Riot Games’ VALORANT Now Available in China
The National Press and Publication Administration in China has announced that Riot Games’ popular game, VALORANT, is now officially available to play in the country. This approval by the video game regulatory body also extends to other titles owned by Riot Games’ Chinese conglomerate Tencent.
Previously, Chinese players had to use a virtual private network to access the game through Hong Kong servers. However, despite these restrictions, many professional teams, such as EDward Gaming, thrived and even attended Champions earlier this year.
The Chinese video game market faced challenges due to a temporary suspension of video game licenses in August of last year. Even before the ban, the Chinese government had implemented strict measures to limit the time young people could spend on video games.
In response to the harsh restrictions, research firm CNG and the China Game Industry Group Committee have praised the measures taken. According to a report by CNBC, children in China are now spending less time on video games.
China is a major market for video game companies, and Riot Games has benefited from the popularity of VALORANT with its 27 servers in the country. With this regulatory change, players should now be able to access their own servers directly without the need for a virtual private network, although it remains uncertain.
Riot Games, VALORANT, China, video game, market, regulatory approval