Donald Trump May Be Looking to Ban Riot Games and Epic Games Next
Many people are aware of Donald Trump’s attempts to ban TikTok and WeChat. Now, it appears that the Trump Administration has their sights on two notable game industry companies; Epic Games and Riot Games.
Donald Trump May Be Looking to Ban Riot Games and Epic Games Next
The Trump Administration is putting the limelight on game developers who have ties to Tencent, the company behind WeChat. According to Bloomberg, they are requesting game companies to “provide information about their data security protocols involving Chinese technology giant Tencent Holdings Ltd.”
For those of you who aren’t aware, Tencent is a major driving force in the games industry. They own Riot Games, the company behind League of Legends and Valorant, and they own a 40% stake in Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite and the Epic Games Store. They’re not the only ones affected however as Tencent’s gaming portfolio is rather wide, which includes notable companies like Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and Bluehole.
At the moment, what the Trump Administration wants to know is how the personal data of Americans are being protected. If the situation ends up being similar to TikTok’s case, both Epic Games and Riot Games may either have to seek ownership in the United States or face the banhammer in the country.
For now, nothing is set in stone just yet. As it is with TikTok, they are looking to partner up with Oracle, as we reported here, so they might not actually get banned in the States. For now, we will be reporting more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Pokdepinion: For the sake of the game industry, I really hope nothing develops from this.
