Plague Inc. removed from App Store China in the midst of the coronavirus crisis of alleged illegal content

A little over a month ago, Plague Inc. It was placed as the best-selling payment game on the App Store in China. Evidently, the sudden increase in discharges was given by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Already then, Ndemic Creations – the creators of the title – issued a statement to clarify that it was a game and not a scientific model.

However, it seems that the CAC (Cyberspace Administration of China) has other plans to Plague Inc. In a release released today

, the game developer explains that they have been forced to remove the game from the App Store in China, according to the CAC, «Include illegal content». However, it is logical to think that the reason has to do with the coronavirus and, in fact, Ndemic Creations itself says that it does not know if the game has been eliminated due to connection with COVID-19. Nor does it help that, they report, The Chinese Cyberspace Administration (CAC) has also not offered a concrete explanation for the sudden elimination of the game.

It is not clear to us if this elimination is related to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak facing China. However, the educational importance of Plague Inc. has been repeatedly recognized by organizations such as the CDC and we are currently working with leading global health organizations to determine how we can best support their efforts to contain and control COVID-19.

On the same note, Ndemic Creations reports that «The situation is completely out of your control» and that they are working very hard to find the way in which Chinese players can enjoy again Plague Inc. However, they clarify that they are a small independent study of the United Kingdom and the odds play against them. The current priority of Ndemic Creations is to contact the Chinese Cyberspace Administration to understand their concerns.

and work with them to find a solution.