Entertainment to the death, make a tokusatsu film that will crush the entire internet.

The third day of the closed beta test for FGO.

The Land of Light Studio received an email from Japan.

The sender was an ordinary player with the ID "Saber Forever".

The email subject line was written in English, all in uppercase.

You can feel that sense of grievance even through the screen.

Why only China???

The main text was written in Japanese, and the gist of the translation is as follows:

"Dear Director Yang Qian and everyone at the Land of Light Studio, I am a Japanese fan of FATE/ZERO."

I watched it from the first episode to the last, bought the entire Blu-ray set, bought the Saber acrylic standee, and bought the same scarf as the Conqueror King's cloak.

Even my cat has a miniature Excalibur charm hanging from its collar.

I heard you guys released a mobile game called "FGO", and I was so excited I couldn't sleep all night.

Then I discovered... the closed beta was limited to China.

I'd like to ask everyone: What happened to the global village? What happened to the idea that all Fate fans worldwide are one family? Aren't we Japanese fans human beings?

After Su Xiaoran finished reading the email, a subtle atmosphere filled the planning department's conference room.

The planners lowered their heads, their shoulders trembling, struggling to suppress their laughter.

Yang Qian leaned back in her chair, expressionless.

The server is located in City A. The closed beta test first runs domestic data, and there is nothing wrong with this process.

But he felt that this email was probably not an isolated case.

As it turns out, Yang Qian's judgment was absolutely correct.

Less than 24 hours after this email, a trending post appeared on the Fate subreddit of Reddit and was featured on the front page.

Title:

"Our overseas fans were abandoned by the FGO closed beta, which is unfair."

text:

"The closed beta test of FGO has been launched, but it is only available in China."

Limited to: China!!! Within China!!!

I'm in America... I'm in Brazil... I'm in Germany... I'm in Malaysia...

I watched Chinese players' ten-pull recordings posted on Starlight Video from every non-Chinese location on the globe, and tears of envy streamed down my face.

Please, Land of Light Studio, give our overseas fans a chance. We're human too.

The comments section has completely devolved into a massive lamentation session.

"I remember that overseas viewership accounted for more than 60% of Fate/Zero's total global viewership. Now the Land of Light is telling us that we can't play the closed beta?"

"A Master from France has left a petition written in blood requesting a global test; the Holy Grail in Paris needs me!"

"The British say we need to summon King Arthur; we have the most localized relics! We also have soil from Camlann! If all else fails, you can open a global test server, and we'll provide our own VPNs!"

"German player: I've watched Fate three times just to get Gilgamesh, you can't do this to me—"

"Australia: Our internet speed may be slow, but our love for it runs deep!"

Meanwhile, Twitter exploded, with a flood of questions from overseas players appearing under the official account.

"Land of Light, I ask you—the King of Conquerors once traversed three continents, Asia, Africa, and Europe, and didn't even care about the Mediterranean Sea. Now you're telling me my data signal can't cross a Great Wall??"

The Land of Light's overseas operations are probably not sure from which angle to respond in the short term.

He simply typed a string of ellipses and a fist-and-palm emoji at the bottom.

Yang Qian's strategy was...

I will not respond for now.

The planning team focused their attention on the stress test data from the closed beta test in the country.

But soon, Su Xiaoran pushed open the office door.

"Director Yang, there has been an unexpected turn in overseas public opinion."

She handed over her phone as she spoke.

That was another post that suddenly went viral on Reddit, posted less than two hours after the "Global Test Request" post.

"To put it bluntly, I think launching an international server is actually very risky..."

Think about it, if FGO were released on an international platform, wouldn't those Servants be subject to censorship based on aesthetic correctness?

King Arthur was historically white, but a game by a certain company once featured a case where the race of a historical figure was drastically altered.

For example, turning into black skin...

I am English, and I support the preservation of King Arthur's historical image; artistic adaptations must have a bottom line.

This statement received a huge number of upvotes and sparked even more heated debate on Reddit.

