China’s real name verification system for games to launch nationwide by September

  • China’s long-planned real name verification system for video games is almost ready for its nationwide launch
  • Tencent and NetEase already have their own verification systems in place, with some games requiring facial recognition

Popular games like Tencent’s Honour of Kings already have real name verification systems in place. Photo: Bloomberg

For years, the Chinese government has been trying to stop kids from playing too many video games. Now regulators are taking things a step further by ensuring anyone wanting to play a game must log in with their real names, thanks to a state-run authentication system set to be rolled out by September.

Once implemented, game makers will be asked to join the system in batches, said Feng Shixin, an official from the Communist Party's Central Publicity Department. Feng spoke on Friday during ChinaJoy, the county’s biggest gaming expo, state media reported.
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