After Launching In 2018, Fortnite Is Shutting Down In China

The official site for Fortnite China has announced that on November 15 of this year, the game’s service will end for the country. 

As Denfaminico Gamer points out, a concrete reason for why the game is shutting down hasn’t been given, but there is speculation that it’s related to the country’s stricter gaming regulations for children. 

Fortnite China originally launched in April 2018 during Season 5, allowing Chinese players to install and legally play the popular online multiplayer game. As the Fortnite Wiki points out, there were changes made in the localized version, including no microtransactions due to Chinese regulations regarding the practice as well as rules about gambling. Also, it did not sport the Support A Creator system. 

Other changes have been cosmetic. For example, the depiction of skulls was changed for compliance with regard to what can be shown in video games. This has mean that character skins with skulls are either AWOL or have been altered. Husks in Save the World were also altered as the characters’ original design shows their skulls. This is why the Chinese version of the characters was changed so that green skin covered their faces.

Many of the changes were made to make Fortnite seem less violent, to comply with bureaucratic expectations so the game could be released. This is why the game’s lore was changed. According to the Fortnite Wiki, the Battle Royale takes place in a training simulation, meaning that all the opponents are actually holograms. This way, nobody actually “dies” and the game is perceived as less violent. This is actually a pretty cool workaround, I think. 

Since Fortnite China is shutting down this month, it’s no longer possible to create new accounts after today, November 1. And after November 15, logging in won’t be possible, either.