$60 Switch Game Vanishes Without a Trace for Some Players

You can no longer purchase *Aliens: Fireteam Elite* on the Switch. Even if you previously bought it, reinstalling is off the table. The cloud version of this sci-fi shooter, including the $60 Ultimate Edition, has vanished just three years after its release, marking another setback for Nintendo’s foray into game streaming.

Earlier this year, Switch players who had the game were notified that the cloud servers would be shutting down on August 5. While *Aliens: Fireteam Elite* can be played offline with AI companions, the cloud version meant that once the servers went dark, the game would be permanently inaccessible, regardless of how much players had paid.

“This is why I hate the push towards digital and cloud gaming,” one user expressed on the Switch subreddit. “Gonna see a lot of this sooner or later.” Another chimed in, “What a sh*tty experiment cloud for Switch was.” Some users even criticized the CEO of Take-Two, who recently suggested that cloud gaming would see significant growth in the next three years. “Almost like we aren’t just ‘dooming’ and this shit is for real,” remarked another player.

Nintendo had encouraged developers to consider cloud versions of their games when porting to the less powerful Switch was impractical. This led to titles like *The Medium* and *Hitman* being available on the Switch via cloud, along with several entries from the *Resident Evil* and *Kingdom Hearts* franchises. Now, developers can create full native versions for the more capable Switch 2.

This has sparked speculation about whether *Aliens: Fireteam Elite*, which has a sequel set to launch on Switch 2 this fall, will also receive a native port. If it does, will those who owned the now-defunct cloud version get it for free? While many players feel little sympathy for those who bought a cloud game without guarantees, others point to Google’s Stadia, which refunded users for their cloud purchases when the service abruptly ended.