Blizzard And NetEase Have Partnered Once Again To Revive Blizzard Games In China

Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase have mended their fences after a particularly nasty falling out last year. For context, both parties cut ties with each other in January 2023 after failing to negotiate new terms, which Blizzard chalked up to a difference in principles while NetEase accused them of negotiating in bad faith.

The end of the partnership led to mass layoffs at NetEase, the destruction of Blizzard statues at the studio, and a NetEase executive calling an unnamed Blizzard executive a “jerk,” all of which are now being blamed on none other than Bobby Kotick himself.

Now that the infamous CEO is out of the picture, Blizzard and NetEase have negotiated a new publishing agreement that will see World of Warcraft, Overwatch 2, and the Diablo, Warcraft, and Starcraft franchises return to live operations in China.

“After continuing discussions over the past year, both Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase are thrilled to align on a path forward to once again support players in mainland China and are proud to reaffirm their commitment to delivering exceptional gaming experiences,” reads the official press release.

The press release also reveals that NetEase and Microsoft Gaming have inked a separate deal to bring new NetEase games to Xbox consoles and other Microsoft-owned platforms.

We at @Blizzard_Ent are thrilled to announce a new partnership with NetEase to bring Blizzard's incredible games back to mainland China. Grateful to the hard work and dedication put forth to once again serve our players in the region under a renewed agreement.🙏 https://t.co/04gpMG3aO3

— Johanna Faries (@Joh_Burg) April 10, 2024