Cozy Gamers Mourn Upcoming End of Support for Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

The mobile, free-to-play game Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has been a mainstay of cozy gaming on the go for years. Initially released in 2017, the game is a popular installment in the beloved Animal Crossing series.

Recently, fans received an unpleasant surprise via in-game notifications and social media announcements from the Pocket Camp team. On November 28 of this year, the app will reach the end of service.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp To End Service in November 2024

The end-of-service news was shared with players via in-game notifications and also on the @Pocket_Camp X account, with this post:

So, what does this mean for players? Mobile games like Pocket Camp often feature live events and frequent new content updates. This means they require constant focus from their development team. When the team behind a mobile app no longer makes these kinds of updates, the game has reached end-of-service. Because these games are hosted via online servers, it typically also means the game will essentially cease to exist.

Loyal fans of Pocket Camp are mourning the upcoming loss of this beloved game and its live events. The r/ACPocketCamp Subreddit, which has over 130K members to date, is flooded with messages. As one dedicated player posted: “Yeah, I cried. I’m still crying.”

Another player hosted an in-game funeral to mourn the loss, sharing a screenshot from the celebration of Pocket Camp’s life.

Other players note that the timing feels odd since the game is literally in the middle of an event right now. Knowing that the end is coming makes it hard for players to enjoy the current events or even play the game.

While the end of live service is a blow for the fan community, it’s not all bad news. As developers shared in their post, Pocket Camp will live on in some form. The team is working on an offline version of the game that can be purchased and played in perpetuity. Without new live events and items, however, it’s unclear how much this will prove to be a salve for players’ emotional wounds.

As of now, we don’t know what this means for the future of the Animal Crossing series, which has not released a new title since the Happy Home Paradise DLC for New Horizons in 2021. Perhaps this shift away from Pocket Camp means we’ll see a new installment in the series soon.

Regardless of what’s next, at this moment the end-of-service announcement feels abrupt and heartbreaking for those who love the game.

Looking for a new cozy game to fill the Pocket Camp hole in your gaming heart? Check out our reviews of recent cozy game releases like The Garden Path and Fields of Mistria. You can also check out how to watch the upcoming Tales of the Shire livestream.

About the Author

Amanda Kay Oaks

Editor

Amanda Kay Oaks is a writer, book witch, and video game enthusiast based in Latrobe, PA. She writes about books, games, and more from an office packed with crystals and Pokemon plushies. When not engrossed in work or fictional worlds, Amanda can be found in the kitchen, on her yoga mat, or walking her dog, Azula.

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