EA's mobile hit The Simpsons: Tapped Out closing down after 12 years
"It has been a remarkable journey."
The end is in sight for The Simpsons: Tapped Out, EA's long-running and hugely successful free-to-play city builder. The publisher has announced it's removing the mobile game from app stores this October, some 12 years after its initial release.
The Simpsons: Tapped Out launched for iOS and Android back in 2012, challenging players to rebuild Springfield after Homer Simpson's negligence causes a nuclear meltdown. By 2014, it had generated over $130 million in revenue, and it's continued to receive updates since then.
But 12 years on, development is officially coming to an end - a decision EA called an "emotional one" in statement shared on The Simpsons: Tapped Out's official Facebook page.
"It has been a remarkable journey," the statement continued, "and we are grateful that we've been able to deliver 308 updates, 831 characters and including today’s final farewell 1,463 questlines. As our journey comes to a close, we offer our sincerest thanks to you, the players, who have made this all possible."
Following todays news, all in-app purchases have been disabled and The Simpsons: Tapped Out will be removed from app stores on 31st October this year. Players won't have to wave goodbye to their virtual Springfields immediately, however - EA is keeping Tapped Out's servers live for a little bit longer, with the game set to go permanently offline and inaccessible on 24th January next year.
"We're aware of an issue with the in-game currency to donut conversion and are investigating", the publisher wrote in a follow-up post, which feels like an appropriately surreal note to end on.