why is blizzard working with netease for diablo immortal

In its own statement, Blizzard said the two companies could not agree on a deal that was 'consistent with Blizzard's operating principles and commitments to players and employees.'Īll games developed outside of China are required to have a Chinese publisher in order to legally and officially operate in that market. 'We hold high regard in our product and operational standards and abide by our commitments to Chinese players.' 'However, there were material differences on key terms and we could not reach an agreement. NetEase CEO William Ding said: 'We have put in a great deal of effort and tried with our utmost sincerity to negotiate with Activision Blizzard so that we could continue our collaboration and serve the many dedicated players in China. 'We have put in a great deal of effort and tried with our utmost sincerity to negotiate with Activision Blizzard' William Ding, NetEase However, the two parties failed to agree terms for a renewal and the partnership will end on January 23, at which point the following titles will be suspended in China:īlizzard has said it will cease new sales of these titles 'in the coming days' but the upcoming releases for World of Warcraft: Dragonflight, Hearthstone: March of the Lich King, and season two of Overwatch 2 will continue as planned.ĭiablo Immortal, which is co-developed by NetEase and Blizzard, is covered by a separate agreement and will not be affected.īoth publishers have released statements regarding the breakdown of negotiations that would have led to a renewal of their partnerships.

Since 2008, China-based NetEase has handled publishing duties for the likes of World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, and Overwatch, often extending and renewing these deals over the years.

Blizzard seeking alternative partners, NetEase says there will be 'no impact' on financialsīlizzard's biggest games will become unavailable in China after its long-running partnership with NetEase ends in January.NetEase and Blizzard failed to negotiate a renewal of 14-year partnership.

Blizzard's biggest titles suspended in China from January 23, sales to cease in coming days.

Why is blizzard working with netease for diablo immortal