Monster Hunter: World – Tencent pulls top selling game days after launch as China continues online content crackdown

Chinese gaming giant Tencent Holdings has pulled one of the world’s hottest video games from its WeGame platform less than a week after launch in the latest case of Beijing’s tightened controls over online content.

Monster Hunter: World, a blockbuster role playing title released last week on Tencent’s WeGame platform, is no longer available for purchase after authorities received “numerous” complaints about the game’s content, WeGame said in a statement on Monday.

Gamers who purchased the title can apply for a full refund before August 20, or they can continue to play but there is no guarantee that the service will keep running, the statement said. A 30 yuan (US$4) coupon for the WeGame platform will be issued to each buyer as compensation.

Monster Hunter: World, the latest instalment in the series from Japan’s Capcom, sold over 8 million copies on PS4 and Xbox One in just five months, making it one of the most popular games this year. The PC version became available on WeGame on August 8, one day before it was released to the rest of the world via rival platform Steam. The title secured more than one million pre-orders on WeGame, according to the platform.

In the game, players hunt down and kill monsters such as dragons or beasts in return for weapons and armour. The game is rated “T” in the US, which means it is suitable for ages 13 and older.

A Tencent spokesman declined to provide any further comment beyond the WeGame statement. The company’s Hong Kong traded shares closed down 2.4 per cent to HK$361 on Monday, the biggest decline since August 2 when the stock fell 2.8 per cent.