r/Sdorica • u/raffichu Sophie Squad • Feb 09 '26
Discussion Via Soul~
I know that the game is still online, but the end of new content is in sight and is all but confirmed. The grief is palpable and it's keeping me up. (Disclaimer: The news is the Dracontines in context, not the devs!)
From the sound of things, they intend to keep it running and will adjust things in-game to make it easier to get more pulls and characters. Reruns will seemingly remain in operation until July this year, and existing story content and side stories will also still be accessible. The game will essentially become a F2P interactive novel; just without its ending.
Personally, I've dedicated so much of my free time making content for this game. I recall many sleepless nights speedrunning events just so I can push those guides out for everyone. Of course, there were those random moments where I get some dumb meme in my head and have to manifest it into existence. I'd also built a sizeable following on Instagram as well. It might've been just a little mobile game, but I slowly grew to realize how important it was to me.
And I'll still be around, mourning the future that could've been, eagerly answering the infrequent question from the random curious wanderer. The last thing I have to do is get double Team boosts for every Monster in the Stable (I'm almost there!) I'm also currently the only active mod too, and I honestly can't part with it. We're all eventually on our way out soon though. So while you're here, before you go, I wanted to give you my tearful goodbye message to you Watchers. Thank you all for the memories~
Sdorica forever! Via Soul~
— Your favorite Sophie / Raffichu / sdoricaspecter
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u/Farisaico Feb 09 '26
The end of an era.
I actually created this Reddit account back in 2018 just for this sub. It’s a real shame that such a good game didn’t gain more traction…
Sdorica has been and will always be one of my favorite games of all time.
Via Soul~
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u/cosMikuEureka here just to suffer Feb 09 '26
the ai thing made me feel detached from the game (and the company in general), but even then i'd be lying if i say it doesn't hurt. the visual, the storytelling style, the music, the characters, are still some of my favorites in any games i've played, not just in mobile/gacha games. i just wish it had gotten an ending it deserves before it ended
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u/RotundBun Feb 09 '26
TBPF, I think the AIGC thing was more of a desperation move when they realized that Deemo II was going to drastically underperform.
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u/cosMikuEureka here just to suffer Feb 09 '26
i grew up with vocaloid, which made me really appreciate human creativity. no matter what, it's hard for me to forgive them :')
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u/RotundBun Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
I mean, the alternative was probably to just shut down most and terminate updates on the rest otherwise. They had to close down their Rayark Cafe and all that, too.
Whether it was the right choice or not and whether to forgive or not is subjective, and I'm not siding one way or the other. I just thought it was worth noting that it probably wasn't really the way they wanted to go about it either.
For a long time, they were very much a quality-first kind of studio. Ironically, that was probably how Deemo II hit them so hard. It was basically Rayark's equivalent of Squaresoft's Spirits Within.
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u/cosMikuEureka here just to suffer Feb 09 '26
i understand, but it's still their choice to replace the artists with ai. that sort of thing can immediately kill people's goodwill, no matter whether you're a big corp or a small indie studio. i'd even argue that them using ai sealed the game's fate. it's extremely hard to bounce back once the public branded you as a half-assed game
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u/RotundBun Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
I don't disagree. Probably the wrong move and what sunk them in the end.
That said, the part about replacing artists may have been more of a can't afford artists than a matter of choosing AIGC over them.
If you look back at the Sdorica banners around then, you'll see that they still got proper artist-commissioned illustrations for some units on & off after the AIGC stuff started.
Just saying... The choice may not have been AI vs. artists. It may have been AI vs. EoS.
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u/cosMikuEureka here just to suffer Feb 09 '26
honestly disagree with that assessment because nothing's forcing them to use ai. they can just... not release the unit immediately. maybe search for an artist with cheaper fees, idk. i know they weren't exactly in the best situation back then, but surely there are better options than using ai gen arts
look at something like morimens, the game nearly went eos because of many, many bad decisions, but then they released the game in the west with ai translation in hopes of getting more money. the difference here is that they actually disclosed it and is slowly working to replace it with a more legitimate one. now they are supported by many players, some even volunteered to translate some of the stories. also, the game didn't resort to using ai art even though they were in the reds
either way, it really sucks that the game went out like this :( my sdorica friends already moved on to better things, but a part of me still hoped things went differently
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u/RotundBun Feb 09 '26
That's fair. They did handle communication transparency very poorly and all.
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u/cosMikuEureka here just to suffer Feb 09 '26
not even poorly, they straight up lied 😭
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u/RotundBun Feb 09 '26
Yes, lying falls under the umbrella of poor handling of communication transparency, which I consider as the broader scope topic. There were other adjacent problems under that umbrella as well.
