Retro Beat ‘Em Up Game Getting Removed from Steam Very Soon (But You Can Still Get It For Now)

For many video game fans of a certain age, beat ’em ups were our introduction to gaming. From arcade games like Street Fighter to early NES titles, beat ’em ups are iconic for a reason. And in recent years, we’ve seen many new games return to this retro style. From 2025’s Marvel Cosmic Invasion and beyond, there are some exciting new ways to enjoy that classic action game feel. But one game that revived a classic NES action series is about to be removed from Steam forever. Thankfully, those who already own the game will be able to keep playing it, but it’s still a sad day when a game gets delisted.

On December 30th, the team behind River City Ransom: Underground shared a sad update. The game is being removed from Steam due to a lapse in its licensing agreement. The process of delisting is “currently underway,” but as of now, River City Ransom: Underground is still available for purchase. So if you’ve been meaning to check out this 2017 return to a classic series, you’ll want to act quickly.

River City Ransom: Underground Is A Beloved Return to a Cult Classic

River City Ransom first released in 1989 as an installment in the Kunio-Kun series of action games. It was developed specifically for the NES, bringing players an early take on a nonlinear open-world action game. Though it wasn’t a massive financial success, the game’s humor and enjoyable mechanics earned it a cult classic status. Over the years, the original River City Ransom received several remakes, bringing it to newer consoles up through the Game Boy Advance era.

Though itself part of the Kunio-Kun series, River City Ransom spawned its own universe of River City fighting games. And in 2017, River City Ransom: Underground brought a modern twist to the classic street fighting game. This isn’t the newest game in the River City series. However, unlike newer spin-offs, this game is directly inspired by the one that made the series a cult classic in the first place. And now, it’s leaving Steam forever.

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River City Ransom: Underground was developed by Conatus Creative, rather than the series’ main IP holders, Arc System Works. As such, it was created under a license that now appears to be expiring. It’s not clear why the license couldn’t be renewed, but it looks like the game is going away, at least for now. River City Ransom: Underground will not be available to purchase on Steam once the delisting process is complete. However, those who already own the game will still be able to download and play it “as usual.”

As of December 31st at 9:30 AM EST, River City Ransom: Underground is still available for purchase on Steam. In fact, it’s discounted 85% off and available for just $2.99 compared to its usual price of $19.99. With the delisting process already underway and all images related to the game already taken down, that’s likely to change soon. If you love the original River City Ransom and/or retro beat ’em ups, you may want to add this one to your Steam library before it’s too late.

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