Konami has officially disclosed 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 company indicated that the game will be removed from the Apple Arcade catalog on August 20, and that the servers supporting the game will be shut down on September 3, at which point the title will become completely unplayable for anyone who has not already downloaded it.
In a statement posted on Konami’s website, the publisher reflected on the game’s lifecycle since its debut on Apple Arcade in September 2021. "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 announcement 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 game’s origins.
Grimoire of Souls first appeared in September 2019 as a free‑to‑play mobile title available on iOS and Android in Canada. The initial version relied on in‑game currency and microtransactions, a common monetisation model for mobile games at the time. After about a year, the original version was discontinued, but Konami saw an opportunity to revive the experience through Apple’s subscription‑based gaming service, Apple Arcade.
When the game returned to the market in September 2021, it was offered as part of the Apple Arcade bundle, meaning players could access it without additional purchases. In this relaunch, Konami stripped out the microtransaction system entirely, removed the in‑game currency, and introduced a number of quality‑of‑life improvements. The developers also overhauled the user interface, refined level layouts, and upgraded the graphics to take advantage of the higher resolution displays on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac devices.
These changes were intended to provide a more polished, premium experience that aligned with Apple Arcade’s promise of ad‑free, subscription‑only gaming. Despite these enhancements, the game’s lifespan on the platform was relatively short. After roughly a year and a half of availability, Konami decided to pull the title from the service. The decision reflects a broader trend in the industry where subscription services periodically rotate their libraries, retiring titles that no longer meet strategic or financial goals.
For players, the removal means that any progress made in the game will be lost after the shutdown date, and new players will no longer have the chance to discover the title through Apple Arcade. Grimoire of Souls is not the only game facing an imminent shutdown. Konami has indicated that several other titles are slated for removal in the coming months. For example, the mobile racing game Mario Kart Tour is scheduled to cease operations in September.
Following that, the animated‑style shooter Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem will be taken offline in October, and the vehicular combat game Destruction AllStars will end its service in November. This wave of closures suggests a strategic realignment for Konami’s mobile and subscription‑based offerings, possibly shifting resources toward newer projects or different platforms. For fans of the Castlevania franchise, the loss of Grimoire of Souls may feel particularly poignant. The game offered a unique take on the classic series, allowing players to collect and command a roster of characters from across the franchise’s long history.
It blended action‑RPG mechanics with a card‑collecting system, letting players assemble squads to tackle various challenges. While the game’s design differed from the traditional side‑scrolling platformers that defined the series, it still retained the gothic aesthetic, iconic music, and familiar monster lore that have made Castlevania a beloved name for decades. If you own the game and have not yet downloaded it, the August 20 delisting date is your final opportunity to add it to your Apple Arcade library.
After that point, the game will disappear from the store, and you will be unable to install it on any device. For those who have already installed the game, you will still be able to play until September 3, but after the servers are turned off, any online features, cloud saves, and multiplayer components will cease to function, effectively rendering the game unplayable. In summary, Konami’s announcement signals the end of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade, with a delisting on August 20 and a complete shutdown on September 3. The decision follows a pattern of service terminations for several mobile titles, reflecting the evolving priorities of the publisher in a competitive gaming market.
Players are encouraged to download the game before the removal date if they wish to preserve any final memories of this distinctive entry in the Castlevania catalog.