DnF Mobile will no longer be available on some Android platforms from Thursday, according to a notice released on Wednesday by the game’s operating team. The affected app stores – including those of Huawei, Oppo and Vivo – were identified on the same day in a report by Chinese media outlet 21st Century Business Herald, which cited anonymous sources.
The DnF Mobile team recommended that new users on Android systems download the game from its official website amid “adjustments in our cooperation with certain app stores”. As such, these users would still be able to complete a major upgrade scheduled on Thursday within the game’s app.
Tencent did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.
Tencent’s games subsequently reappeared after a few hours on Huawei’s app store, with both sides claiming that their dispute was solved “after friendly negotiations”. Neither Huawei nor Tencent offered an explanation for what happened.
Android app store operators on the mainland are known for sometimes taking up to 50 per cent of a video game’s revenue as commission.
32:53
The resurrection of China’s video gaming industry
The resurrection of China’s video gaming industry
Following its launch on May 21, DnF Mobile is expected to gross around 6 billion yuan (US$827 million) in a year, according to a recent note by investment bank Jefferies.