On June 24, 2026, Tencent Video announced a major lineup of television dramas for the year, but the focus quickly shifted from the quality of the scripts to a new regulation requiring Chinese actors to use their real names in promotional materials. This change has ignited a heated debate within the entertainment industry.

The regulation, issued by three authoritative film and television associations in China, mandates that all forms of name listings in film promotions must feature the actors' legal names. If a stage name is used, it must be presented in the format "Real Name (Stage Name)." Furthermore, the order of names will no longer be determined by an actor's status or popularity but will instead be arranged according to the number of strokes in their legal names. Names with fewer strokes will be listed first, while those with more strokes will follow. In cases where stroke counts are identical, the second and third characters will be compared until a unique order is established.

This new guideline aims to resolve long-standing disputes over name order in the industry and refocus the entertainment sector on artistic creativity and a healthy cultural environment. However, as the regulation took effect, new controversies emerged, particularly regarding how producers might circumvent these rules.

One contentious issue is the downgrading of actors' titles to fit the new naming order. For instance, in the drama "Unyielding Nation," several actors previously classified as "leading actors" were reclassified as "special appearances" to accommodate the new stroke-based ordering system. Similarly, in the drama "The Original Land of Peach Blossoms," the initial list of seven leading actors was reduced to just two after the new rules were applied, with the others relegated to lesser roles despite not having changes in screen time or character significance.

Critics argue that these adjustments do not reflect a genuine effort to standardize the industry but rather a tactical maneuver to sidestep regulations. In some cases, producers have even opted not to publish any actor lists at all. A notable example is the promotional material for "Heavenly Map of Rivers and Mountains," where the director and other key crew members were listed, but no lead actors were mentioned, likely due to the complications arising from the new rules.

As the entertainment industry navigates these changes, the implications of the new regulations continue to unfold, raising questions about fairness and transparency in actor recognition.