Epic Games confirmed that the Chinese version of Fortnite will soon be terminated.

First reported by CNBC, Epic Games is shutting down the game's servers on Nov. 15. Players are no longer able to create new accounts in the game, which launched into beta in 2018. The battle-royale phenomenon, also known as Fortress Night in China, first made it into the country thanks to a partnership with Shenzhen-based publisher Tencent who also owns a 40% stake in Epic Games.

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Neither Epic Games nor Tencent has provided a reason behind the game's termination. When asked for comment, a representative for Epic Games pointed to a post published on the game's blog which simply reads, "Dear users: Fortnite China’s Beta test has come to an end and the servers will be closed soon. Thank you to everyone who has ridden the Battle Bus with us by participating in the Beta."

Despite running for over three years, Fortnite never made it out of a Beta build in China. While unconfirmed, it's likely that China's restrictions on visual and interactive media played a role in that staggered development. In-app purchases and microtransactions were never available in this version of Fortnite, while certain cosmetics were altered to meet government regulations.

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Speaking to Fortnite's cancelation in China, video game industry analyst Daniel Ahmad writes, "Fortnite never officially launched in China. The game has been undergoing testing for the past 2+ years and does not include IAP (In-App Purchases). This is because the game was never approved by the govt and therefore could not officially launch + monetise. Hence the shut down now."

Ahmad goes on to note, "The battle royale genre has been strictly regulated in China. The domestic games that are approved there have heavy content changes. E.g. No blood / dead bodies / theme is 'military training' and not 'last man standing etc... So ultimately when Epic and Tencent decided to bring Fortnite to China they had a licensing agreement for x years and it's clear that the cost of changes / operating the game / extending the license does not make sense anymore, given there is no approval for it at this point."

Another possible explanation behind the game's termination is China's recent restrictions around online video games. In order to combat what it labels as an addiction, minors are only allowed to play three hours of online games a week, split into single-hour slots across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. While it's unknown whether this factored into the decision, the loss of this demographic may have hampered Fortnite's growth and success in China.

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Source: CNBC