Wheels of Aurelia Delisted From App Store Amid Apple Policy Enforcement

• Apple will remove Wheels of Aurelia from the App Store on July 25 due to its outdated app policy.

• The developers say the game still works and doesn’t need updates, but Apple is enforcing the rule.

• The game is free to download now and won’t be available again after removal.

Apple is set to remove Wheels of Aurelia from the App Store on July 25, following its enforcement of the “obsolete or outdated” apps policy. The decision affects the award-winning visual novel developed by indie studio Santa Ragione. Despite the game remaining fully functional and compliant with current technical standards, its lack of recent updates triggered the removal notice.

The developer has objected to Apple’s approach, arguing that the policy disproportionately affects smaller studios. According to Santa Ragione, the game is self-contained, story-driven, and not dependent on regular updates or new content. They compared the decision to pull a book from circulation simply because it hasn’t had a recent edition.

Indie Developers Push Back Against Update Mandates

Santa Ragione issued a statement earlier this week criticizing Apple’s policy, citing the financial burden it places on independent creators. The requirement for routine updates, even for technically sound games, pulls resources away from new projects and limits artistic preservation.

The studio emphasized that Wheels of Aurelia still runs without issue on supported devices. They view the forced delisting as a setback for video games as a recognized form of art, especially those with fixed narratives that require no live services or gameplay patches.

Last Chance to Download a Story-Driven Classi

Set in 1970s Italy, Wheels of Aurelia takes players on an interactive road trip through political tensions and personal drama. Players assume the role of Lella, engaging in branching conversations with passengers and strangers. The choices made during each journey affect the outcome, leading to one of 16 different endings.

The game is free on the App Store for a limited time before delisting. Santa Ragione’s move is part of an effort to make the game accessible to as many users as possible before removal. Once delisted, the app will no longer be available for new downloads but may remain accessible to users already installed.

For gamers, developers, and digital preservation advocates, the situation highlights the vulnerability of narrative-driven and indie titles in app-based ecosystems governed by commercial update cycles.