Lovecraftian horror game The Sinking City is back on Steam nearly four years after a huge publishing dispute

News
By
published

Frogwares has finally retained full rights to the original game

The Sinking City
(Image credit: Frogwares)

Lovecraftian horror game The Sinking City is now back on PC storefronts following a dispute with its original distributor.

The Sinking City was originally delisted from all PC and console storefronts back in August 2020, when developer Frogwares terminated its contract with publisher Nacon. This was allegedly over a lack of payment and violation of the intellectual property, the developer claimed at the time.

The following year, Nacon republished a version of The Sinking City on Steam and PS4/Xbox One storefronts in February 2021, which was denounced by Frogwares. Nacon claimed to have met the financial stipulations of the original publishing agreement, while Nacon claimed the new version of the game had been "hacked" from the developer itself.

In response, Frogwares issued a DMCA takedown against Nacon's version of The Sinking City, and it was delisted from Steam once again in March 2021. Nearly three years later in January 2024, Frogwares announced earlier this month that it had become the "sole" publisher of The Sinking City at long last, retaining full rights to the original game.

"We're happy to put this whole thing behind us, and we look forward to sharing more news about the future of the franchise very soon," the Frogwares statement below reads. Unfortunately, you won't be able to use your old PC saves with the new version of The Sinking City.

The Sinking City was finally republished to Steam, GOG, and Gamesplanet yesterday, January 16, and it'll be on the Epic Games Store "soon." Additionally, the new version comes with bug fixes and optimizations, and all players will get DLC from the Necronomicon and Deluxe editions for free. However, there's been no statement from Frogwares on whether The Sinking City will be republished on console platforms like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Whatever the case, it seems like Frogwares will be updating us with more information on the series "very soon." Frogwares could already have plans to republish The Sinking City on console storefronts, or even be cooking up another entry in their Lovecraftian horror series.

Read up on our new games 2024 guide for a look at all the games we've got to look forward to throughout the year. 

See more Games News
Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

Read more
Realm of Ink
This slick Hades-style action roguelike with 92% positive reviews mysteriously vanished from Steam and the devs say they don't know why
Limbo
Developer behind beloved platformer Limbo regains ownership of his indie studio, announcing that "the road ahead will be entirely different"
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight: Silksong fans reach as-yet-unheard-of levels of cope as the Metroidvania's Nintendo Switch store page briefly disappears
Mouthwashing screenshot of the captain Curly covered in bandages
After hitting 500,000 copies sold and nearly 24,000 reviews on Steam, viral $13 horror game Mouthwashing is coming to consoles this year
OlliOlli World
Legendary skating games OlliOlli World and Rollerdrome just got yanked from storefronts after less than 3 years, and no one knows why
A crew member in Mouthwashing sat on the floor holding herself
"This is incredibly rare": How Mouthwashing quietly became 2024's breakout horror hit
Latest in Horror
The Eye in horror game Repo.
All monsters in REPO and how to beat them
A cart being driven to the extraction point in horror game REPO.
How to revive players in REPO
Three players in a REPO game.
How many people can play REPO?
a scary floating head screaming
With over 5,000 "overwhelmingly positive" Steam reviews already, a new co-op horror game with the spirit of Lethal Company has officially popped off
FEAR FA 98
Survival horror clatters into soccer royalty as "Silent Hill mixed with FIFA 98" offers up a Steam Next Fest demo that I could never have imagined would work this well
The Void Below
The scariest horror game I've played in 2025 is a Steam Next Fest demo that triggers my thalassophobia even more than Subnautica
Latest in News
Ultima Online
As Ultima Online approaches its 28th birthday, former creative lead reveals what it takes for an MMO to last for decades, and why they sometimes fail: "Content does not last forever"
Link and Epona
A Zelda movie is finally happening, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto used to adamantly oppose the idea even "if Steven Spielberg himself" wanted to do it
Robert Downey Jr announces his Doctor Doom casting at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
"He is so dialed in": Robert Downey Jr. is coming up with backstory and costume ideas for Doctor Doom ahead of Avengers: Doomsday
Stardew Valley
With another "thank you," Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone brings an update arc to a close with "the Switch patch to fix the last Switch patch"
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
Over 80 countries and 42 days: the first Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie's remarkable staggered release plans have been revealed – including a US date
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds' story is as divisive as expected: some players hate the "relentless on rails handholding," others love the build-up to "the best scene in Monster Hunter history"
More about horror
The Eye in horror game Repo.

All monsters in REPO and how to beat them
A cart being driven to the extraction point in horror game REPO.

How to revive players in REPO
Ultima Online

As Ultima Online approaches its 28th birthday, former creative lead reveals what it takes for an MMO to last for decades, and why they sometimes fail: "Content does not last forever"
See more latest
Most Popular
Ultima Online
As Ultima Online approaches its 28th birthday, former creative lead reveals what it takes for an MMO to last for decades, and why they sometimes fail: "Content does not last forever"
Link and Epona
A Zelda movie is finally happening, but Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto used to adamantly oppose the idea even "if Steven Spielberg himself" wanted to do it
Robert Downey Jr announces his Doctor Doom casting at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
"He is so dialed in": Robert Downey Jr. is coming up with backstory and costume ideas for Doctor Doom ahead of Avengers: Doomsday
Stardew Valley
With another "thank you," Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone brings an update arc to a close with "the Switch patch to fix the last Switch patch"
Demon Slayer Infinity Castle
Over 80 countries and 42 days: the first Demon Slayer Infinity Castle movie's remarkable staggered release plans have been revealed – including a US date
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds' story is as divisive as expected: some players hate the "relentless on rails handholding," others love the build-up to "the best scene in Monster Hunter history"
The Last of Us season 2 first look
Pedro Pascal says "beautiful" scene that made him want to join The Last of Us got cut, but it’ll thankfully appear in season 2: "He was like, ‘That’s half the reason I’m here!’"
Absolum
The other devs behind the best retro beat-em-up in recent memory are making a co-op roguelike brawler that "channels the spirit" of Capcom's classic D&D games
Monster Hunter Wilds
Monster Hunter Wilds art director and 20-year series vet says the new game intentionally leans into a question fans have debated forever: "What is a hunter?"
Battlefield Bad Company 2
"I am freaked out by how much might actually have been accurate": Battlefield Bad Company 3 writer unearths forgotten script