Square Enix has shut down another mobile game. Echoes of Mana is now available to players, the third mobile game the publishers have shut down in the last nine months. It appears they are re-evaluating their portfolio and reducing those that aren't making enough money to keep the servers open.
Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier was shut down last year, and just last month, Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Hero's Bond followed suit.
Echoes of Mana is following the trend. On May 15, 2023, the official Twitter account of Echoes of Mana posted a notice of the end of service of the game. The post also includes a blog post related to the shutdown.
Spirit Crystals was expected to stop selling at the time of the announcement, but other than that, it was just a farewell message from the developers to the players.
Because of the closure, the game isn't completely shut down yet; Square Enix has confirmed via Twitter that it intends to release several updates over a shorter timeframe than previously planned. This includes new characters, stories, and events.
The developer team is working on an art book that compiles gameplay illustrations and worldscapes for the game. The publication of the book is yet to be announced, but it is expected to be at a later date.