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Epic Games Shuts Fortnite In China Amid Curbs On Online Gaming

Popular video game publisher Epic Games pulls the plug on Fortnite in China amid the country’s increasing curbs on video gaming. China is one of the largest video game markets worldwide and Fortnite is not the only closure the country has seen. The Chinese authorities have been against online video games as they consider them to be a waste of time and a bad influence on the younger population.

As a result, games developed by both foreign companies and China’s own developers have been affected. Earlier this year Chinese authorities also put a time limit on online games being played by children to just three hours a week, with minors being able to play games between 8 PM and 9 PM on Fridays, weekends, and public holidays.

Owing to the curbs on online games in China, domestic and international game developers have been struggling. Epic Games had previously announced that ‘Fortnite China’s Beta test has reached an end.’ The game publisher has now reportedly closed its China-specific version of the Fortnite game.

ALSO READ: What is Fortnite’s New Update 16.50 All About? FIND OUT

There has been no official report from Epic Games about this shutdown. However, several Fortnite fans in China have bid adieu to their beloved game. On Weibo, which is a Chinese microblogging site, saw the hashtag related to the game being reportedly viewed more than 470 million times.

This is not the first time prominent brands have decided to pull the plug on their operations in the country. China’s strict rules have earlier forced several tech companies to shut their businesses. Previously, Microsoft had shut down LinkedIn in China after seven years of successful operations. Yahoo  also pulled out from China owing to the ‘increasingly challenging business and legal environment.’

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