Apple ‘runs deadlines’, removing 39,000 games from the Chinese App Store

Apple’s actions come in the context of China tightening game management without permission in the country. All game publishers must apply for a license before 2020 ends. These 39,000 games were among a total of 46,000 apps that were removed from the App Store in China on December 31. It includes titles like Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Identity and NBA 2K20.

According to research firm Qimai, only 74 of the top 1,500 paid games on the App Store survived the purge. Apple has not yet commented on the incident.

Initially, the company set a deadline for game publishers at the end of June to submit state-issued licenses. Then, the iPhone manufacturer extended to December 31. Meanwhile, the Google Play Store app market has long complied with the Chinese license regulations.

Analysts were not surprised, as Apple continued to patch the vulnerabilities in response to the request of the Chinese content regulators. It also doesn’t directly affect company revenue like previous takedowns. However, the fact that Apple only accepts licensed games, combined with the small number of foreign games licensed by China this year could cause game developers to shift to an ad-supported model. with this market version.