The original Castlevania is free on the App Store and Google Play until October 24, 2026, Konami announced on September 25 in its 40th anniversary press release. The giveaway leads a celebration that also includes a series-wide sale, a soundtrack release and an orchestral concert tour in 2027.
What Konami Announced
The free app is called Castlevania: 40th Anniversary, published by Konami on iPhone and iPad and Android. The store listing describes it as a direct port of the 1986 original, with Simon Belmont’s first trip into Dracula’s castle, an on-screen touchpad and offline play. The important detail is in the listing’s notes: the game stays playable after it leaves the store, so claiming it before the deadline keeps it on your phone.
The rest of the celebration, per Konami:
- A sale of up to 80%. On the PlayStation Store from September 23 to October 7, and on Steam from September 24 to October 1. Castlevania Anniversary Collection is 80% off on both, Advance Collection 70% and Dominus Collection 50%. PlayStation adds Requiem: Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood at 70%, and Steam discounts the Lords of Shadow games by 80%.
- Music. Music from Castlevania Black and Red reaches streaming platforms on September 26.
- Concerts. “Castlevania 40th Anniversary An Orchestral Concert” is planned for Tokyo, London and Los Angeles in spring 2027, with details still to come.
- Merchandise, which the release mentions without specifics, plus a new official Castlevania series account on X, according to the series portal.
Nothing New for Belmont’s Curse
Anyone hoping for fresh Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse news did not get it. The release restates what was already public: it launches October 15 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC (Steam and Xbox) and Nintendo Switch, a date Konami set in June. The free demo covering the opening chapter arrives October 1, announced on September 20, and its save data carries over to the full game on the same platform and account.
The production team’s anniversary message closes with “We have much more in store for the series, so please stay tuned,” which is a promise, not an announcement.
What This Means for Players
Grab the free app now even if you will not play it this week, since the deadline is about a month out. If the original’s difficulty hooks you, the sale is the cheap way into the rest of the series. Symphony of the Night makes our list of the best PS1 games, Super Castlevania IV is on our best SNES games, Aria of Sorrow features in our best GBA games, and Dawn of Sorrow on our best DS games. Fans of the Igarashi era should also see what Bloodstained’s sequel showed at TGS.
Source: Konami Digital Entertainment, Castlevania 40th anniversary press release and store listings, September 25, 2026.