Rovio is delisting Angry Birds, saying it ‘negatively impacts’ its other games
Rovio has announced that it is removing the Android version of Angry Birds and renaming the iOS version, claiming the game is affecting the success of its other titles.
The publisher removed a number of Angry Birds games (including the 2009 original) from app stores in 2019, claiming it was “for testing purposes”.
It then re-released the original title in April 2022, under the name Rovio Classics: Angry Birds. Less than a year after bringing the game back, however, Rovio is pulling it again, claiming it’s impacting on the performance of its other games.
While the Android version is being removed entirely, the iOS version is instead being renamed Red’s First Flight, a move that has seemingly been made to make it harder to identify as the original Angry Birds (and therefore less popular).
“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, February 23,” a statement from the company reads.
“Additionally, the game will be renamed to Red’s First Flight in the App Store pending further review.
“Rovio Classics: Angry Birds will remain playable on devices on which the game has been downloaded, even after it has been unlisted.”
It added: “We understand that 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,
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