Square Enix announced a shut down date for its Bravely series. On June 30, servers for the Nintendo 3DS titles Bravely Default and Bravely Second: End Layer will be taken offline.
Both games use the 3DS' StreetPass function, which lets the player invite their online friends to live in an in-game hub town and set up their own homes and shops. It's also possible to borrow friends' job abilities and levels in combat.
As of 2023, Bravely Default I is 10 years old, and Bravely Second is 7 or 8 years, depending on the region. This shutdown is another blow to the series, whose mobile spinoff Bravely Default: Brilliant Lights went offline this past February.
Bravely Defaulting down
With the servers shutting down in June, both games will still be playable to their respective endings, and the StreetPass function will still work. But series producer Tomoya Asano said that "Net Friend Invites and sending Nemeses will no longer be available."
The 3DS (and Nintendo Wii U) had their respective Nintendo eShop stores close in March, meaning Bravely players can no longer buy in-game items via microtransactions.
Asano added that later in May, Square Enix would "explain the impact" of the server shutdown in greater detail ahead of the June 30 end date.
Thank you for 10 wonderful years of support!We have an important announcement concerning the online features of the Bravely Default titles released on Nintendo 3DS:https://t.co/jR2FtpQl2I
— ブレイブリーデフォルトII公式 (@BDFF_OFFICIAL) May 10, 2023