Stranger Things 3: The Game removed from Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store becoming only available via Netflix subscription

Publisher and developer BonusXP delisted Stranger Things 3: The Game from Steam, GOG and Epic Games Store.

“On Aug. 31, 2021, Stranger Things 3: The Game will be removed from sale on Steam. We’re very grateful for all the Stranger Things fans that traveled back in time with us to the Summer of ’85 for this adventure through Hawkins. If you purchased the game prior to August 31, 2021 on Steam, it will remain in your library and continue to be playable,” BonusXP said without naming any specific reasons for the removal.

The official companion game to Season 3 of the hit series has disappeared days after Netflix added the title to its nascent mobile gaming offering. Stranger Things 3, along with Stranger Things: 1984, is currently available to subscribers in Poland, free of ads or in-app purchases.

Earlier this month, Behaviour Interactive announced that the Stranger Things content in Dead by Daylight would be discontinued on November 17.

While Netflix’s gaming offering is somewhat scarce at the moment, the company is already taking steps to channel the power of the Stranger Things IP towards keeping users within its own ecosystem, a possible indication of its long-term strategy. If nothing else, it could help Netflix tackle the slowdown in subscriber additions reported in the first quarter of 2021.