‘Tokyo Beast’ Speedruns Crypto Game Cycle, Shutting Down Just a Month After Launch

Numerous crypto games have shut down already in 2025, but this might be the fastest pivot yet from launch hype to imminent shutdown.

The developers of Tokyo Beast, a competitive mobile combat game launched on Ethereum layer-2 network Immutable zkEVM on June 9, said Tuesday that the game will go offline on August 24. Revealing the move barely a month after launch, producer Naoki Motohashi called it “unexpected news” in a blog post.

“Due to the difficulty of balancing operational costs, and after extensive discussions with our stakeholders, we have arrived at the painful decision to terminate the service,” he wrote. “To all our supporters, we sincerely apologize and share in your disappointment and regret.”

Decrypt reached out to the development team for additional context and comment around the planned ending, but did not immediately hear back.

Tokyo Beast arrived with a big push last month, as developers boasted of a tournament that would feature $1 million worth of prizes. The payouts were going to be made using the company’s Tokyo Game Token (TGT).

However, the price of TGT quickly plunged following the token’s late May launch, and then cratered following a brief rise around the game’s release. After falling another 16% over the last 24 hours amid the shutdown news, per data from CoinGecko, TGT is now priced at $0.006—down 96% from the peak price. The token now has a market cap of just $897,000.

The rapid decision to shut down the game potentially fuels an unexpected benefit for people who invested in TGT or the game’s associated NFTs, as eligible holders will receive compensation for their assets.

Owners of BEAST NFTs, for example, will receive more than the $200 amount paid during the primary sale, with the compensation in USDC stablecoin ranging between $203 and $597 based on the rarity level of the assets. Compensation for other NFTs varies based on the asset and rarity level, with full details shared via the blog post.

TGT holders who staked their assets, meanwhile, will also be eligible for USDC compensation, with the amount varying based on how long they staked the tokens. Token holders who did not have their tokens staked do not appear to be eligible for compensation.

Many other blockchain games that already shut down this year cited financial challenges as the cause, including shooters Deadrop and Nyan Heroes and social deduction game The Mystery Society.

Final Fantasy maker Square Enix just shut down its crypto game Symbiogenesis on Monday, though the game’s end was shared months in advance and tied to the conclusion of the ongoing storyline.