Embracer shut Deus Ex Go for people who paid for it — no refunds for in-game buys

In November 2022 Embracer Group, the conglomerate that had bought rights to franchises including Deus Ex, Tomb Raider and The Lord of the Rings, announced it was removing four mobile games from app stores. The games were Deus Ex Go, Arena Battle Champions, Hitman Sniper: The Shadows and Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes. The Verge reported that this came three weeks after Embracer shut down the studio that made them, Onoma, formerly Square Enix Montreal, which had just gone through an expensive rebrand.

Studio Onoma's account said current players would not be able to access the games past 4 January and that prior in-game purchases should be used before then, as they would not be refunded. That meant Deus Ex Go, which still ranked among the top 150 puzzle games on the App Store while charging $5 or $6, would stop working even for people who had already bought it. The Verge noted that digital games are usually still downloadable after delisting.

The Verge said it was not clear why this was happening to Deus Ex in particular, since Embracer had explicitly bought the Deus Ex rights along with the studio. Games journalist Jason Schreier said Embracer had apparently decided it was no longer interested in mobile games. Embracer did not respond to The Verge's request for comment.

Existing players lose access to purchased games after 4 January 2023; unspent in-game purchases not refunded.

Embracer shut Onoma, the studio behind the four games, and then decided not to keep its mobile titles running.

It chose to disable the games for existing owners rather than only delist them, so paid downloads became unplayable.

In-game purchases would not be refunded, leaving players to spend them before the shutdown date.

Embracer did not explain the decision publicly, even though it held the Deus Ex rights.

Closing a studio is a business decision; switching off games people bought is a trust decision. Offer a final download or refund before you delete what customers own.

The Verge described the move as a game-preservation loss and as ammunition for critics of digital purchases and of Embracer, which was already under scrutiny from gamers for buying up franchises. The article does not report whether Embracer reversed course.