![]() ![]() In its statement, Blizzard Entertainment said that it failed to strike a deal with Netease that was consistent with its “operating principles and commitments to players and employees.” It added that although it would suspend sales of affected titles to China in the coming days, upcoming releases for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Hearthstone: March of the Lich King, and season 2 of Overwatch 2 would continue as planned. As a result, Blizzard had to shut down local services for several of its most popular titles in mainland China - including Overwatch 2, Diablo III, World of Warcraft, StarCraft, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm - starting January 23, the day the previous deal expired. On November 16, 2022, Hangzhou-based NetEase and Blizzard Entertainment, a division of video game holding company Activision Blizzard, separately announced that they had broken off talks on a new licensing deal to extend their long-running partnership. How do we explain the messy parting and what it means for Blizzard and NetEase? A ‘jerk’ who ruined the deal Fueling the rumors even more is an escalating public dispute between the two studios that involves sternly worded statements, shade-throwing, and narrative control. So naturally, speculation has been rife as to how the Blizzard-NetEase relationship went sour. It was as mutually beneficial a partnership as one could hope for, netting both parties millions of dollars of revenue each year. For more than a decade, the two gaming titans had a seemingly amicable relationship, working together on local publishing of multiple Blizzard titles. ![]() The Blizzard-NetEase fallout has not only shocked Chinese gamers, but it has also baffled industry insiders and analysts alike. ![]()
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