Epic Games has pulled its groundbreaking Infinity Blade series from the App Store without warning.
The studio, which is also responsible for hit battle royale game Fortnite, explains that it has “become increasingly difficult” to support the games — but it does hint that Infinity Blade will make a comeback in the future.
Infinity Blade was first revealed at an Apple event in September 2010 under the codename “Project Sword.” It was one of the first titles that pushed the boundaries of gaming on iOS with console-quality graphics and impressive gameplay.
Three titles made up the Infinity Blade series for iPhone and iPad — each more spectacular than the last — but as of December 10, they are no longer available from the App Store.
Epic says goodbye (for now) to Infinity Blade
In an update on its blog, Epic confirmed the surprise decision to remove the trilogy.
It explained that the development of other projects, such as Spyjinx, has made it “increasingly difficult for our team to support the Infinity Blade series at a level that meets our standards.”
The news comes just a week after Epic announced it had ceased development of all Unreal Tournament projects to focus on Fortnite. It’s meteoric rise has made it one of the most lucrative titles in the gaming industry, so this decision is hardly surprising.
“The Infinity Blade series will always hold a special place for me personally and for Epic as a whole,” said Donald Mustard, Global Creative Director at Epic. “It’s always bittersweet to say goodbye, but we are excited for Spyjinx and what the future holds!”
We may not have seen the last of Infinity Blade, though.
Epic hints at future Infinity Blade comeback
Epic promises to continue to support Infinity Blade III with updated Clash Mobs and “other surprises” over the next month, and it encourages fans to “check in frequently for special items.” It also hints that the series still has a promising future.
“As we bid farewell, be sure to keep your eyes peeled!” the announcement reads. “You may find Infinity Blade popping up in places you wouldn’t expect.”
In the meantime, none of the Infinity Blade games can be downloaded from the App Store unless you have previously owned them. They’ll continue to work for now, but they won’t receive any more updates going forward.
