NetEase's Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, the collectible card RPG, is shutting down in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania on October 29th, 2024. This regional end-of-service (EOS) announcement leaves players in Asia and select MENA regions able to continue playing.
Initially unveiled in 2020 and developed by Zen Studio, the game launched in China in September 2021 and globally on June 27th, 2022, after a period of delays. While its initial launch in China was successful, and global pre-registrations were promising, the worldwide release lacked the same impact.
Reasons Behind the EOS:
Despite its Clash Royale-inspired gameplay with a magical Hogwarts twist, and positive initial player reception of the card battles and wizard duels, the game failed to maintain its momentum. Reddit discussions highlight player frustration over a shift towards pay-to-win mechanics. A significant change to the reward system negatively impacted free-to-play players, slowing progression and nerfing skilled players' ability to compete effectively.
The game has already been removed from the Google Play Store in the affected regions (as of August 26th). Players in other regions can still experience the dorm life, classes, secrets, and duels.
