Posted in Industry June 14, 2020
Just in: NetEnt Suspends Street Fighter II
NetEnt, a leading iGaming software provider from Sweden, pulled the recently released Street Fighter II: The World Warrior only one week after its launch. The software developer decided to suspend the game after ‘internal concerns’ were raised regarding gamblers’ staking behaviour.
We wrote about the launch a couple of months ago, read more here.
Based on the famous 90s arcade games, the slot was released on May 21 and was already ready for distribution among NetEnt’s partners.
Issues related to responsible gambling and players’ staking behaviour appeared due to certain staking mechanics the provider included in the game. The problematic mechanics affect bet sizes when players get close to bonus rounds.
At the time of writing this article, Street Fighter II: The World Warrior is still available on the software provider’s official site, where gambling enthusiasts can try out the demo version for free. However, some top online casino websites that offer NetEnt slots have begun pulling Street Fighter from their portfolios.
Victor Melander, NetEnt’s Head of Communication, has confirmed that the game is indeed being suspended. When an internal investigation is concluded, the provider will announce its next steps, including the likely new release of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.
More about the industry giant, NetEnt, here.
We’ve also acquired a leaked internal email (which you can read below) that confirms the decision to suspend the game temporarily:
‘Dear Customer,
We have identified a potential situation whereby player staking behavior could impact the intended gameplay experience on our recent release Street Fighter™️ II: The World Warrior Slot.
Please be assured that to date the game has been performing within the expected parameters in respect to the certified math model and RTP on a network level.
We have taken the decision to implement the following steps:
1: In the coming hours, we will temporarily disable Street Fighter™️ II: The World Warrior Slot in production.
2: Our teams have already identified a fix that will prevent this issue from occurring, and we are in the process of implementing this. Once this game is certified by our test house, we will make it available to you.
Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience caused, and rest assured we are working hard to get this game back up and running for you as soon as possible.
Thank you for your understanding, and should you require any further information please reach out to your Account Manager.’
