2024-04-10 09:33:00
NetEase, Blizzard and Microsoft have officially announced an agreement that brings mutual benefits to companies and their consumers. Blizzard’s beloved games, including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, spin-offs from the Warcraft franchise, Overwatch, Diablo and StarCraft, will be available in China once more from the second half of 2024. The games will not be released all at once, but sequentially .
Interestingly, Microsoft has also signed a deal with NetEase to bring new titles from the Chinese publisher to Xbox and ‘other platforms’.
Johanna Fariespresident of Blizzard Entertainment, stated:
We at Blizzard are excited to re-establish our partnership with NetEase and work together, with deep appreciation for the collaboration between our teams, to deliver legendary gaming experiences to players in China. We are immensely grateful for the passion that the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games over the years, and we are focused on bringing our universes back to players with excellence and dedication.
William DingCEO and Director of NetEase, added:
Celebrating our collaborations, we are excited to embark on the next chapter, built on trust and mutual respect, to serve our users in this unique community we have built together. Our commitment to providing a more stimulating 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.
Phil SpencerCEO of Microsoft Gaming, said in a statement:
Blizzard and NetEase have done an incredible job to renew our commitment to players – Blizzard universes have been a part of players’ lives in the region for many years. Returning legendary Blizzard games to players in China while exploring ways to bring more new titles to Xbox demonstrates our commitment to bringing more games to more players around the world.
It is worth remembering that in addition to being a powerhouse in mobile games, NetEase has invested heavily in acquiring studios to produce AAA titles for consoles and PCs, including Quantic Dream, a studio known for games like Quantic Dream.
Does the new agreement indicate the production of some new exclusives for the Xbox?
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