Hong Kong Bans Taiwanese Mobile Game Over Secessionist Content

Authorities in Hong Kong have banned Taiwanese mobile game Reversed Front: Bonfire for promoting “armed revolution” and a “secessionist agenda” against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The ban falls under Hong Kong’s National Security Law, which is allegedly a tool of the Beijing government to curb dissent in Hong Kong.

The game in question was developed by ESC Taiwan, a vocal game development studio whose members have criticized the CCP. The game was banned from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on June 10. The game had been available for three months since its release in April 2025.

Reversed Front was accused of advocating for Taiwan and Hong Kong’s independence and spreading hatred against the CCP. Hong Kong police notified citizens that downloading, sharing, or making in-app purchases can be considered possession of seditious material. Those found guilty may face jail time under the National Security Law. The app topped Hong Kong’s App Store downloads after the ban was announced. Some users were able to download it even after the ban announcement. It was then removed from Apple’s platform on June 11, 2025.

Reversed Front: Bonfire is a strategy game set in a fictional war. Players get to play as factions that reportedly resemble citizens of Mongolia, Tibet, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The story tasks players with overthrowing a communist regime. Alternatively, players have the choice of leading the communist party to suppress the rebellions.

ESC Taiwan has been vocal about its work’s resemblance to real-life politics. The game’s description states that it is “a work of nonfiction. Any similarity to actual agencies, policies, or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional.”

Taiwanese citizen and gamer Kuo Hao Fu told Associated Press that he played the game for about three months and that he appreciated the game’s approach to describing political issues. Fu condemned the police accusations and said that the game should not have been banned as it allowed players to side with China.

Fu said, “The Hong Kong police’s actions demonstrate how Hong Kong’s democratic freedoms have been controlled by the Chinese Communist Party. When even this level cannot be tolerated, it completely destroys creative freedom in gaming.”

ESC Taiwan has declined to censor any words or review its content in the game. The developers said in a statement to AP News, “We encourage users to change the country or region of their Apple ID in order to successfully download the game.”