A Konami game from 2019 will permanently shut down on September 3, 2026, with this being a little surprising given Konami’s recent and upcoming releases. Konami has spent the last few years working to get some of its biggest IPs back into the spotlight, with slow but earnestly surprising results. Silent Hill f was well-received by fans, while Silent Hill: Townfall is on the horizon (with Konami reportedly wanting to annualize the franchise). Metal Gear is getting remasters and collections, and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse represents its franchise’s future.
The company has plenty of plans for its classic franchises, but some of the older games tied to those Konami series are becoming increasingly difficult to access. Castlevania has already spent years bouncing between collections, mobile releases, and other projects, and now one of those releases is about to disappear completely (even for players who already have access to it).
PSA – Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls Will Be Unplayable After September 3
That game is Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the mobile action-adventure platformer game that Konami is preparing to shut down on September 3, 2026. Originally released for iOS and Android in Canada in September 2019, the game was removed about a year later before returning in September 2021 as an Apple Arcade exclusive with improved graphics, updated character models, and no microtransactions. Konami announced on August 16 that it would be removed from Apple Arcade on August 20, as has occurred, before its service officially ends on September 3.
Find the odd one out before the timer hits zero.
Grimoire of Souls puts players in the role of Genya Arikado, an Alucard alter ego, after he receives a mysterious letter warning him of the game’s dangers. The game also brings together a surprisingly large group of Castlevania characters, including Simon Belmont, Richter Belmont, and Trevor Belmont. It was designed as a side-scrolling action game with RPG elements, giving fans another way to interact with familiar characters and the series’ gothic world.
Unfortunately, fans never quite embraced this Castlevania game. Konami did not fully explain why it is choosing to shut down the title, but it’s hard to imagine anything but low player counts being the main reason. It probably simply was not profitable enough, and Konami likely wanted to put those resources toward other games, perhaps even other Castlevania games. It remains to be seen, but those without mobile devices with this game installed can only say farewell to it in spirit, not gameplay. And those with it will reportedly lose complete access, too.
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Now, Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is only days away from becoming one of those games that technically existed but can no longer be played through official means. Konami may not explain the shutdown, but it did thank players for their support over the years. Ultimately, Grimoire of Souls will soon be another piece of Castlevania history that players cannot easily revisit.