China’s sports regulator has approved 70 new names after nine months of release.
China has granted tech giant Tencent its first video game license in 18 months, ending a crisis that has tarnished its position as the world’s top game developer.
Beijing cracked down on the country’s gaming sector last year as part of a crackdown on big tech companies, including the amount of time children and young people spend on games.
Officials also suspended the approval of new positions for nine months until April.
China’s games watchdog, the National Press and Publication Administration, on Thursday said it approved 70 new titles in November, including Tencent’s game “Metal Slug: Awakening” and the drama “Journey to the West: The Return” by partner NetEase. .
Game licenses are necessary for video games to be published and sold in the Chinese market.
The last time Tencent got a major license was in May 2021.
The Tencent subsidiary received the license in September but it was for free educational games.
Shares of the Hong Kong-listed company rose 0.5 percent in early trading on Friday after the license announcement, with NetEase gaining five shares.
The approval marks a relaxation of China’s tough stance on the tech industry.
During the tech season, hundreds of game developers pledged to remove “politically offensive” content from their products and force young gamers to comply with the government’s demands.
Stricter restrictions announced last year allow players under the age of 18 to play for three hours a week.
