Konami has made public its plan to discontinue Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls next month, ending the game’s presence on Apple Arcade and removing it from players’ reach. The title, which has been available exclusively through Apple’s subscription service since its arrival in September 2021, will first be taken off the store on August 20.
Following that removal, the game’s online infrastructure will be shut down on September 3, at which point the experience will become completely inaccessible to anyone who has not already downloaded it. In a statement posted on the company’s official website, Konami reflected on the game’s lifecycle and the decision to end support.
"Since its launch on Apple Arcade in September 2021, the game has continued to be supported by many players," the announcement read. "However, we have decided to terminate the service [in September]." The phrasing underscores that, despite a loyal fan base that kept the game alive for nearly two years on the platform, the company has concluded that maintaining the service is no longer viable.
The statement also included a note of appreciation for the community. "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 wrote. This sentiment acknowledges the dedication of long‑time fans who have explored the game’s gothic world, collected classic Castlevania characters, and engaged in the multiplayer features that set Grimoire of Souls apart from other titles in the franchise.
To understand the context of this shutdown, it helps to trace the game’s origins. Grimoire of Souls first debuted in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play mobile title for iOS and Android, initially released only in Canada. The early version relied on in‑game currency and microtransactions, a model that proved unsustainable for the developers.
After roughly a year of operation, the original mobile version was discontinued. Konami later revived the project by bringing it onto Apple Arcade, a subscription‑based service that promises an ad‑free, microtransaction‑free experience. The relaunch, which arrived on iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and macOS, stripped away the original game’s monetisation mechanics, removed in‑game currency, and replaced them with a more straightforward progression system.
In addition to the financial overhaul, the team took the opportunity to polish the visual presentation, updating character models, refining the user interface, and enhancing overall graphics quality to meet the higher standards expected on Apple’s newer hardware. The decision to pull Grimoire of Souls from Apple Arcade is part of a broader trend of games exiting the platform in the coming months.
Mario Kart Tour, a mobile racing title that has enjoyed a sizable player base, is slated for shutdown in September. This will be followed by Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, scheduled to close in October, and Destruction AllStars, which will cease operations in November. These announcements suggest a wave of service terminations that may be tied to shifting strategic priorities within the companies that own these games, as well as the natural lifecycle of subscription‑based titles that no longer generate sufficient engagement or revenue. For players who have not yet saved their progress, the August 20 delisting date is critical.
Once the game disappears from the Apple Arcade storefront, new users will be unable to download it, and existing owners will lose the ability to reinstall the app if they delete it. After the September 3 shutdown, even those who still have the game installed will find that online features—such as multiplayer battles, leaderboards, and any cloud‑saved data—will cease to function. The offline mode, if any existed, does not appear to be supported, meaning the title will become effectively unplayable. Konami’s communication also hints at the logistical challenges of maintaining older titles on a modern platform.
Supporting a game that was originally built for mobile devices, then adapted for a subscription service, requires ongoing updates to stay compatible with new operating system releases and hardware changes. When the cost of these updates outweighs the benefits, companies often opt to retire the product. Fans of the Castlevania franchise may view this as a bittersweet moment. While Grimoire of Souls offered a fresh take on the classic series—allowing players to assemble teams of iconic characters like Simon Belmont, Alucard, and Maria Renard for strategic combat—it never reached the iconic status of the mainline console entries.
Nevertheless, its unique blend of card‑collecting mechanics and real‑time battles provided a distinctive experience that appealed to both longtime series enthusiasts and newcomers alike. In summary, Konami’s upcoming removal of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls from Apple Arcade marks the end of a two‑year run on the subscription platform.
The game will be delisted on August 20, and its online services will be terminated on September 3, rendering it unplayable thereafter. The company has expressed gratitude to its player community, acknowledging the support that kept the title alive for as long as it did.
This shutdown is part of a larger pattern of games exiting Apple Arcade in the next few months, reflecting evolving priorities within the gaming industry and the natural lifecycle of digital services.