Back in 2016, Shadowverse was released on iOS and Android, and it was one of the few well-crafted anime-style CCGs on the market. After releasing the sequel, Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond, in 2025, Shadowverse has announced that it will be ending service on June 30. The announcement was made on the official X account and the Shadowverse website, although no exact reason was given.
In the official notice, Cygames reflects on what the game became over the course of decade. Starting out as a spin-off of Rage of Bahamut, it built a library of over 5,000 cards spanning 32 sets, brought in outside franchises through collaborations, and told an original story across 20 chapters. The game expanded its mechanics over time, introducing an entirely new faction in Portalcraft, supporting two distinct ranked formats in Rotation and Unlimited, and adding Take Two and Cross Craft as alternate ways to play. Shadowverse also entered the world of esports, with several large-scale tournaments awarding approximately $4.1 million in total prize money across 157 broadcast tournaments, a figure reflecting events with tracked streaming coverage.
The story mode was presented through a fully voice-acted visual novel style and built around eight separate, specialized, and mechanically unique factions, each represented by a specific character. During its height, it had 22 million registered players and four million battles every day.
As of the March 24 maintenance, crystals are no longer available for purchase, though any crystals already in a player’s account remain usable. In place of the Premium Pass, which could no longer be purchased without crystals, all players are receiving it for free. The Throwback Rotation card pool will reset on March 31, the same day Battle Pass Season 23 launches. “Leader Card in Three!” card pack bundles have also been pulled from the shop.
More information on what will happen to unused crystals in player accounts will be available on official websites and social media accounts in the future.