All online games in China have been taken offline for the duration of December 6 as part of a day of mourning for former president Jiang Zemin.
Video game market analyst Daniel Ahmad reported the news on Twitter, showing an example of a gaming website rendered black and white as a sign of mourning. Other online and real-world entertainment sites and activities have also shut down in respect for President Zemin, who died from Leukemia last week.
This is not the first time online game servers in China have been shutdown following moments of national tragedy. In April 2020, online play was suspended as part of a nationwide day of mourning for those who died from COVID-19 infections. An similar shutdown observed the 2013 earthquake in Lushan.
All online video games in China have been taken offline for one day (Dec 6) out of respect for the memorial service of former President Jiang Zemin who passed away from Leukemia last week
Most online and public entertainment activities have also stopped and will resume tomorrow pic.twitter.com/cpLJFpq6Q2
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) December 6, 2022
If you are worried about not being able to play online games developed or published in China, fear not. Only mainland China servers have been shut down and global players should still be able to connect and play.
In related news, Blizzard Entertainment will be suspending its games in China over the coming months as their contract with Chinese company NetEase comes to a close.. Diablo Immortal will continue, uninterrupted, because it is part of a separate deal. Blizzard president Mike Ybarra said the company is searching for alternatives to bring games to China.
