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 company detailed a two‑stage timeline for the shutdown: first, the game will be removed from the Apple Arcade catalog on August 20, and then, on September 3, the servers that power the experience will be permanently shut down, rendering the game unplayable for anyone who tries to launch it after that date. In a statement posted on Konami’s website, the publisher 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 company went on to thank its 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 title for iOS and Android devices, initially rolling out only in Canada.
After a year of operation, the mobile version was discontinued, but Konami later revived the project by bringing it to the Apple Arcade ecosystem. The relaunched version launched across iOS, tvOS, iPadOS, and macOS, offering subscribers a premium, ad‑free experience without the need for in‑app purchases.
When the game returned to Apple Arcade, Konami made several notable changes. The developers stripped out the in‑game currency and micro‑transaction mechanics that had been part of the original free‑to‑play model, opting instead for a straightforward, subscription‑based approach.
They also overhauled the user interface, refined level layouts, and upgraded the visual fidelity to take advantage of Apple’s hardware capabilities, delivering sharper textures, smoother animations, and more detailed character models. The decision to retire Grimoire of Souls comes as part of a broader wave of closures affecting multiple titles across various platforms.
In the coming months, several other games are slated for similar fates. Mario Kart Tour, another mobile title with a sizable player base, is slated to shut down in September.
Following that, Looney Tunes: World of Mayhem will be taken offline in October, and Destruction AllStars is scheduled for a November shutdown. These announcements suggest a strategic shift by publishers to consolidate resources, focus on newer projects, or respond to changing market dynamics. For fans of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the upcoming shutdown means that any progress made in the game will become inaccessible after September 3. Players who wish to preserve their memories may want to capture screenshots, record gameplay footage, or document their favorite moments before the servers are turned off.
While the game will no longer be playable, its legacy lives on as part of Konami’s long‑standing Castlevania franchise, which has spanned decades and inspired countless spin‑offs, remakes, and adaptations. The broader context of this shutdown reflects the challenges that subscription‑based services face when maintaining older titles. As new games are added to platforms like Apple Arcade, older titles may see dwindling active user numbers, making it less viable to keep servers running indefinitely. Konami’s decision underscores the reality that even well‑received games can eventually be retired when they no longer align with a company’s strategic priorities or financial considerations.
In summary, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will be removed from Apple Arcade on August 20, with its online components fully disabled on September 3. Konami has expressed sincere appreciation for the community’s support over the years and has highlighted the enhancements made during the game’s transition to Apple Arcade, including the removal of micro‑transactions and visual upgrades.
The shutdown is part of a larger trend of game retirements scheduled for the latter half of the year, affecting several other popular titles. Players are encouraged to savor the remaining time they have with the game and to keep any personal memorabilia they wish to retain before the service ends.