In a rather shocking series of events, Blizzard has announced that on January 23, 2023, most of its games will stop working in China. This is a consequence of the company not renewing its 14-year licensing deal for the Chinese market with NetEase, the country’s second-largest gaming company.
Games like World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged, Overwatch, the StarCraft series, Diablo III, and Heroes of the Storm will all be gone. The company states that “the two sides have not reached an agreement to renew the agreements that is consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees.”
William Ding, CEO of NetEase, said: “We have worked hard and sincerely tried to negotiate with Activision Blizzard so that we can continue our cooperation and serve the many dedicated gamers in China. However, there have been differences substantial on key terms and were unable to reach an agreement. We hold our product and operational standards in high regard and deliver on our commitments to Chinese players.”
On the other hand, the development and publication of Diablo Immortal is covered by a separate agreement between Blizzard and NetEase and will not be affected. Blizzard will suspend sales “in the next few days” and Chinese players will soon receive details on how everything will work. Upcoming releases for World of Warcraft: Dragonfight, Hearthstone: March of the Lich King, and Overwatch 2 Season 2 will continue later this year.
It’s unclear what exactly led to this turn of events, but in a LinkedIn post, NetEase president of Global Investment and Partnerships, Simon Zhu, had this to say about the situation: “One day, when what went on behind the scenes fifth could be told, developers and players will have a whole new understanding of how much damage an idiot can do.” So it’s pretty clear that this breakup hasn’t necessarily been a peaceful one.
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