Konami has officially confirmed that its title Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be taken offline next month, marking the end of the game's availability on Apple Arcade. The service will first remove the game from the Apple Arcade catalogue on August 20, after which the title will cease to function entirely on September 3, meaning players will no longer be able to launch or play it. In a statement posted on the company's website, Konami reflected on the game's lifespan 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 statement read.
"However, we have decided to terminate the service [in September]." The company 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 notice added. To understand why this shutdown matters, it helps to look back at the game's history.
Grimoire of Souls originally debuted in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play title for iOS and Android devices, initially released only in Canada. That first incarnation featured in‑game currency, micro‑transactions, and a monetisation model typical of many mobile games at the time. After roughly a year, the original version was discontinued.
In September 2021, Konami revived the title as an Apple Arcade exclusive, expanding its platform reach to include iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and macOS. The relaunch came with a significant overhaul: the developers stripped out all forms of in‑game purchases, removed the virtual currency system, and re‑designed the user interface to better suit the console‑like experience Apple Arcade aims to provide. Graphical assets were also upgraded, delivering sharper textures and smoother animations that took advantage of the more powerful hardware found in modern Apple devices. The decision to remove the game aligns with a broader trend of subscription‑based services pruning older or less‑performing titles.
Apple Arcade, which launched in 2019, has a rotating catalog, and developers periodically retire games to make room for new experiences. For players, this means that any progress saved locally or in the cloud will become inaccessible once the service shuts down, and any purchased DLC or unlocks tied to the game will no longer be usable. Grimoire of Souls is not the only title facing an imminent shutdown.
Several other games have been announced for removal in the coming months. Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour, another mobile title that relies on a subscription model for certain features, is slated to end service in September.
Following that, the Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem game will be taken offline in October, and the Sony‑backed Destruction AllStars, which also launched on Apple Arcade, will cease operations in November. For fans of the Castlevania franchise, Grimoire of Souls offered a unique spin on the classic gothic action‑RPG formula. Players could collect and command a roster of iconic characters from the series, each with distinct abilities and weaponry, and engage in both solo missions and cooperative multiplayer battles.
The game’s emphasis on strategic team composition and its blend of real‑time combat with RPG progression set it apart from more traditional platform‑focused Castlevania entries. While the shutdown may be disappointing, Konami has indicated that it remains committed to supporting its core franchises across other platforms.
The company continues to develop new entries for the mainline Castlevania series, as well as spin‑offs and cross‑media projects, ensuring that the brand stays vibrant for both longtime fans and newcomers. If you own Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade, you have a limited window to finish any ongoing campaigns, capture final screenshots, or record gameplay footage before the September 3 cut‑off. After that date, the servers that host multiplayer matchmaking and cloud saves will be decommissioned, rendering the game unplayable. In summary, Konami’s announcement signals the final chapter for Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade.
The game will be delisted on August 20, fully disabled on September 3, and will join a growing list of mobile titles that are being retired as subscription services evolve. Players are encouraged to savor the remaining days of the experience and to keep an eye on future releases from Konami that continue to explore the rich, vampire‑laden universe of Castlevania.