In China, the regulator has not allowed new video games since July 2021.

China has not allowed the release of new video games since July 2021, which, unfortunately, is not surprising.

Chinese regulators run their country as they see fit, and this requires iron discipline and very strict laws in all areas. The video games are no exception, and in recent years the Middle Kingdom has been very turned on the subject to officially protect their youth. Now, in order to launch a video game in the country, you need to get a very valuable sesame. And it seems to be very difficult. Even now it is impossible.

China has not licensed new video games since July 2021

China is at war with the video game industry, a war that has not been hidden for a long time and that has already forced many local publishers to close their stores. The SCMP explains that the National Printing and Publication Administration (NPPA) has not issued any new licenses to the video game developer since July 2021. As a result, a number of local specialized companies were declared bankrupt. important, were able to move their operations. It’s hard to say whether the NPPA’s inaction is a direct cause of these shutdowns, especially with China’s debt crisis, but some believe something is on the way.

A situation that, unfortunately, is not very surprising.

The NPPA is reportedly silent on why it stopped licensing video game studios, but the situation is easy enough to understand. China has spent much of 2021 fueling its already vicious critique of video games by a state news organization that was quick to characterize video games as “spiritual opium”this summer. At the end of August 2021, the maximum play time for miners in some games dropped to three hours per week. And given China’s repeated attacks on some of the biggest players in its tech industry, it’s safe to say that the NPPA won’t resume licensing for some time.