With Plague Inc.’s focus of spreading a virus to all corners of the Earth, it’s no surprise that the app got yanked from Chinese download platforms and has seen backlash from players.
The game’s developer, NDemic Creations, has been put in a tough spot because of current events. In response, they have donated to pandemic-fighting charities and are now adding a new mode completely antithetical to Plague Inc.’s standard gameplay.
This time around, you’re trying to stop a pandemic from spreading. James Vaughan, creator of Plague Inc, had this to say via the developer’s website:
The upcoming new mode focuses on managing disease progression and overseeing healthcare systems, quarantines, social distancing, and public closures. It will be free for all players when it arrives, although there’s no specific release date yet.
When arranging our donations with the WHO and CEPI, we were repeatedly asked if we could make a game which let the player work to stop an outbreak. Therefore, as well as providing financial support, we are accelerating work on a new Plague Inc. game mode which lets players save the world from a deadly disease outbreak.
You can read the development team’s full statement here, which also includes links to sites to donate to help organizations working to stem the spread of coronavirus and assist those currently in lockdown.
Of course, whether you want to play something eerily similar to what’s actually happening in the world right now is up to you. Maybe there will be a certain catharsis in stopping a worldwide disease spread virtually?
If you’re looking for more plague-stopping catharsis, there’s also the classic board game, Pandemic, which has made its way to various digital formats.
