Hong Kong banned a mobile game under its national security law, blaming it for supporting armed revolution and separatist thought pertaining to Taiwan and Hong Kong. The game, Reversed Front: Bonfire, by Taiwan developer ESC, has been taken off Apple’s app store, with the government issuing a warning to the public against downloading it.
As reported by Hong Kong police, the game, which was launched in April, purports to be a simulation but explicitly promotes the independence of places such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, Mongolia, and Xinjiang. The game lets players “pledge allegiance” to pro-independence forces or the Communist Party in an effort to “overthrow the Communist regime.”
The authorities maintain that the game’s content is against national security law, and anyone possessing it may be prosecuted for having “seditious publications.” It is the first time a mobile app has been banned under Hong Kong’s controversial security legislation enacted by Beijing in 2020.
The developer calls the game a “nonfiction work” on its website and says that any similarity to actual political organizations is intentional. The Facebook page of the app posted news stories and cited an increase in interest after the ban. Earlier, Google Play had already taken down the game, saying the game could not limit the uses of insulting words players use for naming conventions.
Critics interpret the decision as part of a larger campaign by China and Hong Kong authorities to suppress dissent and restrict creative freedom. Taiwan player Kuo Hao Fu labeled the game as satirical and denied claims that the game encourages violence, adding that users can also opt to play as the Chinese government.
The ban reflects heightened sensitivity around issues of sovereignty and separatism, particularly concerning Taiwan, where Beijing continues to assert its territorial claim and has not ruled out military action.
