Never too late for censorship: Doki Doki Literature Club gets deplatformed by Google Play a decade after release

Doki Doki Literature Club is one of those games considered genre-defining, as it almost singlehandedly spearheaded and revolutionized the “new weird” movement in video games, where titles would behave seemingly on their own, providing some of the most unique horror ever displayed on screen.

It came out in 2017 and at the time was surrounded by a lot of controversy and discussions, primarily due to its dark, graphic, and unfiltered themes that concerned suicide, self-harm, mental illness, and so on. It was and remains a direct confrontation with the darkest sides of humanity and is, on top of that, one of the most unique games ever made, since its gameplay loop largely depends on constant replays where the game “autonomously” does things to itself and to your machine.

Nine years later, Doki Doki Literature Club is again in the limelight, once more due to its themes and graphic displays, which Google Play seems to have taken an issue with. A few months after launching on Android, DDLC has been deplatformed by the biggest app store on that platform, which creator Dan Salvato and DDLC publisher Serenity Forge say was prompted by the game’s “depiction of sensitive themes.”

As per a joint statement, Doki Doki Literature Club was removed from Google Play for violating the platform’s terms of service with its depictions of mental illness, suicide, self-harm, and other “sensitive” topics. Its creator and publisher say that DDLC is “widely celebrated” for its meaningful depictions of these darker themes and imply that only Google seems to have taken an issue with the title, considering that it’s available on every other major platform.

They’re also looking into having the game reinstated, as it took many years for DDLC to be ported from PC to everywhere else, including Android.

It almost goes without saying that Doki Doki Literature Club is a violent game, at least insofar as a game’s subject matter can be used to describe it as a whole. There are many things in there that could be considered graphic, disturbing, and outright horrifying, but I never felt that that could be grounds for removal. Art needs to be a free venue of expression, no matter what it tries to depict, especially if the depictions themselves are meaningful and even helpful.

Platforms banning games for how they approach topics should not be news, ever, but as was the case with Horses, it seems we’re now living in a time where stepping out of bounds of what is acceptable and “comfortable” could lead to total censorship, even if it comes a decade after the fact. Grim times, indeed.

Anyhow, I’ve reached out to Doki Doki creator Dan Salvato, but didn’t hear back by the time of publishing this article, which I will update if I come by additional information that could explain this strange move by Google.

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Doubles battles in Pokémon Champions can be a true test to master, and more so if you’re new to the competitive scene. This is the official format of all championships, and you have to take on 2v2 battles. Naturally, you need to be far more strategic when it comes to team building.

This guide will help you figure out the very best Pokémon that you can use in the 2v2 battles.

Best Pokémon to use in Doubles battles in Champions

The table below has a list of the best Pokémon that you can use in Doubles.

Name	Type	Pros	Cons
Kingambit	Dark Steel	First, it’s available for free from several starter lineups. You can use Definat to benefit from moves that lower the opponent’s attack. Completely immune to two elements, with resistances for nine. Kowtow Cleave is a guaranteed hit, which is useful to get damage done.	Avoid matchups against Fighting as it has a 4x weakness. Low speed and Special Defense makes it a bad choice against those with high Special Attack.
Garchomp	Dragon Ground	Available for free from several starter lineups. Great stats that are perfect for a bulky attacker. Offers moves that do incredible AoE damage and hits mutiple enemies. Rough Skin is the perfect counter for Rough Skin.	Avoid matchups against Ice due to 4x weakness. Struggles against Pokémon with decent speeds.
Incineroar	Fire Dark	One of the most used Pokémon in the competitive scene, and for very good reason. Can control the match’s momentum due to bulk and speed. Has six resistances and one immunity. Trigger Intimidate to counter Physical attackers.	Needs a very good damage-dealing partner. Avoid matches with Defiant as it’s a direct counter.
Dragonite	Dragon Flying	Offered to all for free. Awesome Mega Evolution potential. Great attack and bulk in the non-mega form.	Avoid matchups against Ice due to 4x weakness. Don’t Mega Evolve if the opponent Pokémon can set the weather.
Torkoal	Fire	A very simple, but effective, Pokémon in doubles. Use Drought to set the sun, which sets it up for Eruption. Works well as a bulky support as well.	Poor matchup against Watertypoe moves. Poor against other Pokémon that can set the weather.

In Doubles, always focus on the roles of your Pokémon. You don’t need to do damage with both, but having complementary pairs will be necessary. You can also check this list to find the Pokémon that are considered universally best in the current meta.

You can also use Replica Codes to use teams created by pro players. If you’re someone who loves playing Singles, here’s our recommendation of the best choices.

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