Pokémon Rumble Rush will shut down this July

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Pokemon-Rumble-Rush
We hardly Pika-knew you!
Photo: The Pokémon Company

You really did need to be in a rush to play Pokémon Rumble Rush because, having only debuted in 2019, it’s blasting off again. Destination: The great gaming scrap heap in the sky.

An in-game notice for the Pokémon-battling title reveals that support for its game service will end on July 22. That will be exactly one year after it launched on Android and iOS.

Pokémon Rumble Rush only launched last year

Rumble Rush let players take control of their favorite Pokémon as they battled it out against their rivals. There was also an exploration element to the game, with players able to visit an assortment of different islands to battle various bosses. To keep interest going, new locations were added on a regular basis. You could additionally collect ore by eliminating opposition to power up your Pokémon to face stronger opponents.

Sadly, it seems that it wasn’t able to gain close to the momentum of Pokémon Go, the augmented reality powerhouse which raked in loot in the App Store upon its release a few years back. While Pokémon Go‘s 15 minutes of pop culture fame now seems to be over, it continues to be a money spinner. Case in point: it pulled in a massive $894 million in player spending during 2019. That puts it ahead of 2018, 2017, and even its debut year 2016 in terms of revenue.

Few games enjoy that kind of longevity in the App Store. Pokémon Rumble Rush is one that simply didn’t. That’s a shame because, if you’re a fan, there’s certainly enjoyment to be had. If this is the first you’ve heard of Rumble Rush, it may still be worth checking out. Although its death date has been announced, the makers of Rumble Rush are going to add updates. From May 6 through May 27, the Greninja and the Wonders of Kalos event will take place. After this, the Zygarde Cup and Shaymin Cup will happen. Another update will come out in late May adding fresh content. With three months still to go, there’s still plenty of time to dive in!

You can download Rumble Rush from the App Store now to start enjoying it on iPhone and iPad.

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