China resumes video game licensing after 8-month freeze in sign of regulatory easing

  • The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) published a list of 45 approved new titles on Monday
  • The freeze has dealt a heavy blow to the gaming industry, along with other measures aimed at bringing the sector to heel

Video gamers in Shenzhen, China. Photo: Shutterstock

The Chinese government has resumed licensing new video games, ending a freeze imposed last July and signalling that Beijing is now ready to ease regulatory pressure on the industry.

The National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA), which is in charge of licensing video games in China, published a list of 45 approved new titles on Monday. However, none of the newly-licensed games came from Tencent Holdings or NetEase, the country’s two biggest gaming companies.

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