An advocate group urges the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government to ban face masks in unauthorized rallies, Oct. 3, 2019. (Xinhua)

A mobile game changed the way characters wear masks, which many say was because some players in Hong Kong were making use of the game to circulate secessionist slogans.

In its latest update, the characters in Shining Nikki have the masks dangling from one ear, instead of the previous masks covering most of the face. The change is because some players who support riots in Hong Kong wanted to express secessionist slogans using the mask, hket.com reported Tuesday.

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Chief Executive Carrie Lam on October 4 invoked emergency powers to enact a law banning face masks at illegal public assemblies. The law is expected to help quell months of violence and chaos in Hong Kong.

Shining Nikki, developed by the Suzhou-based Paper Games, was put onto the markets in China's Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR as well as the island of Taiwan in April this year, before the unrest plagued in Hong Kong.

The company said the mask-wearing change was inspired by photos of celebrities at airports and to maintain a healthy and harmonious gaming environment, according to a report by Taiwan's und.com. 

Paper Games has not responded to a Global Times' request for more information.

The 3D mobile dressing-up game, mainly female-oriented, introduced a set of theme costumes for its characters in April, which included a black mask. However, some players have deliberately exchanged their own photos with the mask and written some pro-secessionist words in their introduction.

Some netizens commented on social media platform Weibo saying they were uncomfortable seeing someone using the mask to disturb the gaming environment. "Please do not interfere games with politics," one netizen said.

Global Times