China has imposed limits on the amount of time children will be allowed to play online games.
Gamers under the age of 18 will only be permitted to play for one hour on Fridays, weekends and holidays, the nation's video game regulator has confirmed.
The regulations, which have been published by the National Press and Publication Administration, revealed that users under the age of 18 would only be able to play games between 8pm and 9pm on those days.
Online gaming companies will be forbidden from providing services to minors in any form outside of the permitted hours and would need to put real name verification systems in place.
The Chinese government has taken the drastic step as it is concerned that video games become addictive for both children and teenagers, with the regulator suggesting that the new rules "effectively protect the physical and mental health of minors".
An expert has suggested that the crackdown could be the first of many from the authorities in China.
Rui Ma, a US-based China tech analyst, said: "Beijing’s crackdowns on the gaming industry have been fairly consistent about protecting minors. Historically, the authorities have always had the intention to curb exposure from what they perceive to be a highly addictive habit.
"It wouldn't surprise me if there were further regulations in the months to come to protect minors from other harmful activities on the internet."
Chinese tech giant Tencent Holdings, the world's most profitable video game company by revenue, pledged last month to limit the time children spend gaming as state media has branded the pastime as "spiritual opium".
