Three More Games Have Been ‘Hard Delisted’ And Removed Off The Xbox Store Entirely

There has been substantial discussion regarding curation and how Microsoft appears to permit nearly anything on the Xbox Store currently, but evidently there is much happening behind the scenes that we remain unaware of, as indicated by several games that have quietly been hard delisted from the Xbox Store.

The phrase “hard delisted” signifies games that are not only inaccessible for purchase but also lack an Xbox Store page entirely, implying you technically cannot download them even if you possess them (though there are alternatives).

As noted by True Achievements, two titles recently impacted by this are Schedule 1: Dope Empire and Cairn. We previously discussed the former upon its launch earlier this month – a replica of the immensely popular PC game Schedule 1.

Additionally, while compiling this article, we found that another Schedule 1 imitation from early November titled Schedule 1: Drug Dealer has also been hard delisted on Xbox, as it has on the PlayStation Store as well.

Now that these are absent, you only receive the following notification for all three titles on the Xbox Store:

Cairn is an unusual case – it’s a 2D platformer that released in October with a malfunctioning achievement list, yet there’s no apparent reason for its hard delisting. It could possibly be related to the forthcoming climbing survival game of the same title, which is being published by The Game Bakers and set to launch in early 2026.

Regardless, these are not the sole games that have faced hard delisting on Xbox over the years, and one Xbox enthusiast actually pointed out 13 additional instances recently such as Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign and Kid Tripp. We have also observed clones of other famous games like WipeOut getting removed in the past:

It can be argued that games should never be hard delisted on any platform if individuals have acquired them, but we assume Xbox has reimbursed anyone who obtained titles like Schedule 1: Dope Empire or WipeOut when they were available.

And surely, perhaps one or more of these could eventually make a return… we will have to observe what transpires.

What are your opinions on games being “hard delisted” on Xbox? Share with us in the comments below.