INTERNATIONAL_ After about 7 months of testing, the Roblox game creation platform was still removed from the Chinese app store.
Roblox said that the takedown request was part of a “temporary action” from the mainland. Game platform Roblox has removed its app in China, after 7 months of launch in the country of billions of people.
Many surprised users complained about this sudden announcement on Chinese social networks. Tencent has not yet commented on the action.
Roblox during the Mainland launch rollout.
Specifically, Roblox, released back in July in cooperation with Tencent, has recently disappeared from app stores in China. People who have installed the app will see a ‘thanks for using the beta’ message.
A company spokesperson said Roblox is working on the next version of the app, though did not say when the new version is likely to be released back into the market.
“We have always known that building an optimal platform in China is a long, laborious process. Roblox is grateful for the support of its users and the global developer community here,” said a Roblox spokesperson. “It is important that we now make the necessary investments, including investments in data, to realize the long-term vision.”
The Roblox platform has been removed from the mainland.
In China, the order to “freeze” new game studios has just entered its ninth month and an estimated 14,000 developers have closed in the country since the implementation of this policy. This seriously affects the development of the Chinese game industry.
In May 2019, Roblox and Tencent announced a joint venture in which the former company holds a controlling stake of 51% and Tencent a 49%, a rare arrangement in which a foreign entity holds a majority stake. large stake in a Chinese joint venture.
In July 2020, LuoBuLeSi released an Android test version of Roblox and said it would release this game platform in China in the near future.
