Rovio delists the original Angry Birds due to ‘impact’ on free-to-play variants

destructoid.com:

Mobile developer Rovio has announced that it is delisting the original edition of its smash hit mobile title Angry Birds, due to the “wider impact” the legendary title has on the studio’s free-to-play portfolio.

“We have reviewed the business case of Rovio Classics: Angry Birds, and due to the game’s impact on our wider games portfolio, we have decided that Rovio Classics: Angry Birds will be unlisted from the Google Play Store on Thursday, 23rd February,” reads an official statement posted to by Rovio to Twitter. “Additionally, the game will be renamed to Red’s First Flight in the App Store pending further review.”

“We understand this is sad news for many fans, as well as the team that has worked hard to make Rovio Classics: Angry Birds a reality. We are extremely grateful to the Angry Birds fans who have shown their love of the brand and this game from the beginning. We hope those fans can continue to bring that passion to our live Angry Birds slingshot games such as Angry Birds 2, Angry Birds Friends, and Angry Birds Journey, where our goal every day is to craft the best possible experience for players.”

Please read below for an important announcement regarding the availability of Rovio Classics: Angry Birds. pic.twitter.com/a4n4bU5gQJ

— Rovio (@Rovio) February 21, 2023

As noted in the above statement, the physics-based puzzler will be removed from the Android store entirely, while the iOS edition will be retitled Red’s First Flight, seemingly a way to ensure that it no longer appears on the top of search results for “Angry Birds”. Anybody who has previously picked up a copy of the game will be able to re-download the title at any point in the future.

In comments to VGC, Rovio states that it is vital to the company’s