Destiny 2 content delays contributed to Activision’s NetEase split

pcgamesn.com:

Destiny 2 content development delays contributed to tensions between Activision and Chinese tech giant NetEase, according to a new report from the New York Times. In 2018, Activision was reportedly unhappy with NetEase’s $100 million investment in Bungie, the FPS game‘s development studio, because Destiny 2 development was already behind its content production schedule. Ultimately, this contributed to the tensions that led Activision to pull its games from the Chinese market in 2022.

The article is an overview of the unique challenges that American companies face doing business with Chinese companies. It looks at the disintegration of deals between Activision and Chinese tech giant NetEase to illustrate the cultural tensions and geopolitical rifts that challenge businesses’ abilities to work together at a truly global scale.

It reports that throughout a long-running partnership, NetEase came to believe that Activision CEO Bobby Kotick’s demands were unreasonable. NetEase also thought Activision may have used antitrust regulations as leverage to get a better deal, as Activision and Blizzard had worked together to distribute games like World of Warcraft in China for 14 years.

Then, in 2018, NetEase invested $100 million in Bungie, which was working with Activision to produce Destiny.

“Mr. Kotick was unhappy with the investment because Bungie was behind schedule on developing Destiny content, and he was worried the investment would further distract the company from its Destiny obligation,” the article reports, claiming that two anonymous spokespeople confirmed this.

Kotick was also reportedly upset over NetEase’s investment in a game development studio from someone who had worked in a senior role at Activision until