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Plague Inc. becomes the top paid iOS app, beating Minecraft, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak

Players warned to look elsewhere for coronavirus info

Plague Inc. becomes the top paid iOS app, beating Minecraft, in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak
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| Plague Inc.

In a strange, surprising turn of events, Plague Inc. is now the top paid app on the US App Store, beating out Minecraft. As first spotted by PocketGamer.biz, Apptica confirmed the change and has linked the strategy sim's recent success to the ongoing spread of the coronavirus.

"It only seems that mobile games are a stand-alone market, in fact, global events can significantly affect the state of things", says Apptica. " The coronavirus outbreak blew up in China, became the leading world news in a couple of hours".

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It's a fair point; there's no doubt in my mind that some folks did take the plunge on Plague Inc. due to growing concerns surrounding the virus. That said, Minecraft has dropped to second and third position on the charts several times since December of last year.

Plague Inc. toppled Minecraft back on January 23rd, ending the game's most recent run at the top. Chances are that it'll soon regain its previous position, though.

Developer Ndemic Creations has already had to warn players to look elsewhere for essential info on the coronavirus; it's a game, not a pinpoint accurate depiction of how these things pan out. The coronavirus has also caused issues for the production of various tech, including the Nintendo Switch and the ASUS ROG Phone II.

We reviewed the iOS version of Plague Inc. all the way back in 2012, saying "the most fun you can have destroying civilisation without becoming a government MP, Plague Inc. refines the Pandemic formula into a streamlined combination of strategy and twisted bio-horror", before awarding it a Gold Rating.

If you're yet to give it a go, you'll find Plague Inc. available for purchase now from both the App Store and Google Play.

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Cameron Bald
Cameron Bald
Cameron started out as an intern here in late 2018, then went on to join us as our News Editor in July 2019. He brings with him an encyclopedic knowledge of decade-old GamesMaster review scores and plenty of stinking takes on games, movies, and proper pizza etiquette.