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BSide: Olivia Lin Shutdown Comes Just Weeks After Early Access Launch
Despite being best known for some of the biggest gacha games around, miHoYo, also known globally as HoYoverse, has spent years looking beyond video games. Its investments and research interests have stretched into areas such as artificial intelligence and even nuclear fusion.
That made the arrival of BSide: Olivia Lin on Steam less surprising than it might initially seem. The AI companion launched in Early Access as another example of experimenting beyond its established gaming business.
What is more unexpected is how quickly that experiment is ending. Around one month after launch, miHoYo has confirmed plans to discontinue the application and remove it from Steam.
The AI Companion Experiment Is Coming to an Early End
BSide: Olivia Lin centres on a virtual AI companion described as sweet and passionate about music. Users can chat with Olivia while also using features that allow her to write letters and create MIDI music arrangements.
Its Early Access release suggested that the application could continue evolving over time, particularly as the team gathered feedback and further developed its AI technology.
Instead, the project is now heading towards shutdown. The company has not provided a specific reason for ending support, making the timing particularly notable given the application’s reception. BSide: Olivia Lin currently holds a “Very Positive” Steam rating from more than 1,500 user reviews.
Online Features Will Be Disabled on August 27
The shutdown will begin on August 27, when miHoYo disables BSide: Olivia Lin features that rely on online processing. That includes letter generation and MIDI uploads. The application itself will continue functioning offline, meaning users who have already downloaded it will retain access to the features that do not require miHoYo’s servers.
A few days later, on August 31, the application will be completely removed from the Steam storefront. Existing owners will still be able to use the application’s remaining offline functionality after it is delisted. Users will need to take action before then if they want to preserve anything created through its online features. The company has warned that generated letters and MIDI files will disappear once the service is terminated, and recommends backing up that content beforehand.
For an application that only recently entered Early Access, BSide: Olivia Lin has had an unusually brief lifespan. Whether the developers carry any lessons from the project into future AI experiments remains to be seen, but Olivia’s time on Steam is already almost over.
