Nintendo and Square Enix have announced they are winding down their mobile titles Mario Kart Tour and Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, adding to a broader industry pullback from mobile adaptations of major gaming brands. The moves follow similar retreats such as the closure of Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile and Sony's downsizing of its mobile operations, suggesting the earlier rush to bring big franchises to phones is losing momentum. The shutdowns also raise concerns about games becoming "lost media", as delisted online-only titles can no longer be played once servers close.

Mario Kart Tour will go offline on 29th-30th September, with players already unable to buy the premium currency (rubies) or the Gold Pass, while Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis ends service on 6th October after being deemed difficult to support in future. Nintendo's mobile push is said to have peaked with MK Tour's launch in October 2019 and declined since. Ever Crisis surpassed $100m in gross player spending by late 2024 — with 71 percent of revenue from Japan — but reportedly never built a lasting community; Square Enix has form for reworking mobile games into premium single-player releases such as Octopath Traveler 0. Separately, IO Interactive has confirmed it is stepping away from mobile to focus on its core properties.