The real-time strategy game Plague Inc. has been removed from China's App Store, and Plague Inc. developer Ndemic Creations issued a statement explaining that the situation was beyond the company's control and that they are looking into ways to get Chinese players playing again. Plague Inc.

In a statement released on Ndemic's official website, the team explained that Plague Inc was removed because the game "contains content that is illegal in China as determined by the Chinese Cyberspace Administration."

The studio further explained that it is unclear whether the removal of Plague Inc. is related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in China, which is related to the game's narrative of a deadly global disease spreading worldwide.

The team further states that "our immediate priority is to contact the Chinese Cyberspace Administration to understand their concerns and work together to find a solution." At the end of this post, Ndemic writes that it is working hard to find a way to get the game back into the store.

In January, the number of concurrent users of the game reached a record high due to increased interest in the coronavirus outbreak. So high was the demand that Ndemic was forced to issue an official statement that the game is not a scientific model and that players should get information directly from local health authorities.

Update: Ndemic announced today that Plague Inc. Evolved has also been removed from Steam in China; as with the App Store removal, the studio is unsure if the removal is related to the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak. working hard to find a way to get the game back into the hands of players."

"Nothing has changed outside of mainland China," Ndemic said."

"We will continue to support and update both Plague Inc. and our newest game Rebel Inc. on all platforms, while working hard to find ways to bring Plague Inc. back to Chinese players.

We have contacted Ndemic and Valve for more information and will update if we hear back.