Hunter x Hunter Arena Battle to Shut Down in March 2023

Hunter x Hunter Arena Battle, a strategic card battle game based on the franchise, will shut down. The announcement comes three years to the day since the game first launched in Japan on January 30, 2020. Operator Q-max stated that the game will shut down in Japan on March 31, 2023. [Thanks, Denfaminico Gamer!]

Developed by DeNA and based on the popular manga by Yoshihiro Togashi, Hunter x Hunter Arena Battle takes the form of a card battle-style multiplayer game for mobile platforms. Its gameplay mechanics take inspiration from the board game Reversi, while blending in character collection and deck-building aspects. Players build decks of characters, then place the characters in ideal positions to perform attacks and do damage to their opponent. Like Reversi, placing a character down on certain tiles flips the tiles, triggering various effects. Players can acquire new characters and special ability cards by rolling the gacha. Characters from the series like Gon, Killua, and Chrollo were present, alongside their foes and allies. The game supports solo and multiplayer play, using preset puzzle-like layouts players can tackle at their leisure.

Check out a promo movie for the game from 2022.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kptbK6O-Ors

According to the official announcement, microtransactions for the in-game currency Jenny will be suspended by February 28, 2023. Purchases made prior to January 26, 2023 will be eligible for refund. As a bonus for current players, Q-max will offer a final login bonus promotion, featuring free Jenny and summoning tickets for seven of the in-game character banners. As the game inches towards its shutdown on March 31, 2023, various functions such as the external community site and in-game card library and deck code generator will become unavailable. Even the game’s official website will be shut down by May 31, 2023.

Hunter x Hunter Arena Battle is available via the Japanese iOS and Android app stores. It will shut down on March 31, 2023. It does not have a global edition.