This week’s rumor that Tencent may be porting Daybreak’s H1Z1 eastward has proven true, as the Chinese megacorp and Daybreak announced late last night that “H1Z1 is officially coming to China.”
“This partnership will give Tencent the exclusive rights to publish H1Z1 in China. We will be working side by side with Tencent to ensure H1Z1 remains true to its spirit. Our top priority is to deliver a high-quality, competitive game that’s fun to watch and play, and we will work with Tencent to make improvements to the overall optimization of the game and to build fast networks and servers for players. We will continue to invest in powerful anti-cheat technologies to maintain a fair and fun gameplay experience.”
Daybreak says it’s working through Tencent to have the streaming ban on the game lifted in the region too. “Working closely with Tencent, we want to create the most accessible experience possible that is respectful of cultural preferences and values,” it says, echoing the same song and dance many western games companies must perform to pass legal muster in the regime.
This is the H1Z1 division formerly known as King of the Kill, mind you; Daybreak’s recent rebrands saw H1Z1: Just Survive cut down to just Just Survive, while H1Z1: KOTK is now the only H1Z1. In China, the game will apparently be known as “King of Survival,” which is precisely what Tencent appears to be trying to become, given its interest in games like PUBG.
Neither H1Z1 nor Just Survive has launched out of early access in the west after aborting a planned release over a year ago. Daybreak says that it doesn’t have a release date for China, either.
