Bandai Namco will shut down the long-running arcade game Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield on November 30, 2021, at 2 AM JST. The game’s website will be taken down at the same time. [Thanks, DenFamiNico Gamer.]
The original Bonds of the Battlefield, known in Japan as Senjou no Kizuna, launched in arcades on November 7, 2006. It received multiple updates that added Mobile Suits from later and newer Universal Century titles, such as Char’s Counterattack and Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn. It also received a PlayStation Portable version in 2009. When the game shuts down on November 30, 2021, it will have run for 15 years.
Bandai Namco released the game’s sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield II, on July 27, 2021. It brought more features like color customization and multi-unit decks, in addition to a new graphics engine. The company provided a smooth transition to phase out the now obsolete prequel.
The Bonds of the Battlefield series features first-person shooting team battles featuring Mobile Suits belonging to Earth Federation and Zeon in the Universal Century timeline. It is also known for having arcade cabinets designed to look like a Mobile Suit cockpit.
The original Mobile Suit Gundam: Bonds of the Battlefield is available in Japanese arcades until November 30, 2021.