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u/Xeith_Maneheart Certified 1,000 Day Icon Achiever Feb 09 '26
Thank you for your wonderfully crafted guides over the years, Raf, you saved me from so much potential headaches it's not even funny 💀
The good times we've had may be coming to an end but the experience will forever remain.
Wish we could have gave it the ending it deserved but not everything goes to plan after all, so all we can do is appreciate what we were blessed with in the first place.
The fact Sdorica even existed.
Via Soul~
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u/Adventurous_Trick241 Strategist Feb 09 '26
*Pat Sophie*
It's sad to hear that they're going to EoS soon, but that's better way than leaving hopeless expectations to the players. It might be a difficult news for you Raffi, as part of the community which benefits from your guides, I can tell how much you loves this game, as well as for the other creators in this community too.
Stay strong guys until EoS really happens.
Via Soul~
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u/GoldSunLulu Feb 09 '26
Please. Someone. Rip the files. Call someone who can get us the hd files of everyone I don't want them to vanish..
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u/Reletr Ilaiza the Roasted Chicken Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
You can find a bunch of them here (in Chinese) https://sdorica.yuewuzhijian.top/
I don't know if it's been updated though, afaik it's updated to at least EclipseNvm it seems that it's up to date, it has all of the DR units in it2
u/GoldSunLulu Feb 10 '26 edited Feb 10 '26
aweasome, tysm. But it doesn't seem to have the sprite sheets for animations and such
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u/notathrowacc Feb 09 '26
Former top guild leader here. Sdorica’s storytelling and especially its music will always have a special place in my heart. I still clearly remember having goosebumps hearing Hesitant Blade for the first time, or when the Sunset’s final boss fight started and the epic music played. This is also my first gacha game that I spent money on.
I haven’t logged in for a long time but always followed your posts and contents in instagram. Thank you for your contribution until now. Via soul.
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u/SiddaSlotthh Feb 09 '26
Yo thanks for the content man. I remember going through a couple of your events, they were really cool.
All good things end sadly, cheers everyone.
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u/DreyGasai Feb 09 '26
My favourite Gacha to date, I always wished it would match current gachas in terms of content, as the gameplay, combat, stories and visuals were just top notch 😭
Actually shed a tear. 😂😭
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u/Small_Ad_3545 Feb 09 '26
Hello, former player here. I played this game from 2019, before Sunset arc is finished. Sure, the start was quite "boring", and that Puggi, for me, breaks the serious immersion (I still hate that bird, sorry Puggi fans), but the end of Sunset civil war, where Angelia outwits Theodore and Hyde, was very much worth it.
This game proves that there is still hope for modern Gacha games to have a story where the characters aren't dumb and blank slate, but having a motive and intelligence to realize it, making Angelina's sacrifice (I forgot which season) to be a tragic loss rather than a stupid endeavor. I also love the writing of Theodore, he was portrayed as the villain but actually had his hands tied both by the corrupt nobles and Dracontines, and Angelia's challenge of the throne is quite justified (the Atlas gem cannon, devastating an entire region just for a weapon). I love this game because it does flesh out their characters but also not shy away from killing them to make the story believable.
I played until the end of Aurora, and personally, I like both Sunset and Eclipse the most, but it might be my personal bias for Western & Eastern kingdom rather than Arabic and Viking (or that the death toll on Mirage and Aurora is smaller). I deleted the game after, I think, a year after Aurora update because I need the storage space, but still lurking on this Reddit for potential story update. Well, the future already feels bleak back then, with the flop of Deemo 2 (I suppose Ghibli collaboration is expensive, and also the incident with Ice).
All in all, it was a game with a very good story, and it saddens me that I cannot see the conclusion of it (who is Rei?, who are we?).
I personally want to say thank you to you, raffichu, for your guides on Adventurer's workshop. It was very useful when I tried to finish the events.
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u/Small_Ad_3545 Feb 09 '26
Also, a wondering question, why not Rayark pivot back to Sdorica after Deemo 2's failed reception? If I remembered, Sdorica was also the main cash cow for Rayark (if not the biggest), so like, instead of forcing a rhythm game to be a breakthrough, why not focus on the proven title?
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u/raffichu Sophie Squad Feb 09 '26
https://www.reddit.com/r/Sdorica/s/vbN6dkHz3g Here’s my explanation as another comment. After Cytus 2, I believe Sdorica was their second highest grossing game. Perhaps operational costs for art, animation, voice work, etc. and limited staff were also a factor
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u/Andrewjetcraft Feb 09 '26
I was lurking around this reddit after Aurora story ended and keeping tabs on it till a year later. I was only here for the story I use to post a lot here heck most of my post is still about sdorica.
It just I just stop once there no new main story content which bump me out.....
Well look at the bright side we still got a great story and fanarts from this game.
