Chinese version of Fortnite goes offline

The Chinese version of Fortnite will no longer be playable from November 15. Players will no longer be able to sign in or download the game and the servers will be taken down. According to the makers, Fortnite China was a trial, which has been completed.

Fortnite’s Chinese website states that from November 1, 11 a.m. local time, new players will no longer be able to create profiles and that the download portal will be closed and the game server will be turned off from November 15, so that players can no longer log in. The makers thank players who participated in the ‘Fortnite test’ in China.

The discontinuation of Fortnite comes at a time when the Chinese government is actively trying to get young people off gaming. For example, young people under the age of 18 are now only allowed to play online for three hours a week, according to the Chinese game authorities. Tencent, investor in Fortnite publisher Epic Games, announced in July that it would use facial recognition to prevent children from gaming between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. Chinese game companies must also remove all violence and sex from games. Whether the end of Fortnite in China has anything to do with the enforcement of Chinese legislation, the makers do not say.

Fortnite China has no link with Fortnite in the rest of the world, the Chinese version has no microtransactions and other game rules. The pots are shorter, multiple players can claim Victory Royale as long as they stayed alive and the game was more casual with a separate health bar for storm damage. Chinese players of the game therefore do not play against players from other countries. The Chinese version of Fortnite was released and managed by Tencent.