Konami has officially announced that Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is being delisted and then shut down completely in just a few weeks time. An Apple Arcade exclusive, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will terminate all service on September 3, 2026.
Originally released for iOS and Android devices back in September 2019, but only in Canada, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is a Konami-developed action-adventure platformer with RPG elements that features iconic characters from the franchise like Alucard, Simon Belmont, and Maria Renard. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls‘ original run was short-lived, however, with the mobile entry being delisted just a year after launch. But the game returned in September 2021 as an Apple Arcade exclusive, this time with improved graphics and character models, and no microtransactions.
Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls Is Being Shut Down
On August 16, Konami officially announced the imminent shutdown of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls. This mobile entry will be removed from the Apple Arcade storefront on August 20, and the game will be shutdown completely on September 3, meaning that it’ll no longer be playable in any official capacity, even to those who have already purchased the game. In its official announcement, Konami gives no reasoning behind the decision to delist and terminate service for Castelvania: Grimoire of Souls, but does “express [its] gratitude to all of [its] players for their enthusiastic support throughout the years.”
What’s That Weapon?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
Easy (7.5s)Medium (5.0s)Hard (2.5s)Permadeath (2.5s)
For those who will never get to play the game for themselves, Castelvania: Grimoire of Souls‘ story revolves around Genya Arikado (an alter ego of the fan-favorite character Alucard) receiving a mysterious letter informing him that the titular artifact has been awakened, and that the darkness contained within has begun to spread. Through the use of the Grimoire, several franchise icons like Simon Belmont, Richter Belmont, Trevor Belmont, Charlotte Aulin, and Maria Renard all make an appearance in the spinoff.
Given Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls‘ Apple Arcade exclusivity, only a handful of outlets officially reviewed the game. Pocket Tactics gave the game a 4/10 in its 2021 review, calling Grimoire of Souls a “mindless hack and slash title that promises so much, yet delivers so little.” Game Informer didn’t publish a full review of Grimoire of Souls, but said that it “partially scratches the itch that players have for a new Castlevania game” in a first-impressions piece.
The Future of The Castlevania Franchise
While it’s certainly sad news that Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is being shutdown completely in September, fans aren’t being left in the dust entirely. On October 15, the beloved Konami franchise is finally set to make its (hopefully) triumphant return with Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, the first full-fledged mainline entry in the series since 2014’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2. Though it’s still a few months out from launch, early hands-on previews for Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse have been largely very positive. In my own preview back in July, I stated that Belmont’s Curse felt like a “true, authentic, and modern Castlevania game,” and one that “might have been worth waiting 12 years for.”
- Released
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October 15, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
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Evil Empire, Motion Twin
