China’s State Administration of Press, Publication and Publicity has announced that Riot Games’ VALORANT will be available for play in the country.
VALORANT, along with five other titles from Riot Games-owned. Chinese conglomerate Tencent has been approved by the video game regulatory agency, meaning gamers in the country can finally access the game.
Previously, players had to use a virtual private network and connect to servers in Hong Kong to play the game. Despite this restriction, many professional teams, such as Edward Gaming, which participated in Champions earlier this year, are thriving.
Related: SHAHZAM SAID HE CHOSE G2 OVER SEVERAL OTHER VALORANT TEAMS
The Chinese gaming market was hit hard by suspended gaming licenses last August. Even before that, the Chinese government had taken strict measures to limit youths’ gaming time.
From our dev teams to your 5-stacks and solo queues—we’ve put together a few thanks for making this a great year for VALORANT.https://t.co/5oi1LIi1ge
— VALORANT (@PlayVALORANT) December 23, 2022
CNBC reported in November that these strict restrictions have resulted in children in China spending less time playing video games. Research firm CNG and the China Game Industry Group Committee praised the measures taken.
China is one of the major market players for gaming companies, and Riot has benefited from the 27 servers in China that allow millions of players to access the title. The regulatory change should allow players to access their servers without using a virtual private network, but this remains undecided.
