In January 2023, Blizzard games were no longer available in China following the end of the contract between NetEase and the developer. A new agreement with the Chinese giant has been found. The company’s American titles will make their return this summer in the Middle Kingdom. After a somewhat forced break, players will be able to return to their games. However, it is not known what will be returned to them once they are available again.
When NetEase announced at the end of 2022 that the publishing contract would not be renewed, Blizzard had to take action. Numerous data backups were thus made, for possible return. Now that it is confirmed, the details concerning the latter still remain unclear. Details regarding this revival will be given later, with perhaps good news for Chinese players.
“We are extremely grateful for the passion the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games over the years, and we strive to bring our universes back to players with excellence and dedication. »
Johanna Faries, President of Blizzard Entertainment
Microsoft nests
Obviously, Blizzard belonging to Microsoft, the American giant was not going to miss the opportunity to win over China. And while the publisher is seeing its licenses return to the territory, the Xbox division has struck a deal to bring NetEase’s titles to their consoles and new platforms. A huge potential market that could make it possible to compete more effectively with PlayStation around the world.
“Bringing Blizzard’s legendary games back to Chinese gamers while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more gamers around the world. »
Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming