NCSoft's "Lineage M" and Smilegate's "Crossfire" Receive Banhao in China

NCSoft's "Lineage M" and Smilegate's new "Crossfire" game are set to enter the Chinese market.

According to the gaming industry on June 25, the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) of China issued publishing licenses (known as "banhao," which are required for game services in China) the previous day for 11 foreign games, including Lineage M and a mobile game from the Crossfire series.

Lineage M main image. Provided by NCSoft

Lineage M is a mobile massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) first released by NCSoft in the Korean market in 2017. In China, it will be launched under the name "Tiantang: Xuetong" (天堂: 血統).

A new mobile and PC game based on Smilegate's first-person shooter (FPS) "Crossfire" has also received a banhao. This game, titled "Crossfire: Rainbow" (Chinese name: 穿越火線: 虹), was developed by Tencent using the Crossfire intellectual property (IP).

According to local Chinese media, Crossfire: Rainbow was developed primarily by Tencent's in-house studio "Team Jade," and Tencent will also handle publishing. Smilegate is licensing the Crossfire IP to Tencent.

"Black Clover Mobile," developed by the Korean game company Big Game Studio, also received a banhao alongside these titles.

To provide game services in China, companies must obtain a banhao from the Chinese government. Through this licensing system, the Chinese government controls the entry of foreign games into the market. As a result, Korean game companies are collaborating with local firms, including establishing joint ventures, to enter the Chinese market.