14 DAY TRIAL // Despite Apple said to be offering tighter control of apps published on its App Store, fake apps and clones do manage to bypass filters every once in a while.
This is what happened earlier today when a fake version of side-scrolling shooter Cuphead was listed for download on the App Store with a price tag of $4.99.
Since this is one very popular title that many people hope to be released on mobile platforms as well, it quickly gained everyone’s attention, despite the lack of an official announcement in this regard.
While it’s not known if and how many people purchased the fake app, StudioMDHR, the parent company that developed the game, confirmed on Twitter that “there is a Cuphead imposter app on the iOS store and this is a scam. We are working on removing the fraudulent app ASAP!”
App already removed from the App Store
Apple has indeed removed the app pretty fast and the developer got banned, though it’s not clear at this point what’s going to happen with iPhone users who already paid $5 to purchase it and if any kind of reimbursement is planned.
The fake listing included several elements to trick people into believing they were downloading the original game, such as a name that was very similar with the one of the real developer, as well as screenshots that were made from the game.
StudioMDHR rolled out Cuphead as a Microsoft-exclusive title, with support only for Windows and Xbox One. It goes without saying that many people hoped to see the game released on other platforms, and the parent company did hint that this could happen at some point in the future, but no other specifics were provided.
It’s believed, however, that iOS won’t be the operating system of choice for the next version of Cuphead, but macOS, though many users are also asking for mobile siblings as well.