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Plague Inc.'s new 'The Cure' mode is free until the coronavirus pandemic ends

Direct the world's pandemic response from your phone.

Ndemic Creations

Announced back in March, Plague Inc.’s The Cure update is now available on iOS and Android. The new mode reverses the title’s usual gameplay loop in which you design a virus to wipe out the human race. Instead, you’ll need to implement measures such as contract tracing while teams of scientists work on a vaccine. Developer Ndemic Creations worked with experts from organizations like the World Health Organization and the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network to make the mode a realistic reflection of the work that goes into stopping a global pandemic — though the studio is quick to note Plague Inc. is “not a scientific simulation.”

Still, scientists believe The Cure will be a helpful learning tool. “Games like Plague Inc: The Cure represent an incredibly important medium for education and public awareness that can be used to show the world the steps needed to address similar global health threats and their associated complexities,” said Richard Hatchett, the CEO of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Ndemic Creations says the Plague Inc: The Cure will be free to download until COVID-19 is under control. The update is coming to PC and consoles “soon.”