Some people agree

—If King Arthur were a black man, then FGO would no longer be FGO.

Some people are angry

—This has nothing to do with political correctness. Why are you linking King Arthur's racial issues to whether or not FGO will have an international server?

Some people have a peculiar perspective.

—You're overthinking it. Saber is a woman, and from the moment she was summoned, her historical image ceased to exist.

But just as everyone was arguing fiercely, the topic suddenly took a turn.

"I see!! I get it now!!! So, the reason the Land of Light doesn't open an international server is actually to protect the Servants from being censored by overseas platforms?"

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

"Wow, I suddenly realize that makes sense."

"Land of Light, I wronged you, I am so sorry!!!"

"As an overseas player, I'm suddenly somewhat convinced. I don't want to see my own Servants being nerfed either."

"So, the question is, how do we solve the server problem?"

A fan from Southeast Asia posted a comment.

"By bypassing the Great Firewall!!!!"

It took less than a whole day.

As usual, Xiao Shiqin, from the First Brigade of the Huaxia Cyber ​​Police in City A, checked the server logs.

He stared at the data on the screen for a long time, finding it rather strange.

"Hey Zhang, it's me. Did you see the cross-border gateway traffic analysis report at 3 PM today?"

Look at the cluster of target IPs located in the XX district and XX street of Shanghai, then pull up the source IP location.

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, then a voice came through: "...Southeast Asia?"

"Southeast Asia is considered a small number."

Xiao Shiqin retrieved the data.

"I just checked today's peak inbound request volume."

The top five source IP locations are: Japan (first), South Korea (second), North America (third), Europe (fourth), and Southeast Asia (fifth).

Australia and New Zealand ranked sixth, while the Middle East ranked seventh.

Can you guess which server these requests are directed to?

Whose is it?

"Land of Light Studio, Closed Beta Test of FGO..."

"Hmm, I'll go report this to my supervisor."

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Shiqin leaned back in his chair, staring at the densely packed source IP address location map on the screen.

All seven continents in the world, except Antarctica, have connection requests.

Of course, that includes the Sun Kingdom...

He picked up the landline and dialed a second number.

This time, he attacked the Land of Light Studio.

I answered the phone after it rang twice.

After Xiao Shiqin introduced himself, there was a slight silence on the other end before he cautiously spoke.

"Police officer, we operate legally. All game content has been reviewed by the State Administration of Press and Publication, and we have all the necessary game licenses—"

"I know."

Xiao Shiqin chuckled, a rare occurrence for him. "What's so magical about your game called 'FGO'?"

Yang Qian on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, seemingly considering her words.

In the end, he only uttered two words: "Heroic Spirit."

Shortly after, the official domestic and overseas accounts of the Land of Light simultaneously released a brief statement.

Regarding the global closed beta test of FGO: There are currently no plans, but the technical feasibility is being evaluated.

Additionally, we have noticed that some overseas players have attempted to obtain test qualifications by using VPNs.

Please respect local laws and regulations, pay attention to cybersecurity, and do not reveal your personal information for the purpose of drawing cards.

His tone was very serious, but it looked like he was telling his overseas fans something.

【】I know you're using a VPN, but please keep it low-key... Making this a big deal won't be good for anyone.】

Upon seeing the message from the Land of Light, Xiao Shiqin originally wanted to remind the Land of Light again.

But before he could dial the number again, Xiao Zhang brought him new news.

"Captain Xiao, the higher-ups told us to turn a blind eye..."

Xiao Shiqin was furious. "Who is it! How dare they? Does the Land of Light have connections everywhere? I'll see who it is..."

"From the provincial level, Zhuge... he said this is a good opportunity for cultural export, so we've discussed it."

In the province, there's probably only one person with the surname Zhuge...

Xiao Shiqin changed the subject, "But on another note, Xiao Zhang, do you know how to apply for a beta test qualification for FGO...?"

At that moment, a song suddenly came to Xiao Shiqin's mind.

Accidentally trespassing into the imperial palace...