A popular mobile game in which players create a novel pathogen and try to wipe out humanity has been removed from app stores in China, where the first cases of COVID-19 were detected.

Ndemic Creations, the developers of Plague Inc., announced the news Thursday, saying the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) had informed them that the game “includes content that is illegal in China,” a market where the game has been largely successful for years.

In the game, players can choose from several modes that share a common theme: customizing a pathogen and infecting as many people as possible before humanity develops a cure.

In late January, Plague Inc. soared to the top of app stores in China as well as a number of other countries. At the time, the developers released a statement asking players to “please remember that Plague Inc. is a game, not a scientific model and that the current coronavirus outbreak is a very real situation which is impacting a huge number of people.”

In Thursday’s statement, Ndemic Creations said they did not know whether the game’s removal was linked to “the ongoing coronavirus outbreak that China is facing” and vowed to communicate with the CAC “to understand their concerns and work with them to find a resolution.” (Image: TechNode)