Azur Lane to Remove Skins at Google’s Order

The Year Has Just Begun, and Censorship Strikes Again: Azur Lane Forced to Remove Skins by Google. On January 3rd, the official mobile game Azur Lane account announced that, under direct orders from Google, five skins would have to be removed from the game.

Azur Lane to Remove Skins at Google’s Order

In a Twitter post, Azur Lane addressed its players, referred to as Commanders, with the following statement:
“Dear Commander, HQ regrets to inform you that due to unforeseen circumstances related to the Google Play Store policy, we will be ending the sale of certain outfits.”

The post went on to list the skins being removed from the store, making them no longer available for purchase.

The banned skins include:

Shinano – Visions of Fantasy

Napoli – Dreamy Night

Hindenburg – Delirious Duel

Chitose – Summer Shine

Atago – Summer March

Notably, some of these skins feature Live2D animations, a type of interactive animation that enhances certain Azur Lane skins by adding short videos or movement to the character art.

One of the strangest aspects of this situation is the removal of Atago’s Summer March skin, which has been in the game for years and is one of its oldest skins. Why is it only now being deemed problematic?

According to Azur Lane’s official account, players who have already purchased the skins will not be affected and will retain access to them in the game. The skins are set to be removed on January 4th.

Fans React Poorly to the Censorship

Naturally, fans of the game were not happy with the censorship. Many speculated on the reasons behind Google’s decision to request the removal of these particular skins. Some theorized that the issue may not have originated from Google itself but could be the result of external pressure, such as a report or complaint submitted to Google.

Many fans suggested that Azur Lane should release a PC version of the game, perhaps on Steam or via its own launcher, believing this would give the developers more freedom to create the skins they want without interference.

Azur Lane has long been subject to censorship, with the Chinese government previously forcing the game to censor numerous skins over the years.

via Voce Sabia Anime