The Digital Graveyard: 5 Major Xbox Games Shutting Down Servers In June 2025—Including A Shocking New Title

The clock is ticking for a handful of popular Xbox titles, as a significant wave of server closures is officially confirmed for June 2025. This digital sunset is a stark reminder of the ever-evolving lifecycle of online games, where even major releases eventually reach their end of service. As of today, December 17, 2025, players have a limited window to jump back into these games, complete their online achievements, and say their final goodbyes before the multiplayer components vanish forever.

The list of games affected by the June 2025 shutdown is particularly notable, not just for the sports titles following a standard two-year deprecation cycle, but also for the surprising inclusion of a high-profile, relatively new first-person shooter. We have compiled the full list of confirmed closures, along with the critical dates you need to mark on your calendar to avoid missing out on valuable digital content.

The Confirmed Xbox Server Closures: June 2025 Digital Sunset List

The process of server deprecation is a routine part of the gaming industry, typically driven by low player counts, the cost of maintaining older infrastructure, and a publisher's desire to focus resources on newer titles. However, the June 2025 list features one closure that has sent shockwaves through the community, highlighting the precarious nature of "live service" games. Here are the titles officially confirmed to have their Xbox servers shut down this June, along with their final dates.

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• XDefiant – June 3, 2025
• Stampede: Racing Royale – June 16, 2025
• The First Descendant (Xbox One Version) – June 19, 2025
• Resident Evil Re:Verse – June 29, 2025
• Madden NFL 21 – June 30, 2025

The Shocking Early End of XDefiant (June 3, 2025)

The most unexpected entry on the June 2025 list is arguably Ubisoft’s free-to-play arena shooter, XDefiant. Despite significant hype and a highly anticipated launch, the game's servers are scheduled to go offline on June 3, 2025. This is an unusually short lifespan for a major publisher's live service title, confirming the discontinuation of its development.

For players who invested time and money, this announcement serves as a sobering lesson in the volatility of the modern gaming landscape. The immediate delisting of the game and the prevention of new account registrations mean that the final months are strictly for existing players to wrap up their experience.

Madden NFL 21: The Annual Sports Shutdown (June 30, 2025)

The closure of Madden NFL 21 on June 30, 2025, is far less surprising. Electronic Arts (EA) traditionally shuts down the servers for its older sports titles after they have been superseded by two or three newer iterations. This closure will terminate all online features, including multiplayer matches, leaderboards, and the popular Ultimate Team mode.

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This is a critical deadline for achievement hunters. Any achievements tied to online play in *Madden NFL 21* will become permanently unobtainable after this date. This routine closure is part of EA's strategy to streamline server maintenance and encourage players to migrate to the latest *Madden* installment.

Stampede: Racing Royale Crosses the Finish Line (June 16, 2025)

Another game meeting its end in mid-June is Stampede: Racing Royale. The 60-player kart racer, which had a relatively short run on Xbox and PC, will officially shut down its online services on June 16, 2025. Like many free-to-play titles, the game struggled to maintain the necessary player base to justify continued server maintenance, leading to the developer's decision to pull the plug.

The closure of *Stampede* is a prime example of how the competitive "battle royale" genre is unforgiving, even for niche concepts. Players are advised to check the game's Discord or official channels for any final community events planned before the June 16 cutoff.

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Preserving Your Progress: What Happens After the Shutdown?

The term "server closure" can be alarming, but it’s important to understand the different impacts on your gaming experience. The consequences are not uniform across all titles, especially between games that are purely online and those with substantial single-player content.

Impact on Single-Player vs. Multiplayer Content

For games like *Madden NFL 21*, the core offline modes, such as Franchise Mode (if played offline) and local exhibition games, will generally remain playable. However, the entire online ecosystem—including Ultimate Team, which requires a connection to EA’s servers—will cease to function.

In contrast, for games like *XDefiant* and *Stampede: Racing Royale*, which are fundamentally online-only experiences, the server shutdown means the game will become completely unplayable. There is no offline mode to fall back on, effectively turning the digital download into a defunct file on your console. This is the ultimate risk of the live service model.

Achievement Hunting: The Race Against Time

The most pressing concern for the Xbox achievement community is the fate of online-only achievements. The June 2025 closures create a hard deadline for hunters. For example, any achievement in *Madden NFL 21* that requires an online match or a specific Ultimate Team action must be completed before June 30, 2025.

The community resource TrueAchievements is already tracking these closures and has updated the status of these games to "Server Closure," signaling to players that a "delisting rush" is underway. It is highly recommended to prioritize completing these titles now, as server populations tend to dwindle in the final months, making matchmaking for required achievements increasingly difficult.

Broader Context: The 2025 Server Deprecation Trend

The June 2025 closures are not isolated events but part of a larger trend of server deprecation throughout the year. Understanding this context helps players anticipate future shutdowns and manage their digital libraries.

More Games Going Offline in 2025

Beyond June, 2025 is a busy year for server shutdowns across the Xbox ecosystem. Other confirmed closures include:

• WWE 2K23: January 6, 2025
• EA Sports Rory McIlroy PGA Tour: January 16, 2025
• Madden NFL 22: October 2025
• Need for Speed Rivals (Xbox One & Xbox 360): October 7, 2025

The consistent closure of older titles, particularly those from major publishers like EA, reinforces the need for gamers to be proactive about their digital collections. The general rule of thumb is that online sports games typically have a three-to-four-year shelf life before their servers are decommissioned.

The End of Windows 10 Support and Wider Microsoft Services

While not a direct Xbox server closure, the end-of-life cycle for other Microsoft services provides a backdrop for the 2025 deprecation trend. Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 will officially end on October 14, 2025. Although this primarily affects PC users, it signals a broader strategic shift within Microsoft to focus on its newer operating system, Windows 11, and modern infrastructure. This focus on next-generation services indirectly influences the decision to retire older gaming servers that may rely on legacy systems.

The June 2025 server closures, particularly the unexpected retirement of *XDefiant*, serve as a clear warning to the gaming community. Players should immediately check their libraries, prioritize the completion of online achievements in *Madden NFL 21* and other affected titles, and understand that the digital life of a live service game is never guaranteed.