Netflix will prevent Oxenfree owners on itch.io from re-downloading the game
For various reasons, video games are often removed from digital stores, leaving those who have already purchased them the ability to continue using the product as they wish. However, this is not the case here.
The American Night School Studio, owned by Netflix, notified users of the digital store itch.io, who own a copy of the adventure game Oxenfree on the platform, about upcoming changes in the game's availability.
As it turns out, on October 1, Oxenfree will become unavailable on itch.io, and its owners will no longer be able to download the purchased game. To continue using the product, it must be downloaded before the mentioned date.
At the time of publication, Oxenfree has stopped appearing in itch.io's search results, and attempting to access the game's page directly leads to a message about restricted access by the project's author.
Users discussing the situation on Reddit and ResetEra criticized the decision, but blamed the streaming giant Netflix, which owns Night School Studio, rather than the studio itself.
As players pointed out, developers on itch.io have the option to remove a game from sale while still allowing owners to download the product, but Night School Studio (Netflix) chose not to use this option.
Oxenfree debuted in January 2016 and is available on PC (Steam, GOG, EGS), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. In 2021, Night School Studio became part of Netflix, and in 2023, it released a sequel — Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals.
For various reasons, video games are often removed from digital stores, leaving those who have already purchased them the ability to continue using the product as they wish. However, this is not the case here.
The American Night School Studio, owned by Netflix, notified users of the digital store itch.io, who own a copy of the adventure game Oxenfree on the platform, about upcoming changes in the game's availability.
As it turns out, on October 1, Oxenfree will become unavailable on itch.io, and its owners will no longer be able to download the purchased game. To continue using the product, it must be downloaded before the mentioned date.
At the time of publication, Oxenfree has stopped appearing in itch.io's search results, and attempting to access the game's page directly leads to a message about restricted access by the project's author.
Users discussing the situation on Reddit and ResetEra criticized the decision, but blamed the streaming giant Netflix, which owns Night School Studio, rather than the studio itself.
As players pointed out, developers on itch.io have the option to remove a game from sale while still allowing owners to download the product, but Night School Studio (Netflix) chose not to use this option.
Oxenfree debuted in January 2016 and is available on PC (Steam, GOG, EGS), PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. In 2021, Night School Studio became part of Netflix, and in 2023, it released a sequel — Oxenfree 2: Lost Signals.