Blizzard games set to be pulled in China after dispute with NetEase over license
Blizzard games are set to be shut down in China after it was unable to come to an agreement with current license holder NetEase over renewing its current deal, it’s said.
When its current deal ends on January 23, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Warcraft III: Reforged, Overwatch, the StarCraft series, Diablo 3, and The Heroes of the Storm will all be suspended.
Blizzard Entertainment has had licensing agreements with NetEase since 2008. Diablo Immortal’s co-development and publishing is covered under a separate agreement between the two companies and won’t be affected.
In a statement, Blizzard claimed that it had not reached a deal to renew the agreements “that is consistent with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitments to players and employees, and the agreements are set to expire in January 2023.”
“We’re immensely grateful for the passion our Chinese community has shown throughout the nearly 20 years we’ve been bringing our games to China through NetEase and other partners,” said Mike Ybarra, president, Blizzard Entertainment. “Their enthusiasm and creativity inspire us, and we are looking for alternatives to bring our games back to players in the future.”
In its own statement, NetEase claimed there were “material differences on key terms” and referenced protecting the “data and assets” of Chinese players.
“We have put in a great deal of effort and tried with our utmost sincerity to negotiate with Activision Blizzard so that we could continue our collaboration and serve the many dedicated players in China,” said William Ding, CEO of NetEase.
“However, there were material differences on key terms and we could not reach an agreement. We hold high regard in our product and operational standards and abide by our commitments
Read more on videogameschronicle.com
