Fan-made tribute game Pokemon Uranium has been pulled from release despite having been launched just last week, its creators have confirmed. A statement provided to fans over the weekend explains how the unofficial title has already amassed a huge 1.5 million downloads since being released, but that it will no longer be downloadable directly from the official site due to them being made aware of “multiple takedown notices from lawyers representing Nintendo of America.”
We have been notified of multiple takedown notices from lawyers representing Nintendo of America. While we have not personally been contacted, it’s clear what their wishes are, and we respect those wishes deeply. Therefore, we will no longer provide official download links for the game through our website.
If you weren’t among the sizeable number of early birds that managed to grab their own copy of Pokemon Uranium before it disappeared, you can still net yourself a copy through other means, but the developers are warning those seeking it to be “extremely cautious about downloading the game from unofficial sources” for obvious reasons.
It’s a shame that more Pokefans won’t get the chance to play Pokemon Uranium; having been in development for a whopping nine years, its owners have succeeded in creating an authentic experience and a worthy homage to the series it mimics, but it’s understandable that Nintendo would want to protect its interests.
Don’t fret too much if you missed your chance though, there’s only three months to go until Pokemon Sun and Moon release for the Nintendo 3DS and boy, is it looking good.