Konami has made public its plan to retire the game Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls next month, ending its availability on Apple Arcade and ultimately taking the title offline. The service will first be removed from the Apple Arcade catalog on August 20, after which the game will cease to function entirely on September 3, meaning players will no longer be able to launch or play the title once that date passes. In an official statement posted on the company’s website, Konami reflected on the game’s lifespan 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 company went on to thank the community, expressing sincere appreciation for the enthusiasm and loyalty of its fan base. "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," the notice added. Grimoire of Souls originally debuted in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play mobile title for iOS and Android, initially released only in the Canadian market. After a year of operation, the original version was discontinued, but Konami later revived the game as part of its Apple Arcade lineup, expanding its reach to iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and macOS platforms.
This relaunch came with a series of significant changes: the in‑game currency system and any microtransaction mechanics were removed, the user interface was overhauled for a cleaner layout, and the graphics received a notable upgrade to bring the classic Castlevania aesthetic up to modern standards. The decision to pull Grimoire of Souls from service is part of a broader trend of online‑dependent games reaching the end of their operational life cycles. Konami has indicated that several other titles are slated for similar shutdowns in the coming months.
For example, Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour is scheduled to cease operations in September, followed by the removal of Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem in October, and the termination of Destruction AllStars in November. These closures reflect the challenges of maintaining live‑service games, especially those that rely on ongoing server support, regular content updates, and a steady player base to justify continued investment. The removal of a game from a subscription service like Apple Arcade has several practical implications for users.
Once the delisting date arrives, new players will no longer be able to download the title, and existing players who have already installed it may still be able to launch it until the final shutdown date. After September 3, however, the game’s servers will be taken offline, preventing any online functionality, such as leaderboards, multiplayer modes, or cloud‑saved progress. Players who wish to preserve any offline content should consider capturing screenshots or recording gameplay before the final shutdown. From a historical perspective, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls represented an interesting experiment in bringing the long‑running Castlevania franchise to mobile and subscription platforms.
The game combined classic side‑scrolling action with a roster of characters drawn from various entries in the series, allowing fans to assemble teams of iconic heroes and villains. By eliminating microtransactions in the Apple Arcade version, Konami aimed to provide a more traditional, purchase‑once experience that aligned with the subscription model’s promise of ad‑free, uninterrupted play. The broader context of game preservation also comes into play when services like this are retired. While some titles are eventually re‑released on other platforms or made available through archival projects, many online‑dependent games fade into obscurity once their servers are shut down.
This underscores the importance of documenting and preserving game history, both for fans and for future researchers interested in the evolution of digital entertainment. In summary, Konami’s announcement signals the imminent end of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade, with a delisting scheduled for August 20 and a complete shutdown on September 3. The company has thanked its community for their support and placed the game among a growing list of titles that will be retired in the next few months.
Players are encouraged to enjoy the remaining days of access while reflecting on the game’s place within the larger Castlevania legacy and the shifting landscape of subscription‑based gaming services.