What Netmarble is closing
Disclosure: this article covers blockchain-based games. Gaming Trend Wire does not offer financial advice and does not speculate on token prices.
Netmarble is shutting down the blockchain-enabled global version of Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. The publisher confirmed that the MARBLEX service, the current global game servers and the official forum will terminate on 17 September 2026 at 06:00 UTC, according to RPG Site. The move ends the token and NFT era of one of the more prominent big-IP mobile MMOs to adopt play-to-earn.
The wind-down ran in stages. In-game shop sales of paid items ended on 2 July 2026, and MBX Station, the exchange that let global players convert in-game resources into tradeable tokens, closed on 10 September 2026, a week before the servers themselves, EGamers reported. The Korean domestic version never included that off-ramp.
A relaunch without tokens
Rather than simply switch the game off, Netmarble relaunched it. On 23 July 2026 the company opened a new global unified server under the banner 'One Universe, One Journey' that removes all cryptocurrency and NFT systems, per EGamers. Netmarble has described the new environment as offering accelerated growth support and deeper growth mechanics, RPG Site reported.
There is a catch for long-time players. The unified server does not carry over progress, so characters do not transfer and everyone starts fresh. To soften that, Netmarble recorded a snapshot of each account's highest Combat Power on 2 July 2026 and used it to size tiered migration rewards, distributed through a program the company calls the CROWN FUND.
“With a heavy heart, we announce the upcoming discontinuation of the game service and MBX Station exchange.”
Why it matters
Netmarble framed the change around stability, saying it concluded it was difficult to continuously provide a stable service experience under the blockchain-integrated structure, according to RPG Site. Read alongside the removal of MARBLEX, the shift looks like a retreat from the play-to-earn model the global build launched with.
The episode is a case study in how quickly a large publisher will unwind a token layer once it decides the economics and stability are not working. Netmarble is keeping the game and its audience; what it is discarding is the on-chain plumbing, the exchange and the tradeable assets that defined the global version at launch, according to RPG Site and EGamers.
Cross Worlds is not alone. Several games that added crypto layers in the last cycle have either closed or quietly removed those features in 2026. What is unusual here is that the game itself continues; it is the token economy, not the title, that is being retired.
What players need to do
Players who want their migration rewards need an eligible login. EGamers and RPG Site note that accounts registered only through Facebook must link an email address before the new server opens, or they cannot receive rewards. Anything held only inside MBX Station had to be moved out before the 10 September cut-off.
We are reporting Netmarble's stated plans and dates as published, and we do not cover token prices. Players should confirm the latest details through the game's official notices before acting.
Frequently asked
Is Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds shutting down completely?
No. Netmarble is closing the crypto-enabled global servers, the MARBLEX service and the official forum on 17 September 2026, but it relaunched the game on a new unified server on 23 July 2026 without any cryptocurrency or NFT features.
Does my old progress carry over to the new server?
No. The unified server has no cross-progression, so characters do not transfer and players start fresh. Netmarble is instead paying tiered migration rewards based on a Combat Power snapshot taken on 2 July 2026.
What happened to the MBX Station token exchange?
MBX Station, the off-ramp that let global players convert in-game resources into tradeable tokens, closed on 10 September 2026, one week before the servers shut down.