X

Microsoft to shut Games for Windows Live?

A now-deleted support message from Microsoft suggests that Games for Windows Live will be shut on 1 July 2014.

Nic Healey Senior Editor / Australia
Nic Healey is a Senior Editor with CNET, based in the Australia office. His passions include bourbon, video games and boring strangers with photos of his cat.
See full bio
Nic Healey

Microsoft could be set to shut down its Games for Windows Live service, according to a now-deleted update on the Age of Empires Online support page.

(Credit: Microsoft)

Polygon is reporting that the following update appeared on the Xbox.com support page for Age of Empires Online:

Games for Windows Live will be discontinued on July 1, 2014. Although it is available through Steam, Age of Empires Online requires features of the Games for Windows Live service. You can continue to enjoy all the features of Age of Empires Online as the service will remain 100 per cent operational until July 1, 2014, when the server will shut down.

That update has now been removed from the support page.

Just days ago, Microsoft said it would be shutting the Xbox.com PC Marketplace on 22 August. At the time, Microsoft stated that "the Games for Windows Live service will continue to operate as usual", just without the "purchase functionality".

We're awaiting further information from Microsoft, and will update if any official comment about the future of Games for Windows Live become available.