Apple Explains What Happens When Games Are Removed From Apple Arcade

Apple today published a new support document that clarifies what happens when games are removed from its Apple Arcade subscription service.

apple arcade orange feature
Apple said that users who download a game before it is removed from Apple Arcade can continue to play the game for "at least two weeks after." Users who launch an Apple Arcade game that is no longer playable will receive a "No Longer Available" message.

Apple says that after a game has been removed from Apple Arcade, the developer might choose to make their game available on the App Store for all users. Apple says the App Store version of a game may differ from the version that was offered on Apple Arcade. For example, while Apple Arcade games are not allowed to offer in-app purchases or display ads, these limitations do not apply to games available to all App Store users.

If a developer chooses to allow users to load their saved progress in the App Store version of the game, users can continue playing right where they left off in the Apple Arcade version. Otherwise, users must start the game over again.

Apple recently shared a list of 15 games that will be removed from Apple Arcade soon. A source informed MacRumors that when ‌Apple Arcade‌ first launched, Apple signed three-year deals with a number of developers, and some of these contracts are apparently nearing expiry and not being renewed, which is why some games will be removed.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...

Top Rated Comments

TheCoolGuy Avatar
44 months ago
You'll Own Nothing and Be Happy.
Score: 23 Votes (Like | Disagree)
joshwenke Avatar
44 months ago
I guess this is pretty self-explanatory, and I don't see any surprises here. Contracts expire, service offerings change.

However, the way it was handled shows how Apple still has to figure out how to run these new services. This support document should have been published as soon as the games were announced for removal, not sneakily published after the backlash and confusion.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
blicked Avatar
44 months ago
Yeah - I'd rather just buy a game. This subscription model is ridiculous.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
44 months ago
I've turned to Apple Arcade for games. The ads displayed in "free" App Store games can be sooooooo annoying and disruptive to the point of truly feeling like the user experience is secondary to revenue generation.

My go-to game is Solitaire+, entirely free through Apple Arcade and it's a joy.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
44 months ago
That’s a bunch of BS.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ian87w Avatar
44 months ago

I've turned to Apple Arcade for games. The ads displayed in "free" App Store games can be sooooooo annoying and disruptive to the point of truly feeling like the user experience is secondary to revenue generation.

My go-to game is Solitaire+, entirely free through Apple Arcade and it's a joy.
Yup. For casual users, Apple Arcade is really a fresh take of current trends of annoying mobile games.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)