posted on 2024-09-24 07:19 EDT by Joanna Cayanan
Offline version planned for smartphone game which launched in 2019
2019 TOARU-PROJECT ©SQUARE ENIX
The official website for Square Enix's A Certain Magical Index: Imaginary Fest smartphone game announced on Tuesday that the game will end its service on December 2 at 1:00 p.m. JST (December 1 at 11:00 p.m. EST). The game's staff added that an offline "Memorial Ver." edition of the game is also slated for December 2.
The game's staff explained that they have come to the conclusion that it will be difficult to provide a satisfactory service in the future, and decided to end the service. In a Producer Letter post, producer Hiroki Yamada said he felt that the game ending its service is "due entirely to [his] own lack of ability."
As of Tuesday, sales of the in-game currency have been discontinued. The staff is planning in-game events until the service ends. The game's main story will adapt the original novel series' "Russia Arc" before it ends service.
The game's planned offline version aims to keep some of the players' playing history, but will lose some functions such as collaboration-related data, voice and song data, and battle parts. The offline version is planned to have a function to view unlocked scenarios and acquired illustrations, and effects of acquired battle characters. The "Bakusō! Harapeko Index" (Roaring! Hungry Index) mini-game is also slated for an offline version.
A Certain Magical Index: Imaginary Fest game launched in July 2019. The "academy supernatural powers battle role-playing game" based on the A Certain Magical Index franchise is free to play, but with fees for in-game items.
The franchise previously inspired two PlayStation Portable games in 2011 and 2013. The A Certain Magical Virtual-On (To Aru Majutsu no Virtual-On) crossover game launched on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita in Japan in February 2018. Previous mobile games in the franchise include Toaru Majutsu no Index Struggle Battle, which ran from 2012 through March 2018, and Toaru Majutsu to Kagaku no Puzzle Decks, which launched in 2014 and ended service in 2016.
Source: A Certain Magical Index: Imaginary Fest game's website (link 2) via Otakomu