【2018 Archives】

Apple recently allowed a fraudulent $4.99 Cuphead app to appear in the App Store.

018 Archivesmobile gaming site Touch Arcade firstspottedthe fake app and reported its existence as a "surprise" iOS launch. However, Cuphead's developer, Studio MDHR, later announced on Twitter that the iOS app was an "impostor." The real game is still only available on Microsoft Windows and Xbox consoles.

There is a Cuphead imposter app on the iOS store -- this is a scam. We are working on removing the fraudulent app ASAP!

— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) December 18, 2017

When we searched the App Store for the fake game, we found that the fake Cuphead iOS app appeared to have been removed.

A Twitter user posted what they claim is a screenshot of an email from Studio MDHR, wherein the developer also confirms the iOS version is fake.

It’s a scam. pic.twitter.com/kHtHfLd7L8

— Joachim Kläschen (@klschn) December 18, 2017

Just two weeks after Cuphead'slegal release in September, Studio MDHR announced the game had sold over 1 million units -- so its unexpected appearance in the App Store was a big deal. Unfortunately, the app that was made available was simply a con.

Fake apps have certainly appeared on the App Store before. In fact, Apple removed hundreds of "junk" apps from the store in 2016. After this purging, Apple told Mashable that it had "set up ways for customers and developers to flag fraudulent or suspicious apps, which we promptly investigate to ensure the App Store is safe and secure."

Gamers seem to appreciate Cuphead's classic cartoon style, which the developer says is "inspired by cartoons of the 1930s" with "traditional hand drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings." For now, they'll be restricted to playing on Windows computers and Xbox consoles.

Mashable has contacted Apple for comment about how the fake app slipped through its App Store approval process, and we will update this post when we hear back.