Harry Potter: Magic Awakened EOS Announced, Guess The Spells Didn’t Work After All!

NetEase's collectible card RPG, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, is shutting down in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania on October 29th, 2024. While this is a regional end-of-service (EOS), players in Asia and certain MENA regions can continue playing.

Initially announced in 2020 and launched in China in September 2021, the game saw a strong start domestically. Global pre-registrations began in February 2022, but delays pushed back the worldwide launch to June 27th, 2023, impacting initial momentum.

Why the End-of-Service?

Harry Potter: Magic Awakened initially captivated players with its Clash Royale-style gameplay infused with the magic of Hogwarts. The card-battling mechanics and wizard duels resonated well. However, the game failed to maintain its popularity. Player complaints on Reddit cite a shift towards pay-to-win mechanics, with rewards system changes negatively impacting the progression of free-to-play players. Nerfs and slower progression for non-spending players contributed to the game's decline.

The game has already been removed from the Google Play Store in the affected regions as of August 26th, 2024. Players in unaffected regions can still experience the game, which features dorm life, classes, secrets to uncover, and student duels.