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Update: EA to shutter its mobile Tetris games as N3twork takes over license

New N3twork developed Tetris game lands on iOS and Google Play

Update: EA to shutter its mobile Tetris games as N3twork takes over license

Updated on January 23rd, 5:50pm: It seems that N3twork has made its move as the rights owner for mobile Tetris games with the launch of its own, officially licensed block puzzler.

Simply titled Tetris, and seemingly with no relation to the soft-launched Tetris Royale, the new game is a straight mobile adaptation of the original game, albeit with customisation options. It is free-to-play with ads with the option to go ad-free for the one-time payment of $4.99.

Original story below...

EA is shutting down its mobile Tetris games from April 21st 2020 almost a decade after the first smartphone title was released.

As spotted by Android Police, both Tetris 2011 and Tetris Blitz are being shuttered, with the games having also been pulled from Google Play. They are currently still available on the App Store in the UK at the time of publication.

EA has not provided any reason for the closures of either game. While it has been suggested that the removals could pave the way for a new EA-produced Tetris title, it is more likely that the closures are related to N3twork acquiring exclusive rights to develop and publish new mobile Tetris games globally in July 2019.

End of the line

"We have had an amazing journey with you so far but sadly, it is time to say goodbye. As of April 21, 2020, EA’s Tetris® app will be retired, and will no longer be available to play," states an in-app message shown when Tetris 2011 loads.

"Kindly note that you will still be able to enjoy the game and use any existing in-game items until April 21, 2020. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of this game and we appreciate your ongoing support. Thank you!"

The shutdown message as shown in Tetris 2011

Other than the name change, an identical message appears upon loading the Tetris Blitz app. When asked for comment, EA simple reiterated the closure message.

N3twork is already hard at work on Tetris Royale, a 100-person multiplayer spin on the Tetris format inspired by Nintendo's Tetris 99, which is currently in soft launch.

The developer does not hold the rights to publish in China, however. These are likely still in the hands of Changyou, which made a deal for the rights with The Tetris Company in November 2018.

Editor

Ric is the Editor of PocketGamer.biz, having started out as a Staff Writer on the site back in 2015. He received an honourable mention in both the MCV and Develop 30 Under 30 lists in 2016 and refuses to let anyone forget about it.