Epic Games and Tencent have decided to shut down Fortnite servers in China. The server shutdown is scheduled for November 15 and it seems that it’s a final decision made by these two companies. However, Fortnite China players are unhappy about this, which is why they have published a petition on change.org.
There are numerous reasons for the Fortnite shutdown in this part of the world. The biggest reason,most likely, is lack of monetization. Since the game is free, the only way to monetize it is through in-game purchases of cosmetic items. However, microtransactions are not allowed in China, which means that Epic Games was operating at a loss for a few years.
The Fortnite server shutdown is happening soon
The change.org petition was shared on Twitter by @Joker_BaiYi, one of many Fortnite China players. The player explained how the servers are pending a shutdown and that all the data will be deleted after it. In total, the Fortnite creator will wipe out over three years of data on that day!
Of course, this isn’t a perfect scenario for players who want to keep playing. This is why Joker_BaiYi and other players have signed the petition. Many Fortnite players, including ones from other regions, have decided to support the cause. However, even though the tweet was seen by thousands of players, the petition has received only 475 signatures at the moment of writing.
The low amount of signatures simply shows how unpopular the game is in China. While players can get cosmetic items and the Battle Pass, it seems that mostly map creators care about the game. The petition creator has clarified that he doesn’t mind Epic Games blocking these free items until players can pay for them.
How to sign the petition
If you would like to help Fortnite China players with the petition, you can sign it at change.org. There are less than two weeks left until the server shutdown, but players from this region are hoping that this won’t be the end of everything.
It will be interesting to see if this petition will affect Epic Games and Tencent. Every signature counts, so if you’d like to help Fortnite China creators to retain their map creations and accounts, please sign the petition.