Blizzard games are returning to China as Microsoft renews partnership with NetEase

In 2022, the relationship between Activision Blizzard and its Chinese publishing partner, NetEase, began to rapidly deteriorate, leading to NetEase being dropped as the publisher for Blizzard titles in China and thus making those games inaccessible in the country. Now after acquiring Activision last year, Microsoft has mended fences.

Microsoft and NetEase have now reached a new agreement that will see NetEase once again handling publishing duties for Blizzard games in China. This means titles like World of Warcraft, Overwatch, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone and Heroes of the Storm will return to China.

Additionally, Microsoft and NetEase will explore the possibility of bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox consoles, along with other platforms. It is a good deal to have, as cracking the Chinese market is not easy. Beyond that, NetEase is the second largest games publisher in China, with Tencent being the largest.

Speaking on the renewed partnership, Blizzard says it is “thrilled” to re-establish this partnership. Blizzard also addressed the fans in China, saying “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.”

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KitGuru Says: Blizzard didn't end up finding an alternative to get its games back online in China. Hopefully now with former executives like Bobby Kotick gone, Activision Blizzard and NetEase can cooperate on friendly terms well into the future. 

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