A Bristol gaming studio has had its plague game removed from the China App store following the spread of the coronavirus.
Ndemic Creations, based on Spike Island, has announced that Plague Inc - a game where players are challenged to bring the end of humanity by evolving a deadly, global plague - has been removed because it "includes content that is illegal in China as determined by the Cyberspace Administration of China".
In a statement, the company said the game had more than 130 million players, adding the situation was completely out of its control.
It continued: "We have some very sad news to share with our China based players.
"We've just been informed that Plague Inc. “includes content that is illegal in China as determined by the Cyberspace Administration of China” and has been removed from the China App Store.
"Plague Inc. is a huge critical and commercial success.
"It’s the #1 strategy/simulation game worldwide and has been the most popular paid game in China for many years."
The company said Plague Inc. was an intelligent and sophisticated simulation game that encouraged players to think and learn more about serious public health issues.
"We have a huge amount of respect for our Chinese players and are devastated that they are no longer able to access and play Plague Inc," the statement added. "It’s not clear to us if this removal is linked to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak that China is facing.
"However, Plague Inc.’s educational importance has been repeatedly recognised by organisations like the CDC and we are currently working with major global health organisations to determine how we can best support their efforts to contain and control COVID-19."
It added: "We are working very hard to try and find a way to get the game back in the hands of Chinese players - we don’t want to give up on you - however, as a tiny independent games studio in the UK, the odds are stacked against us.
"Our immediate priority is to try and make contact with the Cyberspace Administration of China to understand their concerns and work with them to find a resolution."
The company said the game was designed to be realistic and informative, while not sensationalising serious real-world issues.
"However, 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," the statement continued. "We would always recommend that players get their information directly from local and global health authorities."
