Kylian Mbappe's troubles in China have widened, with Japanese video game developer Konami removing content featuring the Real Madrid and France forward from the Chinese version of its popular football game eFootball.
The decision follows a backlash over the footballer's recent remarks about a meme depicting former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
In a statement on Tuesday, Konami said it had suspended promotional content featuring Mbappe across its games in China.
ALSO READ: China Suspends La Liga Broadcasts After Kylian Mbappe Controversy
The company also confirmed that the Chinese versions of eFootball, eFootball Online and eFootball: King of Collectibles would stop producing player items, character cards and other content related to the 2018 World Cup winner.
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"Recently, French footballer Kylian Mbappe made inappropriate remarks regarding China during a public interview, seriously hurting the feelings of the Chinese people. We immediately suspended all promotional content related to the player within our games. The Chinese versions of eFootball, eFootball Online, and eFootball: King of Collectibles have also stopped producing player items, character cards, and other content related to him," Konami said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Sports can transcend national borders, but respect should never be absent. We will announce further measures in due course. Thank you to all football fans for your continued attention and support," Konami noted, adding that it would announce further measures in due course.
What Did Kylian Mbappe Say About Mao Zedong?
The controversy began after a video from an interview circulated online, showing Mbappe discussing his favourite internet meme. The clip appeared to show the France captain describing a meme featuring his face superimposed on an image of Mao Zedong as a video of a man he believed was a Chinese dictator.
Mao died in 1976, and was the founding leader of the People's Republic of China. The remarks triggered criticism on Chinese social media, with the controversy quickly extending beyond the footballer's online presence.
Mbappe later apologised to the Chinese people and Chinese communities worldwide, acknowledging that his comments had caused offence.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” he said in a statement on Tuesday.
The apology came after several Chinese companies ended their commercial partnerships with the footballer.
Chinese Brands And Broadcasters Also Take Action
The fallout has extended to Mbappe's commercial partnerships and football coverage in China. Beverage maker Dongpeng, dairy producer Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground announced that they were ending their partnerships with the Real Madrid forward.
Chinese state television broadcaster China Media Group also announced the suspension of La Liga broadcasts and advertisements featuring Mbappe following the controversy.
ALSO READ: Kylian Mbappe Apologises After China Backlash, Three Brands End Deals
The latest move by Konami adds another dimension to the backlash, taking it into the gaming industry.
There has also been speculation that EA Sports FC, a rival football gaming franchise, could take similar action against Mbappe-related content in its Chinese version. However, that development has not been confirmed.
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