Konami has officially disclosed that its title Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will cease operations next month. The game, which has been available solely through Apple Arcade, is slated to be delisted from the platform on August 20. Following that removal, the service will be completely shut down on September 3, after which the title will no longer be accessible or playable by anyone.
In a statement posted on Konami's corporate website, the company reflected on the game's lifespan. "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 also took the opportunity to thank its 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," the message continued.
To understand the context of this decision, it helps to look back at the title's origins. Grimoire of Souls first appeared in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play experience for iOS and Android devices, initially released only in the Canadian market. After roughly a year, that version was discontinued, but Konami later revived the game as part of the Apple Arcade subscription service, expanding its availability to iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and macOS. When the game returned under the Apple Arcade banner, Konami made several notable changes.
The company stripped out the original in‑game currency system and eliminated microtransactions, aiming to provide a more streamlined, subscription‑based experience. In addition, the visual presentation received a refresh: user interface layouts were reworked for better navigation, and the graphics were upgraded to take advantage of the higher resolution capabilities of modern Apple hardware. Despite these improvements, the title now joins a growing list of games that are scheduled for shutdown in the near future. The industry has seen a wave of such closures as subscription services evolve and publishers reassess the viability of maintaining older titles.
For example, Nintendo's Mario Kart Tour is set to end its service in September, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem will follow in October, and Destruction AllStars is slated for a November shutdown. The pattern reflects broader trends in the mobile and subscription gaming markets.
As companies prioritize new releases and allocate resources toward titles that generate steady revenue or align with strategic goals, legacy games—especially those that rely on ongoing server support—often become candidates for retirement. Players who have invested time in these experiences are typically given a short window to finish any remaining progress before the servers are turned off. For fans of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the upcoming shutdown means that any progress made within the game will become inaccessible after September 3.
Those who wish to preserve memories of their playthroughs are encouraged to capture screenshots, record gameplay footage, or document achievements before the deadline. While the game will no longer be playable, its legacy lives on through the community discussions, fan art, and the impact it had on the broader Castlevania franchise. In summary, Konami's decision to retire Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls follows a series of similar moves across the gaming landscape.
The title will be removed from Apple Arcade on August 20, and the online services that power it will be terminated on September 3, rendering the game unplayable thereafter. The company has thanked its player base for their support and acknowledges the game's place in its portfolio, even as it shifts focus toward future projects and newer experiences.