Square Enix and Nintendo End Service Today: Mario Kart and More Announced
Game preservation has become one of the most heated topics in the industry, and the latest wave of backlash isn’t limited to Sony. After Sony said last week that it will stop producing PlayStation games on physical discs starting in 2028, frustrated players have continued to pile on. Now, two more major publishers are finding themselves in the crosshairs: Square Enix and Nintendo, both of which have announced that they’re shutting down specific mobile titles later this year.
Shutdown dates, platforms, and what’s still purchasable
| Game | Platforms mentioned | End of service date | Refund/currency notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS | App Store, Google Play, Steam | Oct. 6, 2026 (11:00 PM PDT) | Red Crystals sales end today; refunds for unused in-game currency available only to residents of Taiwan |
| Mario Kart Tour | Smart devices (mobile) | Sept. 29 (11:00 PM Pacific) | Final Vacation Tour Gold Pass benefits become free for all players after this date; ruby sales end today |
Square Enix kicked things off with a direct service-ending message for its mobile gacha game, FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS. The company said it regretted to announce that service for the title would end on Oct. 6, 2026 at 11:00 PM PDT. It also acknowledged that the news could feel disappointing and apologized for the suddenness of the announcement.
Square Enix explained that it has been working to deliver the best possible experience for players since the game’s App Store and Google Play launch on Sep. 7, 2023, followed by a Steam release on Dec. 6, 2023. However, after what it described as careful consideration, the publisher said it has become difficult to keep going and therefore decided to end service.
Alongside the shutdown announcement, Square Enix confirmed that Red Crystals sales stop today. Refund eligibility was also limited: only people in Taiwan can request refunds for unused in-game currency.
One more point has players especially worried—there’s no confirmed offline mode. With that uncertainty, money spent on the gacha game risks effectively disappearing at the end of service, fueling broader concerns about digital ownership and the long-term preservation of games.
The repeated line of messaging—“We understand that this news may be disappointing, and we sincerely apologize for the abrupt nature of this announcement”—served as a reminder that Square Enix anticipated player frustration and still moved forward.
Just hours after Square Enix’s statement, Nintendo followed with its own shutdown confirmation. The company announced that service for Mario Kart Tour on smart devices will end at 11:00 p.m. Pacific on September 29.
Nintendo’s note thanked players who have supported the game since service began, and it closed with a simple farewell: “Thank you for playing Mario Kart Tour.”
The publisher also outlined end-of-life changes for paid perks. It confirmed that the final Vacation Tour Gold Pass benefits would become free for all players after the stated date. Separately, ruby sales are also set to end today, mirroring the “spend now, lose later” feeling that often comes with mobile shutdowns.
As with Square Enix’s decision, Nintendo did not confirm any offline mode. For many players, that omission is the key reason these announcements feel less like “end of support” and more like “permanent removal,” raising fresh questions about what happens to purchased digital content when servers disappear.
Unsurprisingly, the response wasn’t quiet. Across both announcements, players posted repeated calls asking the companies to keep the games running.
On social media, one user urged Square Enix to rethink FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS by removing the gacha elements—suggesting it could be turned into a full game with normal gameplay. Another comment, focused on Mario Kart Tour, requested an offline “complete edition” similar to what Animal Crossing Pocket Game did—arguing that Nintendo could even charge for it if it meant players would still be able to access tracks and content. The core message in both cases was the same: there’s a lot of material here, and it’s painful to watch everything vanish.
Taken together, these shutdowns add another data point to the wider argument that nothing bought digitally is truly guaranteed to remain playable forever. It’s also why movements like Stop Killing Games keep gaining traction as more publishers quietly move toward server-based “expiration dates” for live titles.
