After being forced out of the country in 2023, Blizzard games are officially returning to China after Microsoft and NetEase have reached a new agreement.
This deal restarts an agreement that first began in 2008 between Blizzard and NetEase that saw the latter publish games within the country. The new publishing agreement will see the return of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo, Overwatch, StarCraft, and more to the Chinese market.
In addition to Blizzard games, Microsoft and NetEase will “explore bringing new NetEase titles to Xbox consoles and other platforms.”Â
As of 2024, NetEase is the second-largest video game company in China behind Tencent.
“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, in a press release. “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,” NetEase CEO and Director William Ding said via release. “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.”
A date when Blizzard games will return to China will be announced at a future date by the companies.
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