Monday 15th November 2021
Growing pressure from authorities
Fortnite video game discontinued in China
The manufacturer Epic Games is developing a special version of the video game “Fortnite” for the Chinese market. But the company never gets the go-ahead from the government and therefore switches off the world hit. Chinese players can no longer access it.
In view of the growing pressure from the Chinese authorities on international tech companies and the action against online addiction, the manufacturer Epic Games has discontinued the Chinese version of its video game “Fortnite”. The US software giant announced the move two weeks ago.
Chinese players confirmed they could no longer access the game as of Monday. “It’s a shame,” said one user. “I don’t understand why it ended so quickly.” Another player said he would “cry a little first”. He played the game for more than two years while studying.
The shutdown marks the end of a three-year test by the manufacturer, who had developed a special version of the game for the Chinese market, in which the content was checked for excessive violence. The trial version was released in 2018 but never received the go-ahead from the government to be officially marketed.
For a long time, international tech companies have only been able to operate to a limited extent in the strictly regulated Chinese market. In the past few months, the Beijing government has increased the pressure. Several companies responded with a partial withdrawal from mainland China. The restrictions for tech companies result from strict Chinese internet censorship. There are also other regulations, for example in the field of video games.
At the end of August, the Chinese authorities set a maximum number of hours minors can spend playing online games. Children and young people are now only allowed to play three hours a week. The step was officially justified with anti-addiction measures.