Taiwanese mobile game Reversed Front: Bonfire has been banned in Hong Kong for reportedly “promoting secessionist agencies” by encouraging players to defeat communist regimes.
As reported by The New York Times, Hong Kong police said the game was “advocating an armed revolution” and that any residents who have downloaded or recommended the game will face legal charges which could lead to jail time.
“Reversed Front: Bonfire was released under the guise of a game with the aim of promoting secessionist agencies such as ‘Taiwan independence’ or ‘Hong Kong independence,” it said (via BBC News).
“Those who have downloaded the application should uninstall it immediately and must not attempt to defy the law.”
As noted by The Guardian, in-app purchases may be seen as funding the game’s developer ESC Taiwan “for the commission of succession of subversion”.
ESC Taiwan is described by the NYT as “a group of anonymous volunteers who are outspoken against China’s Communist Party”.
The developer states on its website that Reversed Front: Bonfire is a “work of non-fiction” and that “any similarity to actual agencies, policies, or ethnic groups of the People’s Republic of China in this game is intentional.”
The title launched in April 2025. As of Wednesday (June 11), the game is no longer available on Google Play or Apple’s App Store in Hong Kong.