Jump Force has had a good run, but it looks like its final days are now upon it. Bandai Namco released information regarding the end of Jump Force, including dates for its departure from digital storefronts, and the end of its online services.
On paper, Jump Force seemed like it had the recipe for success: assembling Shonen Jump's most popular characters in a fighting game was something fans had dreamt about for years. From the 'Big Three' of One Piece's Luffy, Dragon Ball's Goku, and Naruto from the series of the same name, to others like My Hero Academia's Deku, Bleach's Ichigo, and even Gon and Killua from Hunter x Hunter, Jump Force's roster boasts practically all of anime's heaviest hitters. Like all games though, Jump Force has its share of problems, from its underwhelming story mode, to a large power imbalance between its roster, making certain fighters nearly unplayable. Nonetheless, the game has its followers, and has released many new fighters since its launch.
A new tweet from Bandai Namco details the final proceedings for Jump Force as the game approaches its end of life. According to Bandai Namco, Jump Force and its various editions, DLC packs, and viritual currency will all be delisted from the PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, and PC storefronts on February 7, 2022 at 5PM PST, with times varying worldwide. Furthermore, Jump Force's online services will be shutdown six months later on August 24, 2022 between 6PM and 10PM PDT, again with times varying. After this date, Jump Force will only be playable in a local capacity, its offline content still being accessible.
As Jump Force would indicate, Bandai Namco is one of the primary distributors of anime-related video games around the world, it holding many of those franchise's licenses. That said, there are many other anime fighting games available that may fill the hole left by Jump Force, even if their rosters aren't as all encompassing. Recently released was Demon Slayer: The Hinokami Chronicles, a fighting game from the developers of the well-received Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm series, allowing players to take control of Tanjiro, Nezuko, Zenitsu, and many other characters in epic head-to-head battles. Despite Demon Slayer's sudden popularity, it never saw representation in Jump Force.
Video game shutdowns are just a natural part of the industry, that nearly all online games are fated for. Unfortunately, due to Jump Force's mixed reception from fans, and its dwindling player base, Bandai Namco felt it was time to just pull the plug and move on. What might be particuarly disappointing is how short-lived Jump Force actually was, considering it was released in 2019, when the servers for Xbox 360 era Halo games will finally be shutting down in 2022. Hopefully the end of Jump Force just means the beginning of a new and better project.
Jump Force is available on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.