Game Groups > Games for Windows Live releases

A subset of games complying with the Games for Windows (GFW) standard which also include Games for Windows Live (GFWL) features in the form of online services, multiplayer servers, and digital rights management (DRM). It also included an online marketplace for downloading games until 25 August 2013, when new purchases were disabled.

GFWL first became available on 29 May 2007, but many online services have been inaccessible since 2018. While some developers have since removed the DRM and/or replaced all online-facing segments with an alternative solution (usually Steamworks or a proprietary server), many titles have had multiplayer portions completely unavailable and users are forced to create local profiles ("hidden" in registration menus) to access singleplayer content. Other titles, such as Universe at War: Earth Assault, still have functioning GFWL servers for multiplayer and achievements as of 2023.