Apple has clarified what happens when your favorite Apple Arcade games are removed from the service, saying you can play the remaining game for at least two weeks.
- After listing the titles that will soon be leaving Apple Arcade, Apple clarified whether you can play the leaving game and what happens to your saved progress.
- If a former Arcade game is relaunched in the App Store, it’s up to the developer to decide if they’ll let you upload saved progress to the new app.
- The game will leave the service when the license agreement between Apple and the developer has expired and Apple has chosen not to renew it.
Can I play remote Apple Arcade games?
As contracts between Apple developers and the App Store that provide games for the Apple Arcade subscription service end, some games will no longer be available. As we reported, Apple has listed 15 games that will be leaving Apple Arcade soon. So what to expect if your favorite game leaves Apple Arcade? Apple’s support document specifies that customers will have up to two weeks to play the game, which is no longer available on the service. After two weeks, the Apple Arcade version will no longer be playable. Read: How to Live Stream on Twitch
Can you redownload deleted Apple Arcade games?
The developer can relaunch the pulled game in the App Store, outside of Apple Arcade, for anyone to download. If they do, you will be able to re-download the title to continue playing. Apple Arced games don’t show ads or push you towards optional purchases. These rules only apply to Apple Arcade, which means you may be required to purchase a game from the App Store that was previously available for free with an Apple Arcade subscription. Read: How to cancel an Apple Arcade subscription
Is it possible to load saved progress after exiting arcade games?
When a title is removed from Apple Arcade, your saved game progress will remain locally on your device or in iCloud. If the title reappears in the App Store, it doesn’t necessarily mean you can load your previously saved progress and pick up where you left off. For this to happen, Apple explains, the developer must allow you to download saved progress.
It is up to the developer to determine if they are willing to implement this or not. Basically, the new app will need additional code to migrate saved progress from the remote version of Apple Arcade.
Why do some games ever leave Apple Arcade?
Apple Arcade games are licensed to Apple for a limited time. MacRumors reports that Apple initially signed agreements that give it the right to host certain games on Apple Arcade for up to three years. The deals included a fixed payment and ongoing royalties to developers. And as those contracts expire, Apple may decide not to renew some of them based on performance and revenue. The developers retain the rights to their games, so games that leave Apple Arcade can be played for free on other platforms.
Games can be re-added to the App Store on the same day they were removed from Apple Arcade, but the games will be downloaded with a new bundle ID. This means that Apple Arcade subscribers can redownload games, but they won’t have access to the same game that was available through Apple Arcade.
Many of the fifteen games soon to leave Apple Arcade are some of its launch titles such as Spelldrifter, Lifeslide, Projection: First Light, Lifeslide, Exploiters, EarthNight, Cardpocalypse, Spidersaurs, Dead End Job, and more.