Apple leaves foreign developers scrambling as unlicensed games removed from China App Store

Apple has left foreign video game developers scrambling to stay afloat in China, according to analysts, after the technology giant started removing thousands of unlicensed games from its local App Store this month to comply with the country’s regulations.

A total of 2,394 unlicensed games had been removed by Apple from its China App Store on July 4, after more than a thousand each day were taken down from July 1, according to the latest estimates from app tracking firm Qimai Data. It said Apple already sent a select group of developers a final warning to pursue licensing before the end of this month.

China requires video games, either paid or offered with in-app purchases, to be submitted for review and obtain a licence before commercial release. Apple’s App Store continued to offer unlicensed games before July 1, which was reportedly the company’s takedown date. By comparison, the major Chinese Android app platforms had enforced the regulation since 2016.

“The developers we’ve spoken with have all felt frustrated and in the dark,” said Todd Kuhns, marketing manager for Beijing-based consultancy AppInChina. “They’ve told us the sudden announcement and lack of information leaves them with little time to develop a clear strategy for communication with their current users, or to decide between developing a new app or submitting a licence application.”

Tencent Holdings-backed Finnish developer Supercell, publisher of mobile farming game Hay Day, last week alerted Chinese gamers to download the title’s latest update before it gets taken down.

US video games giant Electronic Arts released a notice last month that Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes will no longer be available in China.