Square Enix Pulls the Plug on Two Long-Running Mobile RPGs in Japan (Brave Exvius and Dragon Quest of the Stars)

August 27, 2025 John Silver Comments

After nearly a decade on Japanese smartphones, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and Dragon Quest of the Stars are headed for retirement. Square Enix confirmed that both free-to-play role-playing games will go offline at noon JST on Friday, October 31, just shy of their tenth anniversaries. The publisher has already halted in-app purchases and issued the standard apology to fans who invested years, and possibly yen, into the two titles.

While Square Enix did not give a detailed reason, the decision lands shortly after the company reported a 25 percent drop in revenue for its Digital Entertainment division during the April–June 2025 quarter. Competition in the crowded gacha market and the rising cost of live-service support have increasingly pushed older mobile games aside, even ones tied to marquee franchises like Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest.

The shutdown shouldn't be too surprising, as Brave Exvius had already shut down their global service last year.

Square Enix said it can no longer maintain “a service that satisfies our customers.”
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, co-developed with gumi’s Alim studio, mixed classic Final Fantasy heroes with new characters in a turn-based, gacha-driven format.
Dragon Quest of the Stars adapted the series’ trademark job system for quick, co-op-focused battles on mobile.
The closures follow other recent Square Enix mobile sunsets, suggesting the publisher is reallocating resources to newer projects like Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis and its expanding console lineup.

An almost ten-year run is an impressive lifespan for free-to-play mobile titles, especially in Japan’s fast-moving gacha scene. Fans looking to preserve memories will have just over two months to finish remaining events or grab screenshots before these servers fall silent.

While I played Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius in the U.S. when it was available, I never even heard of Dragon Quest of the Stars, which was also available globally.

FFBE | Summon Unsung Hero Ramza, Steadfast Knight Agrias!