Ethan Crossfield 
If you own Creepy Tale, Creepy Tale 2, or StrikeForce Kitty on Xbox, you may be able to keep playing only if you already have them installed—but you can no longer re-download them from your library. Here’s what changed, who’s affected, and what to watch for next.
What changed on Xbox: hard delisting, not just store removal
Three Xbox titles have been hard delisted, meaning they were removed from the Xbox Store and also from the digital libraries of players who previously purchased them. The key distinction is access: Xbox owners can still play the games if they’re currently installed, but they lose the ability to download them again through their library after this removal. Purchase history access and re-download capability have effectively ended for these titles.
Who is affected and why: a dispute between developer and publisher
The affected games are Creepy Tale, Creepy Tale 2, and StrikeForce Kitty. Reporting from True Achievements indicates that Xbox users who bought these games from developer Creepy Brothers can no longer access them via library re-downloads. Creepy Brothers says the cause is an ongoing dispute with publisher No Gravity Games, alleging the publisher violated the agreement and did not pay royalties for several years. No Gravity Games has not publicly commented on the issue.
What comes next: possible relisting, but timing is uncertain
Creepy Brothers described relisting as slow and complicated, and said it hopes the games return to stores with a new publisher. However, the source also makes clear that it’s uncertain whether—and when—these titles will come back. The broader concern is that publisher-developer conflicts can directly shrink a player’s library, even when customers believe they’ve already paid for access.
What players should know
- If you already have the games installed, you may still be able to play them, but the titles are no longer available for re-download from your library.
- If you uninstall, lose access to the install, or need to reinstall later, you may not be able to retrieve the games digitally.
- Hard delisting differs from typical store removal: it prevents future access through the library for owners, not just new purchases.
Expert View
This is a reminder that digital “ownership” protections are not the same as physical media. While hard delistings often leave existing installs playable, the loss of re-download access turns a purchase into something closer to time-limited licensing. The industry’s ongoing shift toward digital-only sales makes cases like Creepy Brothers’ dispute with No Gravity Games especially important for players to understand—because even indie titles can disappear from your library with no control on your side.
