Don’t panic! The Xbox 360 Marketplace isn’t shutting down, Microsoft confirms

We’ve all made mistakes on the job, but normally that doesn’t relate to threatening to shut down a popular gaming marketplace. Microsoft fans can breathe a sigh of relief as it appears the Xbox 360 marketplace isn’t going anywhere just yet, so they don’t need to panic buy the classic games for the console.

The rumor about Xbox 360 marketplace shutting down started when Reddit user Gpro2005 spotted a strange support article on the Microsoft website. In no uncertain terms, it stated that the company intended to close down the Xbox 360 marketplace in May 2023. Clicking on the article took them to a different page explaining that several games would be delisted from the service over the coming weeks. This was consistent with what fans expected to happen, though many aren’t happy about it.

The announcement was a mystery for many gamers, but it looks like it has been fixed. In a statement to The Verge, Xbox global product marketing manager Bree Adams confirmed that the “message was posted in error” and that the Xbox 360 marketplace wasn’t going anywhere. The statement is a big relief for the Xbox community, especially since the console was home to so many great exclusives for the company.

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That still is a strange message to post on the official support website, especially in error. While it’s great that the Xbox 360 marketplace isn’t going anywhere, the fact that this copy was even produced suggests that the shutdown may have been on the cards at one point. With Nintendo will be shutting down the 3DS and Wii U eShops this year, it isn’t inconceivable that these titles could eventually become things of the past. There is only so long that companies will pay to host them on their servers before the costs outweigh the benefits.

Xbox fans still don’t need to buy any of their favorite Xbox 360 titles in panic, but they still don’t want to wait too long, especially if some titles aren’t backward compatible with modern Xbox consoles. Once they’re removed from the Xbox 360 marketplace, they’ll become harder and harder to find.