Apple Added "Liyla And The Shadows of War" to the App Store After Its Initial Rejection

Last week, Apple decided not to include Liyla And The Shadows of War in the App Store, a platform game that takes place in the Gaza Strip, considering that its political background makes it unsuitable for the “Games” category. Apple also suggested to the creator Rasheed Abueideh to re-examine the app’s category, since it would fit better in the “News” category, for example.

Rasheed posted a screenshot on the social media with Apple’s response, under which the company pretty much does not consider his work as a video game, due to its ambiguous subject in its scenario, something that would probably not happen in the case for a book or another way of expression.

Not surprisingly, the game’s supporters, which by the way has managed to win several awards at events that it has participated in, protested en masse to Cupertino-based company, forcing it to change its decision and include normally Liya And The Shadows of War in the App Store. Its developer, with a new post, thanked the world for its support, which helped put a positive end to the story.

However, this is not the first time that something similar happens, since neither The Binding of Isaac managed to get Apple's approval, and many believe that perhaps it is time for the company to change the anachronistic way that video games often get treated, compared to other ways of expression, and changes in the App Store’s Terms of Service would be a good start, actually.

Liyla And The Shadows of War is now available in the AppStore and Google Play.