Share this article

Game Coaching Apps Are Back on Chinese App Stores

By Weilin Li
Jun. 9, 2022 updated 05:14

Last September, regulators removed seven game-coaching apps, including Bixin, Huya’s Xiaolu Peiwan, and JOYY‘s Hello, from Chinese app stores for allowing borderline sexual services and financial fraud.

Now, nine months later, the above three apps have been put back online by major App distributors, including Huawei and the Apple App Store.

Some apps rebranded themselves, deleting phrases like “Peiwan” in their name, which means “playmates” or “game companions”. For example, Xiaolu Peiwan is now called Xiaolu Esports.

A screenshot of Bixin’s game coach appA screenshot of Bixin’s game coach app

A spokesman for Bixin’s app said to the media that they would help some associations to create an industry standard for “esports instructors”. The standards are expected to be released in the middle of this year.