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This iOS game just shut down over a mysterious In-App Purchase bug

Game makers Square Enix today announced that the iOS version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles has reached its sudden end. The reason is a strange one: an unfixable bug that Square Enix says is related to recent In-App Purchase “model” changes.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is no longer available on iPhone

As spotted by The Verge, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles has now been pulled from the App Store as part of its official iOS shutdown.

Here are the details from Square Enix’s announcement:

As of January 24, 2025, we have been receiving reports of customers unable to access the additional content they purchased for the iOS version of FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES. This issue extends to the full paid version of the game, which allows users to play through all dungeons.

The issue is due to changes made to the in-app purchases model. Further investigation revealed that we are unable to completely fix the bug and implement the new changes, making it unlikely to resume service for the game. Thus, we must regretfully announce that we will end support for the iOS version of FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES.

Users who have made In-App Purchases for the game since January are eligible for a refund, which Square Enix directs users to Apple Support to obtain.

The issue only impacts the iPhone version of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, as it’s still available on other platforms.

9to5Mac’s Take

The sudden shutdown is odd, but the explanation seems even more strange.

It’s unclear what sort of In-App Purchase “model” changes are being referred to. Perhaps an update to one of Apple’s App Store APIs led to the new bug, which is uniquely affecting this title.

The idea that the bug is unfixable is also curious. It may just be that implementing a fix would cost Square Enix more than the game is really worth.

Have you seen similar In-App Purchase bugs in any other games recently? Let us know in the comments.

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Avatar for Ryan Christoffel Ryan Christoffel

Ryan got his start in journalism as an Editor at MacStories, where he worked for four years covering Apple news, writing app reviews, and more. For two years he co-hosted the Adapt podcast on Relay FM, which focused entirely on the iPad. As a result, it should come as no surprise that his favorite Apple device is the iPad Pro.