Hong Kong police accuse a mobile game app of promoting armed revolution
[June 11, 2025] By
KANIS LEUNG
HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police on Tuesday accused a mobile game
application of advocating armed revolution and promoting secessionist
agendas, saying that those who publish it or share it with others online
may risk violating national security laws.
The announcement — the first to publicly denounce a gaming app —
indicates that authorities are widening the crackdown that has followed
anti-government protests in 2019. Authorities have crushed or silenced
many dissenting voices through prosecutions under the 2020 national
security law imposed by Beijing and a similar, homegrown law enacted
last year.
In a statement, police warned residents against downloading the
“Reversed Front: Bonfire" application, saying those with the app
installed might be seen as possessing a publication with a seditious
intention.
They also warned people against providing financial assistance to the
application developer, including making in-app purchases.
“'Reversed Front: Bonfire' was released under the guise of a game with
the aim of promoting secessionist agendas such as ‘Taiwan independence’
and ‘Hong Kong independence,’ advocating armed revolution and the
overthrow of the fundamental system of the People’s Republic of China,”
police said.
The game application was developed by ESC Taiwan, which did not
immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment. On the
application's Facebook page, the developer posted about surging searches
for the game name and a Hong Kong broadcaster’s news report about
Tuesday’s development.
According to the application’s introduction, players can assume the role
of Hong Kong, Tibet, Uyghur, Taiwan or Cathaysian Rebel factions, among
others, to overthrow the communist regime. They may also choose to lead
the communists to defeat all enemies.
The game’s website says it “is a work of nonfiction. Any similarity to
actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is
intentional.”
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A phone shows the an App Store page for the application "Reversed
Front: Bonfire," In Hong Kong, Tuesday, June 10, 2025. (AP Photo)
 The app was still available on
Apple's App Store on Tuesday night, but could no longer be found on
Wednesday morning. The game publisher last month said Google Play
had taken the app down because it did not prohibit users from
adopting hateful language in naming.
Apple, Google and Meta have not immediately commented.
After playing the game for about three months, Kuo Hao Fu in Taiwan
said he found that its content uses a humorous approach to describe
serious political issues. Fu disagreed with the police accusations,
saying players can also choose to be part of the force representing
China.
“The Hong Kong police's actions demonstrate how Hong Kong's
democratic freedoms have been controlled by the Chinese Communist
Party,” he said. “When even this level cannot be tolerated, it
completely destroys creative freedom in gaming.”
China considers Taiwan its own territory, to be brought under its
control by force if necessary. Many Taiwanese in the self-ruled
island showed concerns about Hong Kong's declining freedoms under
Beijing's grip.
The Beijing and Hong Kong governments insist the city's national
security laws were necessary to return stability to the city
following the protests.
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