Final Fantasy iOS Game Shuts Down Due to Curious In-App Purchase Bug

Square Enix today announced that iOS game Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is shutting down immediately, due to some kind of in-app purchase bug.

final fantasy crystal chronicles
Apparently customers have been unable to access content purchased in the iOS app for the last several weeks, which Square Enix says is "due to changes made to the in-app purchases model." Apple hasn't made any known changes to in-app purchases in recent months, so it is not clear what Square Enix is referencing given the limited information provided.

Further, the company says that it is "unable to completely fix the bug and implement the new changes," which means support for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles on the iPhone and iPad is ending.

The game has been removed from the App Store, and customers who made an in-app purchase in January 2024 or later can request a refund by contacting Square Enix support.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles offered online multiplayer and cross-platform play, allowing gamers to team up to conquer dungeons and earn loot. The remastered version of the game continues to be available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Android.

Update 8:28 pm: As noted by forum member An_mo_, Apple made a change to the security requirements for App Store receipts that went into effect the day before Square Enix reported receiving complaints, so it appears that may be related to the issue users were experiencing. If so, it still remains unclear why Square Enix was unable to update the app to support the new certificates.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

iOS 19 Coming in June With These New Features

Thursday March 20, 2025 2:04 pm PDT by
While the first iOS 19 beta is still more than two months away, there are already plenty of rumors about the upcoming software update. Below, we recap the key iOS 19 rumors so far. visionOS-Like Design In January, the YouTube channel Front Page Tech revealed a redesigned Camera app that is allegedly planned for iOS 19. According to Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser, the Camera app...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 18, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
Windows Vista

Apple Might Be Having Its Windows Vista Moment, Says Analyst

Thursday March 20, 2025 6:52 am PDT by
Is Apple experiencing a "Vista-like drift into systemically poor execution?" That was a question posed by well-known technology analyst Benedict Evans, in a recent blog post covering Apple's innovation and execution, or seemingly lack thereof as of late. He is referring to Microsoft's Windows Vista operating system, which was widely criticized when it launched in 2007 due to software bugs,...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...

Top Rated Comments

gigapocket1 Avatar
6 weeks ago
Sounds like they was just looking for a reason to shut it down
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
josebus Avatar
6 weeks ago

Need to ask apple, cause I'm assuming square Enix is just using the official SDK, not custom API for in app purchases.
Never heard of any other app or game that was forever disabled due to Apple's SDK. The fact that they say they can't/won't fix it pretty much confirms it's on their end. They wanted to shut it down.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thefrost Avatar
6 weeks ago
Why can't they fix it?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
code-m Avatar
6 weeks ago
Sounds like a convenient exit strategy.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
6 weeks ago

Why can't they fix it?
Square's iOS ports have a long legacy of being pretty bad. It's a tradition.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Reason077 Avatar
6 weeks ago

Disagree about refunds for features/services already "consumed". Not "ideal". You received value for the purchase.
Not the value that was promised. It's an in-app purchase, not an in-app rental.

Imagine if you "purchased" an eBook on Amazon or a movie on Apple TV+, then it was disabled just a few months later so you could no longer view it. Wouldn't you expect a refund?

When Google shut down the Stadia gaming service, they automatically refunded every game and every in-app item that was ever purchased. Even if it was from years earlier!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)