Over the weekend netizens were intrigued with the reveal of Rumblr, a Tinder-like app that caters to fighters. However, the app that promises “casualty-free casual fighting for free” turned out to be nothing but a marketing ploy. The people behind the fake app released a statement on their actual website saying Rumblr was just a viral campaign for a start-up business.

Von Hughes, the creative consulting agency behind Rumblr, took to its website to announce that the Tinder-like app was created mainly to launch their business. The app had nothing to do with fighting after all.

“Rumblr started as a portfolio project to help us launch our creative consulting agency, Von Hughes. Rumblr originally came about organically as a funny idea, but quickly became something much bigger than that. Within a day or two, Rumblr got picked it up by a notable tech news source and, within another day or two, it spread to dozens and dozens of news outlets globally,” the statement read, noting that Rumblr became famous worldwide.

On its statement Von Hughes also admitted that they took the wide range media coverage Rumblr had garnered to further develop the app. The agency went as far as replying to tweets from interested parties, which only further contributed to the growth of the “(fictional) brand.” In turn the tireless efforts of the team and the continuous interest directed towards the app helped pave the way for a “beta” web version to be created.

“We understand that some of you were genuinely looking forward to using an app like Rumblr, and we’re sorry to disappoint. However, if you still are truly wishing to release some built-up angst, consider fighting more pressing issues such as gang violence, domestic abuse, and at-risk youth culture,” Von Hughes stated on its website.

What helped the hoax go viral is the inclusion of screenshots from fake Instagram accounts, such as the one posted by the New York Daily News. A spokesperson for Von Hughes had also assured in an email sent to the news site that Rumblr is 100 percent real. The team had even announced that the app will debut on the Apple online store on Monday.

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