Summary: PAD Battle's battles and battle-related data ended in September 2026. The Japanese companion app returned to its old name, PAD Radar, on October 1 and continues offering a map and links to the main Puzzle & Dragons game. Gold and MP still have uses. The competitive mode ended; the whole franchise did not.
Does the loss of PAD Battle mean Puzzle & Dragons is shutting down too? No. GungHo retired the battle functions in a Japan-only companion app. Its exploration map and links to the main mobile game continue as PAD Radar.
One app, two very different outcomes
GungHo's July 30 notice said every battle mode and its associated data would be discontinued at the end of September. Version 6.0.0, released for October 1, removes the Battle and Team menu screens. The map and main-game connection remain, while Gold and MP can still be earned and spent on functions including searches and drop exchanges.
It's easy to mix up the fate of PvP, the continuing radar app, and the main game. They aren't the same thing. The old name returning doesn't resurrect old battle teams, just as repainting a storefront doesn't restore everything once sold inside.
Why people outside Japan asked questions
In an August 3 Reddit discussion, a reader asked if the change only affected Japan. Others pointed out that PAD Radar/Battle was never officially offered in North America, while another found the repeated name change confusing. These are identifiable individual comments, not a survey showing widespread panic.
What matters next is whether GungHo makes map exploration and linked rewards more useful. PAD Battle has hung up its boxing gloves; PAD Radar has picked up the compass. The main game is another story.
Sources: GungHo official notice, July 30, 2026 · Reddit player discussion, August 3, 2026
