Honor of Kings university authentication controversy

Tencent’s mobile game, Honor of Kings, introduced a ‘university authentication’ feature that allowed players to verify their student status via facial recognition and the China Higher Education Student Information (CHSI) database to display university logos in-game.

The feature sparked controversy due to the emergence of a secondary market where users sold authentication services based on institutional prestige. Reports indicated that credentials for elite schools, such as Tsinghua University, were being sold for as much as 2,000 to 3,000 RMB. These transactions often required buyers to surrender account access or provide third-party real-name data, posing risks to privacy and security.

Beyond security concerns, the feature faced criticism for commodifying academic credentials and exacerbating ‘academic anxiety’ by turning educational backgrounds into vanity-driven social labels. In response to the backlash and reports of illegal trading, Tencent suspended the authentication feature, stating that the testing phase for the university channel had ended.