Fortnite in China, it's officially over. The version of the Battle Royale available on this huge, but strictly regulated market, closed its doors today.
Called Fortress Night, the Chinese localization of Fortnite had been available for testing since 2018. Epic Games finally decided to stop the costs, for lack of approval from the local authorities to carry out a commercial launch.
Fortnite was not monetized in China
For years, any game wishing to be released in China must be approved by the Chinese administration. A complex process that can lead to a refusal if the content of the game does not respect certain conditions, such as the absence of blood or corpses. This censorship is particularly unfavorable to Battle Royales like Fortnite, which depict a post-apocalyptic world where players must kill to survive.
Epic Games still tried to penetrate this market with the help of the local digital giant Tencent, in vain it would seem. The Chinese version of Fortnite had a few changes, like the ability to pick multiple winners in a game, but it was never officially approved. It therefore did not include the microtransactions necessary for the economic model of the game.
This closure comes as the Chinese government increasingly tightens the screw on the digital sector. The video game, recently described as a "mental opium" by a state media, is not spared. Last August, the authorities imposed a drastic limit of three hours of play per week for those under 18.
