BlazBlue Alternative: Darkwar is approaching its end of service date. According to Arc System Works, the game is going to shut down in less than a year of service (Thanks, Gematsu, for the translation). BlazBlue is one of Arc System Works’ two flagship fighting game series, alongside Guilty Gear. However, unlike its counterpart, BlazBlue has been mostly dormant since last year with Cross Tag Battle getting one bugfix patch, and getting nothing afterward.
That was where Alternative Darkwar, Arc System Works’s attempt at a gacha game, was meant to fill the gap. However, as stated before, the game is currently faced with its inevitable closure at the end of January 2022. The game’s been out for less than a full year. However, it was reportedly popular enough to have been played by nearly one million users.
Originally touted as a “chain combo x novel RPG”, BlazBlue Alternative Darkwar was released back in February 2021 to Android and iOS devices. Arc System Works's reason behind Alternative Darkwar's shutdown is that it would be difficult “to maintain quality service going forward.” This might be because the company is spread very thin on its current projects such as their work in DNF Duel and releasing Happy Chaos in Guilty Gear Strive.
In addition to the sudden shutdown announcement, Alternative Darkwar’s in-app purchases have also ceased today. However, players can at least make refund requests for their in-app purchases between February 1st, 2022, and May 2nd.
Even though it probably won’t happen, the team at Arc System Works should look into making the game an offline-only closed-off adventure, similar to how Kingdom Hearts Union χ resolved its closure. For context, all online services ceased but most of, if not, the entire game, was made to be playable offline, allowing people to still experience what Union χ wanted to do, minus multiplayer.
The future of BlazBlue remains uncertain. Where will the series go from now? If one can hope, maybe Arc System Works will focus on making a newer main series entry instead of doing another spin-off or collaboration project. However, only time can tell.
