Fortnite has been one of the most popular games in the world since its release four years ago, and it's finally making its way to China, the world's most populous country. However, the lack of support for Fortnite among Chinese audiences isn't due to a lack of interest in the title.
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The game's popularity has been massively hampered in the region by the fact that Fortnite in China has significant differences compared to other versions around the world. This is a result of Epic Games being unable to monetize the game in the same way it does in other regions due to Chinese law. Now Fortnite is set to disappear from the region entirely with new account registrations ceasing on November 1st and servers shutting down completely on November 15th.
Fortnite makes a large portion of its revenue through microtransactions, which were outlawed by the Chinese government. This makes it difficult for Epic Games to make a profit from the game in the region. Fortnite relies heavily on players purchasing skins and cosmetics by converting real money into V-bucks, which they can then use to purchase those items. Also, many of these skins are censored, making them look different from other versions.
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Fortnite was banned entirely from China in 2018, when the game was at the height of its popularity, due to many of the same censorship laws. This meant that Epic Games lost out on a lot of potential players. One of the strangest differences in the Chinese version of the game that likely turned many players away is that there can be multiple winners in a match. This is because Fortnite was changed to better align with Chinese values. If players survived for more than 20 minutes, they were crowned winners.
With the Chinese servers shutting down on November 15th, one wonders how many players will actually be disappointed. Chinese legislation has led to censorship and changes to the game to such an extent that the basic gameplay loop is not the same as in the rest of the world, which has given Epic Games very little chance of succeeding and profiting financially from the game in the region. While the rest of the world will be eagerly awaiting new Fortnite skins, the Chinese market will say goodbye to the game altogether.
Information source: gamerant.com
