Live-streaming service Twitch is no longer available in China.
Twitch confirmed yesterday that the service has been blocked in mainland China. The application has also been removed from the Apple iOS App Store in China, as reported by Abacus. Twitch recently launched to the top of the iOS App Store’s ladder, becoming the third most popular free application, according to analytics firm App Annie.
Related: Twitch is reportedly being blocked in Russia
China’s internet is regulated by the Cyberspace Administration of China, which has not addressed the country’s Twitch ban.
Twitch’s popularity increased in late August when Chinese esports fans flocked to the service to watch the country compete at the Asian Games. China’s Asian Games broadcaster, CCTV, did not show the esports events, according to Abacus—and Chinese esports fans weren’t happy about it. Twitch typically isn’t the streaming service of choice by Chinese esports fans, and isn’t nearly as popular as domestic services Huya and Douyu, Abacus wrote in August.
China’s internet laws are notoriously restrictive, with sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter also blocked by the government. The surge in popularity likely brought Twitch, which is owned by Amazon, into the government’s headlights.
China is the largest global gaming market, Newzoo reported in August. Chinese players—more than 619 million of them—will spend $37.9 billion on the games industry in 218, with mobile games wracking in $23 billion of that number. But despite the Chinese games industry’s success, the Chinese government is putting more restrictions on the industry. Gaming giant Tencent, based in China, has had problems this year after the government reportedly stopped approving licenses for, according to CNN.
