Bandai Namco announced that The Idolmaster: Pop Links will shut down on July 21, 2022, on the mobile title’s 1.5-year anniversary. The game’s in-game currency will no longer be purchasable starting June 21, 2022. Despite the shutdown, the development team states that it will continue releasing new events leading up to the game’s end of service. [Thanks, Game Watch!]
Released on January 21, 2021, for smartphones, The Idolmaster: Pop Links is a casual puzzle game featuring a cast of idols from various Idolmaster branches. Bandai Namco released the game as part of the series’ 15th anniversary. As a Producer, players had access to 75 idols on launch and acquired them through a gacha system. The game also featured a Fever Time mode, where players could listen to their favorite song from the series while playing the game.
【サービス終了のお知らせ】
「アイドルマスター ポップリンクス」は2022年7月21日(木) をもちまして、サービスを終了させていただくこととなりました｡詳細は公式サイトまたはゲーム内のお知らせよりご確認ください。
— アイドルマスター ポップリンクス公式 (@imas_poplinks) April 20, 2022
In the official announcement, the Idolmaster: Pop Links team thanked players for enjoying the game. While they did not explain the reasoning behind the game’s shutdown, the developers stated that they would continue releasing new events up until the game’s end of service. Any Pop Jewels that players currently own will be useable up until the end of service date. However, players will be unable to purchase any new Pop Jewels after June 21, 2022.
The Idolmaster: Pop Links is available on iOS and Android devices in Japan. It will shut down on July 21, 2022.
