Fortnite’s Chinese Servers Shutting Down After Testing Phase

by Jason Parker in Fortnite | Nov, 1st 2021

Unfortunately, Fortnite won’t be in China, as the servers are shutting down. Epic Games tried to make it a hit in China, but the lack of monetization likely played a factor in them not getting behind it in the same way as the rest of the world. Fortnite’s devs tried to make it appealing to the massive Chinese fanbase, but still, the game is shutting down there today. There are still a host of other Battle Royale games for the Chinese gamers to play, so they won’t be out too bad.

Perhaps the most glaring change (and reason for Fortnite China shutting down) is that you cannot purchase V-Bucks. Microtransactions are banned in China, so the ability to really monetize the game is not possible. Several of the skins were also altered in China, to make sure they were allowed in the country. This isn’t to say Fortnite wasn’t popular, because people were playing it. However, the game is shutting down – no more accounts can be made as of today, November 1st, 2021.

A translated message on the Fortnite QQ account tells us that the Fortnite test has come to an end in China. As of November 1st, you cannot make new accounts, and the actual servers will be shutting down for Fortnite in China as of November 15th, 2021. It was decently popular, but the lack of monetization for Fortnite probably ultimately led to this decision. There’s no profit for Epic Games to make in China off their game, and no other options, this is the end of Fortnite in China. Perhaps the country will relent in the future on microtransactions, but for now, this is the end of the road.

It’s genuinely unfortunate that Fortnite could not gain a foothold in China, but considering the laws of the land, it’s not too surprising.