Short-Lived Harvest: Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin Mobile Game to Shut Down After Just Six Months

TOHO Games has announced that service for the smartphone game "Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin – Hinuka Junreitan" will conclude on July 27, 2026, at 4:59 PM JST. Having only launched on February 5, 2026, the game will shut down after a mere 170 days—an unusually rapid turnaround even by the standards of the competitive mobile gaming market.

As a title following in the footsteps of the massive hit Japanese-style action RPG "Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin," the mobile entry aimed to bring authentic rice-growing mechanics to smartphones. However, the management team explained their decision by stating it had become "difficult to maintain and improve the service to meet the expectations of our customers." Alongside the shutdown, the previously planned Steam version has been officially cancelled, and its store page is expected to be removed on May 28.

Shock has spread across social media following the sudden announcement. Fans have shared bittersweet comments unique to a farming game, such as "I planted the seeds but didn't even make it to the harvest," and "The rice cultivation was so realistic it was actually exhausting." While some users pointed out issues with controls and the grueling pace of event updates, many others expressed regret, praising the game's character designs and deep selective breeding mechanics.

Until the service ends, the developers plan to release new story chapters and characters, striving to provide an enjoyable experience for remaining players. The quick closure of a title based on such a popular IP highlights the brutal reality of the current smartphone gaming landscape.

The context

"Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin" is a critically acclaimed indie game originally released in 2020, developed by Edelweiss and published by Marvelous/XSEED. It gained international fame for its unique combination of fast-paced 2D combat and an incredibly detailed, educational rice farming simulation that was so accurate players reportedly used the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture's website for tips. The mobile spin-off, "Hinuka Junreitan," was published by TOHO Games and was intended to expand the franchise's reach, but it ultimately struggled to maintain momentum in the hyper-competitive mobile market.

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