When you purchase an app or game digitally, you do not own it. This means that the project can be taken away from you at any time, usually without compensation.
One such case of game seizure occurred with Android users who purchased the role-playing game Wayward Souls. Released in 2014 for Android, Wayward Souls is a classic action RPG with similarities to Secrets of Mana and other classics.
The game is still available on other platforms, but when you check for availability in the Google Play Store, you will see a 404 error. The game has disappeared not only from the Play Store, but also from users’ devices thanks to Google’s remote, ahem, removal feature.
Android Police estimates that as of June 2022, more than 300 games have been removed from the Play Store and user devices.
Considering there are millions of apps and games available for Android, this may seem like a minor issue to many. In some cases, Google removes apps and games that it determines are harmful or otherwise problematic. In the case of Wayward Souls and some others, this does not seem to be related.
Google’s policy is not entirely clear on this issue. Delisting can occur when developers withdraw their games or apps, or when apps or games violate developer policies or distribution agreements.
Although Google claims that Android users can continue to use their games and applications after they are removed from the app store, this apparently is not entirely true. Refunds are offered only in certain cases. This includes situations where someone else has made a purchase using a user’s account, or where users report unauthorized charges to their cards or other payment methods. Android users in the EU and UK can also receive a refund within 48 hours of making a purchase.
In other words, buyers of Wayward Souls will not receive compensation for the removal of the game from the catalog.
Unlike PCs or consoles, there is no way to buy physical Android games or apps. The only option is digital purchase through Google Play or any other available store. It is unlikely that the purchase will be deleted, but this can happen and, as we see, has already happened.
It is also worth noting that Google will not be able to remove applications or games if Google Play is not installed on the device or the projects were downloaded and installed from third-party sources.
