China has pulled popular mobile app, Plague Inc., from the country’s app store – but the reason why isn’t all too clear.
The simulation/management game, which allows players to manipulate viruses to wipe out the planet’s population, has received praise for its realism and scientific approach to viral outbreaks. It’s also seen a huge surge in play numbers both on PC and mobile thanks to the dreaded coronavirus which is currently causing panic across the world.
But is the coronavirus the reason the game has been pulled from the mobile app store in China? Well…it’s not that clear-cut.
In a new statement, Plague Inc. developers Ndemic Creations had the following to say: “We’ve just been informed that Plague Inc. ‘includes content that is illegal in China as determined by the Cyberspace Administration of China’ and has been removed from the China App Store. This situation is completely out of our control.”
It’s not know exactly which part of Plague Inc. has been seen to include content that is illegal, but it’s believed that the move is in relation to the coronavirus spread.
The statement continues: “Plague Inc. stands out as an intelligent and sophisticated simulation that encourages players to think and learn more about serious public health issues. We have a huge amount of respect for our Chinese players and are devastated that they are no longer able to access and play Plague Inc.
“It’s not clear to us if this removal is linked to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak that China is facing. However, Plague Inc.’s educational importance has been repeatedly recognised by organisations like the CDC and we are currently working with major global health organisations to determine how we can best support their efforts to contain and control COVID-19.”
According to Ndemic, the team is actively seeking a way to get the game “back in the hands of Chinese players” – whether that means censoring the game or not is, again, unclear.
The coronavirus spread continues to claim lives across the world.
Featured Image Credit: Ndemic Creations