2023 Imported Game Licenses Drop: Heaven Burns Red Gets China Entry, Horizon Forbidden West's Same-Sex DLC Somehow Passes Censorship?

The final batch of 2023 imported game licenses finally dropped right before year-end — a solid 40 titles in one go, bringing the annual total to a mere 98 imported games approved. The classic year-end 'license dump' tradition lives on, but the total count still left many players groaning: the backlog is real.

The most exciting reveals were some heavy hitters — Ys series and King of Fighters made the cut — but the spotlight was actually stolen by two 'renamed imports': 'Burning Sky' (炽焰天穹) and 'Flower Melody' (花语旋律). Sharp-eyed players spotted the trick immediately: 'Burning Sky' is actually Key/Visual Arts' gacha RPG Heaven Burns RED (红烧天堂), and 'Flower Melody' is Rayark's rhythm game DEEMO 2. One commenter even dug up the trademark filing: Japanese company Nikkatsu applied for '炽焰天穹 HEAVEN BURNS RED' in April 2023. Case closed. Another player simply declared: 'Stop doubting, it's definitely 红烧天堂.'

There was some confusion around the publisher though. Players wondered if 'HuanDian' (幻电) was actually Bilibili, especially since Key was acquired by Tencent. But the trademark trail pointed clearly enough to settle the debate.

Another spicy talking point: Horizon Forbidden West somehow passed Chinese censorship. Players were baffled — until someone pointed out the elephant in the room: the DLC where protagonist Aloy can share a same-sex kiss. That scene is optional/triggered by player choice, so it was almost certainly cut for the Chinese version. As for DEEMO 2, players were glad to see a Chinese server finally arriving, but couldn't resist noting that the overseas reception was rough — heavy gacha monetization was a sore point — and urged publisher Longyuan to 'please don't drop the ball.'

On top of that, Blade & Soul 2 is finally making its way to Chinese servers after years in limbo, roguelike gems like Enter the Gungeon and Monster Train made the list too, with some players saying they'd happily double-dip on mobile if they're buy-to-play. One commenter earnestly recommended Dragon Vein Elegy (龙脉常歌), calling it 'surprisingly wholesome with great story and music.'

All in all, this batch was full of pleasant surprises, but the grand total of 98 licenses for the entire year still hits different. The comment section was a mix of joy for long-awaited approvals and frustration over the glacial pace of China's game licensing system — because for many players, the games they've been waiting for have been stuck in regulatory limbo for way too long.