Earlier this week a new game appeared on Apple’s App Store, calling itself Minecraft: Pocket Edition 2 and claiming to be a brand new version of Mojang’s hit. Many people downloaded the game – which cost $10.99 – but soon discovered that what they got for their money was far from the product that the name suggested it would be.
The game turned out to be a serious scam, and once open the game offers nothing of the content it promises. While its description in the App Store spoke of an enhanced experience compared to its Minecraft predecessor, the actual gameplay proves to be a swiping game during which pixelated zombies attack a character bearing a resemblance to Mortal Kombat‘s Scorpion.
While some savvy surfers may have managed to avoid falling into the trap as it is not attributed to Minecraft creator Mojang, it’s clear that a number of fans were not so lucky and found themselves excitedly giving the app a chance. In their research into the creation of the scam, EuroGamer discovered various others appear on the App Store trying to link themselves to titles like Five Nights At Freddy’s.
They also managed to get the following statement from Mojang:
It’s great that Minecraft has inspired people to create amazing things, but when a product attempts to dupe our community or exploit their enthusiasm for the game, it’s our responsibility to step in. Our dedicated enforcement team are extremely busy!
Minecraft: Pocket Edition 2 now seems to have been removed from the App Store, but the experience does serve as a warning as to how simple it can be to find yourself exploited by a false product in these days of digital products.
