China bans import sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been wildly successful all over the world. However, China will soon see a plateau to the game’s sales success. Import sales of Animal Crossing: New Horizons have been banned in China.

While Animal Crossing: New Horizons is not officially sold in China, many Chinese gamers have been importing the title, which includes a Chinese language option. Some players have used the game’s online community features to protest the Chinese government. In particular, protestors that have been fighting for various political goals in Hong Kong have used the game’s features to spread their message through the use of political slogans and banners made in-game.

Though reasons for the ban are not fully known, it is widely suspected that the ban comes as a move to halt these political actions. The Chinese government historically has not taken kindly to political activism and has a record of censoring communication it deems problematic.

Nintendo is reportedly working with Chinese gaming giant Tencent to release Animal Crossing: New Horizons officially in the region. This ban may pressure Nintendo and Tencent to remove certain features of the game in order to sell it to Chinese consumers. 

What are your thoughts on China banning the import of Animal Crossing: New Horizons? Let us know in the comments.