China continues to refrain from issuing new game licenses to application developers producing for the App Store and other platforms, in a regulatory inaction that has reportedly led to the [closure of around 140,000 small game studios and related companies nationwide](//appleinsider.com/articles/22/01/02/over-140000-gaming-firms-close-as-china-continues-new-license-freeze) . In contrast, 180,000 video game companies closed their doors throughout 2020. Apple Insider reports: Under Chinese law, game developers must be licensed to sell games on the App Store and other app markets. While regulators stopped issuing new licenses at the end of 2021, it looks like the ban on new licenses is set to continue until 2022….