Hong Kong Bans Controversial Taiwanese Video Game for Alleged Political Advocacy

Amid growing concerns over online content, Hong Kong's national security police have targeted the Taiwanese war strategy game, “Reversed Front: Bonfire,” deeming it a threat to national security. The game, which allows players to enact scenarios involving revolution from regions including Taiwan and Hong Kong, has been effectively banned, with police warning that downloading or endorsing it could lead to severe legal repercussions.

The game showcases players choosing roles such as propagandists or guerrillas in a colorful manga setting, battling against structures of power represented by the Chinese Communist Party. Despite being removed from Hong Kong's Apple app store, the game is still accessible in some regions. However, it faced prior censorship in mainland China and was taken down from Google Play for content deemed hateful, according to its creators.

The developers behind the game, ESC Taiwan, consist of a volunteer group opposing the actions of the Communist Party and have previously released a board game in 2020. They view the swift removal of “Reversed Front” as indicative of increasing political censorship in Hong Kong, reflecting the same kind of restrictions faced in mainland China. The team states that their game exposes and critiques the actions and policies of the ruling regime.