The Sinking City, an action-adventure game inspired by the works of horror author H. P. Lovecraft, was released for Microsoft Windows, PS4 and Xbox One in June 2019, and for Nintendo Switch in September of the same hear. However, the game suddenly vanished from most storefronts this past summer as a result of a legal dispute between publisher Nacon and developer Frogwares.

As of recently, The Sinking City - which was nominated for Best Action and Adventure Game at The Independent Game Developers' Association Awards - is back. It can currently be purchased on the Microsoft Store for Xbox One and will return to Steam and the PlayStation Store soon. The Sinking City was still available to buy on the Nintendo Switch storefront over the last few months, as well as through Origin and Gamesplanet.

RELATED: The Sinking City Removed From Steam Due To Legal Battle With Distributor

On August 25, 2020, the game was removed from Steam, the Epic Games Store, Xbox One, and PS4. In an open letter, Frogwares disclosed its legal dispute with publisher Nacon, which had merged with Bigben Interactive. The letter claimed that Nacon had refused to pay “roughly €1 million” in royalties. Frogwares also objected to how Nacon had marketed The Sinking City, implying that it had developed the game itself.

“Short version: We were forced to terminate the contract with our licensee for several breaches of our agreement,” Frogwares said in a statement. “We urge you to read this open letter to our fans, journalists and people of the industry, to understand why this is happening and how you can still get The Sinking City.”

On October 28, 2020, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled that Frogwares had unlawfully terminated its contract, and that the contract would still be valid until further notice. The Court ordered Frogwares to “refrain from any action on the breach of this contract, [and to] refrain from any action that impedes this continuation.”

In a statement, Nacon said that “it is continuing its action in defense of its rights and has proceeded with the execution of this court decision by asking platforms and sites to put The Sinking City game back online so that no one is held hostage to this situation.”

Source: Polygon

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