Blizzard, NetEase Collaboration Relaunches World of Warcraft in China

US-based Blizzard Entertainment is set to return to China this summer, after entering into a new licensing agreement with its former partner NetEase.

The new deal will give Chinese gamers access to all the previous games available under the old licensing agreement, including World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and others.

In January 2023, Blizzard Games exited the Chinese gaming market after failing to renew its licensing agreement with China’s NetEase. The exit saw an end to an almost 15-year-long partnership and saw outcry by millions of Chinese netizens over losing access to their favorite games.

However, after Activision Blizzard’s 2023 acquisition by Microsoft and the latter’s friendly stance towards China, there were Chinese media reports about the company trying to re-enter the domestic gaming market.

Additionally, it seems Microsoft also wanted to establish its foothold in the growing Chinese gaming market. The country is the world’s leading gaming market and is expected to reach US$95.51 billion by 2029, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 7.63%, reports China Briefing.

Moreover, with the recent issuance of new gaming licenses, a trajectory shift in the government’s stance towards the gaming sector can be seen. Albeit the past two years’ restrictions on playtime for minors and in-game spending and rewards continue to persist.

“We are immensely grateful for the passion the Chinese community has shown for Blizzard games throughout the years,” Johanna Faries, president of Blizzard Entertainment, said in a statement on April 10.

“We are focused on bringing our universes back to players with excellence and dedication,” Faries continued.

Under the new agreement, both companies have also agreed to explore ways to bring new NetEase games to Xbox consoles and other Microsoft platforms.

“Returning Blizzard’s legendary 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,” said Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming.