Square Enix has announced that it has decided to remove Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles from the Apple iOS app store because of a major bug that it isn’t able to fix. The game came out on PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android, back in August of 2020. This release was based on the original game that came out in 2003 on the Nintendo GameCube.
The Japanese publisher added that it had recently made some changes to its in-app purchases model which meant that everyone who bought the DLC content from the Apple AppStore on iOS won’t be able to use it anymore.
Although this doesn’t seem like such a massive grievance at first glance, especially if the DLC was just cosmetic items and other things players can do without. But the problem is that the game is a free app on iOS, and has to then be unlocked fully using an in-app purchase, which essentially locks out anyone who bought the game from being able to access it.
The company said in a statement on its website that the team was unable to rectify the issue completely and after some thought, deems it unlikely to continue services for the game. This is why the announcement continued to say that the iOS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is going offline permanently.
Those who made in-app purchases after the start of 2024 will be eligible for refunds, this includes the price of unlocking the full version. But anyone who paid for the game before 2024 won’t get a refund.
Those who aren’t playing Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on iOS don’t have to worry about this as the issue is limited to Apple’s platform only. PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and even Android players can continue playing the game as normal. The company hasn’t disclosed how many players will be affected by this.
