Super Bomberman R Online is a 64-player simultaneous battle royale game initially unveiled in 2020. First announced to be a Stadia exclusive, Super Bomberman R Online was eventually brought to other platforms, where it saw some success. The game is a free-to-play online title somewhat related to Super Bomberman R, which was announced back in 2017. With both of these titles being the first big drops for the Bomberman franchise in a few years, it would seem strange for Konami to pull the plug on one of these titles.
However, in a recent statement, Konami has confirmed that the Bomberman battle royale title will have its online functionality dropped by December 2022. By that time, the game would've been out for around two years following its Stadia launch. For consoles and PC, Super Bomberman R Online will have just had eighteen months of being available before shutting down. In its official statement, Konami seems to have forgotten about the Stadia release, as it stated that Super Bomberman R Online has continued to operate "with the support of its many users" since its launch in "May 2021," disregarding the earlier reveal.
It does not seem like a lack of players has caused Konami's decision, due to the line in its statement around Super Bomberman R Online's "many users." The publisher has not given a specific reason as to why the Bomberman title is shutting down, instead claiming that a multitude of factors led to the decision to end the game. Already, the sale of Bomber Coins and Premium Packs are being stopped, with the developers requesting that people spend their in-game currency before the service ends.
Konami states that it opes fans will "enjoy the game until the end of the service." With six months before Super Bomberman R Online comes to an end, it does give players some time to do just that. Other titles like Halo: Reach have given fans some time to continue experiencing the game before the online functionality is cut off. However, unlike Halo's old servers, which were shut down within a month, Super Bomberman R Online has given its player base plenty of time to log on and continuing to enjoy the game.
The full-price Super Bomberman R will remain playable, despite the loss of its online battle-royale game. With Super Bomberman R reaching an impressive sales milestone, it proves that there is still a market for Bomberman games today, meaning that there could be some more titles from the franchise on the way. For now, fans of Super Bomberman R Online can mourn the loss of the battle royale by continuing to play the game until it eventually faces its shutdown.
Super Bomberman R is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.