The official site for Fortnite China has announced that on November 15 of this year, the game’s service will end for the country.
As Denfaminico Gamer points out, a concrete reason for why the game is shutting down hasn’t been given, but there is speculation that it’s related to the country’s stricter gaming regulations for children.
Update 11/2/21 - 3:00am: An Epic spokesperson points out that Fortnite has been in beta in China and provided Kotaku with an official English translation of the game’s servers going offline:
To Fortnite China players:
Fortnite China’s Beta test will be ending, and the servers will be closed soon. For details, please see below:
On Monday, November 1 at 11 am, we will close the new user registration entrance and game download portal;
On Monday, November 15 at 11 am, we will turn off servers for Fortnite, and players will no longer be able to connect to the game through the WeGame client.
Thank you to all the Fortnite China players who have ridden the Battle Bus with us by participating in the Beta.
If you have any questions or suggestions about the servers closing, please click here to send us feedback.
Fortnite China Operation Team
October 31, 2021
Fortnite China originally launched in April 2018 during Season 5, allowing Chinese players to install and legally play the popular online multiplayer game. As the Fortnite Wiki points out, there were changes made in the localized version—including no microtransactions—due to Chinese regulations regarding the practice, as well as rules about gambling. Also, it did not sport the Support A Creator system.
Other changes have been cosmetic. For example, the depiction of skulls was changed for compliance with regard to what can be shown in video games. This has meant that character skins with skulls are either AWOL, or have been altered. Husks in Save the World were also altered as the characters’ original design shows their skulls. The Chinese version was changed so the characters have green skin covering their faces.
Many of the other adjustments were made to make Fortnite seem less violent, to comply with bureaucratic expectations, so the game could be released. This is why the game’s lore was changed. According to the Fortnite Wiki, the Battle Royale takes place in a training simulation, meaning that all the opponents are actually holograms. This way, nobody actually “dies,” and the game is perceived as less violent. This was actually a pretty cool workaround, I think.
Since Fortnite China is shutting down this month, it’s no longer possible to create new accounts after today, November 1. And after November 15, logging in won’t be a possibility, either.