Konami has confirmed that its title Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be taken offline next month, marking the end of the game’s presence on Apple Arcade. The service will first remove the game from the Apple Arcade catalog on August 20, after which the title will become completely inaccessible on September 3, at which point players will no longer be able to launch or play the experience. In a statement posted on the company’s official website, Konami reflected on the game’s lifecycle. "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 developer 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 title available on iOS and Android devices in Canada.
After a brief run, the mobile version was discontinued a year later. Konami then opted to bring the game back, this time as a premium, ad‑free offering on Apple’s subscription platform, Apple Arcade. The re‑launch in September 2021 expanded the game’s availability to a broader range of Apple hardware, including iPhone, iPad, iPadOS, tvOS, and Mac computers. During the transition to Apple Arcade, Konami made several notable changes to the game’s design and monetisation model.
The in‑game currency and microtransaction system that had been present in the original free‑to‑play version were stripped out, allowing players to enjoy the full experience without additional purchases. The user interface received a redesign, and the visual fidelity was upgraded to take advantage of the higher resolution displays on newer Apple devices. These adjustments were intended to align the title with the expectations of Apple Arcade subscribers, who pay a flat monthly fee for a library of games that are free of ads and microtransactions.
The decision to retire Grimoire of Souls comes as part of a broader wave of service terminations affecting several mobile and console titles. In the coming months, other games are slated for similar fates.
Mario Kart Tour, the popular racing game from Nintendo, is scheduled to shut down in September. Following that, Warner Bros.
will pull Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem from its servers in October, and Sony’s Destruction AllStars will be taken offline in November. These closures reflect a growing trend in the industry where publishers evaluate the cost of maintaining online services against player engagement and revenue, often opting to discontinue titles that no longer meet strategic objectives.
For players who have invested time in Grimoire of Souls, the upcoming shutdown means that any progress, unlocked characters, or saved data will become inaccessible after September 3. Konami has not announced any compensation or data migration options, so fans are encouraged to finish any pending activities before the cut‑off date.
The removal from Apple Arcade on August 20 also means that new users will no longer be able to download the game, even if they wish to experience it before the final shutdown. The lifecycle of Grimoire of Souls illustrates the challenges of sustaining live service games, especially those that transition across platforms and business models. While the initial free‑to‑play launch allowed the title to reach a wide audience, the shift to a subscription‑based model required significant redesign and a new monetisation philosophy. Although the game enjoyed a dedicated fan base during its two‑year run on Apple Arcade, the decision to end support suggests that maintaining server infrastructure and ongoing updates was no longer viable for Konami.
In summary, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be delisted from Apple Arcade on August 20 and will cease to function entirely on September 3. Konami has expressed sincere thanks to its community for their support over the years. The closure is part of a larger pattern of game service retirements slated for the latter half of the year, affecting titles across multiple platforms and genres. Players who wish to experience the game one last time should do so before the August removal, and those with lingering progress should be aware that it will be lost after the September shutdown.