(Supplied: ESC Taiwan/YouTube)
Hong Kong police allege a mobile game application advocates armed revolution and promotes secessionist agendas, saying those who publish it or share it with others online risk violating national security laws.
Their announcement on Tuesday was the first time they had publicly denounced a gaming app.
It also indicates authorities are widening the crackdown launched after anti-government protests in Hong Kong 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.
https://youtu.be/zwZ4Uh2AjWg
Reversed Front's trailer for Bonfire.
In a statement, police warned residents against downloading the Reversed Front: Bonfire application, saying those with the app installed on their phones might be seen as possessing a publication with seditious intent.
They also warned people against providing financial assistance to the application developer, including by 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 Associated Press's request for comment.
On the application's Facebook page, the developer posted about a surge in searches for the game's 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 non-fiction", adding: "Any similarity to actual agencies, policies or ethnic groups of the PRC in this game is intentional."
