“Frogwares has not created the version of @TheSinkingCity that is today on sale on @Steam. We do not recommend the purchase of this version. More news soon.” The developer wrote.
The Sinking City was removed from Steam, the Epic Games Store, and the digital storefronts of Xbox One and PS4 on August 25, 2020, following Frogwares’ legal disputes with publisher BigBen Interactive and Nacon.
Frogwares accused these companies of repeatedly breaching contract, withholding at least €1 million in royalties, falsely implying ownership of the IP, and more.
During development of The Sinking City, Frogware alleged that BigBen and Nacon would pay for production milestones around 40 days later that agreed upon. Furthermore, these companies demanded that they be given the source code for The Sinking City despite their agreement saying that they could only sell the game and that they did not own the IP.
When Frogwares declined, they said BigBen and Nacon stopped providing payments for four months.Frogwares began a legal battle with BigBen and Nacon in August 2019 over these issues and many more, including concerns over Frogwares’ Sherlock Holmes games.
The Sinking City, which is inspired by the works of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft, was released in 2019. In our review, we said, “The Sinking City’s creation of a new Lovecraftian vision paired with compelling stories, exciting environments, and memorable characters make for one of the better Cthulhu lore games I’ve played. Its commitment to tastefully updating the storytelling methods, while preserving the setting and tone of Lovecraft shines through the tedium and frustration.”
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.
