Last fall, Tinder inexplicably released an in-app choose your own adventure-style original series. Called “Swipe Night,” the dating app’s first foray into the streaming space chronicled the end of the world via apocalyptic disaster, prompting users to swipe right or left on a series of decisions that could either lead them to safety or doom.
But those were simpler, less coronavirus-ridden times, when the end of the world was just a funny concept for a show on a dating app (which apparently is a thing for some reason) instead of an increasingly likely possibility. Out of respect for the actual apocalypse that seems to be rapidly approaching, Tinder has put the brakes on the series’ international launch, which was supposed to go live around the globe this weekend.
“We’ve decided not to launch the ‘Swipe Night’ series around the world this weekend,” a company spokesperson told Variety. “We were excited to bring this innovation to our members outside of the U.S., but given the series’ apocalyptic theme, and because we are sensitive to the current events our members are experiencing, we felt it would be difficult to launch it in the right spirit.”
Tinder has been leaning into its bizarre, vaguely dystopian role as a platform for coronavirus information ever since the first virus-themed dating profiles appeared on the app last month. In addition to pulling the plug on “Swipe Night,” the company has also issued coronavirus prevention guidelines to users, reminding them that while “Tinder is a great place to meet new people,” not getting coronavirus is more important than hooking up with strangers from the internet.
Meanwhile, Tinder reportedly still has plans to release a second season of “Swipe Night” this summer, assuming the coronavirus isn’t still ravaging the planet.
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