Hong Kong's government has set its sights on video games with the ban of the Taiwanese strategy game “Reversed Front: Bonfire.” The local national security police issued a warning, claiming the game promotes “armed revolution” and anyone who downloads or recommends it may face serious legal consequences.
The vibrant online game allows players to assume roles of fighters from Taiwan and various Chinese regions, engaging in simulated battles against the Communist Party of China. Players can choose to be “propagandists, patrons, spies, or guerrillas.” Although the game has been promptly removed from the Apple app store in Hong Kong, it remains accessible in other parts of the world.
“Reversed Front” had already faced challenges reaching gamers as it was not available in mainland China. Earlier this month, Google also took it down from its app store, labeling it as containing hateful language. The game's developers, ESC Taiwan, a group of anonymous volunteers, are critical of the Communist Party and rely on crowdfunding for their projects. They argue that this ban reflects the same political censorship that exists in mainland China, claiming, “Our game is precisely accusing and revealing such intentions.”
