Two Japanese Games End Service After Critical PHP Flaws Prompt Closures

Two long-running Japanese games ended service after critical PHP fixes prompted operators to weigh whether their existing systems could be secured without risking player information.

World Quest’s operator cited a legacy architecture that could not support adequate safeguards. The shutdown announcement came at 10:21 a.m. ET (14:21 UTC) Oct. 21, about 21 minutes after the fixes were released, and the game closed that day. It first launched on GREE on March 31, 2011, shut down in 2019 and returned in May 2020.

The operator of 僕の魔界を救って！ announced its closure at 9:41 p.m. ET Oct. 21 (01:41 UTC Oct. 22), about 1 hour 44 minutes after posting an emergency-maintenance notice. It cited old server, operating system and PHP environments, saying the existing setup was difficult to secure and a move to a new environment was impractical. The operator said continuing to run the game could put player data at risk.

In 2024, the operator had announced it was ending events and opening the game’s final story map. It also warned that a physical-server failure that was difficult to repair could bring service to an end.

The PHP updates address two critical flaws that could let attackers run code on vulnerable web servers without logging in. Fixed releases include PHP 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35. The vulnerabilities affect web-facing PHP installations, including systems used by crypto services; earlier coverage of PHP vulnerabilities affecting web servers explains the broader risk.