Konami has officially confirmed that Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be taken offline next month, ending its availability on Apple Arcade. The company stated that the title will be removed from the Apple Arcade catalogue on August 20, after which it will remain inaccessible to new players. The final shutdown is scheduled for September 3, at which point the game’s servers will be turned off and the experience will no longer be playable for anyone who has previously downloaded it. In a brief statement posted on its website, Konami reflected on the game’s lifespan, noting that it launched on Apple Arcade in September 2021 and had continued to attract a dedicated player base over the ensuing years.
"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 developer went on to thank its community, expressing sincere appreciation for the enthusiasm and loyalty shown by fans.
"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. The history of Grimoire of Souls stretches back to its original debut in September 2019, when it arrived as a free‑to‑play title for iOS and Android devices in Canada. That early version featured a traditional mobile monetisation model, including in‑game currency and microtransactions.
After roughly a year, the initial iteration was discontinued, but Konami saw an opportunity to revive the game under a different distribution model. In 2021, the studio relaunched Grimoire of Souls as an Apple Arcade exclusive, expanding its availability to a broader range of Apple hardware, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac computers. The transition to Apple Arcade brought several notable changes. Konami stripped out the in‑game currency system and any microtransaction mechanics, aligning the title with the subscription‑based, ad‑free philosophy of the platform.
The developers also took the chance to overhaul the user interface, streamline menus, and enhance the visual fidelity of the game. Updated graphics, higher resolution textures, and refined lighting effects were introduced to make the experience feel more modern and to better showcase the classic Castlevania aesthetic on larger screens. Grimoire of Souls is not the only title slated for removal in the near future. The gaming industry has seen a wave of service‑based games reaching the end of their operational lives as publishers reassess the cost of maintaining servers versus the size of the active player base.
In the same timeframe, Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour is set to cease operations in September, followed by Warner Bros.’ Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem, which will be shut down in October. Sony’s Destruction AllStars is also on the list, with its servers scheduled to go offline in November. These closures underscore a broader trend where subscription or free‑to‑play games with online components are retired once they no longer meet business or community thresholds. For players who have invested time in Grimoire of Souls, the shutdown means that any progress, unlocked characters, or achievements will become inaccessible after September 3.
Since the game no longer supports offline play, there is no way to continue the experience locally once the servers are decommissioned. Konami has not announced any compensation or migration path for existing users, but the company’s statement suggests that the decision was made after careful consideration of the game’s performance and future prospects.
The removal of the title from Apple Arcade on August 20 also means that new users will no longer be able to download it from the service. Those who have already installed the game can continue to play until the final shutdown date, but after September 3 the app will likely display an error message indicating that the service is unavailable.
This is a common outcome for many online‑only titles that rely on backend infrastructure for core gameplay functions such as matchmaking, leaderboards, and content updates. While the end of Grimoire of Souls marks the conclusion of a particular chapter in Konami’s mobile strategy, the company continues to maintain a robust portfolio of games across multiple platforms, ranging from classic franchises like Castlevania and Metal Gear to newer entries in the eSports and mobile arenas. Fans of the Castlevania series can look forward to other titles that continue to explore the franchise’s gothic themes, such as the recently released Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls Remastered for console and PC, which retains the core gameplay while offering expanded content and offline capabilities.
In summary, Konami’s announcement signals the imminent delisting and shutdown of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade, with the removal date set for August 20 and the final server shutdown slated for September 3. The decision reflects broader industry patterns of retiring online‑dependent games after they have run their course, and it joins a list of other high‑profile titles that will also disappear from service in the coming months. Players are encouraged to savor any remaining time with the game before the servers go dark, and to keep an eye on future Konami releases for new ways to experience the beloved Castlevania universe.