According to a report, Roblox has shut down the Chinese version of its mobile app, which was locally called LuoBuLeSi. This happened just 5 months after it was released in partnership with Chinese giant, Tencent. However, the company is already working on a new version that will be released in the time to come.
Fans of the game platform regularly encounter hoax articles about Roblox shutting down. It seems for mobile gamers in China, this really has turned out to be true. But as of now, the company has indeed said that they can look forward to a re-release in the future.
Roblox China was officially taken off app stores as far back as December 8 last year. This news has come to light so late given the strict Internet restrictions present in the country. Through a post on its official website, the makers thanked players for testing out the app and said that they would “continue to optimize the product.”
Roblox spokesperson James Kay has told The Verge, “Last year, we launched Roblox China also known as LuoBuLeSi with a vision to build an immersive virtual universe of 3D experiences in China that we have been testing and iterating on along the way. It is critical that we now make the necessary investments, including investments in our data architecture, in order to realize our long-term vision for LuoBuLeSi.”
Although a clear reason for the takedown wasn’t mentioned, it’s certain that this has something to do with the heavy regulatory changes developers have to make to their games in order to comply with the country’s norms. Apparently, this was also the reason why Fortnite had to shut shop in China without a full launch.
That said, Roblox continues to enjoy immense popularity among children in the rest of the world. Last March, the Roblox Corporation started trading on the New York Stock Exchange with a valuation of $45 billion.