China Bans U18’s From Playing Video Games On School Days & Limits Time To 1 Hour On Weekends

Say a prayer for all U18s Chinese gamers out there as they are now limited to just three hours of play a week!

China’s National Press and Publication Administration is going to war with video game addiction with in the nations youth severely tightening the reins.

Starting this week, minors will be allowed only an hour of play time between 8 pm and 9 pm on Friday, weekends and public holidays

The state last meddled in gaming affairs in 2019, restricting play to 90 minutes on weekdays and three hours on weekends for children.

The emphasis has been put on the online gaming companies who now have to ensure real name verification systems are in place.

The regulator said that the purpose of the new rules was to “effectively protect the physical and mental health of minors”. It urged Chinese gaming companies to “always prioritise the social good and actively respond to societal concerns”.

Rui Ma, a US-based China tech analyst spoke on the policy change saying:

“Beijing’s crackdowns on the gaming industry have been fairly consistent about protecting minors. Historically, the authorities have always had the intention to curb exposure from what they perceive to be a highly-addictive habit,”

“It wouldn’t’ surprise me if there were further regulations in the months to come to protect minors from other harmful activities on the internet.”