China has announced a new ban on video games. Now they are blocking esports competition from the battle royale game, namely PUBG: Battlegrounds.
Yizo Zhang, Vice President of China Culture Management Association Esports Committee, said that the ban will affect thousands of PUBG tournament organizers, teams, content creators, streamers and professional players.
"However, it is still unclear whether PUBG will be banned on online streaming platforms. So far, the focus has only been on PUBG competition," said Zhang.
PUBG itself isn't the only game that hasn't received approval. There are also several other shooter games, such as Valorant and Apex Legends, which are still waiting for the green light from China's National Press and Publication Administration (NAPP).
It can be said that China is indeed the strictest country when it comes to video games. Like the rules they recently launched to the public, regarding the time limit for playing online games for children and censorship of character types.
The new order is set, requiring these young people, to start playing from 8:00 and 21:00, on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Their goal is to overcome the problem of game addiction in children.
The objective they focus on is eradicating the strategy of getting money, ferociously from online games. Considering the proliferation of microtransaction business models embedded in it, where the frills brought are free to play.
China's entertainment agency, too, has taken steps to censor impolite and vulgar characters. One of them, namely the prohibition of Effeminate characters or men who are like women.
"Content that is obscene and violent and that fosters unhealthy tendencies, such as the worship of money and masculinity, should be removed," wrote English.GOV.CN.
