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Konami has announced that it is terminating the smartphone title Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, triggering a wave of pleas from fans to preserve it in some shape or form.
Released on Android and iOS as a Canadian exclusive in September 2019, the game initially relied on in-game currency and microtransactions. It was taken offline a year later, only to reappear on Apple Arcade in September 2021.
Because it was tied behind a subscription, the odious microtransaction system was removed, making for a far more agreeable experience – and Grimoire of Souls, which pulls together several famous characters from the franchise's history in an action-platforming environment – found its audience. The involvement of Castlevania veterans Ayami Kojima (character design) and Michiru Yamane (music) certainly helped.
However, the audience doesn't seem large enough for Konami to sustain the game (or perhaps its exclusivity deal with Apple has simply ended), because the company has announced it is pulling the plug on September 3rd of this year.
"Thank you for playing Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls," says Konami on the game's official site. "Since its launch on Apple Arcade in September 2021, the game has continued to be supported by many players. However, we have decided to terminate the service on September 3, 2026 (PDT). 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."
It will be removed from Apple Arcade on August 20th, so if you want to check it out before it gets taken offline completely, now's the time.
This has led many people to ask Konami to release the game in another format, perhaps on console or Steam.
"Please do not let this vanish into the night," says Castlevania superfan Dongled, who was lucky enough to speak to Michael Guinn, the voice of Symphony of the Night's Dracula, earlier this year. "You've got the 40th anniversary of the franchise and Grimoire deserves to be part of that celebration! Bring it to consoles in a special offline mode. Charge us $15 for it, we will pay it!"
Of course, it's worth noting that Konami could well reissue the game on smartphones again now that its Apple Arcade deal is over – after all, that's where it was originally released.
Would you like to see the game return, either on mobile or a different platform? Let us know by posting a comment.