The Chinese Government Gives A License For 88 Online Games

NetEase Inc gets an online gaming license from the Chinese government. (photo: twitter @NetEase_Global)

JAKARTA - China's video game regulator on Tuesday, January 17 granted publishing licenses for 88 online games, including titles owned by Tencent Holdings Ltd, NetEase Inc, and miHoYo.

According to the list published by the National Press and Public Administration, Shenzhen-based Tencent, the world's largest game company, received at least one game license for a mobile game named "Yuanmengzhixing",

NetEase, the second largest game company in China, also received a license for a shooting game called "Chaofanxianfeng". Meanwhile, miHoYo, the well-known developer behind Genshin Impact, got a license for a game called Honkai: Star Rail.

Unlike in most other countries, video games in China require regulatory approval before they are released in China, the world's biggest game market. When Beijing cracked down on the gaming industry last August, it initiated a nine-month freeze on the licensing approval process.

Last month, China granted publishing licenses to 44 foreign games for domestic release after nearly 18 months, effectively marking the end of China's crackdown on the industry.