【Gossip】'Xuanzhongji' reincarnates as the 'Xuanzhong Emperor', re-launch sparks controversy

News has been circulating in the community that 'Xuanzhongji' will resume open beta testing on May 9th. The game, previously published by Tencent, shut down late last year. In February, the developer announced a shift to self-publishing, followed by a one-week closed beta test this month. However, participants reported that the core game mechanics and monetization schemes remain untouched, leading many to suspect a 'leek-cutting' scheme—a common Chinese slang for operators exploitatively farming money from players.

This 'sit-up' move (a sarcastic way to describe a game that died but suddenly came back to life) has triggered a wave of mockery on the forums. Users have dubbed it the 'Xuanzhong Emperor,' referencing tropes from cultivation web novels where characters live a 'second life.' Players are slamming this classic 'cash-grab script'—shutting down, re-branding, and reopening. Many are asking: who would still dare to spend money on such a title? As one user put it, it's a standard cycle of 'launch, profit, shut down, repeat,' essentially turning loyal players into 'big victims' (a slang term for those who get swindled).