Is the White House banning Fortnite and League of Legends?

Updated on: September 28, 2021 2:14 PM

Bernard Meyer
Senior Researcher

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order banning any US business dealings with WeChat parent company Tencent within 45 days. Trump’s order against Tencent was issued simultaneously with his executive order against TikTok’s parent company ByteDance.

Tencent has numerous stakes within the gaming industry, many involving the most popular gaming titles.

This includes a 100% stake in Riot Games (the developers of League of Legends), 84% of mobile gaming company Supercell (Clash of Clans, Clash Royale), and 40% of Epic Games, which developed Fortnite, Unreal and others.

Tencent representatives are not giving explicit comments about what this could mean for the gaming industry just yet.

“We are reviewing the executive order to get a full understanding,” a Tencent spokesperson told CyberNews.

The White House confirmed on Thursday night that the Executive Order is aimed at WeChat transactions specifically.

WeChat is a messaging, social media and electronic payment application that has more than one billion users worldwide. The executive order states that “WeChat automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users. This data collection threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans’ personal and proprietary information.”

It further states that the application “captures the personal and proprietary information of Chinese nationals visiting the United States, thereby allowing the Chinese Communist Party a mechanism for keeping tabs on Chinese citizens” traveling abroad.

Beyond those larger stakes, Tencent also has business dealings with Activision Blizzard, Reddit, Discord, Spotify, and a wide variety of companies familiar to the American market. This has caused some speculation that these titles would be affected.

The WeChat ban comes on the heels of a warning from White House advisor Peter Navarro against the popular app for engaging in “information warfare” against the US.

The executive order’s broad language could have ramifications in many industries, as the definition of “transactions” from WeChat is yet to be determined.

Tencent’s stock plummeted by as much as 10% in Hong Kong after reports of the executive order.

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Comments

donald trumps gay

4 years ago

if they are banning fortnite then ban cod because it’s basically the same

Scott Bradley

4 years ago

Both games are toxic and trash…get rid of em. I could care less, but you people actually read the article you would see that they are just aiming to crack down on Wechat transactions because communist China is getting information about the US from Wechat/,TikTok. Either way…both games are trash and I’d suggest you kids now adays ask mommy and daddy for an N64.

Concerned gamer

4 years ago

Lol the NordVPN ads mid article showing the path forward.

Andrew

4 years ago

I think Trump has bigger issues to deal with than this. Like I don’t know, maybe the fact that your whole country is turning into some messed up mash up of The Purge, and Mad Max…….

Teri Woodrum

4 years ago

Here is the most important thing on gaming on the internet…LISTEN AND LISTEN CLOSELY THERE ARE PEDOPHILES HORRIBLE PREDATORS GOING AFTER CHILDREN ON TIK TOK ROBLOX ETC..THIS HAS GOT TO STOP TAKE CHATS OFF THE FORUMS OR END THE GAMES ALTOGETHER!!!
CHILD TRAFFICKING IS REAL..AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE ANGRY IT DONT BECOME REAL TO YOU UNLESS IT IS YOU OR ONE OF YOUR OWN LOVED ONES AFFECTED.
THEY HAVE TO BE STOPPED SO WE CAN STO THEM FROM KIDNAPPING AND TRAFFICKING THE CHILDREN!. MY GOD IS GAMING MORE IMPORTANT THAN A CHILDS LIFE??? THINK ABOUT THAT FOR A MOMENT..
THATS ALL

Sillycybin

4 years ago

How about don’t give your kid a smartphone then they think they don’t have to go to school cuz they’re smart in their pocket what’s up with this other site called cuddle

Ryan Anderson

4 years ago

This is quite literally, just not true. And if u believe it than your just not smart.

Michael Dexter

4 years ago

Damn but why is he trying to cut off OUR ties with the Asian ladies? He probably has had plenty. Since COVID the virtual socializing in these games has been a great thing for us “stuck in the house” COVID-19 slowed folk around the world. I don’t get it.

Pat

4 years ago

Did any of you read past the first paragraph?

Nun ya

4 years ago

Trump isn’t banning fortnite, only tiktok and WeChat

Kumuro

4 years ago

Fear is all I can smell. Us is behind China almost in every economic way. They cannot tolerate to not be number 1. Murrica need to learn the basics again

Rick l.

4 years ago

Am I the only one that read and understands the whole post? Because it clearly States fortnite and other games are safe…

Josh

4 years ago

Trumps stupid he needs to leave the office he doing more harm then good

I AM NO ONE UHM IM ANONYMOUS

4 years ago

I agree

Don't want to say

4 years ago

Why would bank fortnite they might as well ban call of duty since there’s violence call of duty and blood.

Joseph

4 years ago

The most dumbest thing to do. How are you going to give the billions of dollars bwck . The thousands of dollars people spent on the game. If you give us our money back we will be.ok with the game getting banned . You can’t ban the game cuz your a wight house crack head sniffing candy looking to ruin other people’s lives . Suck a fat I. Donald

Joe Mama

4 years ago

did you even read the article?

Lmfao

4 years ago

This comment almost gave me a stroke.

Nevaeh Adams

4 years ago

This is insane I think fortnite is good game to play cause it entertains people & you can’t just take it away like that….Tiktok & now Fortnite really Donald Trump?

Bernidette Baca

4 years ago

If you read the entire article fortnite should not be affected although I think that was a brilliant move to get control of our kids gaming habits. The whole reason for his action is to stop ” information warfare with China who if you are not aware are not our allies rather they ate Russias. Both huge countries who together could annihilate the U.S.A we are not safe from tragedies of war the twin towers was the reality check to America…the war is not just in some far away country that you can just board a plane and leave behind. WAR is on our door step ring the door bell Trump is just locking up and preventing it from getting through our proverbial front door.

Urfavgenius

4 years ago

You realize that if the superpowers of the world were to go to war at each other it would result in total annihilation of the world and would end up destroying the entire world as we know it so no China and Russia together cannot just destroy America because America has enough nukes to bomb every country in the world and Destroy them all.

ronnie garza

4 years ago

Yeah if he pays us all the $money$ spend in fornite then he can do what ever he wants

EseGato13

4 years ago

Trump is honestly braindead. Theres so many other things happening but all he cares about is GAMES. Like what the fuck.

sonya beaty

4 years ago

What part of fortnite will not

I AM NO ONE UHM IM ANONYMOUS

4 years ago

I know its really dumb,donald trump is taking away all of the fun things in life,WHAT DO THE KIDS DO PLAY CHECKERS OR SOMETHING!!?!?!?!
Ugh,im glad fortnite is safe for now..