Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls is approaching the end of its run on Apple Arcade, giving Australian players a short window to experience Konami’s unusual mobile spin-off before it becomes unavailable.
When Grimoire of Souls will disappear
Konami has confirmed that the game will be removed from Apple Arcade on 20 August 2026. The service will then end on 3 September 2026, at which point the game’s servers will go offline and Grimoire of Souls will no longer be playable.
The announcement appeared on the official Grimoire of Souls site. Konami said the title had continued to receive support from Apple Arcade players since its launch in September 2021, while thanking the community for its enthusiastic support.
A Castlevania adventure built around Dracula’s history
The game’s story centres on evil escaping from books that record the history of Dracula and his castle. Players travel through compact stages based on those books, with the journey bringing in familiar characters from throughout the Castlevania series.
Its core design is close to a traditional 2D Castlevania game, but the package adds cooperative and multiplayer modes. That combination makes it an interesting detour for fans who enjoy the series’ side-scrolling action as well as its wider cast and mythology.
Why the Apple Arcade version matters
As an Apple Arcade release, Grimoire of Souls does not use in-app purchases. That means its progression avoids the microtransactions and gacha mechanics commonly associated with many modern mobile and live-service games.
Players who want to try it should download it before the 20 August delisting. The remaining period before the 3 September shutdown provides roughly two weeks to play, although access will end permanently when the servers close.
Could Grimoire of Souls return elsewhere?
A standalone release on modern platforms would give this distinctive entry a chance to survive beyond Apple Arcade. The underlying game is close enough to a conventional Castlevania experience that it could potentially work as a single-player title even without its cooperative and multiplayer features.
For now, no such repackaging has been announced. Its disappearance is a reminder that games dependent on online services can be difficult to preserve, unlike a classic title that can remain accessible through dedicated arcade machines or a carefully maintained home setup.
Castlevania’s next chapter
Konami is also preparing Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. The upcoming game is described as the first new entry in the franchise in more than a decade and is scheduled for release on 15 October.
Until then, Grimoire of Souls remains a curious chapter in the series’ history. Readers planning a broader retro gaming setup can explore RETROCADE’s arcade news and features, or use the arcade machine buying guide when choosing hardware for classic games.
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