Konami is marking four decades of Castlevania by giving away the original 1986 game for free on the App Store and Google Play. The promotion runs until October 24th, and it comes with deep discounts across the series and a free demo of the upcoming Belmont’s Curse. The freebie is the headline, but the sale is the deal. A player who downloads the original Castlevania can relive the experience that started it all. A player who buys the sale bundles gets a decade of games at a discount. And a player who grabs the demo gets a look at the future of the series.
Free Download, One Deadline
The original Castlevania introduced Simon Belmont as a vampire hunter fighting Dracula on the NES in 1986. Now it is available again, this time on mobile platforms, free of charge. The catch is the end date: October 24th, after which the game disappears from the stores.
It is a small window, but it is a generous one. A generation of players who paid full price for the cartridge can now get it for nothing, on a phone or tablet rather than a console. The game that started it all is back, and it is free.
Belmont’s Curse Arrives Next Month
The freebie is part of a larger package. Belmont’s Curse, the new mainline entry, follows Rose, the daughter of Trevor Belmont from Castlevania 3. She fights her way through Paris and Dracula’s castle with the Vampire Killer whip in 1499. The game is slated to release on October 15th for Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
The demo arrives on October 1st, coming to the same platforms. Players who download it can play through the entire first chapter, with any progress carrying over to the full release. The game runs at 60FPS across all platforms except Switch, which runs at 30FPS.
Sale Across Two Stores
Konami is also running a series-wide sale across two storefronts. On the PlayStation Store, the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is 80 percent off from now until October 7th. The Dominus Collection is 50 percent off, and the Advance Collection and the Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood bundle are both 70 percent off.
On Steam, the sale runs from September 24th to October 1st. The Anniversary Collection is again 80 percent off, the Dominus Collection 50 percent off, the Advance Collection 70 percent off, and the Lords of Shadow games are all 80 percent off. That includes:
- The Ultimate Edition
- The Lords of Shadow 2 digital bundle
- Its Revelations DLC
- Mirror of Fate HD
The sale is a chance to fill in gaps. Anyone who missed a particular era can grab it at a fraction of the usual price.
Demo Details and What Carries Over
The demo is a notable feature of this promotion. It is not a trailer or a teaser; it is a playable chapter of the full game.
Any progress made in the demo carries over to the full release on October 15th. That means a player who finishes the first chapter on October 1st can pick up where they left off when Belmont’s Curse launches. It is a smart move by Konami, giving players a reason to invest time before the game is out.
The 60FPS frame rate applies to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Switch runs at 30FPS.
Soundtrack and Concert Plans
The sale is not the only anniversary offering. There is a Castlevania 40th Anniversary orchestral concert planned for spring 2027 in London, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.
The soundtrack to Castlevania: Black & Red is now available on most major streaming platforms. Fans who want to hear the music without attending a concert can simply open their preferred app and find the album.
Developer Behind the New Game
The developer behind Belmont’s Curse is Evil Empire, known for its work on Dead Cells and the similarly styled Rogue Prince of Persia. The studio recently announced the demo’s arrival on October 1st, with the full game following on October 15th.
Evil Empire’s pedigree is worth noting. The studio has built its name on fast, demanding gameplay.
The demo’s availability on Switch, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC means players on any system can try it before committing to the full purchase. That is a broad reach for a game still in development.
What This Means for Players
The Belmont’s Curse demo is the biggest draw for anyone curious about the new game. Playing the first chapter is a low-risk way to see how Rose handles combat and exploration. The carry-over feature means the demo is not just a taste; it is a head start.
The sale is a good time to complete a collection. Anyone who missed a particular era can grab it at a fraction of the usual price.
This is a generous anniversary package. The free original, the deep discounts, the playable demo, and the concert plans all point to a company celebrating its history while looking forward. It is a rare moment when a publisher offers so much to longtime fans and newcomers alike.
See the video the story is built around at Eurogamer.
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