Konami has made public its plan to discontinue Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls next month, ending the game’s availability on Apple Arcade. The title, which has been a part of the Apple Arcade catalog since its debut on the platform in September 2021, will be taken down from the service on August 20.
After that date, the game will remain accessible only to those who have already installed it, but the online components that power the experience will be shut down on September 3, rendering the game completely unplayable. In an official statement posted on its corporate website, Konami explained the decision. "Since its launch on Apple Arcade in September 2021, the game has continued to be supported by many players," the company wrote. "However, we have decided to terminate the service [in September]." The wording underscores that the move is not a reflection of poor performance but rather a strategic choice to end support for the title.
Konami also took the opportunity to thank its community, stating, "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 arrived on the market in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play mobile title for iOS and Android, initially released only in Canada.
That first incarnation featured in‑game currency, microtransactions, and a monetisation model typical of many mobile games at the time. After a year of operation, the original version was discontinued, but Konami saw an opportunity to revive the game in a different form.
In 2021, the studio relaunched Grimoire of Souls as a premium, ad‑free experience on Apple Arcade, making it available across the Apple ecosystem—including iPhone, iPad, iPadOS, tvOS, and Mac. The re‑release represented a significant overhaul. Konami stripped out the original in‑game currency system and all microtransaction options, aligning the title with Apple Arcade’s subscription‑based, no‑ads philosophy. In addition to the financial changes, the development team refined the user interface, reorganised the game’s layout for better navigation, and upgraded the visual fidelity to take advantage of newer hardware capabilities.
These enhancements were intended to provide a smoother, more immersive Castlevania experience that would appeal both to longtime fans of the franchise and to newcomers discovering the series through Apple Arcade. While the game’s removal may disappoint a dedicated segment of its player base, it is part of a broader trend of titles reaching the end of their service lives on subscription platforms.
Konami noted that Grimoire of Souls joins a short list of games slated for shutdown in the coming months. For instance, Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour is scheduled to cease operations in September, followed by the Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem shutdown in October, and the Destruction AllStars service ending in November. These closures reflect the natural lifecycle of online‑dependent games, especially those that rely on continuous server support, regular updates, and active community engagement. For players who have not yet had the chance to experience Grimoire of Souls, the upcoming delisting serves as a final reminder to download the game before it disappears from the Apple Arcade storefront on August 20.
After that point, new users will be unable to add the title to their library, and existing owners will lose access to the online features once the September 3 shutdown takes effect. Konami’s statement does not indicate any plans for a future revival on other platforms, suggesting that the decision to end the service is final. The broader context of this shutdown highlights several industry dynamics. First, subscription services like Apple Arcade are constantly curating their libraries, adding fresh content while retiring older titles to keep the catalog fresh and relevant.
Second, the cost of maintaining server infrastructure for a game that may no longer attract a sizable active user base can outweigh the benefits, prompting publishers to allocate resources elsewhere. Finally, the shift away from microtransaction‑heavy models toward premium, all‑inclusive experiences on subscription platforms often results in a finite lifespan for titles that were originally designed with ongoing monetisation in mind.
In summary, Konami’s announcement signals the end of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade, with the game being removed from the storefront on August 20 and fully offline by September 3. The company expressed appreciation for its community, reflecting on the support the title received throughout its run. As part of a wave of upcoming game retirements, this closure underscores the evolving nature of digital distribution and the challenges of sustaining online services over the long term.