Key Highlights
- “Rovio Classics: Angry Birds” delisted from the Google Play Store
- Rovio says the game lacks microtransactions
- The game will still be accessible on iOS under the new name “Red’s First Flight”
Last week, Rovio made the announcement that the “Classic” version of Angry Birds would no longer be available on the Google Play Store, effectively shutting off Android users. “Rovio Classics: Angry Birds” will be removed from the Google Play Store as of today, February 23. As a result, Android users will no longer be able to purchase the “Classic” version of Angry Birds, while those who had paid $0.99 for the game will still have access to it. Also Read | Gamers Rejoice: List Of Top Trending Action Adventure Games You Should Play
Angry Birds “Classic” was released on March 31, 2022. So, it was accessible for a shorter period of time than a year. This is a re-release of the first iteration of Angry Birds, one of the most popular games ever released for mobile devices. The original version of the game was delisted long ago as Rovio focused on free-to-play spinoffs and sequels. As of February 22, the only paid app that Rovio distributes on the Play Store is Angry Birds “Classic.”
Why Is ‘Rovio Classics: Angry Birds’ Shutting Down?
In a statement shared on Twitter, Rovio claims that after “reviewing the business case” for this game in particular, it has decided to discontinue distribution because of the “impact on our wider games portfolio.”
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Even though it isn’t stated explicitly, the logic behind this is rather obvious. Angry Birds “Classic” is a one-time purchase on Android for an ad-free game that also lacks microtransactions. Other Rovio games like Angry Birds 2, rely on these microtransactions and advertisements to turn a profit, and it’s quite clear that Rovio sees this one-time purchase version of the game as a threat to those versions.
The beauty of this situation is that while Angry Birds “Classic” has been completely removed from Android, it remains available on iOS under the new name “Red’s First Flight”. Rovio also renamed the game “Rovio Classics: AB” on the Play Store. This looks like a pretty obvious attempt to fill in the title.
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