The still ongoing COVID-19 pandemic had some interesting effects on people’s media diets. While some understandably shied away from media depicting global disease outbreaks, 2020 saw a renewed interest in games, shows, and movies dealing with that subject. This included popularmobile games likePlague Inc.and the cooperative board gamePandemic.
Thus, some might be surprised to find the digital edition ofPandemicdisappearing from online storefronts. Reddit users noted its absence from Steam and the App Store earlier today, with developer Asmodee Digital confirming the game’s removal.
RELATED:Skyrim Board Game Smashes Crowdfunding Goal
To clarify,anyone who ownsPandemiccan still play the game. Asmodee’s email also indicates that players can still download it from their Steam, App Store, and Google Play libraries. However, its removal means that Pandemic will not receive any future updates. This is especially a problem for Android and iOS players, as future OS updates are likely to render it unplayable eventually.
Naturally, the biggest question is why Asmodee decided to pullthe popular tabletop gamefrom digital storefronts. Unfortunately, the company’s email isn’t much help in that regard. According to the seemingly automatic response, “This decision was made with a heavy heart for a multitude of reasons that we cannot disclose.” Naturally, fans were not satisfied with the studio’s cryptic response, which led to speculation about what these reasons might be.
One possibility is that Asmodee is trying to show sensitivity regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Back in 2020, board game publisher Z-Man Games postponed future editions ofPandemic Legacyfor precisely that reason. However, players can still purchase physical copies ofPandemicand its various spinoffs. Furthermore, if this is the reason, it begs the question of why Asmodee didn’t pull the digital version ofPandemicat any point over the last two years.
Another hypothesis suggests that Asmodee intends to replace it with a new all-inclusive versionsimilar toCatan Universe. If so, this would create a single app forPandemic, its expansions, and spinoffs likeLegacy,Hot Zone, andFall of Rome. However, this may be wishful thinking, as Asmodee Digital’s yet to announce any such project.
MORE:10 Tabletop Games To Play If You Like The Witcher
