Plague Inc. is launching a new mode that’ll let you save the world from a global pandemic.
Developer Ndemic Creations will roll out “Plague Inc: The Cure” on Nov. 11. Traditionally, Plague Inc. has had players develop a disease to infect and wipe out humanity—a premise that’s become especially morbid in light of COVID-19. With the new mode, you’ll be charged with fending off the coming plague by coordinating with the world’s governments.
“Take control and stop a deadly global pandemic,” Ndemic Creations wrote in the release notes for the update. “Allocate resources to boost testing capacity, make face masks compulsory, lock down countries or develop a vaccine in Plague Inc.'s biggest expansion ever!”
Ndemic Creations originally created Plague Inc. to simulate how real-world viruses can quickly spread throughout the globe. As a result, the game has done an eerily accurate job of predicting COVID-19, which has taken the lives of more than 230,000 Americans.
But back in March, Ndemic Creations announced it was creating a new “save the world” mode on repeated requests from global health organizations. “Created with the help of health experts from all over the world including the WHO, CEPI, and GOARN, The Cure is an engaging and timely simulation of a global disease response,” the developer added in the release notes.
So expect some pretty accurate gameplay mechanics. You'll be able to dispatch research teams to find patient zero, implement measures such as contact tracing and border closures to contain the coming pandemic, while also coming up with ways to keep the world's economies intact as scientists research a vaccine.
Ndemic Creations plans on making the new Cure mode free for all users until COVID-19 is under control. The game is free to download for Android and iOS. There's also a Windows version called Plague Inc: Evolved.