Tencent to not let Chinese minors play online games for more than 3 hours per week: “It’s better to breathe in some fresh air”

Tencent has dispelled rumors that it will allow Chinese underage gamers to play for more than three hours a week during the summer. The company will continue to follow the country’s strict rules, saying that kids should better go outside.

However, rumors have recently surfaced on Chinese social media that Tencent will let minors play for an hour a day until the end of summer. According to the South China Morning Post, the company was quick to respond.

“Did you hear that gamers can play every day during the summer holiday?” Tencent’ post reads. “There might be a bit of a misunderstanding. It’s better to breathe in some fresh air instead of getting addicted to playing games.”

So Chinese underage users still have only 21 hours of total playtime left for the rest of July and August. Tencent also said that it updated its facial recognition system, so kids shouldn’t try to bypass restrictions by buying game accounts from the grey market.

Last year, China’s gaming regulator cut playtime for underage users. They are only allowed to play online games from 8 pm to 9 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.