Heavy news in the Chinese gaming market, Blizzard issued an official press release today (17), stating that the licensing agreement with China NetEase will end on January 23, 2023, so it includes “World of Warcraft”, “Hearthstone”, “Warcraft III “: Tempering Rebirth, Overwatch, the StarCraft series, Diablo III and Heroes of Blizzard will suspend most game services in mainland China.
Since 2008, Blizzard Entertainment has had a licensing deal with NetEase that covers the distribution of these Blizzard games in China, Blizzard said. The two sides failed to reach a consensus in line with Blizzard’s operating principles and commitment to players and employees, so the deal will expire in January 2023.
Although this year is almost over, Blizzard will also have the “World of Warcraft” expansion pack “Dragon Rise”, the “Hearthstone” expansion pack “Attack! Season will be launched within this year, and Blizzard said that will suspend sales within a few days and inform Chinese players how to deal with it later.
Blizzard President Mike Ybarra expressed his gratitude to Chinese gamers for their support over the past 20 years. Through NetEase and other partners, Blizzard’s games have been brought to China, allowing them to see the enthusiasm and creativity of Chinese players and inspire them at the same time. Mike Ybarra also said that they are still working hard to find an alternative to bring the game back to players.
Incidentally, the mobile game “Diablo Immortal” jointly developed by the two sides will be the only product that will not be affected due to its exclusive development and publishing contract.
