Jofie Yordan · · 1 min readWorld of Warcraft, Overwatch publisher ends 14-year deal with NetEase
Blizzard Entertainment, the US-based gaming publisher behind popular games such as World of Warcraft and Overwatch, plans to end its 14-year partnership with Chinese gaming firm NetEase in January 2023.
Photo credit: Blizzard
In a statement, the two companies said they had failed to agree on an extension of their collaboration. After the announcement, NetEase shares plunged about 15% in Hong Kong.
Following the development, Blizzard will be suspending its online game services in China starting January 23. Game sales will also be halted in the next few days.
Titles that will be suspended in the country include World of Warcraft, Warcraft III: Reforged, Overwatch, StarCraft, and Diablo III.
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NetEast said Blizzard’s games contributed a low single-digit percentage to its total revenue and profit in 2021 and the first nine months of this year.
Before NetEase, Blizzard brought World of Warcraft to China through Shanghai-based gaming firm The9 from 2004 to 2008.
Editing by Miguel Cordon and Lorenzo Kyle Subido
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