Sad news, ARMYs. BTS WORLD, the mobile game dedicated to the world-renowned K-pop group BTS, will cease its services by the end of December this year.
On Tuesday, September 5, Netmarble, the company behind the game, announced the impending shutdown of BTS WORLD. “Thank you for your love and support for BTS WORLD,” they told the users.
![[BTS WORLD] Game Trailer](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Sztf6ppbqQE/hqdefault.jpg)
“This announcement is to inform that BTS WORLD will be discontinuing its service starting Tuesday, December 26 2023.”, the statement read.
More details about the service termination schedule and rules were mentioned in the post. As of writing, the game is no longer downloadable on Play Store or App Store.
[Notice] BTS WORLD Service Termination Announcement
1. Service Termination date : Dec 25 2023, 18:00 (PST)
2. Game download and In-App Purchasing/Advertisement block date : Sep 4 2023, 18:00 (PST)[Going to Announcement]
▶https://t.co/FHkikdfMHw— BTS WORLD Official (@BTSW_official) September 5, 2023
“We greatly appreciate the support and love shown by the Managers towards our game,” Netmarble said. Additionally, they also assured users that they will make sure to minimize the conveniences until the service closes.
First launched in June 2019, BTS WORLD is a story-based mobile simulation game. In it, fans step into the shoes of BTS’ manager where they guide the members from pre-debut to stardom. Moreover, the game featured original soundtrack, exclusive video clip, and new photos of the BTS members.
![[BTS WORLD] "Will we be able to debut?"](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/DN_XMCAedUY/hqdefault.jpg)
The decision to shut down the game came after the release of its final chapter, Chapter 22, was made available in June 2022.
ARMYs’ requests
Sadly, BTS WORLD isn’t the first BTS game to come to an end. In June 2020, Superstar BTS also concluded its services despite the global fandom’s massive support.
Upon hearing the news of another game closing, ARMYs pleaded with the company to archive BTS’ content created for the game. Given how well-thought of the flow of the game is, some fans are claiming it would be a shame to lose it all.
As a way to remember the game, some fans created a thread of BTS WORLD’s full story lines, including its stunning soundtrack.
Since BTS WORLD game will be discontinued, here is a thread of the full story lines💜 pic.twitter.com/XABBKJQKfV
— 🌼⁷ (@yoonvkookmin) September 5, 2023
“Please consider creating an archive for all the artist-made content included in the game. it would be a shame to lose all of that for good especially after all the hard work the artists put into it and how much love ARMYs have for all the material,” one fan wrote.
please consider creating an archive for all the artist-made content included in the game. it would be a shame to lose all of that for good especially after all the hard work the artists put into it and how much love armys have for all the material 💜 🙏
— 📚📺🥧📻🪄🪔🫒 #desertpower (@613×7) September 5, 2023
please consider releasing some kind of content archive online once the game is terminated 🥹 thank you game devs for all your work 💜
— 🐤t⁷•💜 (@taniedl8) September 5, 2023
Does a content archive exist? It’s upsetting to think about how much will be lost—from the card photos, to the storylines most people never got to play to :/
— 🍃 ✵⁷ (@remedyinamelody) September 5, 2023
Please consider archiving the photos and videos on Weverse so we can continue to watch them. They were so incredible.
— NAY⁷ 💜 (@nayjoonbug) September 5, 2023
Others, meanwhile, thanked the game and its developers. Some fans listed the amount of content that fans got from the platform. While many were applauding how the game gave them “another part of the BTS multiverse storytelling.”
BTS World game is a part of ARMY collective memory. That cool game brought us a whole OST, a beautiful MV, videos of acting BTS in-game, countless pictures and, of course, another part of the BTS multi-verse storytelling. Thank you to everyone who worked on it! 💜 https://t.co/Q0CVVFxZnQ
— Lyna⁷ (@Lyna91Fr) September 5, 2023
Thanks to this game BTS gave us these beautiful soundtracks 🥹 pic.twitter.com/4wLWVCI96w
— sam (@jmpksj) September 5, 2023
Thank you for giving me so much comfort and entertaining me during the most darkest summer of my life (Summer of 2020).
— 🧜♀️G-Mermaid⁷ (@Dopaminergiica) September 5, 2023
BTS made their debut in June 2013 with the single “2 COOL 4 SKOOL.” The septet has since established world records and even entered the Guinness World Records Hall of Fame.
In June 2022, the group announced that they’re taking a break to focus on solo releases while other members enlist in the military.
They marked their 10th anniversary in 2023 with the release of their book Beyond The Story: 10th Year Record of BTS
Featured image: BTS in their promotional content for the ‘BTS WORLD’ game app. Credit: Twitter/Newmarble