Fortnite China appears to be going down

According to the official Chinese website, Fortnite's limited run will finish in November. In China, Epic's smash hit is a radically different game, with premium currency obtained through play rather than real money.

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It's unclear how popular Fortnite was in China, but it's over now: After November 1st, no one will be allowed to register or download the game, and the servers will be shut down. The game's availability was marketed as a test, and the shutdown statement mentions it as such.

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China's version of Fortnite differed significantly from the rest of the world. Because the matches were shorter, numerous players could claim a Victory Royale if they were alive. Other mechanics, such as a separate health metre for storm damage, were adjusted to make the game more casual.

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The shutdown message was widely disseminated thanks to Twitter user arkheops, who shared a screencap of the announcement after it had been translated using software.

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On social media, there's a lot of speculation that the shutdown has anything to do with China's crackdown on online gaming. The audience for Fortnite is largely younger, and China actively discourages young people from playing online games, even using facial recognition to do so.

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In other recent news, Chinese Bitcoin miners have gone underground because of the Chinese government's declaration that virtual money is illegal.

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