In what appears to be the one of the shortest run for a mobile game ever, Japan-based game developer i-tron announced that it will be shutting down its seiyuu breeder game BATON=RELAY on 30 July 2020, after having been released in March 2020.
A recap of the game, even though that seems rather futile at this point in time – BATON=RELAY has you taking on the role of a producer of sorts to direct and manager rookie voice actresses. You will train the aspiring starlets though various lessons including acting, voice training and even physical exercise. The idea is of course to maintain a balanced schedule to ensure that your girl receives the most training without burning out.
Speaking of which, there are a total of 16 voice actresses whom you will be able train, of all of whom are represented as cute superdeformed characters. There is an animation component to the game which is produced by Kabashima Yousuke, Chief Animation Director for Symphogear. Animation work itself has been relegated to Bibury Animation Studio.
Once you think you are ready, you will be able to send your girls to auditions, where they will try their best to become part of the cast. Appeal your strong points at the right moment in order to impress the directors. If you do secure the job, you will be able to partake in voice recording for the show in question. Adding to the lore are behind-the-scenes 4koma that appear in the loading page, so you learn more about the cast in the process.
The developer did not specify why it will be ending the service this soon, since even if it is not making money, games like these usually have a longer lifespan. Since nothing is being disclosed, we can only guess as to why it is meeting its end this quickly.