Epic and Tencent reportedly introduce 3-hour limit for Fortnite players in China

Epic Games introduced the v12.10 update for Fortnite Chapter Two, season two earlier today, which included new cosmetics and bug fixes. But a warning string of text has been uncovered for Fortnite players in China, according to data miner FireMonkey.

The developers of Fortnite have reportedly implemented a three-hour time limit for players in China. 

Tencent, which owns a significant stake in Epic, reportedly created this string in accordance with laws in China, while Epic added it to the game’s code. 

These strings of text were implemented to combat addiction and are especially targeted toward younger players. A new string of text is shown after three hours of playing Fortnite, which reportedly automatically lowers challenge progress. Several other strings are enacted if players ignore this initial prompt. 

“You have been online for three hours accumulatively,” the message reads. “The in-game gainings will be lowered by 50 percent from now on and challenge progress has been disabled. For your own health, please log-off and get some rest. Appropriate physical exercise is good for your body.”

Fortnite players will reportedly have to accumulate five hours of offline activity, otherwise, the in-game earnings will be reduced to zero and challenge progress will be halted. 

China has attempted to combat gaming addiction for some time. In July, it was reported by China’s National Press and Publication Administration that the Chinese government will forbid minors from playing video games between 10am and 8am and limiting daily playtime to 90 minutes, according to Engadget.