BSide: Olivia Lin Shuts Down August 31 as miHoYo Prepares an Offline Version

miHoYo has announced the end of online service for BSide: Olivia Lin, its music-focused AI companion application that entered Steam Early Access on July 13, 2026.

The servers will close on August 31, while an offline version will be released four days earlier on August 27 so that part of the Olivia Lin experience remains usable after online services disappear.

Quick Summary

• Title: BSide: Olivia Lin
• Character: Lin Li / Olivia Lin
• Chinese name: 林离
• Format: desktop software / AI companion
• Steam categories: Free to Play, Utilities, Early Access
• Developer: miHoYo
• Publisher: miHoYo
• Platform: PC via Steam
• Price: free
• Early Access launch: July 13, 2026
• Shutdown announcement: August 11, 2026
• Time between launch and announcement: 29 days
• Offline version: August 27, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
• Server shutdown: August 31, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
• Steam delisting: August 31, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
• Total service period: approximately 50 calendar days
• Online features ending: letters and MIDI uploads
• Offline features retained: local performances and desktop live wallpaper
• Letters and MIDI data: must be backed up before shutdown
• Offline data synchronization: not supported
• Steam language: Simplified Chinese
• Core features: piano performances, MIDI video generation, letters, and desktop wallpaper
• Original Early Access plan: expected to continue through the end of 2026
• Specific shutdown reason: not disclosed

Official Announcement, Steam, and Visuals

The Servers Close August 31

miHoYo announced on August 11 that BSide: Olivia Lin would formally cease operations as part of what it described as the product’s phased planning and subsequent arrangements.

The shutdown is divided into two stages.

On August 27 at 3:00 p.m., the offline version will become available. Server-dependent features including writing letters and uploading MIDI files will stop functioning at the same time.

On August 31 at 3:00 p.m., BSide: Olivia Lin will be removed from the Steam store and its servers will officially close.

Anyone who wants to keep the offline build must download and install it through Steam before the delisting.

Once installed, that offline version will continue functioning after the servers disappear.

The Announcement Really Did Come within 30 Days

Posts about the shutdown frequently describe BSide: Olivia Lin as closing less than a month after launch. There is an important distinction between the announcement date and the actual server shutdown.

Early Access began on July 13. The shutdown announcement arrived on August 11, exactly 29 days later.

However, the servers do not close on August 11.

Online operation continues until August 31, bringing the complete Early Access service period to roughly 50 calendar days.

The unusually short 29-day figure therefore describes how quickly miHoYo announced the closure, not the total amount of time the application remains operational.

What Does the Offline Version Keep?

The offline build preserves features that do not depend on online processing.

Users will still be able to listen to Olivia’s piano performances locally and keep her on the desktop through its live-wallpaper functionality.

Server-based features will disappear.

The letter system ends on August 27, meaning users can no longer send messages and receive Olivia’s interactive replies. MIDI uploading also stops as an online service.

miHoYo specifically warns that online content will not automatically transfer into the offline build.

Users Need to Back Up Their Data

Anyone who wants to preserve letters, MIDI creations, music-library data, or other related files must complete a backup before August 31 at 3:00 p.m.

Once the servers close, relevant online content can no longer be viewed or recovered.

It will also not be synchronized with the offline version.

miHoYo says any remaining data will be handled according to applicable regulations and its privacy policy once the service ends.

What Exactly Is BSide: Olivia Lin?

BSide: Olivia Lin differs significantly from miHoYo’s conventional games.

The software centers on Lin Li, also known as Olivia Lin, a Shanghai student presented as majoring in piano while minoring in psychology.

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Her profile describes an interest in vinyl records, old movies, rainy weather, and a personal study involving the relationship between music and memory.

Users can listen to her perform piano music, upload MIDI files to create performance videos, write her letters, and place Olivia on the desktop as a live wallpaper.

Its AI-supported interaction and generation features led the product to be described more commonly as an AI companion application than as a traditional video game.

Early Access Was Originally Expected to Last through 2026

The shutdown also represents a major change from the development plan previously displayed on Steam.

miHoYo originally expected BSide’s Early Access period to continue until the end of 2026.

During that time, the team intended to gather feedback on MIDI-generated video quality, music playback, and letter interactions before moving toward a more complete version.

Development updates were still arriving shortly before the shutdown announcement.

A July 17 patch addressed playback and storage issues, while the July 28 update improved MIDI preprocessing, compatibility, sustain-pedal extraction, and animation-generation speed.

The closure was announced roughly two weeks later.

miHoYo has not attributed the decision to player numbers, AI costs, technical problems, regulation, or another specific factor. Its official statement only refers to product planning and future arrangements.

Why This Matters

1) The closure was announced extremely quickly

Only 29 days separated the Early Access launch and miHoYo’s decision to publicly announce the end of service.

2) An offline version prevents a complete disappearance

Part of Olivia’s music and desktop experience will remain accessible even after the servers close.

3) The online interaction cannot be fully preserved

Letters and MIDI uploading are among the functions that disappear when the server-based portion ends.

4) The original Early Access roadmap changed dramatically

The Steam page previously suggested development would continue through the end of 2026, but online service now ends in August.

BSide: Olivia Lin Information

The important details currently known are:

• BSide: Olivia Lin is developed and published by miHoYo
• it is closer to an AI companion and desktop utility than a conventional game
• Early Access began on July 13, 2026
• the closure was announced on August 11
• an offline version arrives on August 27
• letter writing and MIDI uploads end at the same time
• servers close on August 31
• the application is also removed from Steam on August 31
• users must install the offline build before delisting
• local piano playback remains available
• desktop live wallpaper remains available
• online data does not transfer to the offline version
• letters, MIDI files, and other data should be backed up before shutdown
• Early Access was originally expected to run through the end of 2026
• miHoYo has not disclosed a specific reason for ending the project
• the official announcement is available through the BSide: Olivia Lin Steam Community
• the product page is available through Steam

Closing

BSide: Olivia Lin will become one of miHoYo’s shortest-lived public experiments. Its shutdown was announced only 29 days after Early Access began, although the actual servers remain online until the end of August.

The offline version means Olivia will not disappear completely. Users who want to preserve letters, MIDI creations, or other data should complete their backups and install the offline build before Steam removes the application.