Rovio, the developer behind Angry Birds, delisted the iconic game from the Android App Store yesterday.
According to an announcement on Twitter, Rovio revealed it removed the original Angry Birds game (now known as Rovio Classics: Angry Birds) from the Play Store due to its impact on some of the developer’s other games.
“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,” Rovio said.
Rovio also spoke about the game’s status for the IOS store. Rovio Classics: Angry Birds will once again be renamed. This time, it will be called Red’s First Flight. The developer clarified that the game will still be playable on Android devices where it is already downloaded.
The developer closed its statement by asking fans to continue to support its existing games. This includes Angry Birds slingshot games such as Angry Birds 2, Angry Birds Friends, and Angry Birds Journey. Rovio also said its “goal every day is to craft the best possible experience for players.”
This follows the statement released by Rovio earlier this month that said the developer is in discussions with potential buyers. In November, Israel-based company Playtika offered to buy Rovio for $9.74 per share or $735 million in total. But the Angry Birds developer appears to be exploring more options for its potential buyout plans.
“Pursuant to its fiduciary duties, the board of Rovio continues to explore all strategic alternatives in order to reach the best possible outcome for Rovio and its shareholders,” Rovio said. “There can be no assurance that the strategic review and the preliminary non-binding discussions will result in any cash or other tender offer or any other transaction, or the pricing of any such possible transaction. Rovio will release further information at an appropriate time.”
