If you were planning to grab Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 digitally, that window has closed. The 2019 Sega-developed crossover sports title has been quietly pulled from the Nintendo Switch eShop in North America, Japan, and Australia, with no prior announcement from anyone involved.
Gone without a countdown
The delisting landed with zero fanfare. Sega confirmed on its Japanese website that the game is no longer available for purchase on the eShop, but that confirmation came after the fact, not before. No sale, no farewell discount, no heads-up to players who might have had it on their wishlist. It just disappeared.
As reported by Nintendo Everything, the game is currently still listed in the UK and Europe, but those regions are expected to follow the same path shortly.
If you already own the digital version, you can still redownload it at any time. Existing owners are not affected. Only new purchases are blocked.
Why the license ran out now
The timing points directly at the calendar. The delisting coincided with the final day of Sega's fiscal year, and the Olympic branding throughout the game is officially licensed from the International Olympic Committee. Here's the thing: when those licensing agreements expire, publishers lose the legal right to sell the product. No renewal, no sale.
The series has been dormant since Tokyo 2020 launched in November 2019, which makes this the only Mario & Sonic entry on Switch and, by most accounts, the last one ever made. A 2024 rumour suggested the series was effectively finished, and while Sega released new Olympic merchandise in late 2025 that briefly reignited fan speculation, no new game has been announced.
The last entry in the series
What this means for players
Physical copies are still available through retailers and the second-hand market, though prices will likely climb now that the digital option is gone. Sega is not producing new physical units, so existing stock is all that remains.
The situation also raises a familiar frustration around licensed games and digital storefronts. Several other titles have been delisted from the Switch eShop in recent months, including Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection and Horizon Chase Turbo, though those removals came with advance notice. The Tokyo 2020 delisting had none.
For fans holding out hope for a Mario & Sonic comeback tied to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, the silence from both Nintendo and Sega remains the loudest signal. The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics would have been a natural moment to announce something, and that window has now passed without a word.
If you want a physical copy before scalpers drive the price up, check retailers now. For the latest gaming news and coverage, make sure to check out more:
