Tencent is taking a popular poker app offline as China revamps its watch on the national games sector.
The publisher will begin to “shutter” the game Everyday Texas Hold’Em starting today, with servers due to go completely offline on September 25th.
A representative for Tencent told Reuters that the move to shutter the poker app was a business adjustment”, with no further clarification given.
But another, unnamed source told the outlet that card games are facing strict barriers due to their proximity to gambling.
Crackdown
Tencent has already taken the brunt of China’s increased restrictions on gaming, following a months-long block on new game releases.
The publisher took a $20 billion hit to its market value during the suspension, that stopped any company filing for approvals on new releases during a government restructuring.
Honor of Kings, Tencent’s largest mobile game, has also seen new restrictions put in place to curb playtime among younger gamers.
On top of moral concerns over gaming addiction, the Chinese government is also hoping a crackdown on the industry will improve the country’s nearsightedness epidemic.