Google Play issues

38113··2 votes·964 views

Hey everyone.

I have released a simulator app about Hextech Chest opening about a month ago, and the app was doing fantastically, reached 15k downloads in just a month. (I attatched the link to the Youtube video that shows how the app looks like and how it works, it was recorded in Unity engine with Bandicam so it's not the greatest quality :P)

I was releasing some minor updates for the app during that month, and then started working on a bigger update for about a week. When I finished the update, I submitted it to Google Play and went to sleep. Now, the next morning I saw that it was rejected (wasn't surprised, most of the updates got rejected randomly, then accepted). So I tried re-submitting it, but what I saw made my heart drop. A huge red exclamation mark was waiting for me, signaling that everything I have been working for has been shut down in a mere second. The app got suspended for "Impersonation".

I appealed for reinstatement immediately. I haven't gotten an answer yet.

Now, I do have the option to re-upload the app under a new name, and without the "Impersonation". There's a small problem though. There was no impersonation. At all.

I uploaded the app in the "Simulation" section. The title of the app in the app store was "Hextech Chest Tapper LoL" (Maybe I should remove the "LoL" part?) The short description of the app, which was directly below the Title was: "A Hextech Chest opening simulator with League of Legends skins.", which was then changed to "A Hextech Chest opening simulator with League of Legends skins, champions and icons." after the update.

I would copy paste the description but I literally can't access the app in the Developer Console, or in Google Play. Basically, the description contained all the features, and at the end I included the Legal Notice, saying "Hextech Chest Tapper LoL isn't endorsed by Riot Games etc."

At this point, I have no clue what on earth to change so that it's clear that the game is only a fan-game and I'm really not trying to impersonate anyone.

Oh, and by the way, I have read the "Legal Jibber Jabber" before actually developping the game. As far as I am concerned, I haven't broken the rules listed in there.

What I also find weird is that there are several other Hextech Chest simulators on the app store, all of them doing just fine. The only difference is that mine does more.

I know that Riot Games had nothing to do with the suspension, but I'd appreciate if a Riot member, or anyone who has experience wtih this kind of stuff could help me with what I need to change, or why my app got suspended for "Impersonation".

Thanks in advance, Mark.

3 Comments

Your third mom1 votes

Well it copies one element from LoL and art i guess but other then that its diffrent game becosue it consept is to open boxes and LoL is MOBA .

381131 votes

Yeah, but it's not about copying. The app is clearly not affiliated with Riot Games, and is for entertainment purposes only. I don't see why anyone would think I'm trying to impersonate them.

Here's what Riot says about apps: https://gyazo.com/90fa5015afb8fa218d092e6a1ce3108e

What I was thinking to do is to maybe put the Legal Notice that I previously put in the App's description, and display it before the user presses the "Play" button.

There are a couple of these simulators out there, and all of them put that disclaimer in the app description. One of them has more than 100k downloads, does the same thing, although different style.

I wish developers who want to use Riot's IP could get some kind of an approval on their app in the form of a document, which we could then upload to Google Play so no problems like this would occur :/

381131 votes

UPDATE:

Good news, the app has been reinstated. Turns out it was actually an automated suspension. Everything is back up and running now. Such a relief :)

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