Tencent soon to make it extremely hard to play foreign games in China
Starting May 31, Tencent will be stopping Chinese gamers from accessing unapproved foreign games through the company’s games speed booster apps. Games in China are examined and certified by regulators as suitable for the Chinese audience. The process is strict, resulting in many games failing to get licenses. For instance, GTA V, one of the most popular games of all time, hasn’t been approved by Chinese regulators, so it isn’t available in the country.
Game booster apps, such as those offered by Tencent, provide a loophole for gamers in mainland China to access foreign games and play online with international players. According to Reuters, due to intense scrutiny by the Chinese regulators, gaming companies like Tencent are under immense pressure to comply with the policies and restrict players from accessing unapproved titles.
The move to block foreign games will also hurt some game developers who had relied on these game booster services to reach the Chinese audience.