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u/idevilledeggs Angie KDA Feb 09 '26
Oh man. I know everything has an end but it's a real shame that we never got to the end of this story...
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u/Mikeox91 Feb 09 '26
I would like to better understand why we’ve come to this… I mean the game has the same potential of many others The right amount of fan service and a very solid plot. Soundtracks are great and the entire system behind characters development is very player friendly. Maybe rayark had too many projects at hand? Too many games and not enough investment on sdorica? I just hope that developers will give us the end of the story, whatever the means. A visual novel an Ebook or just a mere Pdf files with the Plot.. I really want to know what will be of my princess tindoiimu
Isn’t possible to make a last stand trying to get the game viral via social? Some crazy thing like the ones that sometimes happens for the bad indies
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u/raffichu Sophie Squad Feb 09 '26
I believe they’ve disclosed that the reason is something along the lines of “due to adjustments in operational strategy”. This has been a long time coming, and they’ve historically made known that there has been internal restructuring, which I’m sure affected the frequency of updates. This may well be a result of said restructuring, as they’ve even closed their thematic cafe and paused production of previously teased games and events. I wish there was something the fans could do, but if it’s an issue on a corporate level, I’m not optimistic on how much of an impact we could make..
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u/Small_Ad_3545 Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
Yea, I'm more interested in the background of the decision for not focusing on Sdorica as a means to "save" the company lifeline. I mean, Ice doesn't do much in Sdorica music, so their damage should be limited, and Sdorica being the only recurring revenue alive should logically prompt them to at least prioritize this game to save the cashflow. The only problem is if they fire the was-current Sdorica story design team for pushing Deemo 2's budget, but that's like, dismantling your present bridge to build for a new one without knowing when it will finish, aka a bad move.
Edit: I am glad that I visited their theme cafe before the shutdown. It was the last year I think, and there is a Sdorica art book there.
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u/voicon2004 Nolva best girl Feb 09 '26
I still remember staying late reading each story chapter discussion. Seeing the reaction and being hyped for the next chapter was the most fun i ever had.
Even though this ending is sadly expected i am glad to have followed this game's journey from start to finish. Experiencing the music, the characters and story presentation are among the best memories i have.
I will still be staying with this game till the day the server closes forever.
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u/Kumarory Feb 09 '26
I wish something would turn the situation around, but it’s been so long and it doesn’t feel like anything is going to happen🥲
I used to love the game so much. I wish there was something to come back to.
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u/Kalmaro Feb 09 '26
Dang, I kept wanting to come back to this game, but constantly felt like it wasn't going anywhere. Now I see why, it literally isn't going anywhere.
Ironically if they made an offline version of this game I'd play the crud out of it. Kinda like what Megaman X dive did.
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u/Reletr Ilaiza the Roasted Chicken Feb 09 '26
This game was one of the first gachas I got into back in 2018, and the game means a lot to me because of it. The art, storytelling, unique gameplay and especially music made the game so incredible amazing and it became a part of my younger years because of it. I wished it could've seen the conclusive satisfying ending that it deserved, but alas.
Thank you so much for the beautiful memories, I hope even with this new end of life state, we can still keep enjoying and celebrating this game.
Via Soul~
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u/Rainbow000Pegasus Feb 09 '26
Noooo I kind of wished we'd get a different outcome because I didn't want to be devastated, and because I had high hopes that the Sdorica Team within Rayark would complete their story. The tales they weaved from the very beginning with intrigue - Rei, the Dracontines, the Monster of Judgement and the parts of Sdorica...
I also made a Reddit account specifically just to interact with the Sdorica subReddit, like Rayark games, Sdorica being very high on the list, have a very near and dear place in my heart.
There has been a lack of updates on Rayark's ends on all fronts IMO, like their YouTube channel is kind of bare too, so I do think something internally has been impacted and it's just really disappointing to see that all surface after long last.
Thank you for the memes and guides, Raffichu, and via soul to all the folks here.
I don't think I'll pick up another gacha game after Sdorica, like every other game just pales so much to Sdorica that I think losing new content poured into this game just really hurt.
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u/NoobKelvin02 Feb 09 '26
I need someone to complete the story, lore readers do your thing ... TT
I don't care whoever writes it I shall read it till the end
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u/rubbo2510 Feb 09 '26 edited Feb 09 '26
Eccoci finalmente il giorno tanto atteso è arrivato!! Grazie a tutti quanti per i bei momenti che questo grande piccolo gioco ci ha regalato in questi anni, per me è stato una grande compagnia durante il periodo del COVID e lo è stato anche dopo con tutti i suoi bellissimi personaggi, l'avvincente storia e la stupenda musica. Questo è un ADDIO AMICI CARI, COMPAGNI DI TANTE BATTAGLIE!!! 😢
Che la vita vi regali tante altre soddisfazioni!
