Özil to be removed from PES 2020 in China Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Özil to be removed from PES 2020 in China Following comments about the treatment of Uighur Muslims. News by Tom Phillips Deputy Editor Updated on 19 Dec 2019 115 comments Arsenal star Mesut Özil will be removed from Chinese versions of PES 2020 after publicly criticising the country's treatment of Uighur Muslims. NetEase, which publishes PES in China, explained Özil's removal in a post on social media platform Weibo (via The Independent), which said it came after Özil's "extreme statement about China on social media". "The speech hurt the feelings of Chinese fans and violated the sports spirit of love and peace," NetEase's statement continued. "We do not understand, accept or forgive this!" Özil criticised China's mass detention of Uighur Muslims via a widely-shared Twitter post last Friday. Özil, himself a Muslim, called for others to speak up and condemn the issue. The resulting row has since sparked anger from Chinese state-controlled media. The country's foreign ministry claimed Özil had been "blindfolded by fake news". Last month, The Associated Press published a cache of secret documents which revealed how China's mass detention camps operated. The report stated more than a million Muslims were now incarcerated, families separated, women sterilised. Konami, PES 2020's worldwide publisher, declined to comment when contacted by Eurogamer. While there's no suggestion international versions of PES 2020 will be affected, this is just the latest example of how western video games are causing friction with the authoritarian Chinese state - and how Chinese publishers will clamp down on anything it might disagree with. 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. 61 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. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 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. 61 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