Report: China bans Battlefield 4, calls it threat to national security

The Chinese government has banned Electronic Arts' military FPS Battlefield 4 because it contains content that threatens national security, the country's Ministry of Culture has said.

The Wall Street Journal points out that this decision is not likely to negatively impact EA's business because the publisher doesn't sell Battlefield 4 in China.

The ban comes after the release of downloadable expansion China Rising, which features four multiplayer maps on the Chinese mainland.

An official copy of the Ministry's announcement is not yet available and an EA representative declined to comment on the story.

Last week, a Chinese newspaper accused Battlefield 4 of "discrediting China's image" and "distorting the truth in an effort to mislead young people."

China lifted its 13-year console ban in September with the creation of a new free-trade zone in Shanghai.