Earlier this week, Microsoft confirmed that a number of older Xbox 360 digital games will be taken down from the Xbox 360 Marketplace starting on February 7. After that message was posted, another one briefly appeared on the support site before it was take down (via OnMSFT):
We will be closing the Xbox 360 Marketplace over the next year, so we encourage you to purchase any 360 games or DLC by May 2023.
Before all current Xbox 360 owners start to panic, Microsoft has since clarified that the support page post was, in fact, incorrect. The Gematsu Twitter account posted a response from a Microsoft spokesperson, which stated:
This message was posted in error and we can confirm the Xbox 360 Marketplace will not close in May 2023.
The same message reminded Xbox 360 owners that the previously posted list of games, DLC, and in-game content will still be taken down from the Marketplace next week. If you want to get one of the games that's on the delete blacklist, you have just a few days to grab them, Keep in mind that any games you have purchased from the Xbox 360 Marketplace can still be re-downloaded if you delete them from your hard drive.
The Xbox 360 console first launched in November 2005, which means it's approaching its 18th anniversary. While Microsoft ended production of the console in 2016, it continues to support the hardware and software. The big question is when that support will end.
Source: Gematsu on Twitter via OnMSFT
