PokerStars scraps Duel app after four months
Firm claims the move is part of the "normal process of innovation"
PokerStars has scrapped its Duel mobile app after just four months, having decided the award-winning product was not “commercially viable at scale”.
The app, which recently won the Innovation in Poker gong at the EGR Marketing & Innovation Awards, was beta launched in Norway in February with PokerStars hinting at a wider rollout should it be successful.
However, a PokerStars spokesperson told eGaming Review: “We have decided to withdraw Duel by PokerStars after reviewing usage data from the beta launch and determining that it was not commercially viable at scale.”
The app offered a form of poker based on the mechanics of no limit hold’em, allowing players to go one-on-one with friends or other challengers from around the world. The format mimicked mobile games like WordsWithFriends in that it was intended to be played at intervals throughout the day, rather than in one session.
PokeStars said the withdrawal was part of the “normal process of creating prototypes and testing products”.
“Duel was started as a very innovative project, with a brand new type of game-play, graphical feel and interface,” a spokesperson added. “One of the most important things to realize is that in order to innovate, we must try many different things and in doing so we must not be afraid of failing.
“We will use what we have learnt here for future projects to help us continue to introduce poker to new audiences. Everything we have learned, including the feedback from our players, will be extremely valuable for present and future work.”
The app was first launched as part of PokerStars’ effort to attract more recreational players, which the firm claims is already starting to bear fruit.