Square Enix announced that it will shut down network services for the arcade title Love Live! School Idol Festival ~After School Activity~ Next Stage on Friday, October 1, 2021, at 5:59am JST. The cessation will render the arcade game entirely unplayable. The company will also close the game’s customization website at the same time. That means existing players will no longer be able to see any records of their gameplay sessions. [Thanks, Inside.]
Love Live! is one of the last franchises for which Square Enix still handles arcade games. The arcade title originally appeared as Love Live! School Idol Festival ~After School Activity~ in December 2016. Square Enix then replaced it with the Next Stage upgrade in December 2018. Updates and events for the arcade title became scarce in 2021.
Square Enix has since released a PlayStation 4 version of the game, titled Love Live! School Idol Festival ~After School Activity~ Wai-Wai! Home Meeting!! The console version was released worldwide in March 2021.
As of this writing, the only other Square Enix arcade games with active network services are the fighting game Million Arthur: Arcana Blood and the mecha team battle game Starwing Paradox. However, neither of them has received further updates in 2021.
Square Enix has not even added a new arcade game to its lineup since 2019. The company had previously shut down network services for the arcade versions of Gunslinger Stratos 3, Dissidia Final Fantasy, and Theatrhythm Final Fantasy on April 1, 2021.
Love Live! School Idol Festival ~After School Activity~ Next Stage is available in arcades in Japan until October 1, 2021.
