Konami has officially confirmed that its Castlevania title, Grimoire of Souls, will be taken offline next month, bringing an end to the game’s presence on Apple Arcade. The service will first remove the game from the Apple Arcade catalogue on August 20, and the servers that keep the game operational will be shut down on September 3. After that date, players will no longer be able to launch or play the title.
In a statement posted on Konami’s website, the company reflected on the game’s lifecycle since its debut on the subscription platform. "Since its launch on Apple Arcade in September 2021, the game has continued to be supported by many players," the statement read. "However, we have decided to terminate the service [in September]." The announcement also included a note of appreciation for the community that has kept the game alive for several years.
"We would like to express our gratitude to all of our players for their enthusiastic support throughout the years. The entire development and operations team sincerely thanks you for being part of this journey," Konami added.
Grimoire of Souls originally arrived in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play mobile title for iOS and Android, initially released only in Canada. That first version featured in‑game currency, micro‑transactions, and a monetisation model typical of many mobile games at the time.
After roughly a year, the original mobile version was discontinued. In 2021, Konami revived the project by bringing it to Apple’s ecosystem—iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and macOS—through the Apple Arcade subscription service.
This relaunch stripped away the original in‑game purchases, overhauled the user interface, and upgraded the visual fidelity to better suit the higher‑end hardware of Apple devices. The decision to pull Grimoire of Souls from Apple Arcade follows a broader trend of games being retired from subscription or live‑service platforms as their player bases dwindle or as the cost of maintaining servers outweighs the benefits.
Konami is not alone in this process. Within the same timeframe, several other titles have been slated for shutdown. Mario Kart Tour, the mobile spin‑off of Nintendo’s iconic racing series, is slated to cease operations in September.
Following that, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem will be taken offline in October, and Destruction AllStars, another Apple Arcade exclusive, will close its doors in November. The removal of Grimoire of Souls will affect all current players, who will lose access to any saved progress, unlocked characters, and achievements once the servers are shut down.
Because the game relied on online connectivity for many of its core features—such as multiplayer battles, leaderboards, and periodic content updates—there is no offline mode that would allow the game to continue functioning after the server shutdown. Players who wish to preserve memories of the experience may want to capture screenshots, record gameplay footage, or keep any physical memorabilia they have collected. For those unfamiliar with the title, Grimoire of Souls offered a unique twist on the classic Castlevania formula. Instead of following a single protagonist, the game let players assemble a roster of characters drawn from across the entire Castlevania franchise, ranging from iconic heroes like Simon Belmont to lesser‑known figures such as Alucard and Richter.
Each character came with distinct abilities and weapon sets, and players could customize their load‑outs to suit different combat scenarios. The game’s structure combined elements of action‑RPG combat with a card‑collecting mechanic, allowing players to unlock new characters and upgrades through gameplay rather than through micro‑transactions—a change that was especially welcomed after the Apple Arcade re‑release. Visually, the Apple Arcade version benefited from a substantial graphical overhaul. The art direction leaned into a darker, gothic aesthetic that paid homage to the series’ roots while also embracing a more modern, high‑definition style suitable for larger screens like the iPad Pro and Apple TV.
The sound design featured re‑recorded versions of classic Castlevania themes, providing a nostalgic audio backdrop that resonated with longtime fans. While the shutdown marks the end of an era for Grimoire of Souls, it also serves as a reminder of the evolving nature of digital game distribution.
Subscription services like Apple Arcade provide a valuable platform for developers to reach new audiences, but they also introduce a dependency on ongoing server support and platform policies. When a game is retired, the experience can vanish entirely, unlike physical media that can be preserved indefinitely. Konami has not indicated any plans to re‑release Grimoire of Souls on another platform or to make a standalone offline version available.
For now, the best way for fans to revisit the game’s legacy is through community videos, fan art, and written retrospectives that capture what made the title special. In summary, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be delisted from Apple Arcade on August 20 and will become completely unplayable after the September 3 server shutdown. The company thanked its community for years of support, and the removal joins a wave of upcoming game closures that include Mario Kart Tour, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, and Destruction AllStars.
Players are encouraged to cherish any memories of the game before it disappears from the digital landscape.