It brings together millions of followers around the world but has just lost more than a billion potential players. As of Monday, the game phenomenon Fortnite is no longer available in China, confirm players on the spot.
No big surprise in reality, because the deadline had been set by its American publisher. Epic Games announced at the end of October that it was going to stop the version of Fortnite specific to China, where violent, obscene or politically sensitive content is strictly regulated.
This decision comes against a backdrop of tightening regulations in China targeting the digital sector. Video games, which in China represent a significant financial windfall but are criticized for their addictive side among young people, has not been spared.
350 million users worldwide
In August, the authorities imposed a drastic limit of three hours of video games per week for those under 18, while some could spend days glued to their screens.
Fortnite is one of the most popular games in the world, with over 350 million users to its name – more than the population of the United States. Free, it generates billions of revenues with the purchase by players of additional items for their characters, including outfits.
Gambling has quickly become a worldwide phenomenon, to the point that certain games are now watched live by millions of spectators. With this audience, Fortnite has opened up in recent months to collaborations with celebrities, from Ariana Grande to Neymar, who appear occasionally in the game in the form of avatars.