A New Chapter Closes: The Controversial Gacha Spin-Off of an Iconic JRPG Series Folds After Just One Year

After nearly 28 years, the Atelier series known for crafting JRPGs has come to a point notable enough to encounter a new gaming phenomenon: releasing and promptly discontinuing a controversial free-to-play offshoot. The global edition of Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Evening Liberator, a mobile and PC gacha game, is set to shut down on March 28, 2025, just over a year after its release in January 2024. The Japanese version, which debuted in 2023, will reportedly continue its operations.

Developer Koei Tecmo announced the impending shutdown today. On January 27, in-game transactions will be halted, giving players two months to use their existing Lodestar Gemstones before they are lost in the rapidly expanding graveyard of live services.

“To all our players who have embarked on this journey with us, we genuinely appreciate your support, and we hope you have enjoyed this adventure as much as we did,” the announcement states. “While service will conclude on March 28, we have planned several events for you to enjoy until the very end.”

Atelier Resleriana: Forgotten Alchemy and the Polar Evening Liberator was initially marketed as a core title even though it is primarily the first mobile iteration in the franchise. It was also released on PC; however, its aggressive monetization and simplified gameplay were not well-received by many Atelier enthusiasts, resulting in a disappointing 55% user rating on Steam – the lowest for any Atelier title.

Atelier Resleriana has received quite favorable reviews on mobile – boasting 4.2 stars on Google Play and 4.6 stars on the App Store – but it clearly failed to gain traction. Dedicated fans felt conflicted or utterly disheartened from the moment it launched, and you can call me a visionary since I pointed out in 2023 that “the unpredictable nature of gacha games casts a long shadow over this announcement. Scenarios in which support and mobile spin-offs expire within a year or two occur with alarming regularity, and it’s not difficult to envision a title from a niche franchise like Atelier facing a similar outcome despite a boost from Ryza.”

This should not be confused with Atelier Resleriana: The Purple Alchemist and the White Guardian, which was released last year as a fully offline RPG set in the same universe. The Atelier games, typically mid-budget titles, traditionally come in threes. As far as anyone knows, this Atelier Resleriana is set to launch on PS5, PS4, Switch, and Steam in 2025.

Steering clear of this total debacle, Atelier