Konami has officially confirmed that its title Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be taken offline next month, marking the end of its availability on Apple Arcade. The game, which has been part of the Apple Arcade catalog since its debut on the platform in September 2021, will first be removed from the service’s storefront on August 20.
After that date, new players will no longer be able to download the game, and existing owners will lose access to any future updates. The final shutdown is scheduled for September 3, at which point the title will be completely non‑functional; players will no longer be able to launch or play the game in any capacity. In a statement posted on Konami’s official website, the company reflected on the game’s history and its 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 message 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." To understand why this shutdown matters, it helps to look back at the origins of Grimoire of Souls.
The title first appeared in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play mobile experience for iOS and Android devices, initially launched only in the Canadian market. That early version featured a traditional free‑to‑play monetisation model, complete with in‑game currency, microtransactions, and a design that catered to short, on‑the‑go play sessions.
After roughly a year of operation, Konami decided to discontinue the mobile version, citing strategic realignment and the desire to explore new distribution avenues. In 2021, the game was resurrected as an exclusive title for Apple Arcade, a subscription‑based gaming service that promises an ad‑free, no‑microtransaction experience.
This relaunch was more than a simple port; Konami took the opportunity to overhaul the product. They stripped out all forms of in‑game purchases, removed the virtual currency system, and redesigned the user interface to better suit the larger screens of iPadOS, macOS, and Apple TV. Visual fidelity was also upgraded, with higher‑resolution textures, refined lighting effects, and smoother animations that took advantage of the hardware capabilities of newer Apple devices.
Grimoire of Souls is not the only game in Konami’s portfolio slated for an imminent shutdown. The company has indicated that several other titles will follow a similar timeline in the coming months. For instance, the popular mobile racing game Mario Kart Tour is set to cease operations in September.
After that, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem is expected to be taken offline in October, and the cross‑platform title Destruction AllStars will close its doors in November. These announcements reflect a broader trend within the mobile and subscription gaming sectors, where developers periodically retire older or less profitable titles to reallocate resources toward new projects and emerging technologies.
For players who have invested time in Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the shutdown may feel abrupt, but the company’s statement underscores a genuine appreciation for its community. Konami’s decision to end support aligns with the typical lifecycle of many subscription‑based games, which often have a limited window of active development and maintenance before the cost of upkeep outweighs the benefits.
While the exact reasons behind the closure have not been disclosed in detail, industry analysts suggest that factors such as declining active user numbers, shifting strategic priorities, and the need to focus on newer IPs likely played a role. If you own the game and wish to preserve your progress, there is unfortunately no official method to export save data or continue playing offline once the servers are shut down.
Players are encouraged to enjoy the remaining weeks of the game before the September 3 deadline. After that, the title will be removed from the Apple Arcade library, and any attempts to launch it will result in an error message indicating that the service is no longer available. In summary, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be delisted from Apple Arcade on August 20, with full shutdown occurring on September 3, ending its availability for both new and existing players.
Konami has expressed gratitude to its fan base and highlighted the game’s evolution from a free‑to‑play mobile title to a polished, ad‑free experience on Apple’s subscription platform. The closure is part of a larger wave of game retirements that include Mario Kart Tour, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, and Destruction AllStars, reflecting the dynamic nature of the gaming industry and the constant reshuffling of resources toward fresh experiences.