Sony has suspended the PlayStation Store in mainland China to upgrade security

Sony has temporarily suspended the PlayStation Store in mainland China so it can implement security updates. 

As reported by Reuters, a company statement posted on Chinese messaging platform Weibo explains the digital marketplace has been shut down to allow for a "system security upgrade."

Sony didn't specify when users in the country should expect the storefront to re-open, leaving would-be shoppers in the dark while also restricting its own access to one of the world's largest video game markets. 

The closure follows reports on social media that PlayStation owners in mainland China had been accessing previously restricted services using a backdoor, which also allowed some users to download unlicensed games.

Although Sony has yet to comment on those rumblings, it wouldn't be the first time China's notoriously strict regulations have impacted one of the industry's biggest players.