XPLog

Electronic Arts quietly confirmed that online services for four older Codemasters racing games will be turned off on November 8, 2025. If you still boot up any of these titles for online lobbies, leaderboards or matchmaking, you’ll want to read this — the multiplayer parts are going dark.

The affected games

DiRT 3 — originally released 2011 (PC / consoles).
DiRT: Showdown — arcade spin on the DiRT formula.
GRID 2 — Codemasters' arcade-meets-sim racer from 2013.
GRID Autosport — the more focused, career-driven GRID entry.

EA’s online services page lists these titles as being removed from online access on November 8, 2025.

What exactly is being turned off (technical details)

When EA says “online services” are shutting down, that typically includes:

Matchmaking and multiplayer lobbies (both public and custom).
Online leaderboards and stats syncing.
Cloud-based progression tied to multiplayer accounts (some custom championships or career syncs).
Any online-only features such as DLC matchmaking compatibility, online vehicle or player trading, and in-game events.

Offline single-player content and local splitscreen (where supported) usually remain playable for players who already own the game, but check each game's platform notes — there are exceptions and platform-specific caveats. Reporting across outlets confirms that the shutdown affects online mode across multiple platforms.

Why publishers shut servers down (short, technical explainer)

There are two recurring technical/business reasons publishers shutter online services for older titles:

Operational cost — running live matchmaking, dedicated servers, authentication and DB services costs money. As player concurrency drops, the cost per active player rises.
Licensing & third-party middleware — older sports and racing titles often rely on timed music, branding or network middleware licences that expire. Renewing those licences for a low-player-title isn’t always feasible.

The result: companies consolidate resources and retire low-usage live services. This was reflected in EA's updated service list and subsequent reporting.

Community reaction — fast, blunt, salty

As you’d expect, the news landed poorly with the small but dedicated player bases still using these titles. Social communities (Reddit, fan forums) share a mix of frustration, nostalgia and practical tips (offline mods, private servers where possible). If you’re active in these communities, expect a burst of farewell events and last-call multiplayer sessions.

What you should do right now (quick checklist)

Play any multiplayer modes you care about — schedule a final session with friends before the cut-off.
Backup screenshots & clips — leaderboards and stats may disappear; preserve what matters to you.
Check local/offline features — career modes and time trials will often still work; confirm by testing the titles after the shutdown if you plan to keep them installed.
Look into community efforts — some older PC titles see fan-made servers or unofficial workarounds; proceed with caution and always follow platform rules.

What this means for EA, Codemasters and game preservation

Operationally, this is a sensible cost-cutting move: keep active services where there’s demand and retire the rest. But there’s a preservation trade-off — when publisher-run servers and online features vanish, the full original experience can be lost unless community preservation or archival efforts step in.

For developers and studios this highlights the importance of designing games with robust offline modes or providing tools for preservation, but the reality is that legal/licensing limits and engineering debt often prevent a straightforward “make everything single-player” fix.

Industry outlets tracked the move and flagged that more legacy titles have been scheduled for removal in recent months, so this fits a broader trend.

The bottom line

If you still care about DiRT 3, DiRT: Showdown, GRID 2 or GRID Autosport for multiplayer, treat November 8, 2025 as the final day to play online. The single-player bits will probably survive for owners, but the lobbies, leaderboards and matchmaking won’t. If you want, use the XPLog comment section below to share your favourite memory — or call a few friends and organise one last chaotic race.

Sources: EA service updates.