The makers of a massively popular video game based on Chinese mythology have warned live streamers and players to avoid politics, COVID-19 and " feminist propaganda," according to widespread social media reports.
"Please do not include politics, violence, nudity, feminist propaganda, fetishism, and other content that incites negative speech,” said a notice sent to gamers and live streamers by makers of Triple-A Chinese role-playing game “Black Myth: Wukong” that was widely circulated on social media, including by prominent YouTube game streamer Benoit Reinier.
"Don't use trigger words like 'quarantine' or 'isolation' or 'COVID-19'," it adds, in an apparent reference to widespread public anger over the three years of grueling zero-COVID policies under ruling Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
With a development budget of more than 400 million yuan (US$57 million), "Black Myth: Wukong" is one of the most expensive games ever produced in China, according to a recent report in The New York Times.
According to the makers, “Black Myth: Wukong” had sold 10 million copies across all platforms as of Aug. 23, three days after its global release, to huge fanfare.
Soft power
The game is being touted as an example of China's bid to become a global cultural force, and its supporters laud the complexity of the gameplay and lavish visual effects.
Based on a classic 16th-century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, the game's protagonist is inspired by Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, who fights opponents with a staff.
Game Science also has the backing of Tencent Holdings, one of China’s biggest technology conglomerates and its top video game publisher, which holds a 5% stake in the developer.
The game even got a plug from China's usually tight-lipped Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with spokesperson Mao Ning commenting on Aug. 21: "I do not know much about video games, but ... the name of this game suggests that it is inspired by the Chinese classic novel “Journey to the West.” I think this speaks to the appeal of Chinese culture."
It’s not the first time gamers have been warned off sensitive topics by Chinese companies.
Last year, entertainment platform Bilibili imposed restrictions on livestream anchors playing "Goose Goose Duck" last year, after users in China assumed politically sensitive handles referencing Chinese leaders, disgraced former officials and exiled dissidents.
Censored topics
An overseas gamer who gave only the nickname Mike for fear of reprisals told RFA Mandarin that the censorship could affect live streamers' ability to speak freely while playing for a live audience.
"I don't really care about these censored topics, because they have nothing to do with the actual game," Mike said. "But I think the bigger issue is that if the game manufacturer censors live streamers' speech, they won't be able to share their gaming experience in a truly authentic way."
"This defeats the purpose of asking live streamers to promote the game," he said, adding that he would have researched the game a bit more before buying it if he'd known about the censorship beforehand.
A gamer who works for a well-known gaming company in democratic Taiwan, who gave only the nickname Mr. A for fear of reprisals, said such censorship is common in the Chinese market.
"There are a lot of sensitive issues in China, including the image of the country and its leaders, which they don't want brought up," he said.
"For example, the Tiananmen massacre, Winnie the Pooh, and even egg fried rice."
The banning of "feminist propaganda" has fed into social media speculation about a misogynistic workplace culture at Game Science, the main publisher of “Black Myth: Wukong.”
Social media users have dug up and reposted sexist comments made online by the game's chief creator Feng Ji in recent days, while the game's art director Yang Qi has been quoted as saying the game "doesn't need female players."
Not everyone has been willing to comply with the censorship notice, however.
U.S.-based live streamer MOONMOON, who has nearly 1.2 million followers on Twitch, live-streamed his gameplay on the day of the game's release, with around 20,000 viewers watching his every move.
In a defiant gesture to the game developers, he titled the live stream ""Covid-19 Isolation Taiwan (Is a Real Country) Feminism Propaganda."
Democratic Taiwan is claimed by China as an "inalienable" part of its territory, despite never having been ruled by the Chinese Communist Party, nor formed part of the People's Republic of China, so references to its sovereign status as a country are anathema to Beijing.
Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.