Crunchyroll’s premium memberships now come with free mobile games.
Starting November 7, 2023, members of Crunchyroll’s Mega Fan and Ultimate Fan tiers can access an assortment of free mobile games via the Crunchyroll Game Vault.
What is Crunchyroll Game Vault?
Crunchyroll Game Vault is a perk for Crunchyroll Mega Fan ($9.99/month) and Ultimate Fan ($14.99/month) members that gives them access to a growing library of free-to-play mobile games, with no ads or in-app purchases. The feature is now live for fans in over 200 countries and territories.
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What are the available games at launch?
The Crunchyroll Game Vault currently has five available games, which are as follows:
Captain Velvet: The Jump+ Dimensions
River City Girls
Wolfstride
Behind the Frame: The Finest Scenery
Inbento
The five games are only available on Android, but Crunchyroll noted in its press release that the iOS versions of the games are “coming soon.”
The launch of the Crunchyroll Game Vault as an added feature to the streaming service’s subscription makes a lot of sense since Crunchyroll already has an interactive division (Crunchyroll Games) that releases free-to-download games that tie into its anime content. Some of Crunchyroll Games’ game release include Street Fighter: Duel, My Hero Academia: The Strongest Hero and the upcoming One Punch Man: World.
Why did Crunchyroll add mobile games to its subscription?
Like Netflix, Crunchyroll’s move to introduce mobile games as one of its subscription features is a strategy to keep anime fans locked onto its content.
In addition to that, Crunchyroll is hoping that its game vault will serve as a way for game developers to find exposure for their own creations. “With Crunchyroll Game Vault, we’re also looking forward to working with international developers to bring their titles to mobile for the first time or introduce existing mobile games to the Crunchyroll community as part of an amazing line-up,” Crunchyroll’s Terry Li said in a press release.
Netflix’s mobile games
Netflix started offering free mobile games to its subscribers in 2021 and has since expanded its list to 78 titles, many of which are based on its own properties. Although Netflix’s gaming ambitions remain largely in the experimental phase, the streaming service’s mobile game offerings could be one of many factors that keep people from canceling their subscriptions.