10 Video Games Delisted For Insane Reasons

4. Because Of The Pandemic (In China) - Plague Inc.

Sonic the Hedgehog 2006
Ndemic Creations

RTS pandemic simulation game Plague Inc. was initially released back in 2012, though understandably enjoyed quite an uptick in popularity following the onset of the pandemic.

But in late February 2020, roughly two weeks before the World Health Organisation officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Plague Inc. was removed from all digital storefronts in China, allegedly due to the Chinese government believing the game contained "illegal" content.

Given that the takedown notice didn't specify which content was law-breaking in China, it was widely accepted that the Chinese government had the game delisted due to the onset of the pandemic, which first registered cases in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

With Plague Inc. becoming a top-selling app in China as the virus spread, it's reasonable to believe that the Chinese government wanted to censor a piece of media which might paint the nation in an embarrassing light or cause the populace to ask questions about China's response to the pandemic.

The reason admittedly hasn't ever been officially confirmed, but as Occam's Razor tells us, "the simplest solution is almost always the best."

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.