September 28, 2026
1 min read
The vampire-hunting journey that started it all goes free on mobile, alongside wide-ranging series discounts to mark four decades of Dracula's worst nightmare.
The short version
To celebrate the franchise's 40th anniversary, Konami has made the original 1986 Castlevania entirely free on iOS and Android until October 24, 2026, alongside deep discounts across PlayStation and Steam.
By Chuy, Senior Staff Writer
Sep 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the Nexzy newsroom

Konami has released the original 1986 Castlevania for free on the App Store and Google Play, kickstarting a multi-platform celebration for the franchise's 40th anniversary. The publisher announced the mobile giveaway alongside a series of storefront discounts and a playable demo for the upcoming entry, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, which is scheduled to release on October 15. The free mobile download of the NES classic will remain available until October 24, 2026, according to Konami.
To keep the nostalgia going, Konami is slashing prices on its backlog. On the PlayStation Store, the Castlevania Anniversary Collection is 80 percent off through October 7, while the Dominus Collection is half off, and both the Advance Collection and the Requiem bundle are discounted. Steam players get a similar treatment through October 1, featuring 80 percent off both the Anniversary Collection and the Lords of Shadow series.
Meanwhile, developer Evil Empire is preparing its own contribution with Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, which follows Rose Belmont through 15th-century Paris. A free demo covering the game's entire first chapter launches on October 1, with progress carrying over to the full October 15 release. The demo will run at 60FPS on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, while Switch players will slide by at 30FPS.
The details
Konami is also planning a 40th-anniversary orchestral concert for spring 2027 in several cities. Until then, the Castlevania: Black & Red soundtrack is streaming on major platforms.
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