Apple removed 39,000 game apps from its China store Thursday &nbsp;-- the biggest removal ever in a single day.

It had set year-end as deadline for all game publishers to obtain a licence.

The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities.

Including this number, Apple has so far removed more than 46,000 apps in total from its store. These games include Ubisoft title Assassin's Creed Identity and NBA 2K20, according to research firm Qimai.

Only 74 of the top 1,500 paid games on Apple store survived the purge.

Apple initially gave game publishers an end-of-June deadline to submit a government-issued licence number enabling users to make in-app purchases in the world's biggest games market.

Apple later extended the deadline to December 31.

Apple removed 39,000 game apps from its China store Thursday -- the biggest removal ever in a single day. It had set year-end as deadline for all game publishers to obtain a licence.

Apple removed 39,000 game apps from its China store Thursday -- the biggest removal ever in a single day. It had set year-end as deadline for all game publishers to obtain a licence. The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities. Including this number, Apple has so far removed more than 46,000 apps in total from its store. These games include Ubisoft title Assassin's Creed Identity and NBA 2K20, according to research firm Qimai. Only 74 of the top 1,500 paid games on Apple store survived the purge. Apple initially gave game publishers an end-of-June deadline to submit a government-issued licence number enabling users to make in-app purchases in the world's biggest games market. Apple later extended the deadline to December 31.

Apple removes 39,000 game apps from China store to meet deadline

Apple Inc removed 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 games, according to data from research firm Qimai. The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities.

Apple Inc removed 29,800 apps from its Chinese app store on Saturday, including more than 26,000 games, according to data from research firm Qimai. The takedowns come amid a crackdown on unlicensed games by Chinese authorities. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Also read: As Apple eyes shift to India from China, smartphone manufacturing to get major boost Earlier this year Apple gave game publishers an end-of-June deadline to submit a government-issued licence number enabling users to make in-app purchases. China's Android app stores have long complied with those regulations. It is not clear why Apple is enforcing them strictly this year. The smartphone maker removed more than 2,500 titles from its app store over the first week of July. Games affected by the sweep included titles from Zynga and Supercell, research firm SensorTower reported at the time. The Chinese government has long sought to enforce stricter regulations on its gaming industry to remove sensitive content. Also read: Apple supplier Foxconn to invest $1 billion in India: Sources The approval process for games looking to enable in-app purchases is long and complicated, hurting all but the largest game developers, industry insiders say. "This affects small- and mid-sized developers' incomes the most, but due to the difficulties of acquiring a business licence, it's devastating to the whole iOS game industry in China," said Todd Kuhns, marketing manager for AppInChina, a firm that helps overseas companies distribute their apps.

Apple removes thousands of game apps from China store: Research firm

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Apple removes 39,000 game apps from China store to meet deadline

Apple removes thousands of game apps from China store: Research firm