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

NetEase's collectible card game, Harry Potter: Magic Awakened, is shutting down in select regions. The end-of-service (EOS) announcement impacts the Americas, Europe, and Oceania, with servers ceasing operation on October 29th, 2024. Players in Asia and certain MENA regions can continue playing.

Initially released in China in September 2021 and globally on June 27th, 2023, the game, developed by Zen Studio, saw a strong initial launch in China but experienced a less successful global rollout. Despite its Clash Royale-inspired gameplay and captivating Hogwarts atmosphere, the game failed to achieve sustained popularity.

The EOS announcement follows player complaints regarding a shift towards pay-to-win mechanics. A controversial rework of the reward system negatively impacted free-to-play players, slowing progression and diminishing the value of skill. These changes, coupled with numerous nerfs, 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). While the game's future remains uncertain in other regions, players in those areas can still experience the dorm life, attend classes, uncover secrets, and engage in wizard duels.