony, which published Driveclub, will bring the series back for the PS5. Less than three years after the release of the game, Sony shut down Evolution Studios. This also left fans wondering what would happen to Motorstorm, the brilliant off-road racing series that was popular on PS3. Racing game developer Codemasters did hire those left at Evolution Studios though which is one good thing about the story.
The PS5's specs should offer better graphics in games and much faster loading times which will allow racing game developers to create cars that look like the real thing and tracks that look so good players can nearly smell the asphalt. However, the big PS5 racing game will probably be a new Gran Turismo and not Driveclub 2 like some fans will have hoped.
Driveclub was available exclusively for PS4.