Infinity Blade was a popular action role-playing game developed by Chair Entertainment and Epic Games for iOS devices. The game was first released in 2010 and spawned two sequels – Infinity Blade II in 2011 and Infinity Blade III in 2013.
However, on December 10, 2018, Epic Games removed the entire Infinity Blade trilogy from the iOS App Store, citing difficulties in supporting the games on newer hardware and iOS versions. This came as a shock to many fans who could no longer download or reinstall the games they had previously purchased.
So, here I am going to cover the background on why Infinity Blade was removed, methods to download and install the game on iOS devices in 2023 despite the removal, and step-by-step instructions for installation.
Why was Infinity Blade Removed?
According to Epic Games’ announcement in 2018, the main reason for removing Infinity Blade from the App Store was the difficulty in allocating development resources to support the game on newer iOS versions and hardware, given the small team working on it.
The game was quite technologically advanced for its time and required significant engineering efforts to keep it updated. With the main development team moving on to new projects like Spyjinx, it was not feasible to maintain Infinity Blade to Epic’s quality standards.
There were likely also business and financial motivations, as the games were several years old and probably not driving high revenue anymore, making it hard to justify expensive ongoing support.
Can You Still Install Infinity Blade on iOS?
Despite the removal from the App Store, there are still methods to download and install Infinity Blade on iOS devices:
- Sideloading: Using third-party tools like Sideloadly to install unsigned IPA file packages
- Shared family purchases: If someone in your Family Sharing plan had previously downloaded the games
- iTunes purchase history: For some legacy iOS versions, you may be able to download previously purchased apps
However, these methods have significant limitations and may not work indefinitely as Apple makes changes to restrict unapproved app installation.
Step-by-Step Guide to Install Infinity Blade
Here is a step-by-step guide to install Infinity Blade on iOS using the Sideloadly method:
1. Download Required Software
First, you will need to download the following software on your Windows or Mac computer:
- Sideloadly: The sideloading app installation tool (https://sideloadly.io)
- iTunes: From Apple to connect and manage your iOS device (https://www.apple.com/itunes/)
2. Download Infinity Blade IPA Files
Next, you need to source the Infinity Blade IPA files, which contain the app code. You can find these in various places online:
- Infinity Blade 1: 64-bit IPA, 32-bit IPA
- Infinity Blade 2: 64-bit IPA, 32-bit IPA
- Infinity Blade 3: IPA
Make sure to download the right IPA file for your iOS device’s chip architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).
3. Install Sideloadly and Connect iOS Device
Follow Sideloadly’s installation instructions to set it up on your computer. Make sure you have the latest iTunes installed as well.
Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch to the computer using a USB cable. This will allow Sideloadly to install the IPA files on your device.
4. Use Sideloadly to Install Infinity Blade
In Sideloadly, go to the “Home” tab, drag and drop the Infinity Blade IPA file you want to install, wait for it to process, and hit “Install.”
Sideloadly will now install Infinity Blade directly on your connected iOS device.
5. Trust and Launch the App
Once installed, go to Settings => General => Device Management on your iOS device. Here, you need to trust the Infinity Blade app certificate.
You can then open Infinity Blade and start playing. Note you may need to repeat the sideload process every 7 days as the certificate expires.
While more complex than a normal App Store install, this method allows you to play the legendary Infinity Blade games even in 2023 and beyond.
Final Words
The removal of the pioneering Infinity Blade series from the iOS App Store was disappointing for fans. However, with some technical workaround methods like sideloading, you can still install and play Infinity Blade on your iPhone or iPad.
We walked through the history and context on why Infinity Blade was removed, sourcing the IPA file packages required, using the Sideloadly tool to handle unsigned app installs, and the necessary steps to get Infinity Blade running on modern iOS versions.
While Apple may continue to restrict such unofficial installation methods going forward, this workaround should help dedicated fans keep the Infinity Blade legacy alive for the foreseeable future.