US government eyes Epic, Riot after TikTok, WeChat ban Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. US government eyes Epic, Riot after TikTok, WeChat ban Tencent-linked companies investigated as trade war intensifies. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 18 Sep 2020 93 comments The US government is probing the security protocols of Unreal Engine and Fortnite maker Epic Games, plus League of Legends creator Riot Games. Letters have been sent by the US Treasury Department to various companies linked with Chinese conglomerate Tencent, a new Bloomberg [paywall] report states, which ask them to hand over data. Tencent owns Riot outright, and holds a 40 per cent stake in Epic. The US Department of Commerce stepped up its trade conflict with China today by announcing it would ban popular messaging and social media apps TikTok and WeChat from this Sunday. US President Donald Trump has claimed both collect data on US users which could threaten security. A deal has been in the works to transfer TikTok operations to a US company which would see it evade this measure. Less than 48 hours now remain for this to be finalised. The worry for Epic, Riot and others here is the US government pushing for the sale of Chinese interests in other US companies - though we're a little way away from that just yet. Tencent owns a stake in dozens of video game companies, including chunks of Supercell, Marvelous, Bluehole, Netmarble and Frontier, as well as five per cent each of Activision Blizzard, Ubisoft and Paradox. Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 10 Latest Articles Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 59 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store