iOS users in China have been banned from using monetisation platform Alipay to make in-game payments in miHoYo and NetEase titles.

Alongside the blocking of Alipay for in-game payments, players have also been unable to recharge their Alipay accounts to make such purchases through in-game portals. Investigating the issue, GameLook staff attempted to forcibly recharge through the “NetEase Games” applet and found they were unable to do so, instead being redirected to the official website. Notably, games such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail only received these portals weeks ago, and with 500,000 users utilising the program within its first week it’s clear that it was successful, raising questions as to the reasoning behind the closure.

Is the sun setting for Apple?

The blocking of payments on iOS devices may be an attempt to encourage users to look elsewhere - such as one of the hundreds of Chinese made Android phones.

Notably, other brands of Smartphone are seemingly unaffected by the blocks thus far, which suggests that Apple has been specifically targeted - and with the iPhone 15 Pro being released in a few days on September 22, the issue seems expertly timed to cause as much trouble for Apple as possible.

The company has already seen a decline in share prices following the ban of iPhone use among government officials, and with China representing 19% of Apple’s total revenue any further restrictions to iPhone use within the country may result in further declines for the company - and with the iPhone 15 Pro being touted as the world’s most powerful mobile gaming device, Chinese consumers turning away from the platform is likely to come as a source of concern for the company and its shareholders.

We listed miHoYo and NetEase as two of the top 50 mobile game makers of 2023.