Homer has tapped out (EA/Disney)Fans of a long-running video game based on The Simpsons are gathered in grief as it permanently shuts down.The Simpsons has a historic legacy of video game tie-ins, from Konamis arcade beat em up to Virtual Springfield on the PC and the beloved GTA clone The Simpsons: Hit & Run.Theres another game in The Simpsons lineage which has quietly built up a fanbase over the past 12 years. The Simpsons: Tapped Out was a free city-building mobile game developed by EA, where you could create and manage your own version of Springfield.The game launched in February 2012 and continued to receive updates up until September last year, when EA announced plans to delist the title and shut down the servers in January 2025.The decision to end our 12-year journey is an emotional one, a statement read on the games Facebook page. Together with our partners at The Simpsons and The Walt Disney company, we have delighted in bringing this game to you, the fans, and seeing how youve each built your own beloved versions of Springfield.It has been a remarkable journey, and we are grateful that weve been able to deliver 308 updates, 831 characters, and including todays final farewell 1,463 questlines. As our journey comes to a close, we offer our sincerest thanks to you, the players, who have made this all possible.The servers for The Simpsons: Tapped Out officially shut down on Friday, January 24, which sparked an outpour of commemorative tributes to mark the end of an era.Goodbye The Simpsons: Tapped Out, one player wrote on X. Played it pretty much everyday since it launched in 2012. Gonna miss my version of Springfield that I spent so much time building.Another wrote: As Simpsons: Tapped Out is about to shut down forever, Ive played it every day for 12 years. Its been a part of my daily routine. As life changed around me, as people came and went, TSTO remained.I had this game on my phone longer than any other app ever released, another post read. Good bye The Simpsons: Tapped Out.Unlike the recent shut down of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, there are no plans for a paid offline version, so this is going to be another mobile game which looks set to be lost to time.More TrendingThe best option for a revival might fall on the fans themselves, much like those who decided to create their own remake of The Simpsons: Hit & Run. Farewell to your very own Springfield (EA/Disney)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.GameCentralSign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy