Tencent Axes Honour Of Kings Partnership Over Cotton Boycott

Tencent has removed a pair of outfits from its hit MOBA game Honour of Kings due to a cotton boycott. Really.

As the South China Morning Post reported, the two skins/outfits were designed by British fashion house Burberry but were quickly pulled from the game, and no official reason was given. Unofficially, it's believed that the reason was due to Burberry boycotting cotton produced in the Xinjiang region of China, "where Beijing denies claims of genocide and forced labour in the region."

The skins were produced for the character Yao and described by Burberry China President Josie Zhang as "allowing our Chinese customers to explore virtual products through the medium of online games" so that "we can connect with our communities in a way that really resonates with them."

It's not the only time Tencent's partners have clashed with the Chinese government. SCMP also reported that the company suspended its partnership with Nike, a sponsor of the League of Legends Pro League, removing the Nike logo and merchandise from its website. (Riot Games is owned by Tencent.)