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That Cuphead app for iOS is '100% fake,' developers say

Sorry, but the $4.99 "Cuphead" app for Apple devices is a complete scam.

Alfred Ng Senior Reporter / CNET News
Alfred Ng was a senior reporter for CNET News. He was raised in Brooklyn and previously worked on the New York Daily News's social media and breaking news teams.
Alfred Ng
2 min read
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The Cuphead app available for iOS was uploaded on Monday. 

Screenshot by Alfred Ng/CNET

Don't deal with the devil -- or copycat apps.

Cuphead is one of the breakout games of the 2017, receiving rave reviews for its cartoon aesthetic, its tough gameplay and its throwback side-scrolling challenges.

And now the scammers are looking to cash in on its popularity -- someone's been trying to trick people with a fake, $4.99 version on the App Store. Cuphead, which is only available for XBox One, Windows 10 and Steam, costs $20.

"This is 100% fake. We are working on having the app removed," Ryan Moldenhauer, director of experience at Studio MDHR, the company behind Cuphead, said in an email. He added that the company has no plans to bring Cuphead to iOS.

Apple did not respond to a request for comment on how the impostor app was approved. The app was pulled off the store  Monday morning.

A support link for the fake Cuphead app goes to studiomdhrgames.com. The game company's real website is studiomdhr.com.

A domain registration search reveals that the owner of the imposter company's URL also created fake websites for games like Gang Beasts, Totally Accurate Battle Simulator, and Feed and Grow Fish Simulator. All of the imposter websites had pop-ups indicating that an iOS version of the games would be "coming soon."

We sent an email to the address listed on the domain registration seeking comment, but did not get a response.

Originally published Dec. 18 at 6:25 a.m. PT.
Updated at 7:07 a.m. PT: Added that the fake app has been removed from the App Store.
Correction, 9:27 a.m. PT:  This story initially included an incorrect link for the actual Studio MDHR site. That link has been corrected.

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