It’s time to cross that finish line one last time – Polyphony Digital will officially be sunsetting Gran Turismo Sport’s online services. Players will still be able to play the game, but will be limited to the single-player mode soon.
In a blog post on the Gran Turismo website, the studio announced the online servers for Gran Turismo Sport will be shut down on January 31, 2024. After this date, players will no longer have access to the online features of the racing simulator including Open Lobby, Garage Car Liveries, and Sport Mode. Gamers chasing after trophies will only have until the end of January to unlock achievements.
While the online mode will no longer be available after the shutdown, players can still access the offline portion of the game. Offline modes include split-screen multiplayer, the single-player campaign, World Circuits, and time trials.
“After the end of service date, it will no longer be possible to utilize online services such as the community, open lobby, and sport mode, nor online features/items such as custom liveries. The offline portions of the game can still be played, including purchased add-ons,” Polyphony said.
Polyphony will also be removing over 200 in-game vehicles that can be purchased via the PlayStation Store prior to the shutdown. These vehicles will only be available for purchase until December 1 of this year. Add-ons purchased prior to December 1 can still be used in the game’s offline modes.
There is, luckily, a silver lining to all this – the shutdown of the Gran Turismo Sport servers allows Polyphony to beef up the servers for Gran Turismo 7. The resources freed up by the server shutdown should allow the studio to focus all its efforts on the current game, improving online stability.
Gran Turismo Sport turns six years old this month, as the game was released on the PlayStation 4 on October 17, 2017. It is one of two Gran Turismo games on the PS4 with the other being Gran Turismo 7, the current title in the series.
Sport was the first game from the racing simulation franchise to support virtual reality. It was also the only game in the series that supported the original PlayStation VR. However, the VR functionality was only limited to the VR Tour Mode and the Time Trial mode. Gran Turismo 7 uses the newer PS VR2 and offers support for every game mode.
Gran Turismo Sport focused more on the online racing aspect of the racing simulation. The game was supported by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) and was the official platform for the FIA-Certified Gran Turismo Championship.
Many of the longtime fans have already moved to Gran Turismo 7 and freeing up resources for the current game is a smart move. Polyphony did a great job announcing the shutdown ahead as it allows longtime players like us to enjoy the game for several more months. It will be cool to jump back to GT Sport one of these days for nostalgia’s sake.
Gran Turismo 7 is available exclusively on the PS4 and PS5.
