{"rewrite":{"id":"r_f4665b4493c1a6ac2c1a8784","clusterId":"c_d54875409a2189ed41361762","slug":"castlevania-grimoire-of-souls-ends-service-on-september-3","model":"deepseek-v4-flash:free","headline":"Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls Ends Service on September 3","summary":"Konami Digital Entertainment announced on August 17 that Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the Apple Arcade-exclusive action RPG, will end its service on September 3, 2026. Distribution on Apple Arcade will cease earlier, on August 20, giving players a short window to finish the game. The title launched on Apple Arcade on September 17, 2021, meaning its service will have run for approximately five years. Players control series characters such as Alucard, Simon, and Charlotte, using their unique skills to battle demons across stages. The game involved familiar series staff, including illustrator Ayami Kojima and composer Michiru Yamane, and was formally announced in 2018 before its 2021 release. The official Castlevania X account posted the notice, thanking players for their support. Whether the game will receive an offline version or appear on other platforms remains unclear. Apple Arcade is a subscription service priced at 900 yen per month, available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, offering over 200 games without ads or additional charges.","whyItMatters":"The closure ends one of the few modern Castlevania entries on mobile, and the lack of any announced offline or multi-platform plan leaves the game's availability uncertain after September 3.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eAlucard, Simon, and Charlotte are the playable characters, each with character-specific skills for clearing stages.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe game is a 2D side-scrolling action RPG, a format the series has used across many entries since the first Castlevania appeared in 1986.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eKonami formally announced the title in 2018, three years before its Apple Arcade release on September 17, 2021.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eIllustrator Ayami Kojima and composer Michiru Yamane, both long associated with the series, worked on the game.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe official Castlevania X account posted the closure notice on August 17, thanking players for their support.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eApple Arcade distribution ends August 20, leaving a two-week window before service ends September 3, 2026.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eThe game runs on iOS, iPadOS, Mac, visionOS, and tvOS through Apple Arcade, which costs 900 yen per month and offers over 200 games without ads or extra charges.\u003c/li\u003e\n  \u003cli\u003eGame Spark notes the series name Castlevania, together with Metroid, is the origin of the term Metroidvania, a major genre in indie games.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls ends service September 3, but Apple Arcade distribution stops August 20. That's a three-day window to finish. No offline plan announced.","twitterPost":"Konami's Apple Arcade exclusive Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls shuts down September 3 after a five-year run. The game brought back Ayami Kojima and Michiru Yamane. What's next for the series on mobile?","threadsPost":null,"newsletterBlurb":"Konami announced that Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls, the Apple Arcade action RPG, will end service on September 3, 2026. Distribution stops August 20, and no offline or multi-platform plans have been revealed.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Denfaminicogamer\",\"url\":\"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/2608172d\",\"title\":\"Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls Service Ends September 3, Closing Approximately Five-Year Run Since September 2021\"},{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/17/170799.html\",\"title\":\"『悪魔城ドラキュラ - Grimoire of Souls』2026年9月3日にサ終-Apple Arcade限定配信のARPGが5年で閉幕\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":11158,"outputTokens":1323,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1786960203,"createdAt":"2026-08-17T09:40:16.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-08-17T09:46:44.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-17T09:40:16.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_d54875409a2189ed41361762","canonicalTitle":"『悪魔城ドラキュラ Grimoire of Souls』が9月3日をもってサービスを終了へ。2021年9月の配信から約5年の歩みに幕","representativeArticleId":"a_b0203095a7e96598ad124a67","sourceCount":2,"writtenSourceCount":2,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":false,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls\"],\"studios\":[],\"people\":[],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-08-17T06:14:51.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-08-17T07:00:04.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-08-17T09:46:45.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Denfaminicogamer","url":"https://news.denfaminicogamer.jp/news/2608172d","title":"『悪魔城ドラキュラ Grimoire of Souls』が9月3日をもってサービスを終了へ。2021年9月の配信から約5年の歩みに幕"},{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/08/17/170799.html","title":"『悪魔城ドラキュラ - Grimoire of Souls』2026年9月3日にサ終―Apple Arcade限定配信のARPGが5年で閉幕"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls"],"studios":[],"people":[],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":["Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls will end its service on September 3, 2026, as announced by Konami Digital Entertainment on August 17, 2026.","Distribution of Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls on Apple Arcade will end on August 20, 2026.","Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls launched on Apple Arcade on September 17, 2021, and will have run for approximately five years.","The game is a 2D side-scrolling action RPG where players control characters such as Alucard, Simon, and Charlotte.","Apple Arcade is a subscription service priced at 900 yen per month, available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV."]}