Korea pushes Google, Apple to pull play-to-earn games from stores

South Korea’s government wants Google and Apple to block new and existing play-to-earn (P2E) games, saying such games should not receive an age rating to get listed on their respective app stores, Naver reported.

Image credit: Axie Infinity

The country’s Game Management Committee in the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism said in an official letter called its request “reasonable” as money gained from P2E games could be considered prizes. In Korea, prizes from gaming are allowed to be only around US$8.5 at a time.

The ministry’s move comes after game developer SkyPeople’s P2E title, Five Stars for Klaytn, was blocked from getting a rating it required to get listed in April this year. The gaming firm then won an injunction and was listed. However, a decision on the main lawsuit will ultimately decide its fate – a judgment that may set a precedent for similar games.

See Also: Axie Infinity: A sign of Vietnam’s resurgence in the gaming sector?

Meanwhile, P2E games have been seeing a major rise in popularity, thanks in part to SkyMavis’ massive hit, Axie Infinity. Blockchain firms such as OpenSea and Animoca Brands have also grown more popular, with the latter recently raising US$65 million in new funding for investments and acquisitions, among other things.