Honor of Kings suspends university authentication amid academic label controversy

Tencent’s popular mobile game, Honor of Kings, recently introduced a ‘university authentication’ feature that has sparked significant controversy regarding the commodification of academic credentials. The service allowed players to verify their status through the China Higher Education Student Information (CHSI) and facial recognition to display their university logos within the game.

Following the launch, a secondary market emerged on various trading platforms where users sold authentication services based on the prestige of the institution. Prices for elite universities like Tsinghua University reached as high as 2,000 RMB, while some top-tier ‘985 Project’ schools were listed for up to 3,000 RMB. To obtain these services, buyers often had to surrender account access or provide third-party real-name data.

The feature drew public criticism for exacerbating ‘academic anxiety’ among young people by turning educational backgrounds into vanity-driven social labels. Critics expressed concerns that this could lead to real-world conflicts or the rise of fraudulent identity industries. In response to the backlash, Tencent customer service confirmed that the testing phase for the university channel and authentication function has ended and the feature has been temporarily taken offline.