Konami has officially confirmed that its Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls title will be taken offline in the near future. The game, which has been available solely through Apple Arcade, is slated to be removed from the subscription service on August 20.
Following that removal, the servers that support the game will be shut down on September 3, after which the title will no longer be accessible to players. In a statement posted on the company’s 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 statement read.
"However, we have decided to terminate the service [in September]." The publisher 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 offering for iOS and Android devices in Canada.
After a brief run, the mobile version was discontinued a year later. Konami then chose to revive the title as a premium, subscription‑based experience on Apple Arcade, making it available across iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and macOS platforms.
This re‑release was accompanied by a series of substantial changes: the in‑game currency and micro‑transaction mechanics were stripped out, user interface layouts were refreshed, and the visual fidelity received a notable upgrade to better match the capabilities of Apple’s hardware. The decision to retire Grimoire of Souls comes amid a broader trend of online‑dependent games reaching the end of their service windows.
Konami is not alone in this process; several other titles are slated for similar fates in the coming months. Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour, for example, is scheduled to cease operations in September. Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem will follow in October, and the Rockstar‑published Destruction AllStars is set to be shut down in November.
These closures reflect the challenges of maintaining live‑service games, especially those that rely on continuous server support and regular content updates. 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.
Because the game’s multiplayer and online components are integral to its core experience, there is no offline mode that can preserve gameplay after the servers are turned off. Konami has not indicated any plans to release a standalone, offline version of the title, so fans who wish to retain a copy of the game will need to do so before the delisting date.
The removal from Apple Arcade also has implications for the subscription service itself. Apple Arcade users who joined specifically to play Grimoire of Souls will lose access to that particular experience, though the broader library of games on the platform will remain unchanged.
Apple typically does not provide refunds for games that are removed due to service termination, but it does update its catalog listings to reflect the current availability of titles. From a business perspective, the decision to end support for Grimoary of Souls likely stems from a combination of factors, including the cost of server maintenance, diminishing player engagement, and the strategic shift toward newer projects.
Live‑service games require ongoing investment in infrastructure, security patches, and content creation to keep the player base engaged. When the revenue generated by a title no longer justifies these expenses, publishers often opt to sunset the service. Fans of the Castlevania franchise may find some consolation in the fact that Konami continues to develop and release other entries in the series across various platforms.
While Grimoire of Souls will no longer be playable, the company’s broader portfolio—including recent releases on consoles and PC—offers alternative ways to experience the classic gothic action‑RPG formula that has defined the series for decades. In summary, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be delisted from Apple Arcade on August 20, and its online servers will be permanently shut down on September 3, rendering the game unplayable.
Konami has expressed sincere appreciation for its community and acknowledges the support it received over the years. This shutdown is part of a larger wave of service terminations affecting several live‑service titles across the industry, highlighting the evolving nature of digital game distribution and the challenges of sustaining long‑term online experiences.