Disney removes controversial energy meter in new Where’s My Water? 2 update

Up until its release this past September, Disney’s Where’s My Water? 2 was one of the most highly anticipated sequels in the mobile games space. But then the game was actually released, and users began to discover the heinous energy system that made the game all but unplayable without paying at regular intervals, or enduring giant wait times after only several minutes of play. Worse yet, you couldn’t even pay a one-time fee to remove the energy bar entirely; only slightly extend it.

So naturally, mobile gamers were not too pleased. In fact, the game even earned a measly 2.5 stars in our own official review thanks to its awful freemium model. But now it looks like Disney has finally owned up to their colossal mistake, and in a new update to Where’s My Water? 2 this week, they have officially removed that controversial energy meter once and for all.

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The official 1.1.0 update description on both the iTunes and Google Play game pages reads: “We took your feedback to heart and REMOVED the energy system in this update! Yep that’s right. Now play as often and as much as you like! For those who purchased the expanded energy meter, you will receive 2 Monster Bundles for free!” The update also adds two brand new locations into the game, called the Bayou and Winter Woods. 

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Up until its release this past September, Disney’s Where’s My Water? 2 was one of the most highly anticipated sequels in the mobile games space. But then the game was actually released, and users began to discover the heinous energy system that made the game all but unplayable without paying at regular intervals, or enduring giant wait times after only several minutes of play. Worse yet, you couldn’t even pay a one-time fee to remove the energy bar entirely; only slightly extend it.

So naturally, mobile gamers were not too pleased. In fact, the game even earned a measly 2.5 stars in our own official review thanks to its awful freemium model. But now it looks like Disney has finally owned up to their colossal mistake, and in a new update to Where’s My Water? 2 this week, they have officially removed that controversial energy meter once and for all.

The official 1.1.0 update description on both the iTunes and Google Play game pages reads: “We took your feedback to heart and REMOVED the energy system in this update! Yep that’s right. Now play as often and as much as you like! For those who purchased the expanded energy meter, you will receive 2 Monster Bundles for free!” The update also adds two brand new locations into the game, called the Bayou and Winter Woods.

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But something tells me that Disney didn’t have much of a choice in the matter, as I’ve never seen such a universally negative backlash from fans towards a popular mobile game before, and I doubt that many gamers were even playing or spending any money on it at all. However, it should also be noted that while the energy meter has in fact been removed, in-game advertisements and pushes for Facebook connectivity now seem to be making up for that absence in an even greater fashion.

So do you think this latest move will be enough for Disney to salvage what remains of Where’s My Water? 2 after the widespread public outcry over the game’s energy meter? Or has the damage already been done, and is it too late for Disney to recover? If anything, this is still a very important lesson to be learned: when gamers make their voices heard, developers might very well listen!

The new energy-free update to Where’s My Water? 2 can be downloaded right now on both iOS and Android versions of the game.