Toward the end of 2022, Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase suffered from a messy split. Following a breakdown in agreements, all of Blizzard’s games were pulled out of mainland China, locking Chinese players out of World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo, among other games. It was a move tied to Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, and at the worst point, claims were circulating that NetEase executives had ‘threatened’ Bobby Kotick over the deal.
Now, things have been well and truly smoothed over. In a recent press release, it was confirmed that the feud is coming to an end as Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase prepare to once again launch a library of games in mainland China. It gets better – Microsoft has also agreed to float NetEase’s games on Xbox consoles and other gaming services and platforms.
‘Appreciation for the Collaboration’
It came as a shock when Blizzard Entertainment pulled out of China in November 2022. It meant that Chinese gamers were blocked from accessing releases like Overwatch 2 and various other games and expansions, like World of Warcraft: Dragonflight. In a press release published by Blizzard mere hours ago, it was explained by Johanna Faries, company president:
‘We at Blizzard are thrilled to reestablish our partnership with NetEase and to work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China. We are immensely grateful for the passion the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games throughout the years, and we are focused on bringing our universes back to players with excellence and dedication.’
Even the CEO of Microsoft Gaming, Phil Spencer, spoke very positively of the new relationship:
‘Blizzard and NetEase have done incredible work to renew our commitment to players – Blizzard’s universes have been part of players’ lives in the region for many years. Returning Blizzard’s legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world.’
It was said that the following titles are being worked on for a relaunch in the Chinese market:
- World of Warcraft
- Warcraft
- Hearthstone
- Diablo
- Overwatch
- StarCraft
This is nothing but good news for Chinese gamers, who were left out in the cold by a business breakdown that they had no control over.
For more industry news, Esports.net
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