Blizzard Renews Agreement as Microsoft Enters Into Broader Collaboration With NetEase

Beginning in summer 2024, Blizzard Entertainment games will return to mainland China. Microsoft Gaming and NetEase are deepening their relationship to bring new gaming experiences to players across platforms and markets.

Blizzard Entertainment has had licensing agreements with NetEase since 2008 to publish Blizzard titles in China. However, the two parties could not agree to renew the agreements in 2022, so it expired in January 2023. Only Diablo Immortal was not affected by this separation. In the meantime, the newly appointed leadership of Blizzard Entertainment has surprisingly quickly reached a new deal with NetEase. Blizzard Entertainment games will return to the market sequentially, starting this summer, under a new publishing agreement. The deal will include games that Chinese players had access to under the previous arrangement: World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and other titles from the Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft universes. Both parties are working on relaunch plans.

Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming, was also in attendance. Separately, Microsoft Gaming and NetEase have entered into an agreement to explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox and other platforms. "Blizzard and NetEase have done incredible work to renew our commitment to players - Blizzard's universes have been part of players' lives in the region for many years. Returning Blizzard's legendary games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world," said Phil Spencer.

"We at Blizzard are thrilled to reestablish our partnership with NetEase and to work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China," said Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment. "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."

"Celebrating our collaborations, we are thrilled to embark on the next chapter, built on trust and mutual respect, to serve our users in this unique community that we’ve built together," said William Ding, Chief Executive Officer and Director, NetEase. "Our commitment to providing more exhilarating and creative entertainment experience remains unwavering, and we are excited to see positive synergies fostered to encourage and empower collaborations to bring the joy of gaming to a broad community."

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