When Is Fortnite Going Down

Hong Kong (CNN Concern)The Chinese version of hit video game "Fortnite" is shutting down this month.

The game stopped accepting registrations for new players and was no longer available for download as of Mon, according to a statement on its website. Its servers will be close downward November 15, significant players will no longer be able to log into the game.

The blockbuster multiplayer battle championship, developed by Epic Games, was launched in Red china in July 2018 in partnership with Tencent (TCEHY). The Chinese internet and gaming giant bought a roughly 40% stake in Epic Games about a decade ago.

China bans kids from playing online video games during the week

In its nearly popular mode, "Fortnite" pits up to 100 players against each other in a fight for survival. The game has become a cultural phenomenon, and last yr hosted musical performances by artists such as Marshmello and Travis Scott, as well as three movies past director Christopher Nolan.

The game had more than than 350 meg registered players as of May 2020, according to its Twitter account. Information technology's the flagship title of Ballsy Games, which in June said it has more than 500 million accounts across its chief titles and its online video game store.

This calendar week'south announcement described Fortnite in China as a "beta test" version of the game. It did not say why the game was shutting downward, but thanked players who participated in that version.

Tencent declined to annotate to CNN Business organization when asked for more details well-nigh the Chinese version of the title and the reason for shutting it down. Ballsy Games declined to comment beyond the argument announcing the closure.

The game was "never approved" past the Chinese government and therefore could not officially launch and monetize its services, tweeted Daniel Ahmad, a senior analyst at Niko Partners who covers the video games market in Communist china and Asia.

"Fortnite" operates largely every bit a free-to-play game with in-app purchases — meaning players can download the game at no cost, but then spend real money on items such every bit costumes for their characters.

Ahmad added that the battle royale genre "has been strictly regulated in China."

Chinese authorities take also been cracking down on video games lately. In Baronial, the country barred online gamers nether the age of 18 from playing on weekdays and limited their play to only three hours virtually weekends.

In September, state-run news agency Xinhua reported that authorities had called in Tencent, NetEase and other companies to discuss restrictions around the streaming and playing of video games among minors.

During the meeting, companies were "urged to break from the lonely focus of pursuing profit or alluring players and fans," according to the study.

— Michelle Toh contributed to this report.