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Apple Allows Fake Cuphead Game on to the App Store

Cuphead fans were excited briefly, now the developer is trying to get it taken down ASAP.

Updated December 18, 2017
Fake Cuphead App

On September 29, StudioMDHR finally released Cuphead as an exclusive game form Microsoft Windows and Xbox One. It received very positive feedback from players and reviewers, especially due to its art style which mirrored that of Walt Disney in the 1930s. Sales topped a million in just two weeks.

Not everyone has access to a Windows PC or Xbox One , though, so news this morning that the game quietly launched for iOS was met with excitement. At the same time it seemed like a very strange surprise release, especially considering the exclusive deal StudioMDHR has with Microsoft for the game.

It turns out it really was a surprise to everyone, including the developer. Everyone soon realized the app was a fake that had somehow managed to make it through Apple's stringent app review process.

At the time of writing, the Cuphead app is still live in the App Store carrying a price of $4.99. The seller is listed as StudioMDHR, but the support link leads to an incorrect domain that is now showing a 404 page error. Anyone looking at the app listing, however, wouldn't see anything untoward and would most likely trust Apple to have checked this is legit. It isn't.

The Cuphead app was first spotted by TouchArcade who took it to be the real thing, but soon updated their post to tell everyone it is a fake and they should steer clear. According to The Verge, those who have downloaded the fake game say it is playable with touch controls, but it's far from a great experience.

Whoever took the time to create an illegal app version of Cuphead must have been quite pleased with themselves when it went live this morning and sales started pouring in. However, it's very unlikely they'll ever see any of the cash now, and their Apple developer account is as good as dead.

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About Matthew Humphries

Senior Editor

I started working at PCMag in November 2016, covering all areas of technology and video game news. Before that I spent nearly 15 years working at Geek.com as a writer and editor. I also spent the first six years after leaving university as a professional game designer working with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.

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