China Ends Freeze on Video-Game Licensing

  • The media regulators said it green-lit 80 titles in December
  • Tencent and Netease games were noticeably absent from the list

Photographer: Zhang Peng/LightRocket via Getty Images

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China has approved 80 new video game titles in the first batch of licenses granted by the media regulator after the end of a nine-month freeze.

The initial games were mostly local, mobile titles and didn’t include any from industry giants Tencent Holdings Ltd. or Netease Inc. The notice of approvals was posted online by the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television.