Blizzard Entertainment has announced that their games will be returning to the Chinese market after a new deal was reached with NetEase.
In China, Blizzard games haven’t been available since January 2023 after the two sides were unable to agree on a publishing deal. This new agreement will cover all the titles that were part of previous deals – including Overwatch, World of Warcraft and Diablo among others.
Announcing the news on social media, Blizzard thanked fans for their “patience” as things were being worked out. More details about the wider deal were not revealed but both parties are now working together to relaunch the games to the Chinese market.
This new deal comes after Blizzard China and NetEase failed to reach terms in 2022, amid reports of a falling out between the two companies as NetEase executives stated the 14-year partnership had fallen apart because of a “jerk”
In a separate agreement, Blizzard’s parent company Microsoft will explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox and other platforms. Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming said “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.”
A relaunch date for the Blizzard titles has not been confirmed, only a release window of Summer 2024.
Words by Megan Roxburgh
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