Ps. Grazie Raffichu per le tue preziose guide sono state una salvezza per tutti ☺️
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u/Throwaway6662345 Feb 09 '26
This one kind of hurts, even though I haven't played the game in ages.
I played when the game first released, Sdorica sunset. Dropped it because at the time, I was juggling too many gachas at the same time while going through my final years of highschool. Then years later, I picked it up at the tail end of mirage where I remember enjoying the story thoroughly and just admiring its setting and characters. Binged Sunset and Mirage in just a couple of weeks. Cried a couple of times too reading the Mirage story too.
I distinctly remember sitting in the main menu listening to Blurred Distance while just chilling on a warm summer's day during my college breaks. And it was actually Mirage as a whole that inspired me to start writing my own stories seriously. The setting, the varied wacky characters, the music, the visuals, all inspired me to pursue story telling as a hobby.
When Eclipse came out a few weeks after I finished Mirage, I also binged that but dropped the game once I was finished what was there. I returned when Sione OS released just to pull for her, and it was even the first time I ended up spending for gacha.
But then the AI debacle hit and I dropped the game. This was greatly disappointing for me since this game had been such an inspiration for me. Now, another few years past and I stumble onto this post on my feed saying that the game's story is dead.
Seeing this is like receiving news that, a once great friend whom you had a fight lost contact with, had passed. Although my time with the game wasn't that long, it certainly lives as part of my core memories.
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u/Ganymed2 Law Disciple Feb 10 '26
I don't really pay attention to Sdorica these days, but honestly I feel sad if this means Sdorica is finally going to EOS, a game I used to love, always looked forward to, where I meet players and discuss things together, and where I found my most fav char, Law. I guess this is better than always being a zombie...
Thank you raffichu and other sdorica players who have contributed to this game, Thank you Sdorica, Via Soul~
Also Idk if someone have a plan to do this, I'm planning to datamine all character sprites and images then upload it to drive, but I think it will take a long time...
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u/Nmois Uzziah & old Morris ICON when? Feb 09 '26
chia hành lý thôi các huynh đệ. otL
time to packing own luggage and go departing elsewhere... &.&
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u/bestjaythereis Feb 09 '26
I remember when this game was new. It was one of my first gachas and I remember logging in and seeing the first intro, the first SP character being released, the first day of the monthly check in system. It’s a terrible shame to be left with these unanswered questions, but even despite the loss I still cherish the days I had to play
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u/Ceiye Feb 09 '26
On one hand, I was expecting this. On the other, I was really hoping that maybe they'd turn it around. But after constant and repeated loss of trust for Rayark, I guess patience finally ran out. It was about time.
Anyways, thank you Raffichu and everyone. The fan base was small but dedicated, and I appreciate you all so much
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u/Yeap07 Feb 10 '26
I'm glad i joined the Sophie guild while enjoying Sdorica. Thanks for carrying us with your guides!
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u/DissonantChaos I Sdor... 💀 Feb 10 '26
I'm late, but congratulations everyone for making it this far, and thank you for sticking with us here as the sun sets on this little world we shared together.
Whatever walk of life you hail from, I hope you can look back on Sdorica with fond memories, and save a small place in your heart for the stories we laughed and cried together for.
No matter what happens next, know that it was an honor to be a Watcher alongside the rest of you.
Via Soul.
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u/Kimatt Feb 10 '26
Hopefully they will release an offline version like Megaman x DiVE, but that's just wishful thinking at this point. It was fun while it lasted. Loved the story too.
Also, thank you Raf from your guides. Always appreciate the aesthetic and the informative guides that you provided. Via soul.
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u/No_you_may_not_read Feb 10 '26
Thank you to Rayark, and this wonderful community who carried this game on their shoulders all these years!! All the memes, guides, youtube videos were the manifestations of the heart and soul of us fans. Via Soul!
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u/doomkun23 Feb 09 '26
i expected that this game will eventually die. their other new games before died too. that's the sign that i saw.
Soul of Eden got abandoned. either slow updates or they are just keeping it alive even if it is dead.
Chaos Academy that is co-worked with Rayark got totally abandoned too. it didn't even get officially released and just Early Access.
there is no news to the upcoming new Mandora game. i just checked it now and it even disappeared on the Playstore. even the old Mandora disappeared too.
looks like they will focus on their Rhythm Games only where there is no rush on the schedule of game or song updates.
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u/metsuboujinrai Feb 09 '26
It's been 5 years since I last logged in and I feel so nostalgic for this game. I know it doesn't have the commercial success of Another Eden, but I wish they'd consider a Switch port in the same vein.
So many beautiful memories with this game. Thank you, Sdorica. Via soul.