That's right, a TV show that has in the past ridiculed the addictiveness of online video games is actually jumping on the mobile gaming bandwagon with little to no sense of irony. Not only is It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile an actual free-to-play Android game set to release later this year, but it will include questionable mechanics such as collecting fan-favorite characters. As if the last two seasons of the TV show weren't bad enough, now we can expect this blatant cash grab to hit the Play Store before the year is out.

If you think I'm being a little too harsh in my coverage of a game that isn't even out yet, allow me to fill you in. FoxNext Games and East Side Games made the announcement earlier today. FoxNext is obviously a studio owned by 20th Century Fox, and since It's Always Sunny airs on a Fox station, it would make sense that this studio is involved in some fashion. The more pertinent info is that East Side Games is involved. By taking a quick look at its catalog, you'll see that the company is very experienced with low-effort cash grabs. Heck, Trailer Park Boys: Greasy Money is a perfect example of what I'm talking about. Sure, the tongue-in-cheek nature of a cash grab that is actually about grabbing cash is somewhat amusing, but once I saw that It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile has a loose outline of "indulging in new and ridiculous money-making schemes," well, the apparent similarities to prior work had my alarm bells ringing.

But hey, you don't have to take my word for it. Here are the details straight from the horse's mouth.

In It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile,​ players team up with The Gang: Mac, Dennis, Charlie, Dee and Frank, in their favorite gags, storylines, and iconic moments from the series, indulging in new and ridiculous money-making schemes to tap and unlock their way to more schemes and collect fan-favorite characters.

Frank’s come into a bunch of dirty money he needs to hide from the feds, so he recruits The Gang to do his dirty work. While Mac, Dennis, and Dee bicker and backstab over laundering schemes, Frank tasks Charlie with hiding the clean cash in a safe place.

Honestly, that description is exactly what I would expect of a low quality It's Always Sunny mobile game, so I suppose I shouldn't be so shocked about today's announcement for It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile. Now, if you don't mind free-to-play games, and enjoy any type of hero collecting, then you may want to sign up on the official website to receive exclusive news about the game's development. However, I'm sure plenty of you can sympathize with me that this beloved TV show truly deserves better. Alas, this respectable line of thinking does not belong in the mobile gaming world we live in, so a cash grab it is.

PRESS RELEASE

UPDATE: 2018/09/18 8:49am PDT BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

You can now pre-register for It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile

I'm still apprehensive about the upcoming release of It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile, but it would seem we are now one step closer to an official release. Fans can now pre-register for the title on the Google Play Store. Digital purchases are clearly marked at the bottom of this new listing, but the exact prices are still unknown. One thing is clear. The game will contain advertisements, which is unsurprising for such a blatant cash grab.

UPDATE: 2019/07/18 9:56am PDT BY MATTHEW SHOLTZ

It’s Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile is officially available

East Side Games sure took its time bringing It's Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile to Android, but now that it's here, you may be wondering how the game has turned out. Well, it's clearly a free-to-play release, which means advertisements and in-app purchases that range up to $99.99 per item are included. User reviews have been exceptionally harsh, pointing to a lack of content and horrible balancing. At its core, the title is an idle tapper, so it's about as shallow a game as you can get, with the added polish of a popular property slapped on top that includes a fitting story.

So if you're a hardcore It's Always Sunny fan, maybe you'll find some enjoyment while exploring the game's ten or so episodes, but honestly, the balancing is so bad you're going to have a tough time advancing if you plan on playing for free. It looks like It's Always Sunny: The Gang Goes Mobile is simply another branded cash grab on the Play Store designed to extract as much money from its player base as possible. Not much of a surprise really.