Konami has officially disclosed that its title Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be taken offline next month, marking the end of the game's availability on Apple Arcade. The company explained that the game will be removed from the Apple Arcade catalog on August 20, and the online services that keep it functional 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 publisher reflected on the game's history and the decision to discontinue it.
"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 message went on to thank the community, saying, "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." Grimoire of Souls originally debuted in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play mobile title for iOS and Android, initially rolling out only in Canada.
The early version featured in‑game currency, microtransactions, and a design tailored for small‑screen play. After roughly a year of operation, Konami decided to discontinue the mobile version, citing strategic shifts and the desire to focus on a more curated experience.
In 2021, the game was resurrected as an Apple Arcade exclusive, expanding its reach to a broader range of Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac. This relaunch came with a substantial overhaul: the developers stripped out all forms of real‑money purchases, removed the in‑game currency system, and reworked the user interface to better suit the larger screens of iPadOS and macOS.
Visual enhancements were also introduced, with higher‑resolution textures, refined lighting effects, and smoother animation cycles that took advantage of Apple’s powerful hardware. The decision to retire the title now aligns with a broader pattern of Konami winding down several of its live‑service games. In the same announcement period, the company noted that Mario Kart Tour, the popular Nintendo‑licensed racing game, will also cease operations in September.
Following that, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem is slated for shutdown in October, and Destruction AllStars, another Apple Arcade exclusive, will be taken offline in November. These closures reflect an industry trend where publishers periodically evaluate the cost of maintaining online infrastructure against player engagement and revenue.
For fans of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the upcoming removal means that any progress saved locally on their devices will become inaccessible once the servers are turned off. The game’s single‑player campaign, which allowed players to collect and upgrade classic Castlevania characters, will no longer be launchable. While the title will remain in users’ libraries as a dormant app, it will not function without the backend services that power matchmaking, leaderboards, and content updates. The broader Castlevania franchise, owned by Konami, continues to thrive through other avenues, including recent releases on consoles and the enduring popularity of classic titles on modern platforms.
Grimoire of Souls represented an attempt to bring the series to a mobile‑first audience, experimenting with free‑to‑play mechanics before pivoting to a subscription‑based model via Apple Arcade. Its lifecycle illustrates the challenges of adapting a legacy franchise to evolving distribution models while maintaining the core experience that long‑time fans expect.
Players who wish to preserve their memories of the game can capture screenshots, record gameplay footage, or share their favorite moments on social media before the shutdown date. Konami has not announced any plans to release a standalone offline version or to make the game available on other storefronts after the Apple Arcade removal.
In summary, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will disappear from Apple Arcade on August 20, with all online functionality ending on September 3. Konami thanked its community for years of support and placed the title among a series of upcoming service closures that include Mario Kart Tour, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, and Destruction AllStars. The removal underscores the shifting landscape of mobile and subscription gaming, where titles may enjoy a period of renewed life before ultimately concluding their service life.